Food Review: Organic Vegetarian Fresh Mart and Restaurant, Subang Jaya

On our way to the Dong Zen Buddhist Temple in Jenjarom for the Tx2 Campaign last Saturday , my gang and I decided to have lunch at the much-lauded Organic Vegetarian Restaurant in Subang Jaya.

Judging by the size of the lunch crowd, this is a popular eatery despite the steep prices. My friends and I felt immediately at home, as the solid wooden seats and bamboo bead blinds added a rustic appeal to the place. The seating arrangement was comfortable and conducive to conversation and the sharing of food.

The restaurant specialises mostly in rice and noodle dishes and use more fresh and raw vegetables than soy and gluten products. The staff were helpful and reasonably knowledgeable and able to list the ingredients of each dish.



Vegetable Sushi



Miso Noodle Soup



Seaweed Fried Rice



Fried Rice Set



Signature Noodle Set

All the rice dishes came with a serving of shredded organic vegetables (red cabbage, lettuce, julienned carrot), which added texture, and the vegetables were rich in the natural sweetness and flavour common only to organic produce.

The vegetable sushi was decidedly expensive at RM7.90 for 8 pieces, and would have tasted better, in my opinion, had they used real glutinous or sushi rice, instead of loosely-rolled rice noodle sheets. The noodle sheets came apart too easily and lacked the bulk and adhesiveness of rice.

Brown rice was used in the rice dishes, which added fibre and improved the consistency of the fried rice. The fried rice was fragrant and tasty without overwhelming the senses with sodium and spices. The portions were reasonably big, which made up for the higher cost.

The miso soup that my noodles came in was a refreshingly light and wholesome broth with lots of vegetables and diced tofu.

Mary Therese, Kim and I chose the low-sugar cincau (i.e. grass jelly) drink and were disappointed to find that it came in little PET bottles. We would not have ordered drinks in disposable single-serve packaging had we known.

I found the quality of the food satisfactory but more suited to those who prefer their food lightly seasoned. The presentation of the food was aesthetically very pleasing, and the side servings of vegetables were a welcome change from starchy and nutritionally valueless side dishes such as fries and deep-fried reconstituted soy something-or-the-other.

Although the prices of the food were somewhat higher than in other vegetarian restaurants that we frequent (on average RM7.90 - RM8.90 per entree), the quality of the ingredients and the use of organic produce justified the extra cost. I would definitely come back for a vegetarian dining experience that is not marred by fillers and artificial flavour enhancers.

Address: Organic Vegetarian Fresh Mart and Restaurant
17 & 19 Jalan SS18/1B, Subang Jaya
Tel: +603 5636 2468
Opening Hours: 9.00am to 9.00pm (Mon to Sat); 9.00am to 3.00pm (Sun)