Locum Tastes – Simple Life Review: Can vegetarian food be yummy?

Healthy food doesn’t necessarily mean needing to sacrifice flavour or quality and Simple Life is the living proof of that statement! What started as a small kiosk in Melaka back in 1992 has evolved into 12 outlets that specialize in healthy vegetarian food. Their aim is to ensure all of their meals are 100% organic and natural, avoiding artificial flavouring or colouring, additives, and preservatives.

Health Expert was granted the opportunity to get 5 of the Locum Apps Staff to try Simple Life’s bestsellers at the outlet located in Mid Valley Megamall. As Dr. Sakinah, the Locum of the Month for July put it, “I really enjoyed myself there with the scrumptious meal and with the amazing company.”

Simple Life uses minimalistic decor and earthy tones to signify the natural approach. Their menu is definitely eye-catching as it’s not just your typical salads and juices. All of the reviewers who attended are non-vegetarians and thoroughly enjoyed their time there.

We were first served with their signature Fresh Mixed Fruit Tea (RM19.90) in this beautiful French press. It is more of a sweet treat to enjoy with your meal, rather than a refreshing cold thirst quencher. It is served warm in adorable little shot glasses. This is recommended for 2-3 people, and if you wanted to top it up with water, that’s most certainly an option!

Some of the ingredients of the Fruit Tea are passion fruit and orange. Passion fruit is known for its high antioxidants and it is a good source of dietary fibre which helps to prevent constipation while oranges are known as a source of vitamin C and are also a good source of potassium. High consumption of potassium can lower blood pressure and may reduce the risk of heart disease.

What Locumers say:

It was a refreshing drink. It’s not too sweet overall. – Ms Khoo

We couldn’t tell which fruits were actually used in the tea, but we couldn’t get enough of it. We were trying really hard to squeeze the last bits of it at the end. It was refreshing and thirst quenching. – Dr Aw & Dr Jean

We started our meal with their appetizer Thai Style Fried Organic Beancurd (RM13.90). It is a combination of vegetables and fried beancurd drenched in sweet and spicy sauce.

The cucumbers are low in calories and contain a large amount of water and soluble fibre, making them suitable for promoting hydration, and weight-loss support and may help prevent constipation and increase the regularity of bowel movements. The doctors in attendance further added, “As most of us would know, using beancurd would give us the protein or amino acids we would need without using red meat.“

What Locumers say:

I like this appetizer so much. The sesame salad dressing has the sweet and sour flavours, making it more palatable. – Ms Khoo

A top notch appetizer, not too sour and just sweet enough. Although the beancurd was supposed to be fried, it didn’t seem oily. It definitely opened our appetite for more. We started with this dish and assumed because it was supposed to be healthy, organic food, it would be tasteless, but we were pleasantly surprised. – Dr Aw & Dr Jean

Our first main dish was Simple Life’s star dish Organic Lei Cha (RM20.90). Lei Cha is a traditional Hakka dish that comes with a bowl of aromatic soup which is a concoction of pounded tea leaves, basil, mint and herbs, rich in nutrition and good for health. It is served together with an array of assorted vegetables and Simple Life’s multi-grain rice. This dish is a plethora of flavours as well as a play of texture, leaving an extremely satisfying mouth feel. This is recommended for 2 people and is a sure-fire way to get those nutrients in your body!

Peanuts and green beans are a few of the key ingredients of Lei Cha. Peanuts are an excellent plant-based source of protein and are high in various vitamins and minerals. Meanwhile, green beans are a good source of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C and vitamin A.

What Locumers say:

A very traditional hakka chinese dish that most people would only come to enjoy if they’ve repeatedly tried it. The tea was thick and enjoyable with their rice, brothy enough to feel like comfort food. It has a taste of authenticity compared to other Lei chas. – Dr Aw & Dr Jean

I don’t like this dish very much. It would be much better if this dish is served hot. – Ms Khoo

The next dish we tried was the 10 Grain Rice Nasi Lemak (RM19.90). Nasi lemak is considered as our national dish so we were quite dubious about vegetarian nasi lemak but to our surprise, it was delightful, especially the pumpkin rendang and fried mushroom to substitute the anchovies in nasi lemak!

Aside from being packed with vitamins and minerals, pumpkin is also relatively low in calories, as it contains 94% water. Pumpkin also contains high in beta-carotene, which your body turns into vitamin A. Studies show that vitamin A can strengthen your immune system and help fight infections.

What Locumers say:

Was very surprised being served with vegetarian nasi lemak. First to mention is the nasi which was multi-grain rice, which is much healthier than normal rice. The acar complemented the multi-grain rice perfectly. – Ms Khoo

This one is really nice! Was the curry made of sweet potato? – Ms Janie

For our third main course, we had Sweet and Sour Crispy Abalone Mushroom (RM24.90). This dish consists of sweet & sour crispy abalone mushroom with multi-grain rice, a bowl of hearty soup, salad and a slice of watermelon.

Mushrooms are rich in the B vitamins: riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. The mix of vitamins helps to safeguard heart health. Riboflavin is well adapted to red blood cells. Niacin is ideal for the digestive system and perfect for healthy skin.

What Locumers say:

This is my favourite dish. The sweet and sour taste matched to a tee. The mushrooms were not too oily and crispy. – Ms Khoo

For our fourth main course, we had Ginger Extract Brown Rice Mee Sua (RM18.90). This hearty dish is great for cold weather (or when you’re feeling under the weather).

Ginger is among the healthiest spices on the planet. Not only it is known for cooking but it is also known for its usage in various forms of traditional/alternative medicine. It has been used to help digestion, reduce nausea and help fight the flu and common cold, to name a few.

What Locumers say:

Definitely one of the more interesting dishes they have. The minced ginger given was thick and flavorful. I could definitely see myself going for a bowl of these noodles again. Ginger is often used in homeopathic medicine as well for nausea. For those who are currently pregnant and suffering from nausea, you could try having this and see if it helps! – Dr Aw & Dr Jean

We had Organic Mee Hoon Kueh with Organic Black Bean Soup (RM16.90) for our fifth dish.

Black beans help to minimize the increase in blood sugar that occurs after consuming a meal and can also reduce the risk of diabetes and weight gain.This beneficial impact is because there is a lower glycemic index in black beans relative to many other high-carbohydrate products. That means that after a meal, they cause a smaller increase in blood sugar.

What Locumers say:

Mee Hoon Kueh was soft and chewy. I could taste the sweetness of the soup from the black bean. – Ms Khoo

For our final dish, we had Thai-Styled Organic Beancurd with Fried 10 Grain Rice (RM18.90). The dish is served with soup of the day and salad. This fried rice is a great alternative for those who crave fried rice but still want to maintain a healthy road.

Beancurd includes a variety of anti-inflammatory, antioxidant phytochemicals, making it a perfect addition to an anti-inflammatory diet. Beancurd is also a good source of ‘complete’ protein, meaning its amino acid profile is well balanced.

What Locumers say:

I wish the portion of beancurd would be bigger. The amount of veggies given was lesser too – Ms Khoo

This is my favourite! Very yummy. – Ms Janie

Overall, apart from the delectable food, the atmosphere of the restaurant was one of our favourite things about Simple Life.

With a cosy and comforting environment, it’s the perfect location for family dinner or even a date – whether you are vegetarian or not. Thank you Simple Life for the partnership with Health Expert.

Check out their official website and Facebook page for more information!

Here are some of the other Simple Life branches:

Simple Life Mid Valley Gardens Mall
Address: LG-232A, Lower Ground Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City, Lingkaran Syed Putra, 59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-22021328

Simple Life IOI Mall
Address: Lot S13-S16, 2nd Floor, IOI Mall, Batu 9, Jalan Puchong, Bandar Puchong Jaya, 47170 Puchong, Selangor
Tel: 03-8070 8328

Simple Life Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur
Address: Lot 1.103.00& S1.103.00, Level 1, Pavilion Elite Kuala Lumpur, No. 168, Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2110 3693

Do you guys love healthy food? If your answer is yes, give Simple Life a try, you won’t regret it!

Want to invite healthcare staff to your restaurant? Drop an email to healthexpert@weassist.asia