Brownice Italian Bistro [Katong] Review - Vegan Italian Fare (Updated)

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Brownice Italian Bistro is a vegan Italian bistro concept with 2 outlets located at Katong and Sin Ming respectively. While the Sin Ming outlet serves only waffles and ice cream, the Katong one serves up a full-fledged menu. We have all heard about veganism, but unlike the common impression, it is not just about being vegetarian, but completely omitting the use of animal products totally from the food. This includes things such as milk and cheese.

 Brownice Italian Menu 



We would think vegan food to be bland and unappealing, but backed by the rising eat-healthy trend in recent years and the increase in vegans, the vegan/vegetarian industry has seen businesses such as taiwanese-vegetarian Sufood (read the review here) by the Putien Group, striving to improve food quality and taste to even appeal to mainstream diners. Brownice however, sets itself distinctly apart from the competition by serving a fully Italian menu of pizzas and pastas.

A differentiating point about Brownice is that they make their own vegan cheese, and it tastes very similar to cheese, but without the stringiness that some may miss. Apparently, to do a vegan cheese that tastes decent isn't easy and this definitely made the mark.

 Assorted Milkshakes
Strawberry, Hazelnut and Chocolate,.

 They do milkshakes too, albeit without milk of course. Of the 3 we tried - hazelnut, 'very chocolate' and passionfruit mango, the last one is my pick to go with. 

 All had a slightly difference in taste from the normal milkshake, presumably because of the milk was substituted.

Leek Soup (1st visit)
Leek Soup ($10)
The soup of the day changes with the week. It was the leek soup when we visited. The soup is made in-house and one can taste the full flavour of the puree. 

 I had the mushroom soup on the 2nd visit and enjoyed it as I did the leek soup. Seems like they have got their soup standards right. 

 No. of Forks: 4

White Truffle Fries ($10)

 These shoestrings were crisp, savoury and you can detect the distinctiveness of truffle. Good choice to go with for a starter.
The portion is great for 3-4 to share comfortably and still leave space for other dishes.

 No. of Forks: 3.5

 Arancini (both visits)
Arancini ($12)
Arancini are fried, crumbed rice balls filled with vegan cheese and tomato. The marinara was a very well-seasoned blend of flavours that wasn't too sour or heavy on the tomato taste. My dining partner and I, who are not usually marinara fans, lapped this up, though it could use just a little less salt. A bonus for the health-conscious is that Brownice uses brown rice for this dish, consistent with the bistro's healthy slant. This dish was our favourite, all thanks to the superb marinara. It was great even on the 2nd visit. 

Tuscan Fennel Orange Salad ($12)
Consisting of orange slices, rocket, arugula leaves and sliced baby tomatoes, the salad fell a little short as there wasn't anything to bring the elements together. 

No. Of Forks: 2

Four Seasons Pizza (both visits)
Four Seasons Pizza ($18)
This thin-crust pizza came in four variations, each with two slices. There were the toppings of artichokes with soy ham; taggiasche olives; sundried tomatoes and capsicum; truffle mushroom. The imported olives were juicy but too salty, though that has more to do with the preserved nature of olives. Our favourite slices were the truffle mushroom and artichokes with soy ham. 

No. Of Forks: 4

Truffle Porcini Funghi Pizza 
Truffle Porcini Funghi Pizza ($19)
The mix of Funghi on the base was good but the toppings fell off the crust very easily. That made it slightly difficult to handle. You can get a quarter of your pizza in this flavour if you order the Four Seasons. I also found it a tad salty on the second slice. 

No. Of Forks: 3.5 

Truffle Mushroom Risotto
Truffle Mushroom Risotto ($18)

This is thick, creamy and the grains were cooked to a consistency that were soft but still retained its whole grains. The truffle flavour was apparent, only thing being that it may be a bit too much to finish on one's own, as all cream-based dishes run the risk of. 

No. Of Forks: 4

Lasagna
Lasagna ($17)
The portion is definitely generous. I am not a fan of lasagna usually - this one of diced eggplant and tofu crumble didn't sit with me either. Perhaps because the crumble in the tomato sauce was slightly too much. I could only taste the sauce for most part in the dish 

No. Of Forks: 2.5(if you are a lasagna lover)

Dessert - Ice Cream
$13 for 4 flavours with any 4 toppings of choice
We had four flavours: Pistachio(not bad), green tea(skip), peanut butter(great)and dark chocolate(pretty good). An additional $1 is charged for the premium flavours (like pistachio). At $13 for 4 flavours and 4 toppings of your choice, this is value-for-money, and quality.

No. Of Forks: 3.5

Though there were some misses, Brownice does serve up some flavours that are actually close to the Italian taste in Italy, which is a plus given that it is vegan. It can be a good option to bring a crowd of both vegan and non-vegan friends together for Italian fare. The waffles are touted as a must-try, so we will be headed there for it next time.

Brownice Italian Bistro
53 East Coast Road
Singapore 428771
Open Mon, Wed, Thurs 12am-10.30am; Fri-Sun 12-11pm
Closed on Tuesdays

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2 comments

  1. Anonymous20 July 2016 at 09:38

    Testing

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  2. Anonymous20 July 2016 at 09:40

    Such a detailed and insightful review, with nice photos too. Enjoyed that dinner with you all that evening!

    ReplyDelete