One cannot help but to associate vegetarian food with bland vegetables and deep-fried mock goose meat. But in recent years, the variety of tasty vegetarian food has expanded so much that even a carnivorous like me is now, a huge vegetarian food fan. Sufood, a new Italian-inspired vegetarian cuisine restaurant which just opened recently at Raffles City, is winning lots of new fans with its creative approach the once boring herbivorous diet.

Over at Sufood, you will not find greasy mock meat or plainly fried vegeatables. Instead, this Taiwanese-origin restaurant tries to approach Italian cuisine using vegetables and lots of diary products. I was there a few days ago to try out the Express Set Lunch menu. At $18++, the set meal is good for value.

The 5-course set lunch started off with the Sufood Appetiser. The delicate trio of poached Japanese Yuca root drizzled with blueberry coulis, a stack of oriental white water snowflakes greens and a savoury cherry tomato jelly is a great way to whet your appetite. The different taste of each appetiser stimulates your taste buds and makes you wondering what’s next.

For the next course, it is an option of salad or soup. I chose the latter. The Cream of Pumpkin Soup is a thick creamy pumpkin puree. The rich soup is light yet not short of flavour. I like how the chef added a pod of peas to make the soup look even more mouth-watering.

For the main course, I went ahead with the Star Pizza. This star-shaped pizza scores remarkably well in both presentation and taste. Filled with oyster mushrooms, cream cheese, wasabi sauce and topped with a generous amount of salted seaweed, the taste is a nice balance of Italian and Japanese flavours. How would one ever link these vastly different cuisines together. But I was most impressed when they provide a disposable glove for the guest so that they will not dirty his hand while eating the pizza. How thoughtful.

My colleague, who was with me, ordered the Macaroni Alfredo Casserole. This oven-baked dish consists of peppers, asparagus and oyster mushrooms served with a creamy sauce and covered with a thick layer of Parmesan cheese. Although its tasted good, my colleague commented that it might be a bit too cheesy and creamy for non-diary lovers.

For the dessert, I had the Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate while my colleague had the Banana Cheesecake. The ice cream is ordinary and nothing spectacular. After a heavy main course, the last thing that you want is an overwhelming cheesy dessert. Fortunately, the Banana Cheesecake is small and light. Its petite size makes it easier to eat. And it has a very nice even banana flavour.

The final course is the drink. I particular love my The Very Berry concoction of blackcurrants and elderberries. This unique is touted to have detoxifying capabilities. My colleague had the Passion Fruit Calamansi Tea which is rather refreshing and aromatic.

Sufood is a place you would go when you have to have a good meal without the guilt. You will need to choose carefully in order not to order too much creamy dishes. Other than that, dining at Sufood is definitely a guilt-free and healthy pleasure.

Sufood
252 North Bridge Road,
Raffles City Shopping Centre #02-19
Singapore 179103
Tel: 65 6333 5338
www.sufood.com.sg