noms.: salad

salad

Showing posts with label salad. Show all posts

realised that håakon has taken over soup stock tokyo over at 313 somerset, and decided to try it for dinner (the menu was tempting enough- they have all-day breakfast!).

we got three mains to share- the lean protein platter ($15.90), salmon & zoodles ($12.90) and the avocado vegan bowl ($10.90). strangely enough, we actually waited for quite a while before our food was ready for collection. i thought that the items were pre-prepared, and they would only need to assemble them.

it's a good thing i wasn't hungry, because the portions leant towards the small side (can they be more generous with the proteins?). thankfully the flavour, though light tasting, more than made up for it. i was quite happy with all the food that we got. my favourite was definitely the zoodles, especially with the miso sauce. the food was really clean tasting, which made it right up my alley.

i'd also got an organic acai soy latte ($6.50), because it sounded really interesting. i've never seen it on other menus! it was more milky than anything else, though there was a faint acai taste. i did like it, but J found it weird.

we were feeling greedy, so we also got an acai bowl to share (i think acai bowls are my new obsession). we got a large cacao bliss bowl ($12.90), which came topped with coconut flakes, granola and fruits, with a chia seed parfait right at the bottom. it being cacao bliss, it tasted more chocolatey than anything else (not that i'm complaining). i loved how generous they'd been with the crunch elements (that's the thing that makes or breaks acai bowls for me).

yum. i can see myself coming back for the acai bowl.

haåkon superfoods and juice
313 somerset
#b2-14
https://www.haakon.com.sg

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

salads are abound in raffles place, which is why i love eating there. the fact that there's no shortage of options means that it's hard to choose sometimes, and i end up going back to my default. bottles & bones has been open for a while, but i've never tried it. i got tempted into trying it mainly because they had polenta cakes on their daily specials menu- i'm a sucker for savoury cakes, like cornbread.

their daily specials are quite interesting, actually. the thursday specials were mediterranean lamb kofka (kofta?) with cucumber mint tzatziki sauce and parmesan herb polenta cake. i decided to get both. as the polenta cake was considered as a vegetarian main, i had to add on an extra $2, so my box was $16.90.

ordering was straightforward, as with most salad places. i filled in the order chit, handed it to them and made payment. i was given a buzzer, and once it was ready for collection, i went over to collect it.

i liked that the sides were not just the usual ones. to add a crunch to the box, they had a variety of different crumbles, instead of just the usual nuts. they could've been more generous with the crumble, though- it was barely a dusting, and i could hardly discern the parmesan flavour.

the lamb kofta, sadly, was saltier than i would've liked. it was overpoweringly so, and it was probably the only part of the box i didn't like. if i return i'll skip the lamb and go for their other proteins.

the main thing that i came for, though, was the polenta cake. it delivered on so many counts, and fulfilled all my polenta cake dreams. i could really taste the parmesan, and the texture of the cake itself was spot on. in fact, i'd return just to have the polenta cake alone- i'm tempted to ask if they sell it by itself.

on first receiving my box, i thought it might not be enough to fill me up, but it was surprisingly filling. i was super satisfied after finishing the cornbread. yeah, i'd come back on thursdays.

bottles & bones
chevron house
#01-42
http://bnb.sg

time really flies- my previous visit to ninja bowl was more than a year ago! i told myself that i was going to return, but as usual life got in the way. finally made my way back because chope was offering a diners' choice tasting menu, consisting of a starter, main and dessert. sounded like a good deal, so i made a reservation and headed over.

i was there at about one-thirty, but there were still plenty of people, to my surprise. i placed my order at the counter and took a seat at one of the high chairs.

the starter, a mini version of the ebisu, came quite quickly. pan-seared hokkaido scallops, mussels and toast in miso butter cream- really, nothing could go wrong with it. the portion was small, so it was alright, but i could imagine it getting too heavy if one were to have the regular portion alone. still, i quite enjoyed the bowl- the scallops and mussels were plump and well-cooked, and the crisp and buttery toast went well with the cream.

the letdown, however, was the main. i remembered liking the unagi bowl i had previously, and so, i was expecting to like the ushi bowl that i got. it came with grassfed flank steak with marmite butter, furikake corn, sautéed mushrooms, cherry tomatoes (changed that to pickled beets) and an onsen egg. the bowl came with a choice of base: ninja rice, quinoa or salad greens; decided on the ninja rice. the flank steak itself was cooked medium rare, but it was strangely tasteless, even with the marmite butter. the other sides were okay... but nothing to shout about (perhaps i've been spoilt by the other salad places abound in the CBD). i finished everything anyway, because i was hungry.

the dessert took a while to arrive- probably at least fifteen minutes. it was a miniature version of the fancy french- fig jam french toast drizzled in umeboshi honey, paired with grapes, plums, figs and hazelnut butter. i was slightly apprehensive about it, because it sounded like it was potentially saccharine sweet, but it turned out to be okay. i actually quite liked the umeboshi honey- it wasn't sickly sweet, had a slight tang, and really tasted of umeboshi. the toast itself was pretty good as well. there was the tiniest bit of hazelnut butter that i devoured within two bites. they really should've been more generous with it, because it was pretty good, too.

i felt slightly letdown by the meal. starter and dessert was alright, but the main was disappointing, especially since i liked the other bowl i had previously. maybe it was an off day for them, or maybe i just didn't pick the correct bowl....?

ninja bowl
15 duxton road
https://www.facebook.com/NinjaBowl/

i'm hardly ever in the bukit timah area, so when i was there for work yesterday, i jumped at the opportunity to check out restaurants in the vicinity. bukit timah has a whole slew of food places that i've been meaning to check out (but haven't due to accessibility issues and general laziness). thanks to the downtown line, though, sunny choice was actually quite easy to get to. out of all the restaurants, i picked sunny choice because i was in the mood for thunder tea rice- haven't had it in a while; there was a point in time where i was utterly crazy about it.

the café was actually merged with a grocer section, so there were shelves of organic produce all around. it was quiet for lunch. it being my first visit, i was wondering how to order. since there was a cashier, i went up there to attempt to place my order, but i was told that ordering should be done via the ipad placed in a pocket underneath each table.

i took a seat and placed my order- it was fairly easy to decide. i'd already settled on the thunder tea rice ($8.50) and the vegetable sushi ($7) that i'd seen online, though admittedly once i saw they had yam abacus ($7) i was briefly tempted. the food came really quickly once i'd placed my order- really efficient!

i was there mainly for the thunder tea rice, having seen rave reviews online. it was alright; not the best i've had, but serviceable. i'd asked for less rice, so i found the proportion of rice to vegetable just about right. i would have liked more peanuts for extra crunch, though. since it was a vegetarian place, the anchovies had been replaced with tiny tempura-battered (?) mushrooms, which were actually pretty good. best of all, the entire bowl was clean tasting and not oily. i didn't take to the rice, though- it was brown instead of the purple one that usually comes with thunder tea rice, but the texture was slightly on the mushy side. what i liked was the tea soup- it seriously packed a punch, not like the other wimpy, watered down versions i've had.

the standout, however, was the vegetable sushi. it REALLY tasted like sushi, despite not having rice in it. there was a vinegary taste which totally reminded me of regular sushi, plus the wasabi dipping sauce that came along was fabulous. i found myself dunking each roll into the sauce.

the food was clean and simple- exactly my kind of thing. i like vegetables, but i usually need meat in every meal; however, i found myself not missing meat at all. i'd come back for the vegetable sushi, and perhaps to try the yam abacus as well.

sunny choice organic café
434 upper bukit timah road
http://sunnychoice.com.sg

i've always associated artisan boulangerie co. with pastries and bread, not mains. we were at great world city and wondering what to eat when J suggested abc- she'd had brunch there and found it quite good.

i was hungry- it'd been a tiring morning and i needed extra fuel for the rest of the day, so i wanted something hearty. i was first drawn to the shakshuka skillet ($15) but later got distracted by the braised short ribs ($23). J and i also got a beetroot pumpkin feta ($11.80) to share, adding on chicken breast ($4) for extra protein.

the food was surprisingly good. the braised short ribs i got was melt-in-the-mouth tender- utterly delicious and generously portioned as well. it came with garlic mashed potatoes which was super smooth and creamy. maybe i was hungry, but i hoovered everything up in no time, and was super satisfied after that.

even the salad that we shared was good as well, though it wasn't quite what i expected. i thought it was going to be a beetroot based salad, but it turned out to be leafy greens based, with cubes of beetroot and pumpkin.

the braised short ribs were so delicious that i'd come back just for it. the food was so satisfying that i'd come back. never expected to enjoy the meal so much!

artisan boulangerie co.
great world city
#01-23
http://artisanbakery.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

muji café has never really been something i wanted to try. at least until my sister told me that it was nice and that i should try it. so, based on her recommendation, i came by for a late lunch with my friend. we managed to get seats easily even though it was a weekend.

i decided on the 3 deli set ($12.90), which came with one hot and two cold deli items and rice. got the mixed spice chicken, thick omelette and prawn & edamame salad. chose to top up an extra $1 for the ten grain rice. added an onsen egg ($1) for good measure, and ended up paying $14.90. my friend, who is more money savvy, figured out that the deli set actually doesn't make sense, because one hot and two cold deli items actually only cost $10.40- which basically means one is paying $2.50 for white rice, and $3.50 for the ten grain rice. to be honest i really didn't realise until she pointed it out (i was too hungry and just wanted my food).

the food was okay, i guess, but portions are so tiny! really wonder who they're trying to feed- not me after the gym, that's for sure. i did like the ten grain rice, but not enough to pay that amount for it. also, weirdly enough, they were out of a lot of stuff, and it wasn't even close to closing yet. my friend wanted the matcha cheesecake and the roasted tea pudding, but they were out.

doubt i'll come back, given the tiny portions and the fact that prices are on the high side. (i guess it's for people with puny appetites, like X.)

café & meal muji
paragon
#04-36
http://cafemeal.muji.com/sg/

needed some food at suntec, and so, where else but pasarbella? it's come a long way since the first time i was there (so empty i was worried for its survival). it was super crowded when i was there- had a hard time looking for a seat even though i was alone. i only managed to get a seat by hovering around a woman who was almost done with her food (she was eating so slowly i was getting antsy, and yet i didn't want to seem rude by looking at her the whole time). patience paid off eventually, though! seems like pasarbella suntec is really not a place to linger during mealtimes- after getting my table, i was also annoyed by the korean couple seated beside me, who insisted on putting their bags on MY table- why?! i was half tempted to ask them to remove it, but oh well.

but i digress. i was deciding between trying something new (grillo's truffle short rib bowl, which i have been meaning to try for a while) and going back for pimp my salad. i eyed other people's truffle short rib bowls before deciding that i wanted the salad more- especially the smashed sweet potato.

ordering was a breeze, and i watched them build my bowl, ladling huge scoops of food onto my plate. (being the glutton i am, i was secretly egging them on to put more.) i got smashed sweet potato ($2), garam masala chickpeas ($1.50) and shimeji & button mushrooms ($2) with roast lamb shoulder ($6) for protein. i usually go without dressing, but the ginger & mirin dressing sounded interesting, so i went with that, requesting for it to be served on the side.

the smashed sweet potato was just as good as the previous time! i was expecting the same juicy, tender lamb shoulder like what i had during my previous visit, but it was a letdown. it was slightly overcooked, making it on the dry side. dipping it in the ginger & mirin dressing helped somewhat, so i didn't mind that much. luckily the rest of the plate was delicious, more than making up for the lamb. the thing about roasts is that if you get the outer part of the roast, it's more likely to be overcooked, so sometimes it's really about luck. i really miss what i had previously, so i'll give them another try before writing off the lamb shoulder.

$11.50 for that plate was pretty worth it, given the portion sizes and how delicious and clean the food was. i can see myself coming back again soon.

pimp my salad
pasarbella suntec
#01-455

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 feel smug whenever i traipse down to try out a new place, and i end up loving it even more than i'd expected. i've wanted to try ninja bowl ever since i saw posts on it on instagram. so happily enough, i had enough time today, and they were also conveniently open on sundays (surprise, given that it's located in the cbd).

i usually like to google the menu of the place that i'm going to before i go, so my visit to ninja bowl followed the same protocol. didn't manage to dig it up, though, because they are so new their website link on facebook doesn't work. knew that they had a hokkaido scallops and mussels bowl, so i was initially eyeing that. when i got the menu, however, i changed my mind, deciding on the genki ($16) instead. topped up another $2 for some ninja rice.

ordered and paid at the counter, took a tag, and sat down. i was kind of in a hurry (and hungry) so i was happy to see my food served so swiftly. the place was also emptier than i'd expected- i remember going to department of caffeine (where ninja bowl is currently located) and having to wait for both a table and food. speaking of department of caffeine, ninja bowl seems to have retained most of the furnishing.

i firmly believe that donburis are almost an art form. there needs to be a balance- the right combination of toppings, as well as the right amount. ninja bowl nailed it on both counts. a combination of buttery roasted pumpkin, savoury marinated beansprouts, refreshingly acidic pickled beetroot, a juicy slab of just-sweet-enough yaki unagi and of course, that glorious onsen egg, over a bed of ninja rice. the ninja rice was basically a mixture of brown and japanese rice, with sesame seeds thrown in for good measure. each component of the donburi worked well together. the richness of the roasted pumpkin was offset by the sweet-sour beetroot pickles. the gooey onsen egg was such a good match with the rice, i wish i had another of that egg. i liked the diversity of each topping- each bite was a different explosion of flavours. also helped that all the toppings were delicious in their own way.

i'm plotting a return visit- this place warrants that. eyeing one of the items on the all day brunch menu next. definitely coming back!

ninja bowl
15 duxton road
https://www.facebook.com/NinjaBowl/

swung by for a quick lunch, with my eye on their quinoa bowls again. i stuck to most of what i had previously, but swapped one vegetable side to a protein because i was starving. loved the yangzhou fried rice style quinoa so much that i had to have it again, along with ratatouille and both proteins (sous vide cajun chicken breast and bulgogi beef).

this time, the wait for my food was much shorter. i probably waited less than five minutes before my bowl was brought over. everything was toasty and warm; just as good as i'd remembered.

of course, without the groupon voucher, prices are kind of steep, especially considering the location (not cbd) and the fact that the portion of protein isn't exactly big. still, the quality of the food is there, and i'd still come back for the yangzhou fried rice style quinoa.

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

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 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.

the soup spoon union

raffles city

#b1-61

http://www.thesoupspoon.com

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

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/

noms.

håakon superfoods and juice, 313 somerset.

jar'd by sarnies, one raffles place.

bottles & bones, raffles place.

ninja bowl, duxton, 2.0.

sunny choice organic café, rail mall.

artisan boulangerie co., great world city.

mercado spanish food market, market street.

café & meal muji, paragon.

pimp my salad, pasarbella suntec, 2.0.

ssäm, marina bay link mall, 2.0.

omnivore, chevron house, 3.0.

ninja bowl, duxton.

the bento people, kallang ct hub, 2.0.

smør, one raffles place.

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

the bento people, kallang ct hub.

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 3.0.

wafuken, asia square tower 2, 4.0.

workspace espresso, mbfc tower 3, 2.0.

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