smør, one raffles place.

i've wanted to try smør for the longest time. scandinavian food is hard to come by in singapore, and open-faced sandwiches? sign me up! they didn't use to have salads, only the sandwiches, but i noticed that they introduced it sometime ago. (well, they are located in the cbd after all...) but yeah, for some reason, i only made it down today to try the muscle fuel meal box ($11.90).



i'd wanted meatballs, but sadly, i was there for a late lunch, and they were already out. coffee cured sirloin beef strips sounded interesting, so i topped up an extra $2 for it. picked root veggies as my carb, along with a quinoa and sweet potato cake and edamame. i usually don't get sauce, but dill mustard sounded interesting enough for me to want to try it. i like steak with mustard, anyway.

it's a really small space- i think it'd probably fit ten people, max. thankfully it was already after the lunch rush, so i got a table to myself. my food was served to me after a brief wait (the owner even remembered my name!). best of all, i was given extra balsamic vinegar as a sauce, along with the dill mustard, because he said that he thinks it goes better with the steak.



turns out that he was right. who knew that balsamic vinegar goes with steak?! the letdown, though, was the overcooked steak, probably because it was sliced too thinly. couldn't taste the coffee cure on it either. the balsamic vinegar saved it, though, so i didn't mind that much. i should probably have picked something more scandinavian, though- perhaps the norwegian cod fillets. the other sides were pretty good- clean tasting, exactly what i like. the root veggies were a mix of beetroot, yam and carrot, cooked plainly so the taste came through. was initially wondering if i should really get the quinoa and sweet potato cake, because it seemed like too many carbs, what with the root veggies, but i'm glad i stuck to my decision! of the whole plate, that was my favourite- i'd gladly go back just to have that. there were some crispy bits on top (quinoa, i'm guessing) that gave it a contrasting texture.

clean (some might argue, too clean) but it's my kind of thing. i need a bit more protein, like perhaps an extra egg, though! i'd come back to try the meatballs and have the sweet potato cakes again.

smør
one raffles place
#b1-23
https://www.facebook.com/smor.sg/

the salad fork (the soup spoon union), raffles city.

was pleasantly surprised by my salad lunch at the salad fork. ordered at the counter- weirdly enough, i didn't manage to find an order chit for the salad at the counter, and thus had to recite the stuff i wanted off the menu (i only managed to locate an order chit at the table later, when i'd taken a seat). i'd tried the grill knife, one of the concepts at the soup spoon union previously, and liked the food, but not so much the portions. so it was on that basis that i ordered at the salad fork- was thinking that it wouldn't be enough, so i added on the soup set for an additional $4.50.



my salad ($9.50) was served to me after a short wait. romaine formed the base of the salad. for toppings, i got edamame, basil pesto mushrooms and egg. sadly, no steak for protein (weird, given that they serve steaks at the grill knife, anyway), so i got the teriyaki chicken. of course i got the cauliflower rice with quinoa as my carb- loved it the previous time, and was looking forward to having it again. went without dressing as usual.





portions were unexpectedly generous. it satisfied me after a particularly gruelling gym session, and that's saying something. the teriyaki chicken thigh was on the dry side, but i did like it, especially its caramelised exterior. the basil pesto mushrooms were good as well, as was the cauliflower rice. was super pleased with my meal- i'd come back and order the same thing again. it's much better value for money than the grill knife. simple, but clean, and yummy. though, salad places are everywhere nowadays (there's one just opposite), and i wonder how they stand up to the competition.

shirokiya, chijmes.

managed to snag a sugar voucher for shirokiya's kurobuta kimchi hotpot (usual price $38.80), so i made a reservation and went with L on a weeknight. after looking through the menu, we decided to add on a dashimaki tamago ($7.80) and freshly made hot tofu ($7.80).



all the items arrived surprisingly quickly. the hot tofu made quite a dramatic entrance- the waitress brought out a bamboo basket and started scooping the tofu into a bowl. it was served with three different types of salt- citrus salt, green tea salt and sea salt. the tofu was full of natural soy sweetness, and was different from the usual supermarket tofu. pairing it with the salt added a new dimension, making it subtly savoury. we couldn't tell the difference between the salts, though!

the dashimaki tamago was surprisingly good as well. it was full of the flavour of the stock that was used to cook it, without the over-sweetness that comes with some versions of the tamago i've had.



we busied ourselves with the sides while waiting for the pot to boil, but mysteriously enough, the pot took a really long time to boil. we probably waited for thirty minutes before realising that there was probably something wrong. a neighbouring table ordered the same thing, and when we looked over, theirs was already boiling furiously, despite having been served twenty minutes later. called the waitress to tell her about it, but she just glanced at it, told us that it was because of the fan nearby, and left without doing anything. what??? granted, they were probably busy, but still! it left a bad impression regarding their service. in the end we settled it ourselves by shifting the pot so that it was further away from the fan, and that solved the problem.

we were only able to start eating probably thirty or forty minutes after the pot was actually served. the menu stated that it was for 2 people, but the amount of ingredients in it was more suitable for one. the kurobuta pork was delicious, but there was way too little of it. perhaps we should've added on more stuff to the pot to make it more filling. the guys beside us who'd ordered the same thing ordered two portions of udon- yeah, i could see why they had to. portion aside, the hotpot was pretty delicious. i loved the spicy kimchi soup base. it was spicy enough to give a kick, but not so spicy that we couldn't drink it.

the food was generally pretty good, but it's probably not somewhere i'd head to if i was hungry. as it was, when i got home, i had to eat some more. L also agreed that it wasn't very filling, so it wasn't just me. probably won't be back any time soon- there are better japanese places.

shirokiya chijmes
chijmes
#01-05/06
http://www.shirokiya.com.sg/en

the grill knife (the soup spoon union), raffles city.

i was intrigued when i saw that soup spoon at raffles city has expanded to become the soup spoon union, which included several other concepts like the salad fork, the grill knife and the handburger. the variety sounded pretty interesting, reminding me of the recently popular high-end food court concept. plus, i've always liked the soup spoon, so i came by for lunch after the gym. stood there for a while, looking through their menu, and it was the grill knife that i decided upon.

sun with moon japanese dining & café, wheelock.

sun with moon has been around for a long time, but oddly enough i've never been to the wheelock outlet. i think they used to have one at chijmes, and i did go there for dinner a long time ago. food was alright, but i wasn't impressed enough to return. it's one of those places that have generic japanese food, and i'm rarely tempted to go to such places, anyway. still, they were having a groupon (pay $40 for $60 worth of food) and i was going to be in town, so i came by for a late lunch with my friend.

we were there at about two, so no reservations were needed as the place was quite empty. managed to get a window seat, so lighting was awesome.

having browsed the menu online before i went, i was already half decided on the aburi kaisen chirashi kamameshi ($23.80, $26.80 with soup set). i can never say no when i see the words "aburi" and "chirashi". my friend tempted me when she decided on the seafood mix kamameshi (same price) which came with grilled eel, scallop, salmon and salmon roe. pretty similar to mine, but mine appeared to be the diced version, while hers was in whole pieces. the set also came with choice of three side dishes and free flow green tea- lunch sets are awesome! i got two servings of salmon sashimi and the avocado salad, while my friend got the salmon sashimi, tofu cheesecake and kurogoma pudding. asked about the difference between the normal set and the soup set- apparently the soup set meant that the meal came with a special soup instead of miso soup. the soup was supposed to be poured into the kamameshi to turn it into a chazuke. it sounded intriguing enough for both of us to decide on the soup set.





the food arrived after a brief wait, complete with an hourglass. we were only supposed to dig in after the one minute timer was up. kind of gimmicky, but okay, it was cute.





my kamameshi came served with tobiko, ikura and seaweed on the side, with the special bonito and kelp broth served in a mini kettle. and it was awesome.



i first had kamameshi in japan, and remembered loving it, but this was an even better version, probably because of the amount of ingredients it came with. the rice was delicious- sticky yet each grain was separate. there were chestnuts and mushrooms mixed into the rice, reminding of a lighter, less oily version of chinese glutinous rice. the best parts were perhaps the burnt bits that'd stuck to the iron pot. we found ourselves scraping it down just to eat it. i ate some most of it as it was, and only added the soup into the pot nearing the end. the soup transformed the rice- it was like chazuke, but better. it was especially good with the charred, crispy bits of rice, perhaps due to the difference in textures.



we left totally satisfied with the meal, promising to return. lunch is an especially good deal. snuck a peek at the dinner menu, and they offer the same things, but without the sides. i'd come back just for the kamameshi. okay, now i understand why sun with moon has survived for so long in the cutthroat restaurant industry

sun with moon japanese dining & café
wheelock place
#03-15
https://www.sunwithmoon.com.sg

babette restaurant & bar, tyrwhitt road, 2.0.

never expected to be back so quickly, but my sister saw my pictures from my previous visit and wanted to try the place. came by on a sunday afternoon for lunch, making a reservation just in case, but it seemed that it wasn't necessary.



pondered over the menu for a while, before deciding on the sea bass truffle risotto ($20). remembered not liking the rice the previous time, so that left out all the donburi. my sister was briefly toying with the idea of getting the duck and waffle ($25), but decided to stick to the steak and foie gras donburi ($28), which was the main reason why she was tempted to visit the place anyway. we also got the chicken tsukune trio ($10) to share as a starter.

the food took quite a while to come (or maybe because i was hungry so it seemed longer) even though the place was quite empty. happily enough, everything came at one go, and the food more than made up for the wait.





the tsukune came with a sous vide egg, which was supposed to act as a dip. ingenious, because runny yolk is awesome on anything. the tsukune was not like the usual japanese ones i'm used to, with spices that aren't normally in tsukune. quite average, but i was happy with the sous vide egg, so all was good.



my sea bass truffle risotto was really good. the risotto was full of truffle flavour- my sister could smell it right across the table. bonus: it was also filled with mushrooms. loved that the risotto was cooked just right, too. the sea bass came perfectly seasoned, well cooked and with a crackly, crispy skin- yum!



my sister had nothing but praise for the steak and foie gras donburi, and even managed to finish up all the rice. i took a few bites, and it was just as good as when i had it previously. good to see that they'd maintained standards.

food is consistently good, though the wait for food to be served is on the long side. when i asked my sister if she'd like to come back, she said yes without hesitation. so yeah, i suppose we'll be back, probably for the duck and waffle! their menu is quite interesting, actually- so many items caught my attention.

babette restaurant & bar
165 tyrwhitt road
#01-03
http://www.babette.com.sg

the bento people, kallang ct hub.

the locale isn't ideal- set in a mall that is pretty empty on a saturday. the entire time, i was the only customer, which made me feel kind of awkward (but that's just me). the food, though, was right up my alley. bought the groupon for the quinoa bowl ($10.80) which came with two vegetable sides and one protein, with an option of topping up $3 to change one vegetable side to a protein. the redemption hours are kind of weird- dinner time on weekdays, and lunch time on saturdays. would've pegged it for more of a quick weekday lunch place, but maybe they're packed with the office crowd on weekdays so they don't offer redemption during that timing.



went up to the counter to order, and service was excellent! the guy was really knowledgeable about each of the sides, giving me recommendations and introducing what went into each side. i took whatever he recommended- namely, the tricolour quinoa "fried rice", ratatouille, steamed kale with nuts and sous vide cajun chicken breast as protein. (was initially planning to get two proteins, and did really order it, until the guy told me i'm the first person to get that. got a shock and chickened out- he was really nice about it, too; showing me a sample photo of the bowl on his phone so i'd have an idea of portion sizes.) i was given one of the buzzers, and chose a seat at one of the communal tables.



was expecting the buzzer to buzz to alert me to collect my bowl, but the guy surprised me by bringing it over instead. it looked delicious even before i ate it, a gorgeous riot of colours. it was just as good as i'd expected- good, clean flavours; exactly the kind of stuff i'm into. especially loved the quinoa "fried rice", which came with pork char siew bits and egg, and none of the grease. the tricolour quinoa brought a delicious nutty flavour- i've have plenty of quinoa, but never like this. it's changed my impression of quinoa as a grain. who knew it could be so versatile? the rest of the bowl was less surprising, but no less delicious. the ratatouille was rich, while the kale salad was lighter, bringing a refreshing contrast. the guy was right when he told me that the sous vide chicken breast was going to be tender, none of that dryness chicken breast is so known for. the sous vide chicken breast was tender and juicy- kind of like wafuken, actually.



they were pretty generous with the portion, especially with the quinoa, making me kind of glad that i hadn't been greedy. i finished every single bite of the bowl and left with a comfortably full tummy. i'll be back to try the bulgogi beef, and to get the quinoa "fried rice" again. i stole a peek at their menu, and it looks promising as well, with interesting small plates and a big bento option. it's one of those places that make me love eating clean, and giving me a fresh perspective on how i can make my own meals as well. love this place- so underrated, yet so good.

the bento people
ct hub
#02-17
http://www.thebentopeople.com

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 3.0.

was pretty excited to go back, given the very pleasant experiences i had previously. so i came back as soon as i could.

got another of their super bowls, choosing the sides from the counter. i got the same base as the previous time- greens and goji berries brown rice, this time requesting for more greens and less rice.



got a rude shock when i was choosing proteins. wanted the flank steak, but was informed that it would come with a $2.50 surcharge. what?! the server then pointed out the proteins that came with surcharge- turned out that it was all the meats. things like portobello mushrooms and lentil patties were the ones that required no top up. i needed my meat-based proteins, so i just got it anyway. rude shock number 2 came when the server just put three (three!) tiny pieces of the steak on my plate. for an extra $2.50 i was expecting slightly more, but no.



finally got to try the miso chili eggplant as my side! had the sweet potato (this time it was yellow sweet potato instead of purple) and woodear salad as my other sides, with sunflower and chia seeds as toppings.



loved the food, especially the miso chili eggplant. could hardly discern the chili, but the miso was definitely there, so no complaints. the woodear salad was just as good as i remembered. i'll grudgingly admit that the flank steak was good- tender and perfectly medium rare; but i'll think again before i order it, given the minuscule portion.

i have mixed feelings about the place now. i wasn't THAT hungry, so it ended up making me full, but on way too many carbs. i'd prefer a more protein-skewed bowl, so i'll probably look elsewhere for my salads.

workspace espresso
marina bay financial centre
#01-08
https://www.facebook.com/workspaceespresso/

wafuken, asia square tower 2, 4.0.

came by for a late lunch after the gym. i love raffles place after the lunch rush is over- so peaceful, and it's a breeze getting seats. didn't have to wait long to get my food, too; awesome because i was starving by then.



i got the full sous vide chicken ($6), along with a number of sides. was initially planning to try the spicy bean sprouts ($1.50) and miso garlic french beans ($2) but they were out of both. meh. (one of the bad things about going after the lunch rush...) so instead i got edamame ($1.50) and the wasabi yuzu salad ($1.50), on top of teppanyaki mushrooms ($2.50) and tobiko ($2.50). no carbs, because i'm trying to not rely so much on carbs, refined or not.



the chicken breast was super generous in portion! and it was just as tender and juicy as it was previously. love that they are really quite consistent in terms of quality, making it worth the price. one of my pet peeves is going back to a place and finding that it isn't as good as i remembered. the teppanyaki mushrooms were just as yummy, which is why it's a staple every time i order from them. no complaints about the edamame and tobiko as well; both were equally generous in portion. the salty pop of the tobiko went surprisingly well with the rest of the sides. the letdown was the wasabi yuzu salad. i've never ordered it before, so i didn't know what to expect, but it tasted more like wafu dressing than anything wasabi or yuzu. i have a sneaky suspicion that they'd put the wrong dressing. oh well- i'll just give that a miss the next time. hopefully they have the spicy bean sprouts and miso garlic french beans for me to try the next time!

i'm definitely coming back. it's easy to eat clean in the cbd- a myriad of choices are available. but it's places like these that make clean eating a joy.

wafuken
asia square tower 2
#02-05
http://www.wafuken.com

rubato, greenwood avenue.

to be honest, i would never have made my way to rubato if not for restaurant week. it is just so out of the way! thank goodness for the downtown line, though; else i would never have considered going for restaurant week as well. located at greenwood avenue, it's one of those places that people drive to, not take public transport to. we walked about 10-15 minutes from the nearest train station, which wasn't too bad.



i've never been to that part of bukit timah, so rubato is a restaurant that i've never been to. it's one of those places that are just slightly under-the-radar (coupled with the fact that it has a not exactly convenient locale). decided to try it for restaurant week because well, restaurant week is about trying new places, after all. adventure spirit!





we went with basically no expectations, but the food pleasantly surprised us. it was a three course meal, with two appetisers. they started us off with focaccia, with an accompanying olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip. because of whole 30, i haven't had bread in a month. to break the bread fast over this focaccia was completely worth it. it was toasty, warm and just slightly dense, giving it excellent texture. i've never had focaccia that i liked this much. upon enquiring, we were told that the bread was made in-house. of course we had seconds- the bread basket was replaced almost instantly after we'd finished. it was so good that we asked if we could buy a loaf of it back, and they did let us, charging $15 for quite a large loaf.



it was a good start to a meal, and the rest of it didn't disappoint as well. the first appetiser was angel hair pasta in truffle cream (the menu said scallops, so i wasn't expecting pasta- but i guess they are an italian place, after all). served cold, it was an excellent starter. it reminded me of indo mee, actually, but in a good way. i especially loved the salty kombu bits.



the next appetiser was a chicken consommé. it was served plainly, but its taste more than made up for it. warm and comforting, it set us up for the next part of the meal.



two choices for mains, but both of us decided on the wagyu flank, medium rare, instead of the barramundi. premium japanese wagyu flank over truffled potato purée and grilled vegetables, drizzled with veal jus. the menu described the veal jus as "intensely flavourful", and they were right on all counts. it was deliciously thick and caramelised, reminding me a bit of char siew sauce. awesome paired with the wagyu flank (i'm usually the type to cut out the fatty bits, but the fats were so melt-in-the-mouth and flavourful i ate them with no regrets). definitely the highlight of the meal.



the meal ended with dessert. i'd initially asked if they could replace my dessert with coffee, but they didn't allow that. no regrets though- the dessert was a small piece of tiramisu that i easily finished, because it was so good. the ladyfingers were soaked with liquor, cutting through the creaminess. loved that it wasn't too sweet as well.

service was attentive and pretty good. when we asked to buy the loaf of focaccia back, they charged it separately from our main meal, just so we wouldn't have to pay service charge on the bread! that was something they didn't have to do, and it was really nice of them to go the extra mile. the descriptions of each dish were also given, and the timings between each course were surprisingly quick.

loved the place and the food, though i would've liked more of the wagyu flank on my plate. i did end up surprisingly full, though. checked out their normal menu, and prices seem quite reasonable as well. would probably come back to try their main menu- i spied mussel pots on other people's tables that look good!





rubato
21 greenwood avenue
https://www.facebook.com/rubato.sg/

babette restaurant & bar, tyrwhitt road.

met L for dinner to go to babette, because i'd bought a groupon and it was about to expire. it was about 10 minutes' walk from lavender mrt, tucked in a lane and surrounded by lots of cafes.

it was a weeknight when we went, so that probably explains why the place was so empty. i'd made a reservation, but it seemed that it wasn't necessary.

before we went, i had already pretty much decided that i wanted to have the steak and foie gras donburi ($28), but upon looking at the menu, i realised that they had other interesting mains as well. i was half tempted by a number of items, especially the lamb shank ($28), but after some pondering i stuck to my original decision. their menu seems to be different from the one online, though.



L got the miso salmon ($18) and a roast pork belly ($10) as a starter.

our mains arrived after quite a wait (i was half suspecting that they'd forgotten our orders), and the starter came shortly after. i'd asked for less rice, but the amount of rice they gave was still pretty substantial. the menu didn't state so, but my main came with miso soup!



the steak came as a perfect medium rare, just as i'd requested. it was a thick and juicy slab, packed full of flavour, and with a delicious char to boot. a piece of foie gras was perched atop the steak. the foie gras was pretty good, too- creamy and buttery. what i didn't like was the rice- it was bland and had none of delicious fragrance i associate with japanese rice. the donburi was supposed to come with their signature babette sauce, but there was so little of it i could hardly discern it. still, aside from that, i enjoyed the bowl.



i tried bites of L's food, and liked it too. it came with a thick, perfectly cooked slab of salmon, paired with kombu mashed potato and tobiko hollandaise- a total japanese-western fusion. it worked, though!





the roast pork belly was a bit of a misnomer. the meat was pretty lean, though it came with crackly skin. not that i'm complaining- i actually am not one for fatty meat (i usually pick out the fatty bits), but this was on the dry side. seemed that on reheating the meat they'd probably gone overboard, drying it out in the process. not too bad, but i wouldn't order this again.

i have to say that they really do their proteins well. both the steak and the salmon were well cooked- no complaints there. prices are on the high side, though, without the groupon. not sure if i'll come back if not for the groupon, though we left satisfied.

babette restaurant & bar
165 tyrwhitt road
#01-03
http://www.babette.com.sg

magurodonya miura misaki kou, suntec city, 4.0.

haven't been back in a while, because i've been distracted by other restaurants (there are so many exciting openings!) then i saw on jpassport that they were having a promotion- a seared ootoro and foie gras don for $36 instead of the usual $48. i was initially intending to go for lunch the next day, but i was supposed to meet my friend for dinner, and thought that she might want to have it with me (because seared ootoro!) we were supposed to go to pasarbella suntec to have the truffle short rib bowl from grillo, but my friend was tempted enough by me to forgo it.

the place was pretty much empty, sparking in me concerns that they would close down. i really hope it doesn't, because it is my favourite japanese restaurant.



happily enough they were running yet another promo, which gave free ootoro nigiri with any order. that arrived first, and was a delicious start to our meal.



our bowls arrived after quite a wait, but the wait was completely worth it.



the bowl arrived with the ingredients in its original state. the waitress then brought out a blow torch and started searing it on the spot- very similar to the hon maguro hikkaki aburi don that i had previously. in fact, the ingredients were also similar, with just the addition of foie gras and omelette strips. when she started torching the bowl, a delicious fragrance filled the air. there's something just so magical about aburi-ed stuff.



the food was just as good as i remembered, and i savoured every bite. the torching brought out the oiliness of the fish, and transferred it to the japanese rice below. the japanese rice was no side kick- it was utterly fragrant and perfectly vinegared; a perfect complement to the aburi-ed fish. i struggled not to finish the rice. i much preferred the ootoro slices to the foie gras, though. honestly speaking i could do without the foie gras in exchange for more of the ootoro. the leaner maguro scrapping provided a good balance to the creaminess of the ootoro and foie gras.



the set also came with a truffle soy sauce to drizzle over the don. i tried a bit of it and found that it didn't quite need it- it was already good by itself. my friend loved the sauce though, so i gave mine to her. miso soup, pickled japanese ginger, chawanmushi and fruits completed the set.

i felt really satisfied after the meal. first bowl of japanese rice since ending whole 30, and this was just completely worth it. it's not cheap, but i think it's value for money. we left with our bellies full and satisfied. i have to remember to not be distracted and come by often; their food consistently delivers.

magurodonya miura misaki kou
#03-314
suntec city
https://www.facebook.com/MiuraMisakiKouSushiAndDiningSG

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 2.0.

was really interested in their super bowl lunch offerings, so i made a special trip back to mbfc with L for lunch. the super bowls were going for $13.80- one base, one protein, three sides, two toppings and a dressing.

service, for a mostly self-serviced place, was pretty good. i was just standing in front of the counter, looking at the sides, when one of the staff came up to me to explain their concept and how to order. ordering was slightly confusing though, with separate queues for ordering the bowls, and another for coffee and pita pockets.

they had mostly grain bases, with only one veggie option. one good thing was that they allowed for up to two bases, half and half, so i happily got the goji berries brown rice and veggies. their proteins were pretty interesting, with things like salmon with butter sauce, flank steak, portobello mushrooms and tomato chicken. i'd usually go for the steak, but it looked slightly overcooked, so i went for the chicken instead. for sides, they had both warm and cold ones, all labelled accordingly. i got purple sweet potatoes, dukkah egg and woodear salad as sides. was initially tempted by the chili eggplant, but then spied the dukkah egg up on the counter, and changed my mind. their other sides included a cauliflower salad and grilled zucchini. for toppings, they had sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, croutons and alfalfa sprouts; i settled on both seeds.



concept wise it was very similar to grain traders' lunch bowls, but somehow, this was much more satisfying. i was really full after my meal, and was almost unable to finish. they were generous with portions, giving three big pieces of sweet potato. my favourite of the bowl had to be the woodear salad though. it was refreshing and very moreish. the dukkah egg was a perfectly poached egg that flowed when i cut it open- a very good combination with the brown rice. the brown rice wasn't as al dente as i would like, but interestingly enough, it came with goji berries and ginkgo nuts- never thought about having brown rice in that way. the chicken thigh was juicy and tender though i could hardly discern any tomato flavour. add-on protein goes for $3.50; might look into that if i'm particularly ravenous. they offer add-on soup for $4 ($6 a la carte); was glad i decided not to add on since i was so full after even without.



L had the pulled pork pita pocket, which she quite liked as well. she said that she'd give the bowls a try the next time we swing by though. i'm already planning my next visit- really like that they offer very different sides to the usual. eating clean has never been such a joy.

workspace espresso
marina bay financial centre
#01-08
https://www.facebook.com/workspaceespresso/

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3.

the signage on their wall caught my attention when i was leaving the gym- grills, greens and grains. that's exactly my kind of thing, so i wandered in to check it out, with no intention of eating there that day; just wanted to see if their offerings were interesting enough to warrant a return. turned out that they were giving out free grain bowls as part of their soft launch. now that's an interesting strategy. since it was free, i decided to give it a try.



also because it was free, and i was there pretty late for lunch, they were out of their regular sides. as such, i didn't get to try their usual sides, but i did get to eat some pretty interesting stuff- i think those are the things they usually put in their pita pockets. they had a few choices for the base, most of it grains, so i got the only veggie option. i chose the beef curry over pork belly as protein. for the sides, i got beetroot patties, portobello and alfalfa sprouts, along with sunflower seeds.





i ended up really liking the beetroot patty. its texture resembled that of sweet potato, and they'd put spices in it. the portobello was juicy and awesome as well. the beef curry was okay, but too much tendon in it for my liking. also, i only got two miserable cubes- i'm wondering if that's their usual portion, or was it because it was free?



noticed from the board that they usually offer the grain bowl at $13.80, inclusive of base, one protein, three sides and two toppings. the food that i got to try was good enough to make me want to go back to try again, so i guess their strategy works. will probably pop by again sometime soon to see what they have to offer in terms of sides. also, after googling, i realise that the place is actually opened by cedele! no wonder i liked it.

workspace espresso
marina bay financial centre
#01-08
https://www.facebook.com/workspaceespresso/