Lunch at Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Restaurant @ Bugis

91 Bencoolen Street, #01-50 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652

Tel: 6337 7050

Website: http://tengbespoke.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tengbespokevegetarianrestaurant

We chanced upon Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Restaurant not realising it was a vegetarian at first, because the Japanese food listed on the menu looked so enticing - bento sets, green tea soba in soup, grilled Yakitori and sashimi items, etc. The Host informed us that this was a vegetarian restaurant before leading us to the table, and we were excited (at least my lunch companions were) to try such interesting-looking vegetarian food.

You see, to many people, the thought of "vegetarian food" typically brings to mind greasy, deep-fried mock meat or salads with unappetising ingredients. Not anymore, though, because vegetarian restaurants have very interesting dishes to rival their non-vegetarian competitors, and Teng Bespoke is one such restaurant, creating their dishes based on Japanese cuisine. To be more specific, Teng Bespoke is your good alternative to Shojin ryori (Zen Buddhist temples), tailoring their interior decor and menu to this concept.

The appetiser provided by the restaurant is a bowl of Crispy Tapioca Crisps, served with sesame dip. We enjoyed this appetiser very much as it was lovely in the mouth, with its subtle dash of sweetness. We also ordered a pot of Hot Green Tea to go along with the meal.

We stared with Salmon Sashimi (SGD$9.00), served with wasabi for that authentic feel. The slices of  sashimi were springy in texture, oddly with the subtle sweet "fishy" taste one associates with eating real salmon sashimi.

Then there was the Japanese Sweet Potato, roasted lightly for it to retain its sweetness, moisture and softness. I am not a sweet potato fan, but most of my lunch companions enjoyed this item the most.

Teriyaki Chicken on Skewer (SGD$7.00) had what was being described by one of my companions as "tastes like rope".  I tried the charred piece at the end which was crispy with a smokey overture that I found was, quite good.

Then there was Potato Salad, served cold, with mayonnaise and lettuce.

Moving on, Avocado Maki, comprising mock ebi (shrimp), avocado, and nori. The avocado and rice were a little too mushy in my opinion, but taste-wise, was quite good.

Green Tea Soba Noodle Soup was was made up of flavourful broth but noodle and soup held no hint of green tea at all. Other ingredients included Tau Pok (dried beancurd) and mushrooms.

Cold Buckwheat Soba was served chilled, on a bed of ice. Tiny pieces of deep-fried ginger gave it a lovely flavor and crispiness. I tried it without the dipping sauce on the side, and thought it tasted good enough.

Finally, Mushroom and Tofu Hotpot (SGD$14.00) - a rather huge personal hotspot composed of a delicious, earthly soup filled with 6 silky tofu cubes, enoki mushrooms, shitake mushroom, one other type of mushroom, and 2 types of vegetables. I enjoyed this healthy dish immensely.

Overall verdict of dining experience here at Teng Bespoke Vegetarian Restaurant? Food-wise, there were hits and misses. Service could be improved upon, such as crew staff being more attentive.