Original Sin @ Holland V

People who know me well would be surprised that I picked a vegan place for lunch. Sometimes the carnivore in me wants to graze a bit and give the system a rest.

Named after the famous fresco in the Sistine Chapel, Original Sin represents passion, creativity and skill showcased throughout its Mediterranean influenced vegetarian dishes. Opened in 1997, they remain the first and only Mediterranean vegetarian restaurant in Singapore. 

Located in the sleepy neighbourhood of Chip Bee Gardens, it used to have a sister shop called Michelangelo’s that sold excellent Italian cuisine next door. But that has closed unfortunately.

We started with some beautifully fresh ciabatta bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Those who are not used to this dip can ask for some butter. But ciabatta, with its “hole”ly inside, is perfect with oil and vinegar if they are good.

Buratta with garnishing 

The first dish we were served was burrata cheese with basil, vine tomatoes dressed with pesto and vinaigrette, and more ciabatta bread. It was not house made burrata which is now available in many finer Italian restaurants. It was not a creamy or milky version as well, so I would give it a miss next time.

Mezze Platter

A selection of middle eastern dips designed to share: Hummus, beetroot and walnut dip, capsicum and almond dip, deep fried feta balls served with falafel balls, tzatziki and pita bread. This was an excellent choice for sharing if you have a group. The dips were wonderful with the warm pita bread. For someone who doesn’t like chickpeas, Princess found the falafel and hummus delicious. I particularly loved the capsicum dip.

Truffle Fries

Princess is a sucker for truffle fries, which is essentially french fries tossed with truffle oil, grated parmesan and sprinkled with paprika powder. This dish has an incredible profit margin for the restaurants.

Lasagna

If you are Garfield but vegetarian, this lasagna will be the closest thing you can get to the beef version. Baked pasta layers with tomato, mozzarella, basil and parmesan that you would normally get with traditional lasagna, and then you get mushroom, spinach, onion, zucchini and capsicum to replace the meat. I would love to try an impossible meat version if it was available, but this pure vegan version was outstanding as well.

Tandoori Skewer 

Char-grilled mushroom, eggplant, capsicum, onion and tofu marinated in tandoori spices served with yoghurt, mango chutney and rice; the tandoori skewers have been on the menu for years, but this was the first time I tried it. Not a convert nor a fan.

Moussaka 

My first encounter with a moussaka was in a Turkish restaurant and I tried to impress my date with my knowledge of exotic cuisine. Baked layers of eggplant, potato, tomato, Middle Eastern spiced lentils, topped with a béchamel sauce. This brought back memories.

Afterthoughts

Many complained about the price and the service. But I found the service to be quite good and prompt. The food was alright but just because I am not vegetarian in the first place. I would love to dine al fresco if not for the mercury to hit the high 30s and we just had an afternoon shower. The price was on the steep side, with the main courses and sharing platters $30 or more. The kombucha was $10 per bottle if you add in the taxes. However, that’s price to be vegan these days.

Original Sin Restaurant
#01-62 Jln Merah Saga, Chip Bee Gardens, Blk 43, Singapore 278115
Tel : +65 6475 5605

Visited in Aug 2022