I repeatedly find myself back at Jamie’s Italian at Forum because they keep reinventing their vegan options and it’s so refreshing to see how they come up with new and exciting plant based dishes each time. As of last month, not only have they expanded their plant based menu (to a total of 11 vegan dishes), they also actively promote and advocate for sustainability and the benefits of eating more plant based, which is brilliant.
Since it was a breezy evening, my friend and I sat on the patio, sipping on refreshing lemonades while waiting for our food. We kickstarted the meal with the Heritage Tomato Salad (S$25.95) which sounds deceptively uni-dimensional but it absolutely isn’t. The fresh and slow roasted tomatoes both lend beautifully layered textures and tartness to the salad, which pairs really well with the fresh basil and vegan ricotta. There was a tonne of sourdough-esque croutons to go around, but I thought the rocket leaves were a bit scarce. Nevertheless, the salad is a revelation that really uplifts the humble tomato and I highly recommend trying it.
On a previous visit, I tried the Classic Superfood Salad (S$28.95), an energising salad of mixed pulses, grains and seeds, roasted beets, broccolini topped with an avocado, harissa dressing and a dollop of vegan ricotta. There are so many superfood ingredients in this salad that stand for themselves, that I felt the spicy harissa isn’t really needed. Other than the harissa though, Jamie’s Classic Superfood Salad is just sublime.
For mains, we shared the Super Green Veggie Burger (S$27.95) which has a herby chickpea, bean & six-seed patty with a whole lot of balsamic onions and some vegan ricotta. It’s served with our all time favourite sweet potato fries on the side. With the burger you get exactly what you expect, crispy falafel-esque exterior with perfectly cooked vegetables on the inside. In spite of being an entirely vegetable based burger, it holds perfectly and is hearty and satisfying. The ricotta cheese with red cabbage subs perfectly for a coleslaw and pairs well with the caramelised onions. If plant-based meat burgers are not your thing, then this burger would be the perfect alternative and you don’t need to wait for a cheat day to tuck into it.
Coming now, to the show stopper of the meal – The Ultimate Steak and Mash (S$34.95), which was supposed to be the second main to share, but which I got to devour almost all by myself (my friend isn’t a fan of meat like textures). I’m just going to go ahead and make a bold statement here – the steak is meatier, juicier and tastier than any popular plant-based meat patties available in the market. When I learnt that Chef Edica actually makes the steak in-house, I was able to appreciate and enjoy the textures and flavours even more. I am truly in awe! This may not be to everyone’s taste, but while the steak closely resembles meat, you can actually taste the mushrooms and carrots which I absolutely loved. The mash and braised onions make for a perfect accompaniment and this dish easily gets a 10 on 10 from me.
If you’re in a large group or with kids, Jamie’s Italian’s vegan pizzas are also a great choice. The Pimped Margherita (S$29.95) comes with fresh tomato sauce, basil and an in-house vegan mozzarella; while the Supergreen Pizza (S$26.95) comes loaded with broccoli, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and the aforementioned homemade vegan cheese. The cheese is on point but because I’m one of those people who likes their pizzas loaded, I wish there was more sauce and cheese to go around. Having said that, the pizza base is as perfect as can be – chewy and crispy in the right proportions. With this pizza, there definitely won’t be any crusts left behind!
Verdict
Another fantastic and satisfying meal where I didn’t feel like I had to compromise and that’s what keeps me going back to Jamie’s Italian. It’s so exciting to see how they are continuously evolving their vegan dishes and I can’t wait to see what they pull out from under their chef hats next. Do note that all the dishes on Jamie’s Italian’s Vegan Menu also exist on their regular menu (in their non-vegan avatars but with the same names) which can be confusing both for you and the servers, so please be very sure to specify that you want the vegan dishes.
Please note: Given the dine-in restrictions, Jamie’s Italian menu is available for takeaway and delivery service every day from 11.30am to 9.00pm.
All takeaway orders that are made directly through them, can now enjoy a special 15% discount and orders above $100 nett can also enjoy free delivery (via taxi or equivalent service*), with no limitations within Singapore
Jamie’s Italian: 583 Orchard Road, #01-01/04 Forum, 238884 | Website
Mansi is a former vegan restaurateur from India who tries to live a conscious and sustainable life. She likes to work with ethical businesses and dreams of having an animal shelter some day. As someone who developed her restaurant’s menu herself, Mansi is an instinctive cook and hates following recipes to the T. Relatively new to Singapore, she finds herself on a permanent food excursion and hopes to eat ALL the vegan grub that the city has to offer.
Before jumping into the food business, Mansi worked in the Development and Communication sector and is also a certified yoga instructor.
