PUBLISHED June 24th, 2013 04:09 pm | UPDATED April 14th, 2016 03:12 pm
Fancy a little bit of England in the middle of India? Then welcome to Veggie Cottage – a cosy oasis of escape from the hustle and bustle of Little India, hidden between rows of unassuming shophouses. Fresh white washed interiors and a warm ambience greet you at this charming vegetarian cafe. The food is quite eclectic, with a mix of local favorites and western cuisine, and specials that rotate daily. Spaghetti Bolognese and Fish and Chips sit happily alongside Claypot Tofu, Laksa and Nasi Lemak, so there’s something to please everyone!
We started with the homemade Avocado Dip served with Veggie Tortilla Chips ($4). Delightfully light, fresh and creamy avocado, with a zing of lime and served with a medley of colourful chips. Luckily we were also there on a Saturday, and they were serving Laksa ($5) which they only do once a week. It’s hard to find a good vegetarian Laksa with all the right flavours, and this one was right on the mark. Rich, spicy and inviting coconut curry, with crispy tofu, vegetarian fish balls and crunchy bean sprouts. Yum!
We also tried the Nasi Lemak ($5), our personal favourite. The coconut rice was perfectly seasoned, and it came with all the usual accompaniments – cucumber, peanuts, crispy vegetarian fish and ikan bilis, which even looked like anchovies! The sambal, which essentially makes or breaks this dish, was sufficiently spicy and had a good kick but could have been a tad sweeter and with a bit more texture.
We were a bit sceptical about the next dish: Veggie Fish and Chips ($6.50), but it turned out to be surprisingly good. The fish was lightly battered, crisp and well-seasoned and was served with crispy thick fries and an addictive tofu tartar sauce.
Unfortunately they had run out of the baked goodies when we visited – homemade pandan and chocolate muffins, cottage pies and cinnamon rolls, so we will just have to go back to check that out!
Veggie Cottage is a wonderful little hidden gem with a lot going for it – down-to-earth, delicious vegetarian food, incredibly reasonable prices, cosy ambience and great location in the increasingly trendy Little India district. Go now before word gets out – they only seat 20 people!
Written by The Little Green One