The Leaf Healthy House on Penang Street is one of the vegetarian restaurants in Penang. Opened in January 2011, the outlet serves vegetarian dishes prepared with organic seasonings and natural ingredients.

The menu which changes daily includes a la carte dishes and rice sets (three main dishes, a soup and rice). There is a variety of rice, including brown rice, butterfly pea flower rice and mustard seed rice.

For brown rice lovers, a special treat of bak chang (steamed rice dumpling) awaits them. It is only available on the eve and first day of the lunar calendar and also on the eve and 15th day.

As I’m not a fan of brown rice, this is the first time I’m trying the bak chang. To my surprise, the brown rice goes well with the Chinese chestnut, mui choy (preserved green mustard) and the different types of beans.

The cafe also serves homemade pasta, with different choices of cheese, mushroom, spinach and tomato. I enjoy the leaf spaghetti in which the pasta is made from a tantalising blend of basil and pine nut paste. The dish comes with fruit salad on the side and a choice of flora tea or soya milk.

There’s a burger list too. It includes leaf burger, big burger, combo burger, classic burger, health egg burger and spicy burger. The big burger is a combination of soya-based vegetarian meat and antibiotic-free egg. There’s also lettuce, cucumber, tomato and carrot in between the two slices of naturally fermented bread. This serving is surprisingly filling, with all the flavours going hand-in-hand.

The cafe also serves side dishes. The Vietnamese-style hand roll stuffed with plenty of lettuce, capsicum, sesame seeds and tomato is served with a special sauce with hints of mint and lime.

I also like kerabu bihun which is part of the daily specials that include fish head bee hoon soup, nasi lemak and pumpkin rice.

To quench your thirst, there are plenty of fruit juices, lassi and mixed juices. Other options are tea, coffee, chocolate, soya bean milk and honey lemon. Particularly interesting is the concoction called Give Me 5, which is a blend of beetroot, celery, carrot, apple and lemon juice.

I end my meal with the sweet red bean soup (tong sui). Another good option is one with dried longan and lily bulb (pak hup), which is served warm.

Interestingly, The Leaf Healthy House also offers a bicycle rental service to customers who want to take a leisurely tour of the city.

The Leaf Healthy House

5 Penang Street 10200 Georgetown Penang

Tel: 04 2627007