This dinner at Elemen was so good, it didn't matter at all to the meat-lover in me that I was eating vegetarian cuisine.

We had the 8-course set (the 5-course set is only available on weekdays) for $32.80++, which is a great deal for the quality of food that you're getting. For each course, you get to pick from nearly the full range of dishes they have available in that category, so it's a great deal if you're looking to give a few different dishes a try.

The set my partner and I tried consisted of:

1. Appetiser Platter
- The black sesame tofu in sesame dressing was my favourite. So fragrant and great fusion of flavors.

2. Breadsticks served with a dip

3. Salad
- I selected the Mushroom Salad, which wasn't so much a conventional salad, but rather a generous serving of juicy, delicious chunks of braised mushrooms, served with a slightly out-of-place side of mixed greens, sitting in the same mushroom sauce. It felt odd to me, eating raw veggies with an Asian gravy, and I frankly preferred to have it with the breadstick dip.

4. Soup
- Their Tomato Bisque was hearty and made for a nice change of flavours.
- The Truffle Mushroom Soup had a stronger truffle fragrance than I expected, perhaps due to the generous lashings of truffle oil. Mushroom flavour was rather muted in comparison.

5. Apple Cider Vinegar shot
- Loved that they served this refreshing shot as a palate cleanser after that hearty soup.

6. Main (approx $15.80 if you order it ala carte)
- The Truffle Mushroom Pizza is a definite must-try! The cream, cheese, mushrooms and rocket leaves on the thin crust pizza base came together so well. When the dish first came i first worried I wouldn't like it because it looked plain compared to the toppings-heavy pizzas I tend to prefer, but this turned out to be more than enough. The toppings are few but super flavourful. The pizza crust texture was beautifully done as well - the edges were crispy, while the centre was soft. The portion size is also definitely more than enough - I was 'donating' slices away and still felt that I had more than enough for myself!
- I loved their Mushroom Risotto as well. Maybe because they use more unrefined grains, but the texture of the risotto was a lot more complex and wholesome. None of that mushy porridge-like consistency I expected, which was a lovely surprise. The mushroom flavour in this was strong without being overpowering, and the mix of flavours and textures came together excellently.

7. Dessert
- The osmanthus jelly was fragrant but frankly a little forgettable.
- The star dessert has got to be the Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Gelato. The lava flowed beautifully, and the chocolate flavour was slightly muted, which I liked, but those expecting a decadent rich chocolate flavour might be disappointed.

8. Drink
- I had their Sea Salt Coffee, which was well balanced. The foam was thick and creamy, and the coffee was strong and fragrant.
- Their teas smelled great but were comparatively lacking in flavour.

Overall, it was a really enjoyable meal. I loved nearly every course, and deeply enjoyed how the ingredients of each dish were thoughtfully selected, demonstrating Elemen's focus on serving healthy and nutritious food.

The only area of improvement I would have liked to see would perhaps be a greater variety in the dishes offered - there were a number of mushroom and truffle dishes, and I would have liked to have my interest piqued by a wider range of foods and flavours. I'll definitely be back to try out the other mains soon!