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Sunday, November 1, 2020

Restaurant review: Sufood at Raffles City Shopping Centre, Singapore


Another restaurant I've been wanting to check-out for a long time. Finally crossed it off my list.

It was time to meet up with a dear friend who also happens to be my go-to partner when I go in search of vegetarian and vegan establishments in Singapore. Together, we have been exploring the vegetarian dining scene in the island over the past few years. These are catch-ups I cherish not only for the great company and yummy food but also because I usually churn out a blog post at the end of it. Killing three proverbial birds with one stone 😁

Sufood belongs to a Taiwanese chain of vegetarian restaurants and is known for its stylish, wholesome and innovative cuisine. Through a joint venture with Putien, Sufood opened its doors in Singapore in 2014.

The restaurant strives to provide its customers with nutrient dense menu featuring nourishing whole food and responsibly sourced ingredients. There is no mock meat and no artificial colorings, flavorings or additives in any of their dishes.

The restaurant enjoys a prime location at Raffles City Shopping Centre so access and parking are no problem at all. You can tell the restaurant is spacious just by the first glance.


Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the necessary safety precautions were in place. I had made a reservation online in advance. As with other places, temperature checking and safe entry check-in are required. There was restricted seating with many tables not available for service. 

The interiors are simple and soothing with a color palette dominated by blush pink, beige and white. On the whole, it imparts a clean and modern aesthetic. 

Between the two of us, I was first to reach the restaurant. I noticed that even though the number of tables were limited, those that were for service were mostly full (always a good sign). 

Waiting for my friend, I leisurely leafed through the menu and was pleased with what I saw. Although not extensive, there is an interesting selection of beverages, soups, appetizers, main courses and desserts. It is hard to categorize the kind of cuisine that is offered but you will see Asian (mainly Taiwanese and Japanese) influences on popular Western fare such as pasta, pizza, burger and pita pockets. So in essence, the cuisine is a fusion of East meets West. 

Sufood clearly labels which of their dishes contain egg, milk, onion, garlic and those that are spicy which I deemed quite helpful. And I really appreciated that there was no mock meat in their menu (seriously, I detest the stuff). As someone who exclusively cooks vegetarian food at home, I can vouch for the fact that delicious vegetarian dishes (from any global cuisine) does not need the abomination that is mock meat. I did notice the dominance of black truffle and mushrooms in the menu but these are ingredients I like (and respect) so I was completely on board with that 😁

The good thing about the menu is that aside from a-la-carte dishes, an assortment of set meals are available (4-course, 6-course and 8-course). Not only do they help the customers select the number of courses they would like and balance out the courses but also provides value for money. 


We ordered one set meal and a few a-la-carte dishes. Here is a line-up of what we ordered,

Mulberry Cider ($3.80)

This drink took me by surprise. Although it was a bit more sweeter than what I would have preferred, it was refreshing, potent yet pleasant and quite delicious.

Recommended.

Energized Salad with Avocado & Macadamia Nuts ($6.80)

I love avocado and macadamia nuts so ordering this salad was a no-brainer for me. The salad looked and tasted good. Cold, crisp with a nice mix of textures, sweetness from the fruits and creaminess from the salad dressing, the quantity of which was just about right.

Recommended.

Handmade Rosemary Breadsticks (included in set meal)

The handmade rosemary breadsticks are included in all the three set meals. They turned out to be warm and mildly flavoured breadsticks served with a moreish creamy dip. We polished them off in minutes.


Burdock-Maca Stew ($8.80)

I really liked this soup. It was a clear soup so it was light and served as a great appetizer. The soup was hot, fragrant and had predominantly savoury notes. I would definitely order it again.

Recommended.

5-Grain Rice with Black Truffle & Mushrooms ($15.80)

As the name suggests, this dish is flavoured primarily by black truffle and mushrooms. This dish is one of their signatures. My first impression was that the presentation could have been better. Taste-wise, the dish was underwhelming in my opinion because I found it a bit dry and bland. Although I must say that I did like the texture of the rice, the pop of color from the asparagus and the dollop of delicious black truffle in the middle.

Baked Shell Pasta with Black Truffle ($15.80)

This dish looked quite appetizing. It was cheesy, comforting, colorful and had that delectable black truffle aroma but again, it was slightly bland. In my opinion, it could do with a flavour boost and definitely a little spice. 

Long White Fungus with Rose ($4.80)

This would be an ideal dessert for those who do not want to end their meal with something rich and heavy. You can specify whether you want it warm or cold. We went for the latter option. It turned out to be a simple, sweet, floral and refreshing dessert.

Earl Grey Ice Cream Cookie Sandwich ($8.80)

To be honest, I did not want to order this dessert. I had set my sights on the chocolate lava cake. But in the end, I and my friend mutually settled on this one since it sounded more unusual. 

I did not much like this dessert at all. Although I could appreciate the flavour of Earl Grey in the cookie and ice-cream, on the whole, this dessert wasn’t sweet enough for me and I somehow disliked the texture of the cookie. It was also rather difficult to scoop (and I am terribly clumsy as it is). The combination of the cookie and the ice-cream did not do it for me and the lonely blueberries kind of felt out of place. 

We enjoyed a lovely evening at Sufood. The conversation flowed freely, the service was prompt and the atmosphere was casual and relaxed. The food was a mix of hits and misses but at the end of the day, we left the restaurant satisfied. 

My verdict:

Sufood is not just a place for vegetarians and vegans but where even meat-lovers can enjoy wholesome, colorful and well presented dishes. Although not quite a fine dining experience, it feels rather fancy nonetheless. The menu had an impressive variety of dishes that would cater to many dietary preferences. The ambience of the restaurant is pleasant and the service is efficient. I was impressed with the drink and appetizers but the main courses and dessert were a bit of a let-down in comparison. I found the portion size to be just about right. Price-wise I would say this is a mid-range restaurant. For vegetarian food, it still could be considered pricey but given the upscale location, I'd say that it is justified. 


I would recommend this restaurant for couples, families, business lunches or dinners & small gatherings. 


My rating for this restaurant is




Sufood

Address:
Raffles City Shopping Centre
252 North Bridge Road
#02-19, Singapore 179103
T: (65) 6333 5338

Nearest MRT: City Hall

Opening Hours:
Open daily:
Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm (last order at 2:30pm)
Dinner: 5:30pm – 10pm (last order at 9:30pm)


Cheers,
Megha



This is NOT an invited review or sponsored post


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