Brunches may be popular but I truly enjoyed starting my day with a vegan breakfast while I was staying at Fivelements Puri Ahimsa, a wellness sanctuary in Bali.

Seasonal Fresh Fruit SaladSeasonal fruit salad, coconut yoghurt and honey

When I shared my experience with friends, many couldn't imagine giving up eggs, bacon, sausages, butter or milk. I had the same reservations. Though I don't plan on becoming completely vegan any time soon, it was eye-opening to try a non-dairy yoghurt product and more. The creamy and slightly tangy housemade Coconut Yoghurt was light and did not coat the tongue with a milky flavour unlike regular yoghurt. It's worth a try if you've not had a dairy-free yoghurt before especially since it's not easy to find Coconut Yoghurt in Singapore. You might just discover that you enjoy it better. There were 6 types of fruits in the salad - apples, strawberries, papaya, banana, cantaloupe and pineapple. The Seasonal Fresh Fruit Salad was one of my favourite vegan breakfast items after Yoga.

Scrambled Tofu Florentine & Green Juice * The scrambled tofu's a cooked dish that's served warm

My favourite breakfast dish at Sakti Dining Room in Fivelements Puri Ahimsa is the Scrambled Tofu Florentine. This is one vegan breakfast worth giving up eggs for! Firm Tofu had been crumbled to resemble scrambled eggs in this dish. Cooked with diced organic tomatoes, mushrooms, scallions and turmeric, the scrambled tofu was so fluffy and tasty you wouldn't miss the absence of eggs or meat in this dish. Served on a bed of lightly sauteed spinach with whole grain bread on the side, I topped the bread with scrambled tofu and spinach. The first time I ate this dish, I was amazed that I didn't miss having any butter on my bread either. The Scrambled Egg Tofu is a Must-Try! The Green Juice which contained cucumber, kale, spinach and apple took some getting used to as it tasted a little grassy but not unbearably so. On a side note, I love how they use a lemongrass leaf in place of a plastic straw in this eco-luxury wellness retreat.

Sweet Crepes @ IDR 85K: Avocado, mango cream & sliced bananas wrapped inside a banana crepe topped with fresh fruit compote & chocolate cream. Superfood Smoothie: Banana, cacao powder, cacao nibs, maca, bee pollen, gojiberry & coconut milk

Fivelements serves raw living food so aside from cooked dishes like Scrambled Tofu Florentine, the other dishes are served at a pretty cool temperature. The raw banana crepe was used to wrap a fruity filling of avocado, mango cream and sliced bananas. The banana crepe had a texture that reminded me of pancake albeit without any browned crisp edges. Topped with raw strawberry compote and drizzled with raw chocolate cream, this dish was refreshingly tasty and creamy. This is a Must-Try for a gluten-free, raw food alternative to regular crepes. The Superfood Smoothie was delightfully rich and tasty. Naturally sweetened with banana and gojiberry, the chocolatey superfood-filled drink contained interesting ingredients such as cocoa nibs (roasted cocoa beans that had been separated from their husks and broken into little bits) and Maca (aka Peruvian Ginseng). This is a Must-Try but be forewarned that this drink is heavy and could easily fill you up.

Tempeh Fried Rice @ IDR 70,000++ (about USD 5.45++)Lightly prepared Balinese red rice with organic vegetables served with smoked Tempeh bacon and tamari chili soya (in tomato bowl).

I didn't try this dish during my first visit in August 2014 as I was only staying for 2 nights. I made a point of trying it during my recent retreat even though I'm not crazy about Tempeh (Indonesian fermented soybean cake). I was glad I did as the previous Executive Chef Made Runatha did an awesome job of showcasing Indonesian flavours in this dish. Tempeh is usually a little pungent and tastes a little like a slightly tart and firm cake that was made with Natto (Japanese fermented soybeans). The smoky flavour helped to reduce the pungent flavour of the Tempeh. I especially loved adding the Tamari Chili Soya to the tempeh. The spicy and umami-filled Tamari Chili Soya was so addictive and helped to add another layer of complexity to the flavour of the smoked Tempeh. The Balinese Red Rice had a toasty flavour that reminded me of Camargue Red Rice that I ate many years ago while on vacation in Provence, France. Seasoned with Tamari and embedded with chunks of vegetables like aubergines and carrots, this has to be the best vegetarian fried rice that I've had in my entire life! If this is how it's like to start the day on the right foot with a vegan breakfast, I think I need to do this more often! The Tempeh Fried Rice is a Must-Try!

Kopi Bali served with Natural Brown Sugar

I'd read in some of the online reviews that Fivelements doesn't serve any coffee, which seemed catastrophic to a coffee addict like me. During my first visit, I was really thrilled when the waitress asked if I'd like to have a cup of coffee after breakfast. I thought "Are you kidding? Of course! Now I don't have to hatch an evil plan to call a driver to fetch me to town for coffee!" Even though I love Kopi Bali and Espresso-based drinks, I didn't get the kick I was looking for in this cup - a strong cup at that. As strange as it may sound, I realized that I was more aware of the effect that that food intake has on my body and wasn't craving coffee as much as before. I couldn't believe that this could happen to me as I've been addicted to coffee since 1996 and sometimes drink up to 3 - 5 cups of Latte in a day. Could just 3 vegan meals have that kind of effect on me? Since my trip to Fivelements in August last year, I've reduced my coffee intake to about a cup a week and drink more tea. I still love the aroma of coffee but I found that reducing my intake made me a little less edgy. I guess I'd been relying on coffee for an energy boost for a little too long.

Healthy Bones & Blood: Cashew milk, banana, Borneo bee pollen & Bali cinnamon. #love #yummy #vegan

A photo posted by Karen Wee (@superfinefeline) on Aug 27, 2014 at 12:27am PDT

I didn't have any more coffee during my two stays at Fivelements. I didn't need any coffee while I was there as the nutritionally-packed meals and healthy drinks kept me sated and energized. After trying a few smoothies, my favourite was "Healthy Bones & Blood" - a nutty and slightly sweet drink of cashew milk, banana, Borneo bee pollen and Balinese cinnamon. A little less heavy on the tummy than the Superfood Smoothie, this is also a Must-Try!

Life is a constant journey of self-discovery and I'm glad to be even just a little more aware of the effect that different types of food have on me. I guess the idyllic setting helps too as you sit back, relax and soak in the sounds of nature. I'm looking forward to checking out some vegan breakfast or brunch places in Singapore!

Fivelements, Puri Ahimsa Banjar Baturning, Mambal, Bali, Indonesia 80352 Email: contact@fivelements.org Phone: +62 361 469 260 / +62 361 469 206 / +62 821 46587975 Click here for dining details: www.fivelements.org/en/cuisine/sakti-dining-room

PS: Prices are subject to 21% tax and service charge. Breakfast should set you back by about USD 20.