Singapore: Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant

Back in December we had a brief stopover in Singapore en route to Australia. The city struck us as a great place to stopover, not least for the variety of flavorful and affordable vegan dining options available. Our favorite place, so good we had to go back a second time, was Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant in Little India.

We don’t often eat Indian food at home since most of the Indian food we find in the United States is just a bit banal. In places like Kuala Lumpur, where there’s a large Indian diaspora similar to Singapore, we often struggled to find staff who could speak English well enough to convey what their dishes contained or understand all that we needed to exclude. At Gokul though, we had no such problems. The staff speak English fluently, the food is unique and flavorful and about 80% of the menu is vegan.

Clockwise from above: Vegan Masala Dosa; Vegan Mutton Murtabak; Vegan Tahu Sambal Dosa

The menu is a fusion of Southern and Northern Indian food with Malay. Singaporean favorites like Laksa and Char Kway Teow are available alongside a large selection of Indian dishes. Gokul is 100% vegetarian and uses No Garlic, No Onion, No Egg and No MSG. Along with the original location in Little India, Gokul also has a second, and smaller, location closer to Orchard Road.

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant’s Kitchen Team:

Chef Vishnu from Nepal
Chef Deva from Chennai (South India)
Chef Atul Verma from North India
Chef Raja from Chennai (South India)
Chef Chenapan from Chennai (South India)
Chef Saravanan from Chennai (South India)
Chef David from North India

The restaurant is a short walk from the Little India MRT station and is easy to spot from the street. If you happen to come during lunch hour or during the weekend you may have to wait a bit, but it won’t be long and it’s worth the wait. You are provided with utensils and napkins, and of course there is a bathroom to wash up if you choose to eat with your hand.

The menu is extensive with a variety of options, including spicy and more mild dishes. Dosai are made using sesame oil (instead of ghee) and nearly all of the breads are vegan; Paneer (Indian cheese), cheese and butter breads are the exception and are clearly labeled. Papadums are served at the table with every order and make a nice snack before or during your meal.

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Complimentary papadum

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Calamansi Surprise

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Kothu Prata Set – Scrambled prata with soy chunks, tofu, vegetables and gravy

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Masala Kulcha – Tandoori grilled stuffed roti

From left to right: Masala Kulcha; Kothu Prata Set

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Mutton Murtabak – Stuffed prata with assorted soya chunks and vegetables and gravy

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Nonya Laksa – Nonya style noodles cooked in spicy coconut curry

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Paper Masala Dosa – Paper thin pancakes filled with potato masala, served with 2 chutneys and sambar.

Clockwise from top left: Kothu Prata Set; Masala Kulcha; Paper Masala Dosa

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Masala Dosa – Masala potato filled indian pancakes with 2 chutneys and sambar

From left to right: Masala Dosa; Tahu Sambal Dosa

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant: Tahu Sambal Dosa – Indian pancake stuffed with spicy tofu sambal

From left to right: Tahu Sambal Dosa; Masala Dosa

Gokul has a wonderful reputation for providing exceptional vegetarian and vegan food in Singapore. It was featured in Lonely Planet and Time Out and has been voted Best Vegetarian Restaurant by:

Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant @ Upper Dickson Road (Little India) from SG Food on Foot
Top 10 Vegetarian Eateries in Singapore from Hungry Ang Mo
Gokul Vegetarian Restaurant, Little India from Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow
The Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Singapore from TheAsianParent

We learned about Gokul on Hungry Ang Mo, one of the most comprehensive sites for vegan dining in Singapore.

Gokul Vegetarian, 19 Upper Dickson Rd Singapore 207478; gokulvegetarianrestaurant.com