Ci Yan Organic Vegetarian Health Food
慈缘轩健康素食
8, Smith Street,
Chinatown, Singapore
Tel: 6225 9026
慈缘轩健康素食
8, Smith Street,
Chinatown, Singapore
Tel: 6225 9026
Smith Street is also known as the "Chinatown Food Street". This short street is closed to traffic ater 5 p.m. till 1 a.m.. Hawker stalls in the form of pull carts parked on the side while tables line the street, recreating a nostalgic image of the earlier days of Singapore. At the Chinatown Food Street, one can find most of the local hawker food fare such as Fried Kway Teow, BBQ Seafood and Ah Balling. Nevertheless, apart from these stalls, there are little shophouses that have a tendency to be un-noticed. I was grateful to my bro, Cedric, for introducing me to Ci Yan Organic Vegetarian Health Food (慈缘轩健康素食) , for a simple yet delightfully healthy dinner.
Before entering the shop, a chalkboard displays the menu-of-the-day. At Ci Yan, there is not fixed menu, there is always something different everyday. Upon entering the little shop, it is like you have just entered a small little teahouse in Tibet. Not that I have been to Tibet yet, but the interior decorations have a very strong Tibetan taste. Tibetan-styled Buddha statues, Mandalas, pictures of Tibetan lamas and smiling images of the Great Dalai Lama, together with the wooden tables and chairs packed closely, creates a cosy home-like ambience that welcomes not only devout Buddhists but non-Buddhists as well.
We were immediately welcomed by the friendly, English-speaking shop-owner, who then introduced to us the menu-of-the-day which includes: Brown Rice Set, Vegetarian Black Pepper Burger, Hakka 'Thunder Tea', just to name a few. I was watching the crowd that are coming in and I realised that there are a couple of Caucasians, who seemed like regulars. There were also many phone calls asking about the menu-of-the-day and making orders for take-aways. An adjacent table ordered a vegetarian yu sheng, which I believe was specially prepared since the Lunar New Year is over. The friendly service gave me a feeling that I am coming home to a big family.
Brown Rice Set
S$5
A platter of vegetables served with soft, fragrant brown rice. The lack of gluten in the rice set, makes it a very healthy choice. I particularly love the tempeh (cultured soybean cake) tossed with potatoes and celery in a tasty brown sauce.
Vegetarian Black Pepper Burger
S$5.50
A healthy burger of thin cucumber and tomato slices, cheddar cheese, fresh lettuce and a vegetarian black pepper patty, laced with a sour cream or tartar sauce, sanwiched between a foccacia bread.
Verdict
Many thanks to Cedric for recommeding this lovely little vegetarian eatery! Being a vegetarian is never easy. Apart from abstaining meat, vegetarian food can be rather hard to find, not to mention a good one that serves a healthy meal. Many vegetarian stalls serves gluten-made dishes that are stewed in heavy sauces or deep-fried to make them tasty, since garlic cannot be used. This is not exactly making vegetarianism a healthy choice. Though there are many practising strict vegetarianism because of their religious practices, such as Buddhism and Hinduism. There are also many who chose vegetarianisms for the sake of eating healthy. Vegetarianism lowers the intake of saturated fat, cholesterol and animal protein and in turn, higher intakes of complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C and E, carotenoids and other phytochemicals, thus preventing certain diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, renal disease, dementia, diverticular disease, gallstones and rheumatoid arthritis. The advantages of vegetarianism is not only about a healthier diet but also a ecological as well as social respect for all beings. Despite these many advantages, I still continue to dwell in the pleasures of this samara world, savouring all kinds of food, simply because I love good food! Nevertheless, I am progessively veered towards vegetarianisms for my lunch diets.
Back to Ci Yan Organic Vegetarian Health Food (慈缘轩健康素食). Ci Yan offers anyone a healthy choice of dining in their lovely little Tibetan-themed eatery. The price is very reasonable, with many dishes priced at S$5. Most importantly, Ci Yan makes you feel like home with their friendly service. I am definitely returning to Ci Yan again very soon!
Happy Leap Year!
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