Had been wanting to check out Love Handle at Ann Siang Hill for quite a while ever since the brand was re-launched. Whilst being previously a delivery-only online concept named Love Handle Burgers that had went on to being part of the menu offered at the now-defunct 8ASH, Love Handle has now became a standalone brand that occupies the former premises of 8ASH at 8 Ann Siang Hill. Taking up the space of the entire shophouse, Love Handle is now a concept with a focus on plant-based meats — the shophouse not only features a vegetarian restaurant on the upper levels, but the ground floor is now a plant-based butcher that also retails marinated and processed plant-based meats such as Spiced Tindle Chicken and Impossible Sausage (Minced) for those who are interested to make their very own plant-based dishes at home. Moving towards the main dining hall of the vegetarian restaurant at Level 2, the interior of the restaurant sets a different theme from the ground floor — a space that is decked simply with cemented walls and wooden floors; the furnishings coming with stark shades of blue and yellow that provides an eclectic touch. Picture frames are hung on the wall to fill up the walls, while there are some plants being placed in the corners of the restaurant to bring some life to the space. Expanding their menu selection from the burgers featuring plant-based meat in the past, patrons can expect other mains featuring plant-based meat such as the Mee Sua with Ginger Soy Chicken and the Impossibro Wellington 200g — they also do carry plant-based sides in the “Munchies” section of the menu like the Mom's Luncheon Meat and MyNuggets as well.

While we note that Love Handle had previously been serving a Chick’n & Waffle, the latter has since been no longer reflected in the menu during our visit and that the Chick'n & Pancakes takes its place instead. The Chick'n & Pancakes features pancakes (the description on the menu refers to them as Love Handle pancakes), and comes served with Southern Fried TiNDLE (i.e. the plant-based meat which replaces the use of chicken for this dish), maple syrup, and slaw. The TiNDLE here comes fried in the style similar to Southern Fried Chicken — comes with a golden brown batter on the outside, though does come in the form of a fillet as one would have expected. Cutting through the TiNDLE patty, it could be said that there is some distinction between the TiNDLE patty and what one would have expected from an actual chicken fillet. Whilst the TiNDLE patty was able to replicate the fibres of the meat to a certain degree, it does lack that juiciness and chewiness of white meat alongside that same tension that usually holds the meat together. Nonetheless, the TiNDLE patty was still pretty enjoyable — one could tell that there was some form of seasoning added to bring that familiar brininess and a slight hint of pepper to bring the soy-based(?) “meat” patty to flavour. Was actually pretty impressed by the Love Handle pancakes here though —the pancakes were especially well-executed being done thin enough so it does not feel too dense; all that whilst being fluffy and even lightly crusty along the edges. Of course, the maple syrup gels the Southern Fried TiNDLE and the Love Handle pancakes altogether the same way as how it would in the regular version of the dish that comes with fried chicken, while the tangy slaw provides a refreshing crunch should it all get too heavy from the carbs and fried stuff that is on the plate.

With Love Handle being evolved into a brand of its own, Love Handle has pretty much grown from being a burger-based establishment to a concept unique to its own. Plant-based meats have been popularised only in the past couple of years — while most establishments do look into serving them as-is in the form of meatballs and burgers to create a plant-based meat option on the menu, Love Handle has taken things to the next level with their creativity, and had incorporated a butchery as part of their concept to showcase the possibilities of plant-based meats through marination and seasoning. Their food menu in the vegetarian restaurant is an extension of this — providing patrons with a wide selection of dishes both familiar to Western and Asian palates that is pretty much an eye-opener on its own. With prices being kept affordable hovering between $16++ to $28++ for a main, Love Handle does seem to be doing what they do best — bringing plant-based meats closer to the mass market. Whilst I am one who probably still crave for all things meaty, Love Handle is a spot that I would certainly go to for a different take on plant-based meats and vegetarian fare moving forward.