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was in raffles place on a saturday afternoon, and needed a quick lunch. it seemed that only shops in one raffles place were open, so we headed over and chanced upon jar'd by sarnies, where their mason jar salads were going for half the usual price! seemed like a good deal, so we quickly picked up two jars.

admittedly the tuna tataki salad (usual price $16) was not something that i'd usually choose, not being a fan of tuna, but choices were limited. J got the tuna tataki as well, but in a smaller size (usual price $12.50). it was a takeaway only concept, so we found a quiet spot elsewhere to eat.

i'd read comments previously that jar'd's mason jar salad idea was a good one conceptually, but not practically sound. the reviewers had almost unanimously commented that they found it difficult to mix up the salad by shaking the jar, because there were too many ingredients in the jar (sounds like a happy problem to me). they'd had to resort to taking everything out of the jar and mixing it in a separate bowl, which kind of defeats the purpose of a mason jar salad.

having no access to an extra bowl, luckily enough, we had no problems shaking the jar to mix up everything. J was happily shaking hers and mine away. i found everything to be mixed up quite satisfactorily once she was done. not sure if jar'd had considered the comments and reduced the amount of ingredients, or was it that the components of the tuna tataki that made it easier to shake up. still, i actually quite enjoyed my salad. the addition of the bonito flakes and seaweed made it a really interesting eat. i especially loved the soy and mirin dressing combined with the spiralized radish and shredded purple cabbage. J didn't like the tuna though, and gave some of hers to mine. it wasn't my favourite, but i was okay with it.

i enjoyed the salad enough that i would come back and have it, but only if it was half priced. at $16, it was priced too steeply for my liking, and i would rather have omnivore.

jar'd
one raffles place
#b1-38
http://www.jar-d.co

pacamara being one of my go-to cafés, i was understandably excited to hear that they'd opened botanist over at neil road, which is much more accessible for me. i made a trip over with J, who loves pacamara as much as i do. the first time we were there, it was a rainy weekday afternoon. we were initially seated indoors, but it got too cold, so we requested to be seated outdoors instead, under the canopy.

the first thing that caught my eye was the corned beef hash ($19), so naturally i went with that. J is equally predictable, so of course she chose the salmon & egg ($23).

our food came really prettily presented- the flowers added a pop of colour to the plates. i guess it kind of links back to their name. the taste, however, fell a bit flat. i was expecting my shredded corned beef to be juicy, but it leant towards the dry side. the poached egg and hollandaise did make it better; in fact it was not bad when combined together, but coming with high expectations, i expected more, i suppose. still, portions were generous and i was full.

J quite liked her salmon, but commented that she still likes the food at pacamara more.

we came back in a big group sometime later, and this time, it was really hot out! it was a weekend, so the place was packed, and we didn't manage to get indoor seating. there were fans, but we were basically sweltering in the heat. alfresco dining really doesn't work in singapore.

this time i decided to try the slow cooked beef cheek ($24). it was nice, but didn't leave too much of an impression.

i got slight food envy when i saw J's chicken & quinoa salad ($17), especially after she added two poached eggs to it. my food envy subsided after J commented that the chicken breast was dry- i took a bite, and had to agree.

still, no gst and service charge makes botanist a good place to head to for well priced café food. they do a mean coffee, too! J doesn't seem enamoured with botanist, but i wouldn't mind coming back to try their other stuff, given that their all-day brunch offerings are not the usual ones.

botanist
74 neil road
https://www.botanist.sg

debated internally for a while between trying ash & char and having salad for lunch (i honestly stood there pondering, and someone i know walked by and asked me what i was doing there *awkward*). decided on ash & char in the end, since the menu looked suitably tempting. plus, they had a set lunch as well (just $5 extra for a soup and drink with any mains).

soup of the week happened to be roasted butternut, served with toasted sourdough. it seemed to be the one on their christmas special menu, which came with chestnuts and spiced crème fraîche. it came piping hot, like all soups should be, but the crème fraîche was mysteriously missing, replaced by what seemed like truffle oil. hmm... i'm not the biggest fan of truffle oil. the soup was also more watery than i'd expected, but it tasted alright. what i didn't like was the grilled sourdough- it seemed to have been brushed with truffle oil, and its taste was overpowering.

for my main i got the grilled chicken leg ($17), which came with charred broccolini, sweet potato crumble and king oyster mushroom. i was curious as to what was a sweet potato crumble, but it turned out to be just sweet potato mash. everything on the plate was spot on, though! the chicken leg was juicy and tender, with an almost crispy skin.

but my favourite of the plate was probably the king oyster mushroom, which had been grilled (?) until its exterior was almost crackly. the dish was finished off with a truffle chicken jus (!) but thankfully the truffle taste was nonexistent. the jus was pretty good, actually- it tied the dish together.

i finished off my meal with a coffee. strangely enough they don't do things like lattes or flat whites- the only option is espresso, with milk or without. i got a 7oz espresso with milk, which bordered on the bitter side. it was drinkable, but not something that i'd get again.

i liked my food enough that i'd return. they're having a christmas special of chicken roulade stuffed with sticky rice, and that sounds like it's worth a try. hopefully i can squeeze in a trip back before they take it off the menu.

ash & char
21 mccallum street
https://www.facebook.com/AshandChar/

come to think of it, it's been almost a year since i was last at luxe. i've always wanted to return to try more of their stuff. happily enough J was suitably intrigued by their menu, so we made a trip down.

i did make a reservation, but it wasn't necessary. we reached at 2 pm on a monday, and the place was quiet. and yes, they're open on mondays now!

their menu has changed quite a bit since i was last there. more brunch items seem to have been added, which suits us just fine. they have quite a number of interesting sounding salads (braised lamb! roasted aubergine!), which caught my attention, but eventually i went with the tijuana ($26) off the breakfast menu.

i was taken aback by the amount of pulled pork that appeared on my plate. when they said pulled pork, i was expecting a token amount, as with most brunch plates, but i was given two generous mounds. and when they said potato hash, i was expecting quite a bit of potato, but it was just a token amount- i finished it in a couple of bites. so proportion-wise, i found it oddly skewed towards protein, what with the poached eggs as well. i found i needed more of the potato hash and corn salsa to go with the generous amount of pulled pork.

odd proportions aside, the food was pretty good. the pulled pork was packed full of flavour- super delicious, especially with the perfectly poached eggs. also loved the potato hash, which was super crisp (part of the reason why i wanted more of it). i just didn't quite get the chipotle cream. to me, it was one dimensionally hot, even with the tiny amount that i tried. not sure how it worked with the entire dish, given that it was so overpowering and the pulled pork was already so flavoursome anyway. i left most of it alone.

J had no complaints about her luxe bowl ($20, additional $4 for smoked salmon). they were similarly generous with the smoked salmon, and i got to hoover some up because J was too full (sometimes it's good to eat with people with less stomach space than i do).

prices were admittedly on the high side, given that they do charge for service and gst, but portions and quality did match up, so i didn't mind. enjoyed our quiet weekday brunch there, and wouldn't mind returning.

luxe
1 keong saik road
#01-04
http://luxesydney.sg

i have to admit that SPRMRKT was never exactly on my to-try list... until chope came up with the chope x visa promotion, offering $10 off each meal above $30 for the month of october. SPRMRKT happened to be on the list of cafés offering that promotion, so i decided to just make a booking to try it out, since it was one of the few places that were a) accessible and b) i hadn't tried.

they have daily specials, which is cool, and an all-day breakfast menu that stays throughout the week. it was a monday when i went- i was expecting pork ribs for the daily special, according to the chope website. when i got there, however, i realised it'd been changed to a chicken, mushrooms and spinach roulade ($19)- even better! (side note: the chope website for menus seem to be slightly outdated most of the time, so it's probably better to check with the restaurants themselves. i found sprmrkt's website updated with their current menu.)

so it was an easy choice for me. i got the chicken roulade and decided to add on $8 to make it a set lunch, which included a small soup of the day and a large hot coffee of my choice. ordering was done at the counter. pricing was nett, but they still brought my food over when it was ready. water was freely available in jugs in a corner. i liked how they offered two types of water- a regular one, and another with mint and lemon (of course i picked the one with mint and lemon). it's a nice touch, really.

i ordered a flat white, and it came first. when they said large, they really MEANT large. i was surprised by its size, and it only goes for $5 if you order it a la carte. i got it with soy milk at no extra charge.

the soup came slightly after. the soup of the day was beef, barley and tomato. i was expecting just a token amount of beef, but they were generous with it- there were at least five good sized chunks. the soup itself was tangy, delicious and appetite-whetting.

i had to wait for quite a while before the chicken roulade arrived- i was done with my soup by then. i had time to spare that day, so i didn't mind, but i can imagine getting antsy waiting if i was in a hurry. the chicken roulade was worth the wait, though!

the roulade was succulent and tender- delicious paired with the gravy that they'd ladled generously on top. the accompanying (super large) potato croquette was really good as well. it had an utterly crisp and light exterior, with fluffy mashed potato within. the balsamic glazed greens provided a freshness and sweetness to the dish, completing the dish. i found the dish well balanced, and of course, extremely well portioned. i was stuffed and satisfied by the end of the meal.

food was surprisingly good! i went with no expectations but left feeling really pleased. good meals make my day! SPRMRKT is definitely on my to-go-back-to list now.

SPRMRKT
2 mccallum street
http://www.sprmrkt.com.sg

grain bowls are all the rage nowadays, and there are so many such places sprouting up. saw on instagram that a spanish-inspired grain bowl place has opened at raffles place, offering paella, and of course, i couldn't say no to that. i tried googling for their opening hours and the exact address, but there seemed to be no such details easily available- i know they're new, but they should really look into making such information available. after some in-depth googling i managed to find out their exact address; it turned out that they are open all the way until 7.30 in the evening.

it was about two-thirty by the time i got there, and the place was suspiciously empty. i was already starving by then, so i didn't think too much about it, and just decided to order. they had two options; one to build your own bowl at $16.50, and the other was pre-crafted bowls, but i was told before ordering that the pre-crafted ones weren't available. no matter- i was there for paella, anyway. the concept was pretty similar to other grain bowl places (*cough* grain traders *cough*), with a choice of base, protein and veggies. it was simple to order- just point and the server would ladle the items onto a plate.

the paella was counted as a base and protein rolled into one, so i didn't get to choose any protein. i got a choice of hot veggies and two cold ones- i chose creamy cauliflower for my hot veggie, brussels sprouts salad and beetroot for the cold ones. there was a choice of topping as well, with a few different types of nuts to choose from. i got what looked like ground almonds. there was dressing available too, but i didn't feel that my bowl needed that, so i chose not to get any.

it was, all in all, a very vegetable-heavy bowl. don't get me wrong- i like vegetables, but coming from the gym, i need a good portion of protein to feel satisfied. i was looking forward to the paella, but it was a letdown. the rice was gluey and gluggy- i haven't eaten that many paellas, but this was the worst. to add insult to injury, saying that it was a base and a protein rolled into one was just too generous on so many levels- there was perhaps just three small pieces of sausage in it. my favourite dish was the creamy cauliflower. the rest of the sides were just meh. really not a satisfying meal- i only finished the food because i was starving.

with strong competition all around in raffles place, it's going to take a lot for mercado to survive if they don't up their game. the food was meh- for the same price, grain traders practically next door is a much better alternative. obviously, i'm not returning.

mercado spanish food market
50 market street

was in the CBD and didn't know what to eat (for once)- confounded by the multitude of choices, perhaps. i was wandering around looking at the different choices (there are SO many things to eat) and the rotisserie's monthly special, ribs, caught my attention. i've been to the rotisserie several times (but not recently) and really loved their panini, so i decided to give the ribs a go.

the ribs ($17) came with sides. choice either three hot vegetables (corn, peas, cauliflower with cheese or mash) or two salads. i was briefly attracted by the pesto orzo salad they had, but mash sounded even better, so i went with the hot sides. they should offer a choice of both, though. i remember being slightly annoyed by this restriction the previous visits as well.

i was given a buzzer after payment. when it buzzed, i went over to collect my food and point out the sides that i wanted. they were certainly generous with the sides- i was given a heaping dollop of mash, cauliflower and corn. gravy was available as well, but i chose to have it on the side.

i was really looking forward to the ribs, but it was quite a letdown, mainly because of how overpoweringly sweet the sauce was. i get that it's supposed to be barbecue sauce, and that it's usually sweet, but it was just too much. i would've preferred it without the sauce, actually. the ribs itself wasn't too bad; it was not fall off the bone tender, and had some bite, but i was okay with that. would've liked it to be more meaty, though. perhaps i've been spoilt by the good ribs i've had recently.

the sides made up for it, thankfully. the mash was creamy and smooth. i could've easily polished off another scoop if not for fear of my expanding waistline. the cheesy cauliflower made for a comforting eat as well, and the corn was buttery and juicy.

i should've just stuck to the panini. sometimes trying new stuff doesn't pay off, and this is one of those times. i left feeling slightly unsatisfied, largely due to the ribs. meh.

the rotisserie

51 telón ayer street

#01-01

http://www.therotisserie.sg

i was excited about trying out fyr's brunch menu, because they had something called baked blinis. given my recent obsession with all forms of blinis and how hard it is to actually find them, i was really looking forward to trying it. it seemed that blinis and i really have no fate- when i got to the restaurant, the waitress told me apologetically that they'd since scrapped the brunch menu. what they had, instead, was a three course set lunch for $25, and the a la carte menu.

the three course set lunch looked alright, but i was there for blinis, and they were nowhere to be found. i was contemplating leaving, but i was hungry and it was already pretty late for lunch, even for me. so i decided to ask if they could give me two starters instead of a starter and a dessert- if they could, i'd stay. happily enough they were flexible enough to allow that.

the first starter to arrive was the pork belly, prettily presented on a flat black plate (kind of hard to eat from, though). the pork belly came complete with crispy crackling and a sticky balsamic glaze. i found myself mopping up the balsamic glaze with the pork belly- really, really good. i usually find myself picking out the fat bits because it's way too overwhelming, but in this rendition i cleaned it all up, because the ratio of fat to meat was just right; enough not to be scary. loved the barley risotto and pickled vegetables that came with it, too. perfect balance.

the other starter that i picked was the seared salmon fillet. the salmon was alright, but the pork belly definitely outshone it. the salmon came with cous cous and a mixed citrus salsa- a little heavy-handed with the salsa, but everything was cooked to perfection.

while i was having my starters, the waitress suddenly came by, surprising me by putting a slice of chocolate cake on my table. apparently it was the chef's birthday! a really nice touch, actually.

my main, a duck confit, came a while later. it was a tossup between the seabass fillet (400g!) and the duck confit, but i'm glad i decided on the duck in the end. it was cooked really well, with a thin, crackly skin and super juicy meat. the best part, however, was that the sides were really good as well-crispy little potatoes, caramelised onions, and a well-dressed salad. interestingly enough there was a wasabi sauce in a little pot as accompaniment, and i found myself dipping both the duck and the potatoes in it. yum.

i still wish they'd kept the brunch menu- given the food i'd had, i'm pretty sure whatever the kitchen churns out will be of a certain standard. i was pleasantly surprised by the food i had. came with no expectations whatsoever (other than wanting to have the really elusive BLINIS) and was really happy with everything i got. i'd come back for the set lunch, just so i can try the other mains.

fyr cycene ond drinc
19 boon tat street
https://www.facebook.com/FYRBTS/#

it's been a while since i've been back to ssäm- my last visit was sometime late last year. i've gone back several times since my last post, always ordering the bowl, but switching to kimchi rice instead of the mild tasting cilantro lime rice. the bowl has been the thing i was craving every time i go back, so i've never been tempted to try the burrito.

knowing L and her liking for korean food, i've always wanted to bring L along, but ssäm's only open on weekdays, and only until 6 pm at that. it's only now that L's working in raffles place that i've been able to introduce her to the place.

we took a quick walk over from republic plaza. it was nearing the end of the lunch rush, so even though there were still only two tiny tables, we managed to grab a table after waiting around for a bit. it's more of a grab-and-go type of place (what with the high, not really comfortable stools and limited shop space), not somewhere to linger over lunch, which suited our purpose fine. the other table, however, was occupied by three girls who seemed to have a leisurely lunch in mind- even after we left, they were still there. i remember having to share a table almost every time i was there, and this time, it was no different.

i, of course, ordered the bowl. they're pretty flexible about the base- i got half kimchi rice and half salad. and because i was starving, i got the beef and chicken as protein. happy to say that they're still as generous with servings as i remembered them to be! even L, who is as much of a bottomless pit as i am, was taken aback by the size of the bowl. the toppings remained the same, as were the prices ($11 for mine). L was less greedy and got just the beef bowl.

the food was just as gloriously yummy as i remembered. it was a delicious explosion of korean-mexican flavours- who knew korean and mexican could go so seamlessly together? i was especially fond of the seaweed topping. we were both equally enamoured with the beef. thinly sliced (kind of like those for shabu shabu), with just enough fat to make it flavoursome, and well marinated.

standards were just as high as i remembered- rare, really. and i'm so glad that L liked it just as much as i did! definitely going back for more of the bowls with L (i should probably try the burritos next, but the rice bowls are just so good).

ssäm
#b2-45
marina bay financial tower 1
https://www.facebook.com/ssam.est2014

wanted something clean and simple, and omnivore quickly came to mind. i still remember how their steak was the previous time, though, so i was slightly hesitant about getting the steak again. still, i was craving steak, so i decided to go for it, after telling the counter that it had to be medium rare.

i know that usually salad places are into quick, grab and go service, so i didn't expect them to pay so much attention! the guy who took my order was very apologetic once i told him about my previous visit, even asking whether it happened during the lunch rush (i went back another time after my second visit, making sure that it was after the lunch rush, to test out my theory that it was because of the lunch rush that led to negligence, but the result was the same). he even waived the $1 top-up for the steak, despite my protests that it was okay, so i paid $10.40.

and they really paid attention to my request (so much so that i felt slightly embarrassed- made me feel like i was overly picky). they assembled my bowl, and was waiting on the steak. the lady in charge of slicing steak looked really carefully at the steak that was sent over, checking for doneness. she sliced perhaps half of the steak, put into my bowl, before looking at me and saying apologetically that the rest of it was too over. and she got them to get another one done for me. the second one that came back was perfectly medium rare. my friend, who ordered after me, even lucked out by getting the "rejected" steak, on top of another piece.

the steak was just as good as it looked- as good as when i had it the first time. the rest of my salad was just as delicious. clean, simple and tasty.

super impressed by their service- most places would've probably just pretend to be agreeable about the doneness, and serve it whatever. omnivore, however, really went the extra mile. and that guarantees that i'll be a return customer.

omnivore
chevron house
basement 1

i really didn't expect to like the food so much. despite seeing reviews that were quite neutral, i came by out of curiosity (and also because perx was offering free coffee with purchase of any meal, so might as well).

even before i went, i knew that i wanted to order the moroccan souk kebab ($14), so that made decision making easy. their ordering system was easy- order at the counter, pay, and they'd serve the food. i also got a free flat white (usually $4.50) with soy milk.

i took a seat by the glass window- perfect for watching the world go by while i have a leisurely lunch. plus, the lighting was awesome! the only minus was the bar stool i was perched on wasn't exactly comfortable.

my flat white was served first, followed shortly by my main dish. didn't really like the flat white, though- way too acidic for my liking. my favourite flat white is still from sarnies and jab coffee bar.

the moroccan souk kebab, though, was all sorts of delicious. two lollipop-esque lamb kebabs came served on a generous bed of pumpkin mash. the mash was a delicious amalgamation of pumpkin, quinoa, chickpeas and sultanas, with a sprinkling of crunchy almond flakes for texture. the smooth, slightly sweet mash was balanced out well by the saltiness of the kebabs. i usually pick out the coriander that they use as garnish, but i actually liked its addition- it added a pop of freshness. for some reason i wasn't expecting the mash to be served quite that hot, but it was a bonus. a really comforting eat, given that it was served hot. i savoured every bite- and i want to go back again soon, especially to try the sea bass risotto.

spent a leisurely, quiet afternoon having lunch and doing some work at the café. i'll be back- really love the food.

elements & co.
137 cecil street
#01-01
http://elementsandco.com.sg

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/

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/

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

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/

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/

noms.

jar'd by sarnies, one raffles place.

botanist, neil road.

ash & char, mccallum street.

luxe, keong saik, 2.0.

SPRMRKT, mccallum street.

mercado spanish food market, market street.

the rotisserie, telok ayer.

fyr cycene ond drinc, boon tat street.

ssäm, marina bay link mall, 2.0.

omnivore, chevron house, 3.0.

elements & co., cecil street.

smør, one raffles place.

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 3.0.

wafuken, asia square tower 2, 4.0.

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 2.0.

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3.

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