The Fork and Chopstick

Highlighting Off the Beaten Path, Heritage, or Just Plain Fun Chomping Grounds

by Jenni & Eric Lee

The Boneless Kitchen

1 Irving Place, #01-31 Commerze@Irving, S. 369546

Nestled in an industrial part of Singapore where a lot of F&B companies are located is The Boneless Kitchen. This Korean vegetarian restaurant is unusual for Singapore’s Korean food scene which is dominated by BBQ and Korean fried chicken. Besides not serving meat, The Boneless Kitchen doesn’t use garlic or onion nor serves alcohol. Korean cuisine does have a long history of vegetarian fare given its Buddhist history, but it isn’t something seen very often outside of Korea.

Sunday lunch chomp:

Boneless Kitchen serves typical dishes but all veg based. Soondubu (spicy tofu stew; $14) comes with ample vegetables, along with both silken and frozen tofu. The freezing of tofu gives it a bouncy, spongy texture which soaks up soup like a sponge. The savory soup displays a robust flavor with its seaweed and dried mushroom base. We also ordered the kimbap or Korean rice rolls wrapped in seaweed ($10), as well as a rolled omelette ($8). The kimbap is made with adzuki bean red rice, enveloping egg, pickled radish, and the vegetarian equivalent of Spam. It was delicious with a salty tang. The rolled omelette is made with a single layer of seaweed along with vegetables wrapped in the middle, resulting in a rich and satisfying bite.

Kimbap and Rolled Omelette

Ambience/Clientele/Service:

The restaurant decor is simple and airy, letting in lots of light. The place was bustling, attracting the devoutly vegetarian/vegan (we saw customers who looked like monks in jeans) and carnivores with vegetarian friends. The food was served quickly at reasonable prices. Try the floor seating if you want to feel transported to Korea.

The Boneless Kitchen interior

Digest this: the Good the Bad and the Ugly:

The Boneless Kitchen is a social enterprise employing staff with special needs, so no GST or SG are added, but a shared tip jar by the cash register is present. Even diehard carnivores have been pleasantly surprised by this tasty meatless restaurant (and no food coma afterwards!). Dishes are accompanied by small refillable banchan (small side dishes), but kimchi needs to be ordered as a side dish ($3). Since it’s almost unthinkable to have Korean food not accompanied by kimchi, serving it should be a standard. Payment must be cash, PayNow or NETS only. Reservations are a must unless you go off peak.

What Others Are Saying:

4.4 stars on Google and HappyCow (out of 5): “All the dishes are yummy without too strong taste,” “The staff are friendly also,” “I liked the traditional ambience and floor seating,” “Amazing high quality vegetarian food, made with sesame oil and not palm oil.”

Post Meal:

Grasso, next door, serves a choice of Western or local coffees, light eats, and acai bowls. For artisan coffee, walk over to Alchemist on MacTaggart Road, an on-sight coffee roasting place with an industrial vibe.

Happy Chomping!

Jenni & Eric Lee live to eat and explore local eateries and bars. Originally from New York, they have lived in Singapore since 2012.