Oasis Restaurant at Grand Hyatt Singapore is well-known for being one of the best places around Orchard Road for its BBQ dinner. Grand Hyatt Singapore is famous for making greener choices to save the planet and just like its other F&B outlets – Pete’s Place and Mezza9 – Oasis doesn’t ignore the vegetarian and vegan diners either.
The hotel might be located right next to the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road, but Oasis offers a tranquil break from the city. The restaurant is perfect for Alfresco style dining, in the midst of lush greenery and fresh, open air, right next to the relaxing azure of the swimming pool.
Our first impression was very positive, Oasis has an open kitchen where you can see your food being prepared a-la-minute. The Menu provided another pleasant surprise, with clearly marked vegetarian and plant-based (vegan) options. My lunching partner is vegetarian, while I’m vegan, so dietary guidance is important for us, and neither of us was disappointed.
We started with a selection of Salads. Roast pumpkin salad, with baby spinach, marinated goat cheese, onion, organic brown rice and goji berries, was a huge hit with my companion. She is normally not a big fan of pumpkin on account of it being too sweet but here the slight saltiness of the goat cheese perfectly balances out the sweetness of the pumpkin. Onions and goji berries add to the flavour and brown rice bulks it up, making it a meal on its own. The salad can be done vegan upon request, by omitting the goat cheese.
The vegan Kale tabbouleh salad is more my thing – fresh kale, juicy vine tomatoes, the flavour of cumin and the freshness of mint, mixed with radish and bulgur wheat, tossed together in a mild lemon vinaigrette dressing. (S$16) The colourful salad looks and tastes great and makes for the perfect light lunch on a sunny day. As it is marked as a tabbouleh salad, my first instinct would have been to expect shredded or finely chopped parsley (as in an original tabbouleh), but the ‘chunkier’ version Oasis serves is rather tasty.
The Asian soba slaw (S$18) was slightly less of a hit with us than its counterparts but if you love the flavour of sesame, you’ll enjoy this. The salad was oozing freshness with shredded cabbage, carrot, spring onion, coriander and buckwheat noodles tossed together in a light dressing and generously sprinkled with sesame seeds. All in all, the salad round was a big hit, with all 3 vegetarian/vegan salads faring quite well.
Time for main course selection and we were spoilt for choice of plant-based Burgers & Sandwiches. We started with Beyond Sausage Hot Dog. The neat and clean presentation is a refreshing touch for the classic fast food dish. The hot dog is served with Japanese dill pickled cucumbers, tarragon mustard and ketchup. Grand Hyatt Singapore was the first venue in South East Asia to launch Beyond products, and they now offer several in their restaurants. As a health-conscious person, it’s important to me that sausage is not only 100% plant-based but also non-GMO and gluten-free, and the Beyond Sausage delivers. Each sausage also contains more protein and less fat (total and saturated) than traditional meat sausage. Personally, I prefer Beyond Sausage to Beyond Burger as it has a less ‘meaty’ flavour. With their tangy vinegary flavour, I also find the gherkins on top to be a perfect accompaniment to the hot dog.
My vegetarian companion tried the Falafel wrap and immensely enjoyed it. Expect well-grilled tortilla wraps, stuffed with greens, tomatoes and falafels and served with a side of tzatziki and fresh salad. Any burger or sandwich order at Oasis comes with a side dish, you can choose from a few options. We opted for Sweet potato fries, coriander, which, I have to admit, I ate most of. These are the best fries I’ve had in a long time – flavourful, slightly sweet, surprisingly non-oily and absolutely addictive!
Of all the veg goodness we tried on the day, my absolute favourite was the JUST egg scramble, which is served on toasted sourdough topped with a thick layer of mashed avocado. The dish is served with fried mushrooms, roasted vine tomatoes and potato wedges. For the uninitiated, JUST eggs are made from mung beans, a legume that gelatinises when it cooks, and turmeric, which gives the vegan eggs their colour. Since turning vegan 3 years ago, the one dish I miss sometimes is the simple scrambled eggs. The JUST egg scramble not only satisfied my cravings but also exceeded my expectations. Oasis’s scramble is just perfect; fluffy and fine in texture, and I believe it could be easily mistaken as a chicken egg.
As always, vegetarians will have a bit more choice than vegans but Oasis does have a few great vegan options, so I will definitely be back for more. Oasis, just like the other Hyatt’s restaurants, takes the ‘veggie’ diet very seriously and puts a lot of effort into new dishes by sourcing new products (like Beyond and JUST), which is very visible on their menu. The one thing still missing from their menus though is vegan desserts, hope to see those on soon. If you are ever near Orchard, or even if you have to specially go there, it’s a great place for relaxing or for a lazy lunch to break up your shopping spree.
Oasis: Grand Hyatt Singapore, 10 Scotts Road, Singapore 228211. P: +65 6738 1234. Website.
Born in Poland, Anna Wojtkowska lived in Denmark for 11 years before moving to Singapore. Having travelled extensively, Anna has made a concerted effort to study food and cooking methods locally, while travelling the world, and has developed a style of her own when it comes to plant-based nutrition and cooking.