LINGZHI VEGETARIAN

05-01 Liat Towers, 541 Orchard Road, S(238881) TEL: 6734 3788

Hidden on the fifth floor of Liat Towers is this gem of a restaurant that serves tasty vegetarian Chinese fare at extremely reasonable prices. Instead of meat, the talented culinary team uses various types of mushrooms, such as the meaty monkey-head mushroom. This is featured in both the vegetarian satay and a spicy dish dubbed “firecracker monkey-head mushroom” . The former sees the said fungi coated in batter, deep-fried and served in a carved out pineapple with accompanying peanut gravy. In the latter dish, monkeyhead mushroom is marinated in a secret sauce and stir-fried with dried chilli, peppercorns and cashew nuts. It might be too spicy for the uninitiated, so be sure to order hot tea, of which there’s a compact but decent selection to choose from. Even the local favourite, hor fun, has been given an update, so you get firm noodles redolent with wok hei and packed with assorted vegetables including kai lan. For dessert, have the quintessential mango purée with pomelo for a refreshing end to the meal.