Healthy Living in Singapore

ESPA Tangerine Restaurant

Hello friends! And happy 2016! I feel like every time I write in this space I’m always apologising for having disappeared. Just realised that for the WHOLE of last year, I wrote a grand total of <10 entries. HAHAHA. But hey, at least this means life OUTSIDE the internet has been fulfilling and busy, so no apologies for that 😀 I’ve missed this space and all the people on it though, and I’m always glad to be writing to you guys again 🙂

How has 2016 shaped up for you guys so far? I may not be blogging much but I still endeavour to reply each of your emails and help you through as you struggle with your inner demons but for those who have emailed about life in NIE, applying to be a teacher, wedding matters, traveling in Japan, ED recovery mealplans etc, I’m afraid I’ve decided to consolidate all your queries and blog about them instead because to reply each individually would just take too long!

Anyway, 2015 was WAY overwhelming for me but I’m glad to report that things seem to have settled (at least for now). Oh, oh! And my sister in law adopted a rabbit from House Rabbit Society Singapore late last year and I’ve been obsessed with her eversince! She’s called Flora and I’m sure you will see lots of her on this page because I’m like an obsessed aunty. HAHAHA.

Anyway! I turned 28 a week ago and instead of going to a farm and cooking my own birthday meal like I did last year , my husband (first birthday with a husband! Haha) brought me to Tangerine instead. Been wanting to try for a long time and thankfully, it didn’t disappoint! 😀

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Located in Sentosa next to Equarius Hotel, ESPA Tangerine is worlds apart from the hustle and bustle of the city. I have a weakness for SPA restaurants/ Spa cuisine and another I thoroughly recommend is The Gardens at Beaufort Hotel. The environment is just filled with such lush greenery and the food so light yet nourishing!

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The place is just AWASHED with natural light. GORGEOUS.

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Pretty plants, a gurgling water place and… maybe some frogs (I don’t know. Might have been my husband trying to imitate them to annoy me -.-)

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In contrast, the interior is cool, dark and very welcoming.

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YES I AGREE WITH THE ESPA PHILOSOPHY.

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Should you happen to be around the vicinity on weekdays at lunch time, the lunch deal seems to be a pretty good deal!

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View from my seat

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We started the meal with a refreshing lemongrass drink and complimentary bread rolls with a fresh tomato dip, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I have deep weakness for the smell of good quality olive oil. Do you?!

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D ordered the 4 course set meal (68++) and I ordered the 3 course (38++).  First up for mine was this lovely creation called ‘Tangerine’s Garden’ made up of the most delectable salmon rolls, accompanied with a side salad and a tangy yuzu dressing. The attention to detail was just fascinating. I couldn’t help marveling at the little touches of herbs in the wrapping around the salmon. SO PRETTY.

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Dan’s appetiser was a Thai- inspired Sous Vide Pork which was delicious as well. My fork couldn’t help wandering to his dish after I was done with mine HAHAH.

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The 4 course meal set came with an additional soup. This was the Hawaiian Papaya. It looks unassuming right? But the flavours were just amazing! Think creamy, smooth, sweet papaya paired with a freshly grilled scallop and a hint of sour cream and kaffir lime dust. THE CHEF IS INGENIOUS AND I WANT TO BE HIS PROTEGE.

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Next up, my Asian Style Sea Bass and Salsa. The description was horribly unexciting- Napa cabbage, chinese celery and lime chili dressing. -.- Napa cabbage? Eee. I hate hard cabbage. But I ordered it because the other option was Braised Chicken Roulade La- Mian Soup with BEANSPROUTSSSSSSSS. And if there is anything I hate more than hard cabbage is BEANSPROUTS.

But of course, we all know how the story goes. I poke gingerly at the fish and cabbage when it arrives and eat it resignedly. The first taste of the fish and cabbage in my mouth is an unexpected explosion. The cabbage is super fresh and sweet. Really. You guys need to try just plain, fresh cabbage. The fish is savoury and THE SAUCE. It’s the typical lime and chili mix that you get at most thai places and it wraps the fish and cabbage in this exceptional blanket of tangy with a hint of spice. Spicy, tangy, sweet and savoury all at once. Needless to say, I finished the whole dish.

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I had no wariness in launching my spoon into my husband’s dish when it came (hahahah, much to the chagrin of D). His Risotto with Light Red Curry Emulsion was one of the best I’d ever eaten. It was just so flavourful and despite the fact that I was a little disgruntled it came with only ONE scallop and ONE prawn, I was suitably satisfied at the end of it that the ONE scallop and ONE prawn were so well done, it was definitely quality over quantity. This was D’s favourite dish of the day and I had to restrain myself from eating his food because he was enjoying it so much. HAHAH.

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My course ended with Double Boiled Papaya Soup which was delicious but slightly meh in comparison because I was more interested in Daniel’s…

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Avocado Espuma with Goma Ice Cream!!! Maybe I’m just a cold-dessert kind of person but organic avocado, wild honey, museli bits, dried fruits and SESAME ICE CREAM!!!!! Isn’t it pretty?

TangerineRestaurantReview-21Oh and since it was my birthday, I think D requested for a birthday cake and that was the end of a wonderfully beautiful meal. Ahhhhh, the epitome of nourishment for the soul and body, indeed. I was so happy!!

Do try this place if you are looking for a light and healthy way to celebrate a special occasion 🙂

Be back with rabbit pictures next time. 😉

xoxo.

67 Places to Get Your Health Food Fix in Singapore

67 healthy cafes/ restaurants! Don’t say there isn’t yummy, healthy delicious food to be found in Singapore 🙂 While I advocate home made food for your regular lunches (save money!), sometimes there is no time to cook or you just want to dine out with some friends and not have to worry about the oil content in your food. The list here is compiled with the sole criterion being that the place serves less salt, less oil and wholesome, nutrient dense, natural food,  regardless whether it is vegan, vegetarian, organic or whatnot. They aren’t ranked in any particular order, just whatever I can recall at the moment.

Full reviews for each place on the way! Enjoy! 😀

**I just realized that my file uploader automatically uploaded all my images with my watermark even on the pictures that were obviously taken from the company’s websites. I’ve credited the company where it’s relevantt!

Commonly Found Around Singapore

1. Cedele

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Cedele needs no introduction of course. With a very extensive menu at their restaurant or bakery, there is always something to satiate my tastebuds here! 😀 My favourites are their Pandan Gula Melaka Cake as well as Tofu Stack. Their fried Quinoa-Tofu Patty and Beetroot Burger are fantastic!

Website: http://www.cedeledepot.com/
Locations: http://www.cedeledepot.com/locations.html
Opening Hours: Varies from 8am-10pm. Check specific outlets for accurate information.

 
2. Hawker Centres


Hawker centres would probably be the last place on your mind when you are searching for healthy food options in Singapore but with a little bit of tweaking, you can eat relatively healthily for your heart and wallet. Most days I don’t want yet another salad, soup, sandwich set for lunch. I am Asian! I want rice & noodles! Skip the fish soup and fishball tanghoon (so sad, salty and most importantly, NOT FILLING) and choose instead the unprocessed, natural options at the Yong Tau Foo stall + brown rice from the vegetarian stall, ask the uncle at the cai fan store for the ‘top-of-the-pile’ veggies or split a SoupMaster lotus root and pork rib soup + char siew rice (sauce on the side) and veggies with a friend for a low budget, balanced meal! 🙂 Find other suggestions on how to eat healthy in a hawker centre here and check out the stalls under the Healthier Hawker Programme as well!

Website: None.
Locations: All over Singapore
Opening Hours: Varies. 

3. Qiji

I always head to QIJI when I’m peckish because they are easy to find and I love their popiahs (who doesn’t like popiah?!) It’s a great high fibre snack but most of their sauce is packed with salt and sugar. This is how the Qiji popiah looks like with additional prawns and no sauce, no taugey (urgh), just chilli sauce. Perfect for a snack! I also love that Qiji’s now offers its consumers brown rice vermicelli in their mee siam! Eat everything in moderation of course, but certainly a step in the right direction! 🙂

Website: http://qiji.com.sg/
Locations: http://qiji.com.sg/general/aboutus.aspx?uc=4
Opening Hours: Varies from 8am- 11pm. Check specific outlets for accurate information.

 
4. Soup Spoon
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No longer one of my favourites as I find the soups too salty now but I did use to love it for it’s creative use of ingredients and fresh offerings when I first embarked on eating healthier. Great for those who need to go gluten-free and those with a deep desire to know the calorie count of all their food. Try their hearty beef stew or one of their monthly specials!

Website: http://www.thesoupspoon.com/
Locations: 19 outlets around Singapore
Opening Hours: Varies from 10:30am- 11pm. Check specific outlets for accurate information.

 
5. Yoshinoya
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I’m not sure if you love Yoshinoya but I actually do! I really appreciate that they try to give their consumers lots of options e.g. in terms of brown/ white rice, added veggies, no sauce etc. I love their beef&ebi bowl but if you are super hardcore and want to eat absolutely clean, Yoshinoya offers a ‘healthy’ set meal that includes a teriyaki chicken & veg bowl with corn and plain water on the side. The fact that plain water is served as a drink and not some fizzy yuzu ‘health’ drink is a thumbs up in my book! Ask for the teriyaki sauce to be served on the side, swap the white rice for brown rice, top it off with chilli flakes and an onsen egg and you have one really delicious, balanced meal.

Website: http://www.yoshinoya.com.sg/
Locations: 20 outlets around Singapore
Opening Hours: Varies from 9:30am- 11pm. Check specific outlets for accurate information.

 
6. Jack’s Place
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Applause for Jack’s Place that not only has outlets scattered across the island but also offers healthier options on their menu! Great for large family gatherings. Just always ask for the dressing on the side and no added salt!

Website: http://www.jacksplace.com.sg/
Locations: 16 outlets around Singapore
Opening Hours: Varies from 10:30am- 11pm. Check specific outlets for accurate information.

7. Any Japanese Place around Singapore

I always suggest going to Japanese places for group gatherings because the options available are always delicious. Try the Sakae Salad or Salmon Ju Box from Sakae Sushi, one of my favourites due to its easy accessibility across the island or treat yourself to Itacho’s Lunch set deal. My current favorite for a reasonably priced, awesome chirashi don would definitely be The Sushi Bar at Far East Plaza. Try their salmon roll as well (pictured).Or if you are in the mood for just sashimi alone, give Sakuraya Fish Mart a try.
Location: Japanese Food Outlets across the Island
 
8. Any Vietnamese Place around Singapore
Vietnamese places are also a great choice for a light hearty meal. Indulge in belly warming beef noodle soups from Nam Nam Noodle Bar or go for something lighter like a Baguette or these vermicelli spring rolls. They make a fantastic side dish for a hot day. 
Healthier Choice Cafes / Restaurants


9. Herbal Oasis

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I’m looking forward to trying Herbal Oasis! Set up TCM Doctor, Professor Hong Hai who believes that ‘people should not wait till they are sick to eat healthy’, Herbal Oasis is a small cafe that serves delectable set lunches made with TCM herbs. The teas and desserts all look so interesting and fantastic as well. I can’t wait to bring my grandmother to try! Hopefully she’ll like it 🙂 The best part? There is even a nutritionist on hand at any time during your meal should you need any recommendations or have questions. How cool is that? 
Website: https://www.facebook.com/herbaloasis
Location: 27A Neil Road (Above RenHai TCM clinic)
ith
this in mind, Professor Hong Hai, a TCM physician, opened a herbal cafe
above his clinic, The Renhai Clinic in Neil Road, in January. – See
more at:
http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/tcm-special-dishes-planned-physicians#sthash.I3upYsDN.dpuf
In
TCM, food, including herbs, is also medicine, and they can be used to
restore balance and flow of blood and qi (vital energy) in the body to
prevent and treat various ailments.
With this in mind, Professor
Hong Hai, a TCM physician, opened a herbal cafe above his clinic, The
Renhai Clinic in Neil Road, in January.

A physician is always on hand at the cafe to offer advice to
customers, who do not have to be patients at the clinic, on what food or
teas may be more suitable for them.
There are many factors to consider: an individual’s constitution, the nature of any illness or syndrome, and even the weather.
Advice
is dished out after asking about a customer’s symptoms and through a
quick observation of his tongue, though this is not an actual clinical
assessment which would include taking a person’s pulse.
With a
floor area of 1,200 sq ft, Herbal Oasis@Duxton can seat about 50 people.
There is a private room that people can book for meetings. Reservations
are recommended.
The cafe currently serves about 15 to 20 customers a day, said Ms Karen Wee, a TCM physician at the same clinic.
MENU EXPANDED
Prof
Hong, a senior fellow at the Institute of Advanced Studies and an
adjunct professor at the College of Business at Nanyang Technological
University, said he initially planned to offer teas and desserts only.
But he soon expanded his menu to include set lunches.
– See more at: http://yourhealth.asiaone.com/content/tcm-special-dishes-planned-physicians#sthash.I3upYsDN.dpuf

10. Pepper Steak & Bistro

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Ever since learning to nourish my body better, I’ve learnt not only about the nutrients in the food I was consuming but its sources as well and was astonished to find out that cows these days don’t eat what they were naturally made to eat (kinda like us haha). Instead, farmers inject them with antibiotics and hormones and feed them with corn and other fat promoting substances to get them to grow as quickly as possible. I was also surprised to find just how hard it was to find organic, grass fed beef in Singapore. Most restaurants pride themselves on serving steaks from 200 day corn-fed cows as they are more marbled but grass fed steaks, done right, can be just as tantalising! Pepper Steakhouse & Bistro’s New Zealand ‘Harmony’ Organic, grass fed steaks are really good and while you are there, indulge in their fantastic poached pear salad as well. Highly Recommended! 🙂

Website: http://www.peppersteak.com.sg/
Locations: Great World City, #01-66/67, 1 Kim Seng Promenade, Singapore 237994
Opening Hours: 10am- 9:30pm

11. Kilo at Pact

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Kilo at Pact is another fantastic place! It doesn’t market itself as ‘healthy’ but their creative offerings are done so well that I find a trip there so nourishing! (And happy + nourishing = healthy!) Tucked nondescriptly away in a corner of Orchard Central and sharing space with its retail line, Kilo at Pact is a gem just waiting to be discovered. Try their very innovative warm baby eggplant, salmon and avocado sushiro and the melt-in-your-mouth beef short rib bowls with quinoa. Sit near the full length window where there is abundant sunlight streaming in and enjoy the delightful food!

Website: http://www.visitpact.com/
Locations: 181 Orchard Road, Orchard Central, #02-16/17/18/19, Singapore 238896
Opening Hours: Tuesdays to Sundays 1100 to 2200 (Closed between 1500 to 1730)
(Brunch menu available on Weekends only.)

 
12.  Glow Juice Bar and Cafe
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Tucked away on the second floor of the Hilton hotel,  Glow Juice Bar and Cafe provides a wonderful respite from the hustle and bustle of Orchard Road. Food here is 100% organic and cooked with a light hand so all the wonderful natural flavours are kept just as they are! Check out their menu here or head down to their space for a refreshing C- Plus Juice for ‘instant vitality’. Try also their absolutely delightful homemade Mushroom Tofu Burger on toasted sunflower seed bun, spicy salsa and vegetable crisps. The Alaskan Crab Salad and Lamb Cutlets are also fantastic. End your meal on a delicious zing with the Lemon Tart. Prices are on the steep side but worth it for the quality of food you are getting. 

Website: http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/singapore/hilton-singapore-SINHITW/dining/index.html
Locations: Level 2, 581 Orchard Road, Hilton Singapore
Opening Hours: Mondays- Saturdays 11:00am to 6:00pm

13.  Marmalade Toast by Marmalade Pantry
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Brought to you by the guys from Marmalade Pantry, Toast is a well kept secret by those who like their peace and quiet in the heart of town. They offer simple and delicious salads, wraps, soups and dessert.  Try the Masala Chicken on Wholemeal Tortilla Wrap or come with your girlfriends and split the range of decadent desserts. The reasonably priced salads and sandwiches (<$10!), coupled with a soup are decent
and the place quiet enough for a peaceful, mindful lunch. Good food for
the belly, and peace for the soul. Nourishing, indeed.

Website: http://www.marmaladetoast.com.sg/
Locations: Unit 02-11 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road
Opening Hours: Weekday: 8am – 7pm, Sat: 9am – 7pm, Sun: 10am – 6pm


14. Pita Pan (fully vegetarian)

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PITA PAN!!! I LOVE PITAPAN! Think a wholemeal wrap with 3 crunchy falafel balls stuffed into it then crammed with all the greens and goodness you can possibly fit into the pocket. After you order your choice of pocket and size, the staff hands you the pita pocket to fill with all and any of the stuff you want from the salad bar! No restrictions! You can choose from corn, carrots, beets, hummus, chickpeas, spicy sauce etc! I normally very eagerly stuff all my favourites like broccoli, hummus, red cabbage, corns, chickpeas etc until my paiseh meter beeps (sometimes it’s spoilt hurhur). Then I go to a table, forget I’m a demure lady and wolf it down like a neanderthal. That good, seriously. If you have an unadventurous child, start them off with the super simple pita pizza. If not, round up your friends, order up the sharing platter and indulge!

Website: http://pitapan.com.sg/
Locations: Marina Bay Sands & Marina Square
Opening Hours: 11am – 12 midnight.

15. Skinny Pizza

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Skinny Pizza is a great place to go with a couple of friends or your family. I love it that eating here doesn’t send me into a food coma post meal and the pizza comes with an abundance of greens.  Favourites include the Macademia Roasted Pumpkin Salad, Thai Crispy Beef Salad, Harissa Prawns and the absolutely delish Braised Beef Cheeks with Onion Marmalade Pizza.

Website: www.skinnypizza.com.sg/
Locations: http://www.skinnypizza.com.sg/locate-us-contact-us/
Opening Hours: 11am – 10pm.


16. Portico

Another place that’s tucked away in a bird-no-lay-egg place yet as I walked towards the building and swung open the door, I was overwhelmed to see that the place was packed on a weekday night. Seriously, do people in Singapore have some sort of secret club where they tell all their members where all these Bird No Lay Egg but Serve Amazing Food Places are?! This place doesn’t market itself as healthy either but it’s Grape Quinoa Salad is one of the best I’ve ever tried. Cold, light and absolutely refreshing, it really got my tastebuds ready for the smorgasbord of delights this place offers. So far the best new place I’ve been to this year. An absolute Must Try would be the Red Wine- Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek. Also on the menu is possibly Singapore’s only Onion Ice Cream. Paired with a wonderfully light lemon citron tart, the onion ice cream was… interesting. Made for a great post meal story though. Don’t say I always kiss eat and tell. 😉 Great for a rowdy, hearty time with family and friends indoors or a slow romantic alfresco date complete with live band. Service is great and friendly as well.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/portico.sg
Locations: 991B Alexandra Road #01-10 119970
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-11.30pm, Sat 11am-11.30pm.
17. Bibigo

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I love love love Korean food and Bibigo markets themselves as ‘fresh and healthy Korean cuisine’! To be honest, the food is still a little oily and salty for me especially my favourite japchae so this is not a place I can dine at alone without splitting my usual orders of Japchae, Spicy Beancurd Stew and Hot Stone Beef Bibimbap with someone! Still, kudos to them for offering a variety of wholegrain rice and customizable dishes!

Website: https://www.facebook.com/bibigo.singapore
Locations: Raffles City, NEX Mall, MBFC and Suntec City

18. Foodology Fresh

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A friend of mine brought this place to my attention and I excitedly googled for more information about it. ‘Eat Well EVERYDAY’? Why, that’s the motto I live by as well! Turns out Foodology Fresh at URA has a ‘healthily crafted menu that is prepared natural and fresh daily’. It also caters to people with special dietary requirements  and offers selections that are sugar free, lactose- free, gluten free, no transfats and vegetarian options as well. Will definitely be visiting this place out soon! Joy, (the friend who recommended this place) also said that the minestrone soup was thick and hearty so you definitely want to check that out! (Although she did say the coffee was rather disappointing haha!)
Website: http://www.foodologyfresh.sg/
Location: Foodology Fresh @ The URA Centre 45 Maxwell Road, #01-02, Singapore 069118

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday 8am – 6pm 
P.s Also check out Foodolgy @ MBFC – a 8000 square feet mega food centre selling Foodology’s gourmet food from around the world at wallet friendly prices!
 
19. Oh Deli
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Oh Deli Cafe serves up hearty meals made from their very own range of meats and produce from their full service butchery & fine foods delicatessen. Visit the place for gluten free sausages made from 100% organic beef that has no antibiotics or hormones. Other delish items on their menu include the full English Breakfast with organic egg, English pork sausage, toasted sourdough bread and kurobuta bacon. Try also their poached organic egg with chopped roma tomato, Italian parsley and Chilli and Lime! If nothing tickles your fancy or you are on the Dukan/ Paleo Diet, simply ask them to whip up a steak or something for you from their chilled meats section!
Website: http://www.ohdeli.com.sg/cafe.html
Location: 421 East Coast Road, Singapore 429008
Opening Hours: Tuesday – Sunday: 8.00am – 9.00pm 
  
20.  SPRMRKT
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Chef- Owner Joseph Yeo who used to work in some of the finest restaurants around now puts his fine dining techniques and knowledge into simpler, friendlier fare. Food here is honest, wholesome and comforting- kinda like visiting your high class granny that now lives on a farm. Try the Chicken Walnut Cranberry Salad, Truffle fries, Tuna Mayo with Marinated Wild Rice, Avocado Wrap and the 3 Cheese Macaroni. The pastries and bread are also baked fresh daily.  While you are there, be sure to check out the retail section for quirky yet practical stationery and gifts & the art gallery.
Website: http://www.sprmrkt.com.sg/
Location: 2 McCallum Street Singapore 069043 (Opposite Amoy Food Centre)
Opening Hours: Mondays to Fridays: 8am — 9pm *last orders are at 8.45pm                          
Saturdays: 9am — 4pm *last orders are at 3.45pm

 
21. Real Food (vegetarian)

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The people at Real Food cook and serve with a passion I thought I’d never see in Sunny Singapore. They embody exactly what I believe about food- that food is meant to be enjoyed and has the power to heal and revitalise. A quick browse through their very rustic looking menu is as inspirational as leafing through a philosophical book on living well. They advocate food done slowly, lovingly and made with only the freshest ingredients nature has to offer. Try their Fried Vermicelli, Brown Rice Set and Dumpling Soup. Absolutely delish. 

Website: http://www.realfood.com.sg/
Location: The Central, Square 2, Killiney & West Coast Plaza
 
22. VeganBurg (vegan)



VeganBurg gets the thumbs up from me simply because it serves plain broccoli as a side. NO SALT. Nothing. Just plain broccoli. I LOVE IT. It just cleanses the palate and make the flavourful Mushroom burger with crunchy soy patty even tastier! Other favourites include the spicy Rendang Burger and the Hawaiian Burger with a ring of pineapple! I’m not a fan of ‘american-ish food’, healthy or other wise, but Veganburg is definitely my top pick for healthy fast food in Singapore! Their organic ciabatta is perfect and so is their vegan chocolate ice cream for a post meal treat.

Website: http://www.veganburg.com/
Location: Eunos, Marina Boulevard, The Grandstand
 
23. The Living Cafe

 
The Living Cafe was one of the first few places I visited when I first started to try and incorporate healthier options in my life. Till today it remains one of my favourite places and I bring all my friends and family there because it’s a great way to expose ‘healthy eating’ to the Interested and Curious. Food here, whether vegetarian, vegan or raw is done exquisitely and creatively and really helps to show my loved ones that healthy eating is NOT a bland salad or god forbid, dry chicken breast and broccoli all day. Instead, this delicious pizza made from vegan ‘cheese’ nut sauce and organic chicken is a huge hit with my friends. Other favourites include the Raw TLC Burger, Indiana Chix Wholemeal Pizza, Salmon Burger and the Revive Smoothie. You can check out their menu here. Don’t forget to try their Raw Desserts as well!

Website: http://www.balancedlivingasia.com/living-cafe-and-deli/
Location: Eunos, Marina Boulevard, The Grandstand

 
 24. Oceans of Seafood

Located at my favourite Market, Pasarbella, Oceans of seafood serves up the most delectable and fresh seafood ever. (When I say ‘fresh’, I mean ‘just-a-moment-it-was-crawling-around-ugh-i-can’t-believe-you-are-asking-me-to-choose!-feel-a-bit-guilty-now’ kinda ‘fresh’) Pictured here are bamboo clams that are just lightly broiled(?)/ steamed (?) and served to you as it is. You definitely can’t get any fresher or sweeter than this! It’s healthy, it’s wholesome, it’s perfectly natural and it’s totally up to your self control to resist drowning it in that delicious garlic butter sauce that is served with it. Resistance is futile, my child. Just go ahead and dunk it all in before heading next door to choose some perfectly fresh and yummy sushi to go with it.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/oceansofseafood
Location: 200 turf club road, the Grandstand, #02-06/k2-k11, Bukit Timah, Singapore 287994
 
25. Create Healthy Lifestyle Cafe (vegetarian)

Create Healthy Lifestyle cafe is the epitome of what I feel all hawker centres in Singapore should aim to be. They cater to Asian tastebuds, they aren’t a healthy ‘yuppie’ place trying to sell me a soup + sandwich/ salad set for $15. Instead, they serve local favourites like nasi lemak, bak kut teh and wanton mee etc made healthier using minimal salt and oil, organic veggies (from malaysia! less carbon footprint!) and wholegrains. Try also their very creative sushi roll filled with lots of delicious organic veggies as well as their dumpling soup. If you are not used to eating veggies, ask for more of the sauce on the side. If not, just sit back and enjoy the natural sweetness of fresh veggies! 🙂

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Create-Healthy-Lifestyle/289744384453193
Location: Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, #02-17
Opening hours: 10:30am- 7:30pm


26. New Green Pasture Health Food Trading

Like Create Healthy Lifestyle Cafe, this place kinda resembles a coffeeshop stall but it emphasizes wholesome, nutrient dense local food. It may be vegetarian but their ‘meats’ are unbelievably real and their chicken curry is actually pretty amazing. Veggies on the side aren’t drowned in oil either and the meal is filling yet light on the tastebuds. Try the Sri Lankan Roll or any of their weekly specials. This place serves really good and creative food!
Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Green-Pasture-Cafe/170297686354560
Location: Fortune Centre, 190 Middle Road, #04-22
Opening Hours: Tuesdays- Sundays 11:00am- 8:00pm

27. Nothing but Green

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Nothing but Green is a small deli that prides itself on offering ‘a wide selection of organic and natural alternatives’. Try it’s ‘wholesome’ ABC soup for something light or it’s spicy curry for a heartier meal.

Website: www.facebook.com/nothingbutgreen
Location: #01-01 73 Circular Rd. Singapore, 049427 Singapore
Opening Hours: 10:30am- 7:30pm
 
 28. Sunny Choice (vegetarian)

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Another cafe that serves healthier, vegetarian versions of our local favourites, the food at Sunny Choice is flavorful, yet light. One thing I really love about this place is the emphasis on fruits, vegetables and wholegrains. There are many vegetarian places out there that market themselves as ‘healthy’ but instead of offering wholesome, nutrient dense natural produce, they offer flour, salt and oil that basically benefits no one. Think of your regular beehoon set meal from the vegetarian stall- mock char siew maybe? A hashbrown? Some shiny cabbage and the yummy crispy thing that all vegetarian stalls seem to sell? I hate to burst your bubble, but aside from the cabbage, everything else has very little nutrients in it. It’s not enough to be vegetarian for health. You must be a plant based vegetarian, vegan, paleo-ist, whatever. The bulk of your food must be nutrient dense. Compare that beehoon set to any of the options at Sunny Choice and you’ve got no competition at all. All of Sunny Choice’s food are really well balanced. Check out their Abacus seeds, Mushroom Tofu Set Meal and Thunder Tea Rice when you visit and don’t forget to get some of their delicious products from their retail section as well!!

Website: http://sunnychoice.com.sg/
Location: Rail Mall & Bukit Batok MRT

29. Loving Hut (vegan)
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Loving Hut takes things up a notch by not only offering healthier local delights but by doing it entirely vegan. They have an unbelievably extensive menu here- think Kway Teow, Cantonese Congee, Kway Chap, and even meepok.

Website: www.lovinghut.com.sg
Location: 229 Joo Chiat Road 
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11.00am-2.30pm & 5.30pm-9.30pm. 
                          Sat-Sun  10.00am-2.30pm & 5.30pm-9.30pm

 
30.  Yes Natural Cafe/ Bakery/ Restaurant

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For those looking to bring their family members out for a more traditional Chinese meal, consider Yes Natural Restaurant. Portions are really reasonable and food is cooked with a light hand yet still very flavourful! Try the Stone Pot Brown Rice with Shitake Mushrooms, Thai Style Beancurd and Cod Fish! Do pop by their bakery as well that specialises in natural and organic breads and contain no preservatives or chemical additives.

Website: http://www.yesnatural.biz/
Location: 57 Lor 27 Geylang Singapore 388 184
 
 31. Original Sin (vegetarian)

Original Sin is a place I would love to hate but I just can’t. The last time I went, I opted for the lunch set offer- a soup, salad/ wrap & dessert. Because I was alone, I asked for the dessert (a decadent looking slice of chocolate fudge cake) to be substituted with a teapot of light chamomile tea. So in all, a soup, wrap for me and a pot of tea came up to $30. </3 which is insanely expensive for a simple one person lunch. Yet it was one of the best lunches I’ve had in awhile. The food was undeniably fresh and you could tell that the ingredients were all top quality. I don’t know what they did to the wrap but it was such a joy to eat! Crisp fresh greens sitting atop a deliciously creamy chickpea and pumpkin spread, grilled eggplant, feta and encased it a warm tortilla wrap that was crispy on the outside yet somehow slightly doughy inside. Come here with your friends for fresh, healthy Mediterranean food with a vegetarian twist or if your date is vegetarian and you want a place to impress. 

Website: http://originalsin.com.sg/
Location: Blk 43 #01-62 Jalan Merah Saga Holland Village Chip Bee Gardens Singapore 278115
Opening Hours: Lunch: MON to SUN 11.30am – 2.30pm, Dinner: MON to SUN 6.00pm – 10.30pm

32. Sufood
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Sufood is the newest kid on the block in Singapore. Originally hailing from Taiwan, Sufood offers Italian inspired vegetarian cuisine. A look through their menu and I’m really inspired to check the place out! Very happy to see that there isn’t a bunch of ‘meat’ inspired dishes. Everything looks really creative and made from real produce instead of mock meat. Can’t wait to try to Star Pizza and aren’t those mushrooms (pictured) just the cutest?! Prices seem pretty reasonable as well.

Website: http://www.sufood.com.tw/menu_main.htm#57
Location: #02-19 Raffles City Shopping Centre, 252 North Bridge Rd. Singapore, 179103 Singapore

 
33. Sarnies 

Sarnies is a great cafe to check out. Real food, passionate people. I don’t drink coffee or alcohol but my friends say both beverages are really good here. In fact, they loved it so much they ended up ordering 3 cups of coffee, each. Pictured here is their Breakfast Roll stuffed generously with egg, mushrooms, cheese and tomatoes. I normally hate tomatoes and will pick them out but this time it all seemed to go so well together. Sarnies also served a mean Smoked Salmon and Scrambled Egg Bagel, a fantastic Apricot and Maple Granola and a mean Chicken Schnitzel. I’ve only tried their breakfast menu and they do lunch and dinner differently on weekdays and weekends as well. Definitely a great place to visit- the overall vibe is kinda like what you’d get at an Aussie cafe. Great hearty food, decent prices and fantastic, cheerful service.

Website: http://www.sarniescafe.com/
Location: 136 Telok Ayer Street Singapore 068601
Opening Hours:  Monday – Tuesday: 7.30am – 5pm. Wednesday – Friday: 7.30am – 10pm. Saturday – Sunday: 9am – 4pm

Monday
– Tuesday: 7.30am – 5pm. Wednesday – Friday: 7.30am – 10pm. Saturday –
Sunday: 9am – 4pm – See more at:
http://www.citynomads.com/reviews/restaurants/68/breakfast-in-the-city-at-sarnies#sthash.dKPSiA1b.dpuf
Monday
– Tuesday: 7.30am – 5pm. Wednesday – Friday: 7.30am – 10pm. Saturday –
Sunday: 9am – 4pm – See more at:
http://www.citynomads.com/reviews/restaurants/68/breakfast-in-the-city-at-sarnies#sthash.dKPSiA1b.dpuf
34. Afterglow (vegan)
 
Afterglow has managed to turn ‘raw vegan’ cuisine into something painfully hip and cool. Located at Keong Saik with its ever burgeoning slew of chic cafes, Afterglow is definitely a place to check out. It serves fresh healthy, raw food in the morning and at night, it sheds it’s good girl I-only-eat- broccoli- image and transforms into a watering hole for those in need of a healthy tipple. Try their Drag-Pom salad (My favourite) and their raw broccoli soup (really interesting). Pictured here is their ‘Taco Bowl‘ which my bf ordered and promptly announced after that he felt ‘too clean’ and needed to balance it out with Chocolate Churros from Holland V. Aye aye, life is all about balance, innit 😉

Website: www.facebook.com/afterglowsg
Location: Afterglow, 24 Keong Saik Rd. Singapore, 089131 Singapore
 
35. LivinGreens (vegan)

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 Another amazing place to try! LivinGreens serves up Asian and Western favourites such as brown rice sets, pasta, noodles, salad and every dish is created with the highest nutrient composition in mind. I love it that their sauces, dressings and marinades are all hand made from scratch and they largely use organic produce. They even go one step further and cook with / serve filtered water! No white sugar here, desserts are made with molasses and palm sugar and the chef believes in less oil and salt as well. Unbelievable, really, how everything here is suited for vegans and yet still tastes fantastic. Kudos to the Chef for his innovative use of ingredients and spices!

Website: http://www.livingreens.com.sg/
Location: 89 Rangoon Road URBAN LOFTS # 01-04

 
36. P.S Cafe

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Right, so while P.S cafe is not entirely big on the whole organic, less salt, less oil whatever that I’ve been going on about, I’m sneakily placing it here as my number 36 because PS cafe is just such a great place to hang out with friends. Try one of their innovative salads if you are looking for something like or attack their ultra delish crab cakes. The reason it’s my no.36 however, is because P.S cafe serves up a fantastic Fruit Yoghurt Platter. Think summer fruits cubed and placed in a dazzling array of colour then drizzled with a really fantastic creamy yoghurt. The next time I go, I’m definitely badgering the staff to tell me the brand of yoghurt. Nothing better to line the tummy with nutrient dense yoghurt and fruit before attacking P.S cafe’s totally yummy truffle fries!

Website: http://www.pscafe.com/
Location: Ann Siang Hill, Palais, Harding Road & Paragon 



 
37.  The Flying Bread

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A cheaper alternative to Pita Pan’s Falafel wrap, The Flying Bread’s Falafel wrap is also amazing. They like to drench the wrap with chili sauce, mayo and whatnot though (I tried to stop them but they insisted that the wrap would otherwise be ‘too dry’. ) Nevertheless, go ahead and insist for less sauce anyway. The wrap is pretty darn fantastic and always my choice for a snack when I’m at 313.

Website: http://theflyingbread.com/home
Location: http://theflyingbread.com/locations.html
 
38. Sushi Burrito

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Really innovative- A DIY sushi bar where you get to choose what to include into your sushi roll (Kinda like a really quick and easy on the go rice wrap). Pick and choose your own or go with their recommended rolls. There is even a rice free one which weighs in at about 200 + calories only. Good for a snack, possibly too little for a full meal.

Website: http://www.sushiburrito.com.sg/
Location: 100 Tras Street, #01-06, 100AM Shopping Mall (beside Amara Hotel)
  
39. Maki San

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Another DIY sushi option for those sick of salads and wanting a little something different. I heard this is pretty good! They also have the cutest website ever. Haha.
 

Website: http://www.rollwithmakisan.com/
Location: The Cathay, 2 Handy Road, #b1-17/18


 
40. Aussie Roll

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Another DIY sushi roll place but comes with really interesting combinations like squid head, Korean Bulgogi Beef etc. Worth a try!
 

Website: http://www.aussieroll.com/
Location:  Basement of Chevron House
 
41. QQ Rice Roll
  
Kinda like a DIY sushi place but Singaporean cai fan style. Haha. I’ve loved this concept since I first found it in Hongkong. Choose from a variety of multigrain rice, as well as 5 from the ingredients bar, (I always choose corn, egg strips, seaweed chicken, broccoli and carrots) and wait while the friendly staff wraps all of it into a giant rice ball. Super convenient. Super yummy, super healthy. (Seaweed chicken makes me happy, therefore it is healthy. Haha)

Website:http://www.qqrice.sg/index.html
Locations: Sqaure 2, Jurong Point, Woodlands/ Choa Chu Kang/ Tanjong Pagar Mrt, NEX, AMK/ HDB Hub.
 
42. Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe

A pescetarian is a person whose only source of meat is from fish and this is possibly the only place in Singapore that caters exclusively to such a group of people. I’ve not been to Dann’s Cafe but I’ve only heard good things about it- food is simple and homely and there is an Otah Toastie that I apparently Must Try. I got it. Going to try it soon! 🙂

Website: Can’t find a website for it so here you go- Moonberry’s blog with a picture of said Must Try Otah Toastie 😉 – http://blog.moonberry.com/danns-daily-pescetarian-cafe/
Location: 20 Eastwood Road #01-06, Singapore 486442

Dann’s Daily Pescetarian Cafe
20 Eastwood Road #01-06
Singapore 486442 – See more at: http://blog.moonberry.com/danns-daily-pescetarian-cafe/#sthash.7AGoUBqO.dpuf



 
43. Greenzilla
 

 
Similar to VeganBurg, Greenzilla serves up some pretty tasty vegetarian burgers. I couldn’t help ordering their Mini Trio– 3 perfectly shaped small little burgers that fit in the palm of my hand. TOO CUTE! They also have the option of a wide variety of burger bun types including charcoal, green pea, etc. Fascinating.
Website: http://greenzilla.com.sg/
Location: The Star Vista, Buona Vista

44. Bollywood Veggies- Poison Ivy Bistro
 
Read here then go visit if you haven’t. 
And when you are there, order the Moringa Tempura (pictured). No, order 10. and eat it all because it’s that Good.On the way out, don’t forget to buy their banana cake/ bread home as well coz it’s honestly the best in Singapore.
Website:http://bollywoodveggies.com/
Location: 100 Neo Tiew Rd  Singapore 719026
(shuttle bus available)

 45. Caveman Food

Right- while I don’t subscribe entirely to the paleolithic diet, I’ve seen how it’s really worked very well for loads of people (especially those with a sugar addiction) so I’m including this in here for the sake of those seeking paleo food in Singapore. T’was a little too oily for me though (I get it that those who subscribe to this way of eating believe in the goodness of oil and healthy fats and I do too- just that I really dislike the grease film on my lips post meal. Still, the chicken was juicy, well seasoned with herbs and spices and I like it that the side orders are just as they are and unseasoned. Anywhere in Singapore that serves plain broccoli gets my vote (as you can undoubtedly tell, haha). They are also entirely MSG and Sugar free.

Website: http://moderncave.net/
Location: #B1-130 Square 2  (Novena MRT Station Exit A),10 Sinaran Drive
 
46. The Greenroom Cafe

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I’m starting to wonder if it’s blasphemous of me to anyhow place the cafes next to each other such that The Greenroom Cafe which is entirely vegan ends up being next to Caveman Food which is well… er… not vegan at all. But anyway! The Greenroom Cafe is tucked away in the luscious greenery of Bishan Park and serves up really innovative food. They even have Rendang Tahu! I love the ambience.Treat yourself to an appetizer, a soup, a main and end the meal on a sweet note with their totally dairy free ice cream. Great for those with allergies.

Website: http://www.greenroomcafe.com.sg/

Location: 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1, Bishan Park 2, Singapore 569931

 
47. Genesis Vegetarian Health Food Restaurant

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Talk about a long name haha. Genesis restaurant is entirely vegetarian and serves up many healthy and creative dishes from its extensive menu. Check out the Almond Basil Pasta, Japanese Rice and Yuba Rolls. There are even cookies like the Lemon Pumpkin Flaxseed. I went with a friend and excitedly told her- “Look! This cookie has no sugar, no oil, no butter, no margarine, no milk, no-” To which she abruptly cut me off and asked ” Huh? Then what is left to eat?!” 
Oh well, I guess you just go to find out for yourself 😉 I promise you, it really is still a cookie. Haha.

Website: http://genesishealthfood.blogspot.sg/
Location: 1 Lorong Telok Singapore
049014

 48. Pink NutriDeli/ The Healthy Society
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Another healthy lunch option for the time starved, sit in chair all day CBD area office worker, The Healthy Society, previously known as Pink Nutri Deli (although they seem to still identify more with this name?!) offers healthy brown rice lunch sets that are light on the waistline and slightly lighter on the pocket than the usual soup and salad places around the area. Decent and worth checking out. 
Website:http://www.pink-sg.com/
Location: 24 Raffles Place, #02-05 Clifford Centre, Singapore 048621
 
49. Shirokiya Japanese Healthy Dining

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I haven’t been here yet but with a name like ‘Shirokiya Japanese Healthy Dining’, I’l be sure to visit some time soon. Apparently it is quite similar to Tsukuda Nojo’s Bijin Nabe (beauty collagen pot)- just lighter and not as salty.
Website: http://www.shirokiya.com.sg/en/index.html
Location: Cuppage Road, #43&43A Cuppage Terrace Singapore 229463
 
50. Onaka Restaurant and Bar


And to round off all these cafes and restaurants is none other than my absolute favourite- Onaka. With a name like Optimum Nutrition and Kitchen Art, it’s no surprise that Onaka is big on fresh, healthy food served in the most creative and delectable way. Try everything on their menu. 


Website: http://www.onakafoods.com.sg/
Location: 460 Alexandra Road,, #01-32 Alexandra Retail Centre


 

Salad, Soup, Sandwiches

 
 Right- so salad bars are (thankfully?) a dime a dozen in Singapore and lots of people have done really good jobs in compiling a whole list of them for your perusal pleasure. Check out Daniel’s Food Diary at http://danielfooddiary.com/2014/02/19/saladshops/ for his take on the Top 10 Best Salad Places in Singapore or Honeycomber’s Top 20- http://www.thehoneycombers.com/singapore/2013/11/salads-in-singapore.php.

On my end however, I’ll just make brief mentions of my personal favourites. 


51. The Lawn Cafe
 
The Lawn Cafe is HANDS DOWN my favourite salad place in Singapore. No competition. Perfectly grilled meats atop my own selection of fresh fruits/ veggies or really delish olive rice slowly savoured while sitting alfresco on a slow breezy evening at The Lawn is my idea of life.  Really great food at decent prices.

Website:http://www.thelawn.com.sg/
Location: http://www.thelawn.com.sg/#store-locations
 
52. SEASONAL Salad Bar & Restaurant

Picture taken from here

I AM SO EXCITED I FOUND THIS PLACE!! MOST IMPORTANTLY- IT IS CERTIFIED HALAL!!!!! I’ve been searching high and low in Singapore for healthy halal options to dine with my Muslim friends and the dearth of it really drives me crazy! WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND HEALTHY HALAL FOOD IN SINGAPORE?! And while we are on this topic, has anybody noticed that school canteens only have ONE Muslim stall and most of the time that halal food stall serves nothing healthy? I mean, just because one is Muslim, surely, does not mean you are relegated to a life of mee soto and rendang (yummy as it is) all your schooling years? Is there some way I can campaign against this or do something?! Okay, okay, sorry about that little rant but this is just something that I really want to do something about. It just seems so unfair that an entire demographic of people in a country are facing increasing problems from obesity and we as fellow citizens certainly aren’t making it any easier for them.

But anyway! Back to Seasonal Salad Bar! You can tell I’m pleased as punch about it. A healthy option (salad bar) to go with a perhaps not so nutrient dense option (that awesome looking chicken cutlet)— perfect balanced meal I would say 😉

Website: http://onionrestaurant.sg/seasonal_saladbar.html
Location: 190 Lorong 6, Toa Payoh #02-516, Singapore 310190
 
 53. The Green Bar

The Green Bar is one of my favourite places because it’s just such a peaceful and quiet place. Their salads are hearty as well and not just a couple of limp leaves and a few chicken shreds on top. Love their smoked salmon and mandarin oranges combi!
Location: Millenia Walk, 9 Raffles Boulevard #01-91B

 

54. Toss and Turn
 
Toss and Turn is by the same people that brought you Cedele so expect no less but the best in wholesome, yummy nutrition. I am in love with their massive salads (Yay! Gimme gimme gimme) and their crispy sandwich thins are also super yummy. Try their Basil Pesto Chicken with Brie Cheese. I always wolf it down with Toss and Turn’s delicious Curry Carrot Soup. Yummeh. 
Website:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Toss-Turn-Soup-Salad-Bar-by-Cedele/239911822806402
Location: 2 Orchard Turn ION Orchard #B4-55, Singapore 238801

 

 55. Playtypus Gourmet2Go
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From the people behind Platypus Kitchen (that prides itself on 50 different varieties of handmade pasta freshly made each day), Platypus Gourmet2Go is salad on the go for busy people! Each box is fuss free and packed to ensure a balanced nutrient composition and made from fresh organic greens. 
Website: http://www.platypuskitchen.com/platypus-gourmet2go.html
Location:  50 Market Street #01-14A Golden Shoe Singapore 048940

56. Wheat Baumkuchen
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Wheat Baumkuchen doesn’t just sell salads actually- they offer everything from salads to eggs benedict but their pride and joy is in their Soba noodles. Paired with your choice of seafood or even teriyaki chicken, the meal is hearty and satisfying. Not too bad for a place that wants you to know that ‘healthy can be delicious too!’
Website: www.wheatbaumkuchen.com
Location: http://www.wheatbaumkuchen.com/location/
 
57. Shinkansen
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Salads of a different kind! Shinkansen serves up quick Japanese inspired salads packed with brown rice or  soba with miso/ sesame dressing etc. They even have unusual salad choices like smoked duck and broccoli, broccoli, broccoli! 🙂 Sushi, soups and rolls also available.
Website: https://www.facebook.com/shinkansensushi
Location: 10 Collyer Quay, B1-08 Ocean Financial Centre, Singapore 049315
  
 Spa Cuisine
  
Spa Cuisine is on an entirely different league of its own. It is often defined as ‘fresh natural foods low in fat and calories with an emphasis on whole
grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low-fat dairy
products, and the avoidance of added or artificial salts, colors,
flavors, or preservatives’.
Wow, okay. So if you have been totally stressed up at work or you’ve been abusing your body with too much junk, late nights or alcohol, be nice to yourself (or your significant other) and check out one of these places below! Perfect for a slow, healthy, romantic lunch/ dinner date.
58. The Gardens at Sentosa, The Beaufort Hotel 
Picture taken from here
 Read all about it here- http://www.fithealthybunny.com/2013/08/the-gardens-at-sentosa-beaufort-hote/
I love the place. It’s just so quiet and peaceful with peacocks wandering outside and a tree growing right in the middle of it! Off in a distance I could see a group of ladies enjoying a light meal by the pool side after a spa session at The Beaufort Day Spa. MEGA ENVIOUS! I LOVE SPAS!
Website: http://www.singaporeresortsentosa.com/dining_2-en.html
Location: The Sentosa – A Beaufort Hotel, 2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa, Singapore 099891
  
59. Tangerine 
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Helmed by Celebrity Chef Sam Leong, Tangerine offers a unique and inspiring menu that is carefully thought up together with a resident nutritionist! Talk about being serious about their food. Everything here is handled lightly and they run on the belief that food ‘plays a vital part in rejuvenation’. This is top of my To Try list and I’m so excited! The menu looks AH- MAYZING.

Website:http://www.rwsentosa.com/Homepage/Restaurants/Tangerine
Location: Level 1 ESPA, Resorts World Sentosa, 8 Sentosa Gateway
 

 Juice Bars/ Desserts
60. Fresh Pressed Juices

Fresh Pressed is one of my favourite companies because they are really serious about juicing. Their juices are slowly cold pressed and they are so many different types as well! Best of all- they aren’t afriad to use greens in their juices and not just purely fruits! While greensmoothies will always be my first love, I do like a good juice now and then too! Fresh Pressed also does superfood salads and others.

Website: http://www.freshpressed.sg/
Location: Fresh Pressed, 501 Cluny Road, 01-05B, Cluny Court, Singapore. 259760
(Tucked all the way at the back of this store called ‘ Beauty Candy’.)
61. Fruit Frolic

Fruit Frolic is my absolute, absolute favourite juice place in Singapore and I’m DEVASTATED to see them close their outlets one by one 🙁 They really give you so much value for your money but I suppose that’s why they cannot make ends meet 🙁 Every cup, whether you ask for ice or not is packed with the same amount of nutrients as the other. And their choices are really varied and you can tell a lot of thought has been given to the proper combination of fruits and vegetables. THEY ARE REALLY GOOD. Unfortuantely, I don’ t think they are at any of the places stated above anymore. I think they only have one left? If you do pass by a fruit frolic, do support them!
Website: none 🙁
Location: Holland Village Mrt

 
62. Tracy Juice Culture
 

I love Tracy Juice Culture as well because their juices are very tasty and well thought out- not your regular run of the mill kind of carrot + apple type. Their outlet at fortune centre even sells Udon sets and Thunder Tea Rice!
Website: http://www.tracyjuiceculture.com/
Location: Holland Village Mrt

 
63. Freshman Juices

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Freshman Juices has  huge variety of juice combinations to choose from and is probably the only juice stall in the whole of Singapore that has the meanest greenest juice available. Psssh. It even has bittergourd in it. Pwoah. Consider me impressed.


Website:https://www.facebook.com/freshman.com.sg
Location: Century Square (#01-38C), City Square Mall (#B2-K7), Bukit Panjang Plaza (#01-18)

& Jem (#B1-K2)

64. Brownice

Picture taken from here

If you’ve always had to stay off ice cream because you are lactose intolerant, rejoice! Brownice serves ice cream that is entirely vegan, lower is fat and sugar and has no artificial colouring or flavouring. Choices are abundant here and the mud pie is unbelievably decadent.

Website: http://www.brownice.com/
Location: http://www.brownice.com/address.html

65. Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes

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Delcie’s Desserts and Cakes are a godsend for people with allergies, food intolerances or just want to opt for a healthier dessert. Specialising in cakes, Delice offers an amazing selection of the most wonderful sounding cakes ever and they are even diabetic friendly! They are all low in sugar, fat, gluten free or customizable to suit your particular needs. Next time you are going to get a cake for a birthday party, why not get a healthier one so that your friends and family can remember the pleasant evening of bonding together instead of the uncomfortable sensation of fullness and bloat obliterating all other sense of thought?
Website: delcies.com
Location:  http://delcies.com/videos/getting-to-delcies/
 
66. Smoothie King
 
Not my personal favourite at all to be honest but I have many friends who love Smoothie King. 
Website: https://www.smoothieking.com/
Location: https://www.smoothieking.com/locations
 
67. Fruitti

Picture taken from here

Yay that more smoothie bars are coming up!!! I love smoothies and I feel that they are a better choice than juices coz the fibre is still there. So hurray for more smoothie bars! Better still if they make it a green smoothie bar!

Website: none
Location: Westgate Mall, B2-K1

So there you have it! I hope this list has been helpful to you in trying to find a healthier option to dine with your loved ones. If you have any other suggetions or places you’d like to introduce to everyone else, feel free to leave a comment below. Sharing is caring! 😀 I’d love for everyone to contribute and build up a directory where it’d be easy to locate a particular healthy eating place by type, location, cuisine etc. Till then, this list will have to do. 
Have a happy, healthy week ahead y’all!
Much love, 
grace 🙂

Munch SaladSmith- Eat No Evil!

[Invited Review]

A couple of weeks ago, I received an email invite to review Munch Saladsmith and as with all the invites I receive, I always check out the place’s website first to see if it’s worth talking about. I’ve received loads of invites to review but i’m really picky because I’m inherently suspicious of outside food HAHA. Also, I really hate it when people try to push their slimming products or slimming centres or slimming machines or the mentality that health can be found in a box or a 3 day fast on me. (Ugh, angst 😉 ) But anyway! I was really intrigued with Munch so I said okay, let’s give it a try! 🙂

I really love it that all these salad places are popping up and trying to offer Singaporeans healthier alternatives but my REAL dream is to see healthier offerings in Singapore’s hawker centres and fast food restaurants. ( Have i ever told anyone that my dream job is to be a caifan store owner selling brown rice and less salt, less oil food? Haha) These are the big players, the big boys, the ones with the money and the clout to be able to move things. If they just used their ability to offer healthier alternatives, coupled with educating every citizen how to cook, we could be looking at a very healthy nation!

But till then, I’m very grateful for businesses like Munch that offer such a wide variety of nutrition when I’m out (and too lazy to cook)!

Munch has over SIXTY types of salads and they offer 30 of them each day on a rotational basis.


When you walk in you are greeted by these cute murals and it’s just such a nice bright breezy environment!

 
The salad bar! All these busy bees working away to serve me delicious salads!

Choices! Choices galore!
 
 Cous cous! And a whole fruit salad! ( I don’t like raw tomatoes haha)
 
  
 
 

 
What I really love is that you get a selection of deli meats as well! I always find a veggie salad alone so sad and not filling! I love pairing it with at least fruit or eggs or meat!

Ordering is really easy also and the staff are all so friendly so don’t feel shy asking if you don’t know! I remember when subway first opened, my mom was quite reluctant to eat there coz she felt ordering was quite confusing and challenging! (Not that I recommend eating at subway :/)

At Munch, you can choose 2, 3, or 4 different types of salads depending on your appetite that day then top it off with protein if you want and if you are still hungry, round it up with soup and dessert! 
 
 
  
There were so many choices on offer that day that I didn’t know what to choose at all! In the end, Marissa, my host kindly got a few for me. When I saw the offering I totally regretted having a heavy breakfast before going. (I’m the kind of girl that cannot leave the house without a heavy breakfast! Nothing functions till I get some food in my tummeh! haha

I got to try the mushroom, thai inspired salad, soba noodles, chicken-walnut grape and pumpkin! All washed down with a cup of freshly made watermelon juice!

Hahah! At first when I saw their slogan was eat no evil, I thought it was a vegan place! Then I realised it meant no evil chemicals and whatnot but just fresh produce and heart fare! YAY! My kind of place! 🙂

MY VERDICT?

The soba noodles and chicken walnut salad were just amazing! Sorry Munch, but I felt that the mushrooms were a little slimy but I really appreciated that the salads were not overly seasoned. The clear winners were definitely the soba noodles and chicken walnut salad though! I especially LOVE the chicken walnut. If When(!) I go back, this will definitely be a re- order for me. Who would have thought chicken with walnuts paired with grapes would be so divine?!

This was just yum. Pity about it just being a standalone salad though. It would have been amazing on a piece of freshly toasted panini bread. MHMM! YUM! *plots to try it out at home :/ haha

 
Although I didn’t request for it, I was also generously offered the rosti with sausage to try and sadly, sausages are really not my thing and I felt that the rosti was overly salted. Sorry, perhaps it’s just my tastebuds. I did send a picture of this to my boyfriend though and he got so excited. haha.

If you aren’t in the mood for salads, Munch also offers quick sandwiches, fruit and drinks on the go!

 

I couldn’t finish my meal so Marissa graciously packed everything up for me! CAN I PLEASE JUST SAY I LOVE THE BOX. haha. TOO GORGEOUS. I love the little compartments!


Anyway, I went home that day very full and happy. It had been a great day exploring a part of Singapore I don’t normally go to (more on that next time) and discovering new places in Singapore. I absolutely loved the chicken salad and will be going back for more!

/Edit while this post was being drafted, the boyfriend and I actually visited the new Munch Saladsmith Outlet at Jurong Westgate. We arrived there at 8+ and to our horror- EVERYTHING was sold out save for a few paltry leaves, some grilled eggplant, some egg mayo and TWO sausages. I could have cried. 🙁 MUNCH, WHY ARE YOU SO POPULAR?! Singaporeans! I thought you hated salads?! I wanted to go to another place but d couldn’t resist the DREGS so he ordered it all up! Pre-dinner turned out to be Munch’s leftovers and surprisingly they were still delish! I love the egg mayo salad and the grilled veggies (eggplants are my favourite!) + broccoli!

I noticed they also had a really good deal going on for lunch hour which made me a little sad I didn’t work nearer to Westgate. Hehheh.

Anyway! I’m really glad such places are springing up in Singapore! It’s nice to know that more people and buying into the idea that health doesn’t have to be bland and boring 🙂

Here are all of Munch’s outlets for you to check out!

You can also check out their facebook page here! Like it for more updates!

And before I end.. another picture of my favourite chicken salad combo to date:

Thank you Munch Saladsmith for the lovely invite! 🙂

Effects of Eating Out in SIngapore Hawker Centres

If you have been following me on instagram, you would have read how I whinged and whined the whole way through several weeks back about my house undergoing renovations and how I had no kitchen to cook in or do anything whatsoever.

Ending 2013 with my house renovated and undergoing the renovation has got to be, singlehandedly, the most gratitude inducing activity of the year for me. I never realised how privileged I was to have a place to call home that was neat and clean and liveable.

My beautiful home was suddenly transformed into a jungle of plastic wrapping and newspapers strewn everywhere. The workers came to hack away an entire roomful of built in shelving (my precious books!) whilst I stayed hidden in the only room that wasn’t scheduled to be renovated.

But the renovation isn’t the point of this post- the point of this post is to share what happened during the long weeks that the common areas of the house were under renovation. Because I had no access to the kitchen, I had no choice but to sustain myself on non- homecooked food. And to be honest, I was REALLY GLEEFUL- No need to cook! No need to wash up! I love Singaporean food! Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, come to momma! 😀

So for a week, I ate out. It started innocently enough.. I think for my first meal I had kaya toast and milo (standard kopitiam breakfast food, aye?), lunch.. yong tau foo and dinner perhaps a soup or caifan. And so it went on the next day, and the next and the next for a week.

At the end of the week I was feeling the worst I had felt in a long long time. I was constantly thirsty and lethargic. My skin was dry and unsupple and the usual glow and redness (My boyfriend likes to call me the hale and hearty farmer’s wife -.-) I had in my cheeks had faded. My stomach felt funny and I was constantly craving for something sweet or salty or stronger tasting food. By the end of the week, the yong tau foo no longer satisfied me and I had turned to choosing dishes that were heavily seasoned or fried to satisfy my tastebuds.

** I really have to emphasize how addictive salt and sugar and processed foods are. I’m generally a very clean eater with not much of a sweet tooth- save for an occasional bite here and there- and I pack most of my food or cook meals at home using a variety of spices rather than salt and sugar so my tastebuds tend to favour blander tastes. But one day into eating hawker food and I was constantly craving for heavier tastes. I think I started the day eating my usual yong tau foo (mostly veg and beancurd) but by nightfall, I was sloshing my veg in a ton of chilli sauce and eyeing the duck rice for lunch the next day.

But what really shocked me on my one week hawker centre diet was the way my stomach looked and felt. Please note that I never thought I would ever be the kind of person to show a picture of my tummy flab to the whole wide world but the sight shocked me so much that I felt that I just had to share it.

THIS- the flab bulging over my waistline, was the result of a paltry 7 days of eating hawker centre food for every meal. And I didn’t even eat chicken rice or anything like that in the 7 days. In fact, I probably ate yong tau foo quite a number of times! I don’t think it is really a sudden explosion of fat cells in my belly but it certainly is A LOT OF stomach bloating and water retention and whatnot from all the salt and oil found in hawker centre food. I was horrified because I didn’t think that eating outside food would be so detrimental for me (or you). Truth be told, I don’t actually eat out very often as eversince embarking on a healthier eating regime, I mostly pack my own lunchbox to work but I never imagined that just one week on such food would have such damaging effects both psychologically and physiologically. A large expanding waistline indicates a higher propensity for heart disease and other preventable illnesses and I certainly had a rapidly expanding waistline after just one week of hawker centre food!

How is everyone surviving?! I am sure that there are hundreds and thousands of people who eat out everyday in Singapore and who possibly eat out all 3 meals as well. AM I the lone Singaporean who hasn’t adapted to the highly salted and oily food in Singapore?!

You know how as men and women age their limbs are still quite slim but their tummy rounds out? The ahpeh at the hawker centre might rub his belly meaningfully and say rather endearingly that that is his fortune ball with a wide grin on his face but there is nothing prosperous about that. I am almost certain that more than half of the Singaporean population are carrying around with them little salt babies.

Are you one of them?

Do you eat at a hawker centre for lunch and feel really sleepy and lethargic after? Do you need a sweet ‘pick me up’ and coffee in the morning or in the late afternoon? Are you generally quite slim with an acceptable BMI but you have a flabby belly that no amount of exercise seems to shift?

It’s not the exercise you should be worried about, it’s the stuff you are eating for lunch at the hawker centre.

I am telling you, point blank, that there is NOTHING HEALTHY to be found in a Singapore Hawker Centre. It is virtually impossible to eat clean in there. EVERYTHING is super high in salt and/or oil and seriously, other than the yong tau foo stall and the caifan stall, where are the vegetables (that are not dripping in oil?!)? I guess it’s okay if you eat at the hawker centre once a day but if you are eating almost all your meals out, I really implore you to start modifying your hawker food choices or bringing your own lunch to work.

The people I’m most concerned about aren’t the people who will be reading this. I am most concerned about my (and your!) parents first of all, and all their peers. Especially with their kids growing up and no one returning home for dinner, many middle aged parents would rather save the time and effort and eat at the hawker centre for dinner instead. Take my dad for example, he has lunch, teabreak and dinner all outside. Naturally, he wouldn’t be eating at KFC or Macdonalds or anything like that but that wouldn’t matter because somehow, I am guessing that some food at the hawker centre can rival fast food offerings in terms of salt and calorie count. We think that hypertension and high cholesterol are part and parcel of growing up but it isn’t! It’s even worse now that many parents have no time to cook for their young children and more young children are being diagnosed with high blood pressure and high cholesterol!

If you need more convincing, here is an infograph on hawker food in general:

Check out the salt and fat content in ‘healthier’ hawker food!

It was only during this week that I realised the best way to eat Yong Tau Foo and to make it TRULY the healthiest thing you can eat at a hawker centre is to pick the veg options and the egg and mushrooms and everything as unprocessed as possible, and ask the store owner to cook your food in plain boiling water. Ask for your yong tau foo dry with NO SOUP and eat your yong tau foo as a ‘salad’. You would find that even by doing so, the salt used to marinate the yong tau foo items would leech out by the end of the meal and still make whatever plain water you had in your bowl super salty.

(However, eating like this everyday is super sad. So I highly recommend just bringing your own super nutritious, dangerous- visceral- fat- busting lunch to work instead)

I was so down with the blahs after all the hawker food that I resolved to get right back on track. I just went back to eating like I usually do- no diets or detoxes! Healthy for LIFE, not for 1 week! You simply can’t live life to the fullest without a healthy body. Kitchen or no kitchen, I was determined to make (most of) my meals at home even if I had to wash my quinoa with water sprouting out of a spout in the wall because I had no tap. Good news though! The body is highly adaptable and 4 days is enough to have you feeling much better again!

Just cutting out sugar, reducing the hawker meals to special outings with family and friends and MAKING YOUR OWN FOOD will help you get rid of the lethargy and have your skin glowing like it should once again!

Here is me just 4 days off 100% hawker food. I still had chocolate and hawker meals with my family but I also packed most of my lunches or when I couldn’t, I invested in my health and chose to pay more to eat at cedele or any other healthier eating place I could find. It really is expensive though so I really encourage you to cook at home instead.

/EDIT: I’ve had some comments asking me if it’s true that this photo was taken just 4 days after the first one. Yes it was! But I have to emphasize that I looked roughly the same as the ‘after’ photo BEFORE the one week on hawker food. The bloated photo above was to show just how much bloating can occur FOR ME due to the high salt and oil diet I’m totally not used to. If youa re used to such levels in your diet, you probably would not be so affected. And if you have not really paid much attention to what you’ve been eating generally, then 4 days certainly would not be enough time for you to get rid of true BELLY FAT. However, 4 days certainly is enough time to get rid of any water retention or bloating caused by high sodium intake! 🙂 I am also not asking you to restrict yourself from hawker food ever again but to champion homecooking instead. Eat out if you must of course, but there is much to benefit from simple homecooking! 🙂 Hope this clears up any doubts! Comment or email me if anything else occurs to you! 🙂

*(I’m sorry I totally sold myself out and put a before and after picture here to get your attention. While I do want you to know how great a real food, low salt, low oil diet can be for you, I want you to choose healthier options for health’s sake and not to just obsessively focus on trimming the body. I do promise however, that this will be the last before and after photo you’ll ever find on this website because I want this to be a place you can focus on what’s really important rather than only on what can be seen)

I think this one week has really cemented what I want to do for 2014. I
really really want to encourage the people around me to start bringing
their own lunch to work or choosing healthier options. If it’s possible,
I would really like to campaign for hawker centres to cut down on all
the salt and oil that they use as well but everything would be for
naught of course, if the general population isn’t keen on healthier
living. If I can’t, then at least I can encourage those around me to be a little more mindful about their health! I also want to build up this place as a resource for quick and easy lunchbox ideas. There are other things I would like to do as well but I guess I’ll think about them and share them with you guys at the end of the year maybe? 🙂 What would you guys like to do or see here in the coming new year? 🙂

Anyhow, since 2014 is just 2 days away, why don’t you make the decision to better nourish and cherish the body you have? Join the giveaway I’m hosting ($50 world of sports vouchers to motivate you to lead a healthier lifestyle!) or just resolve to make 2014 a year you love yourself and those around you a little more! 🙂

With much love,
grace 🙂

The Gardens at The Sentosa, A Beaufort Hotel

Here’s featuring another one of my favourite conscious dining/ healthy restaurants in Singapore! The restuarant prides itself on using only ‘thoughtfully selected’ ‘fresh premium produce’ that is handled with a ‘light hand’. Butter, oil, cream are kept ‘to a minimum’ and they very proudly state on their menu as well that they cater to ALL dietary requirements and allergies. How’s that for confidence? 😉

Healthy nutritious food that is yummy and aesthetically pleasing? The Gardens restaurant is SUCH a gem, seriously. I’m afraid I actually don’t really have many photos of the place because I went there before I became obsessed with taking pictures of places/ my food :/ But take my word for it, it’s a REALLY amazing place- so laidback and far away from the hustle and bustle of the crazy city centre. If you are looking for a tranquil place to dine, this is really it! 🙂

 
 As you can tell, I took the photos off their webpage (wonder if it’s plagarism?) but I just wanted to show you guys how gorgeous it really is. There is a tree! Right in the middle of the restaurant! How’s that for organic, green living? You know a restaurant that has a tree growing in the middle of it is serious about giving you the best nature has to offer 😉
We were there for the bf’s birthday and it was really such a lovely day 🙂 So hot and sunny outside but so peaceful and cool in the restaurant. There weren’t many people about that day, just a couple of ladies dressed in bathrobes sitting in a little private corner off the restaurant indulging in some nutritious juices and finger food after a spa session at The Beaufort (Good Life, seriously). 
Take a window seat and let the lighting just fill you with so much happiness! There’s nothing like sitting in a patch of sunlight in an air-conditioned room! (haha)
I shamelessly plagiarized the menu online as well because CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT PICTURE. So scrumptious and so filled with good things!
The restaurant allows you to construct your own salad (I LOVE PLACES THAT ALLOW THIS! <3) so I immediately jumped on that. As you can see, a bowl of 6 items and dressing is $14 and a bucket of 8 items is $22!
 
 
View the rest of the menu: here

No prizes for guessing what  I got- all my favourites! The baby spinach base, grilled zucchini, roasted pumpkin, wild mushrooms, cashews, poached potatoes and a char -grilled short rib side add-on! SO GOOD. I also opted to try their Raspberry vinaigrette with Champagne Mist because it sounded the most unique. ( I can’t really recall but I think it was okay only. Then again, I am not used to dressing with my salads. I prefer to taste my food as it is 🙂 )

And… that’s it for food pictures because I cannot for the life of me find the picture I took of d’s food. I think he ordered a portobello burger or something like that. We might have attacked it too fast to have snapped a photo :/ oops.  But they were all yummy and so fresh!

As it was d’s birthday, I emailed the restaurant manager earlier to ask them about cakes and stuff. Since it wasn’t on their menu, I asked if it was possible for them to arrange a slice or something small for dessert. When lunch was over, the waitress brought out this WHOLE cake! d and I were totally stunned. I certainly wasn’t expecting a whole cake! It wasn’t very big, perhaps between the size of a serving plate and a dinner plate but it was WAY too much for 2 to finish. The service staff gave us candles anyway, and cheerfully wished d a happy birthday and we ate a slice of it each. True the restaurant’s philosophy, the cake was not too sweet and heavy. Isn’t it pretty? 
Unfortunately, we tried to take away the rest of the cake but the service staff was quite adamantly against it. Firstly, they have no take away- ware and secondly, it was against their company policy as they didn’t want to deal with food posioning cases etc. I was a little sad we had to waste half a cake! But we didn’t have much of a choice. 🙁
Anyway, when the bill came, I realised that the cake was on the house- how generous of them!!! A whole scrumptious cake! I don’t know whether they still offer that now as it’s been a year already and at that time, they were still new. I think if everybody insisted on a cake now, they might go bankrupt haha so please be nice to them if they are no longer offering okay! I really don’t want them to face bankruptcy and close! The staff of the restaurant were all lovely that day as well and really helpful 🙂
So there you have it, another one of my favourite healthy places to dine in Singapore. Great service, healthy delicious food. Prices are a bit on the high (but reasonable) side for this place so it’s a good choice for a birthday treat or a special occasion 🙂 
P.s Shuttle bus service available from vivocity- pickup at the entrance located near Jpot. 🙂

The Garden restaurant
at The Sentosa – A Beaufort Hotel
2 Bukit Manis Road, Sentosa
Singapore 099891

Opening Hours:
10am – 10pm (Last order at 9.30pm)
Tel: +65 6371 1130

How to get there: Shuttle bus, car, public transport

Trip to: BOLLYWOOD VEGGIES + POISON IVY BISTRO


Over the Vesak Day holiday, I made a trip to Bollywood Veggies!
I’ve long wanted to go there because it’s a place that really resonates with me. I love the idea that it’s actually possible to have a plot of land in highly urban and modern Singapore and actually grow crops without the help of pesticides and chemicals. No fancy schmancy profit making scheme. No mega food corporation. Just wholesome, natural food organically grown from garden to plate.
How nice!
It is no wonder then that I am in deep deep admiration of the founder of Bollywood Veggies, Ivy Singh and her husband. Not only did they believe in sustainable, organic farming enough to devote their retirement years to actually running one (talk about walking the talk!), their farm and bistro also make it a point to hire special and challenged people, especially local Singaporeans, giving work opportunities to all.  Ivy also helped to establish a new Kranjiside Association to represent local farmers and improve transport around the area. (The shuttlebus makes getting there so convenient!). Everything about the idea behind it and the place itself just really encourages people to continue learning, growing and getting back to the basics. Life can really be so simple and happy.
Environmental sustainability, company of good friends and family, health, education, fun- this place represents everything I believe in as well. ( Pity there were no chickens I could kidnap) Lots of green pictures ahead! It was a gorgeously sunny (almost too hot; we were there till past noon) day and I really had a lovely time. Try identifying the fruits and veg in each picture! I knew I couldn’t. In fact for a really long time, I couldn’t even shop at wet markets because I couldn’t identify one leafy veg from another without supermarket tags. How sad is that? I wonder if the next generation would think vegetables grow in supermarkets? Or chickens are born nugget shaped?
Didn’t drive to the place so I didn’t get one of these. Was so tempted though!
 
Was really happy to see little kids from different kindergatens as well as secondary schools visiting the place! Everybody should make it a point to go and just spend time among the plants. I felt the guides at Bollywood veggies were really good. We explored on our own mostly but trailed a tour group bringing a group of secondary school students around. The tour was interactive and engaging and the kids got to learn (and eat!) about the different plants. Lots of interesting and intriguing facts were dished out! It really made me more appreciative of the effort it takes to grow food and the value of real food.
I NEVER KNEW PAPAYAS/ PINEAPPLES GREW LIKE THAT.  WHERE HAVE I BEEN ALL MY LIFE.
Apparently, the spider is a natural predator of insects and whatnots (sorry, my knowledge about such thing is reeaaaalllly limited) that attack and feed on the jackfruit.
(Another interesting fact gleaned by leeching on one of the tour groups haha)
 Nature is so pretty. Full of SUCH vibrant colours. *happy sigh.
Come to think of it, I never knew how garlic grew either. I always figured they grew in a nice big necklace shaped clump for easy wearing against vampires.
Now I know why so many people consider mother nature the finest artist. Look at the colours, the textures! They can be so gnarled and aggressive looking one moment and yet so sot and fluffy the next. Inspiring!
 
COTTON TREE. When I was younger, I always thought cotton came from SHEEP. Oh dear Lord, please help me educate myself so I don’t ruin the next generation. 
 This is going to be one heck of a creepy place at night.
 Composting!!! Some days when I’m supposed to Pay Attention to Deep Lectures, I put on my Pay Attention Face and allow my mind to wander to the the day I can grow stuff in my HDB apartment and compost my own food scraps for fertiliser. In my perfect world, money spent on creating yet another bomb would be spent teaching people how to grow organic crops in high rise buildings and the miliatry R&D budget can be spent analysing how to make non smelly compost.
I hate bugs, usually. But when you are out there surrounded by all the greenery and all, a bug like that looks almost too cute. I was enthralled for a bit and stopped to watch it make it’s merry way across the road telling itself “left leg 1, right leg 1, left leg 2, right leg 2… left leg 300, wait was it 299?”
Cheerful at the thought that I had quite a good workout by proxy and in need of a drink,  we decided to go check out Poison Ivy Bistro for lunch.
 
Awesome place. The food was really homely and yummy. We ordered pretty standard fare but I must say the highlight of the meal was definitely the…
MORINGA TEMPURA. Seriously. I need to learn how to make this. Does anybody have a recipe? I cannot believe it’s probably just some leaves in batter.  LEAVES!!!
It was non greasy and fried to this really addictive lightness. The chef must have gotten his frying techniques down pat. This didn’t taste greasy at all which made it a happy indulgence. I’m okay with fried food if they are fried properly! Read my previous post to find out why not all fried food are equally bad!
 Other orders included an Aloe Vera drink to cool off in the heat, a serving of brown rice, otah omelette and banana curry. Ordered the banana curry as I had read rave reviews online. While it is tasty and novel, the dish was a little too starchy for me. I’d recommend you try it for the sake of it but I wouldn’t likely reorder it the next time I go. Just twenty take away bags of the Moringa Tempura please.
 Another lovely drink- the Fig Tea! Try it!
 Immensely satisfied, we left the bistro and spotted a little pushcart selling dried goods and the like outside. The lady manning it gave us free bananas! I LOVE BANANAS!! THey aren’t as pretty looking at the ones you get in supermarkets but they taste SO GOOD.
 The boyfriend went off to pay at the cashier after the meal while I made a few calls and came back with this banana cake to take home. I like banana cake in general so I was pleasantly surprised but not expecting much. What I did not expect was HOW GOOD IT WAS/ IS. SERIOUSLY. It was so fluffy and moist and full of banana-y goodness.
Toasted a slice of it in the oven for a minute when i got home and it was so warm, slightly crisp outside, fluffy inside and filled with this gooey melty banana bits.
I only regret not buying more because once my dad got his hands on it, it didn’t last very long.
Comes in chocolate as well! But I didn’t try that!
And that concludes my visit to Bollywood Veggies!  I recommend you go just to get away from the usual shopping mall haunt. It was nice to be out in the sun (very rare for me to say that as I’m a polar bear by nature) and surrounded by all the colours. If anything, just go for the food at Poison Ivy Bistro. It’s unpretentious, hearty, wholesome. Exactly like how food should be.
In health and happiness!
Bollywood Veggies 
9:30am- 6:30pm
100 Neo Tiew Rd  Singapore 719026
6898 5001

Closed on Mondays & Tuesdays

except Public Holidays
Shuttle Bus Timings&Info: HERE

Onaka at Alexandra Retail Centre (ARC)

Onaka stands for ‘stomach’ in Jap and is short for Optimum Nutrition And Kitchen Arts.

It’s not often I say this but Onaka is a restaurant after my own heart.

Why do I love this place so much? Because it’s exactly how I think eating should be. They have a ‘No White Bread, No White Rice, No White Sugar’ policy and
every plate presented to you is about the texture, the color, the taste,
the presentation backed by a clear understanding of the nutritional
value of the food. The restaurant’s philosophy is all about Conscious Living- a sensible, pragmatic approach to eating. No counting calories, no weighing, nothing. Just beautifully tasty nutritious food, totally nourishing- just how food should be!

Other plus point would be the extremely great service and friendly staff! This is one of the very few restaurants in Singapore that I’d be happy to dine here everyday, all day! Thumbs up for Onaka! I’m in love with the place!

The menu features a thoughtful selection of appetizers, mains, desserts
and drinks using all natural ingredients without chemicals, MSG,
transfat, flavouring and artificial additives. (score!) About half of
the menu is also vegetarian and are helpfully marked out for the
customer if they are looking for Gluten Free or vegan options. A quick
scan through the menu made my heart all aflutter- absolutely everything
here was something I would be happy to try. Everything seemed a well
thought out, balanced and nutrient- rich combination! 
They also had a whole page dedicated to Superfood Smoothies (right up my alley!) and Healing Teas!
I had the Chamomile and Vanilla Tea to start and MHMM. I love the smell of vanilla. Just so calming and soothing.
Roasted Mushroom Tea ($7)
I was a little thrown off because I expected it to be a ‘tea’ but it was really more of a lightly coloured mushroom broth. Still yummy, if you weren’t thinking ‘tea’. Haha.
Watermelon Sashimi
Sous Vide watermelon, agar wasabi “tobiko”, daikon and tamari dressing.
Hats off to the chef for creativity! This is totally vegetarian but really looked like sashimi! ANd the “tobiko”! Made from agar? Impressive!

Totally doesn’t look like watermelon right? It actually tasted fishy as well (though when you bit into it, it still tasted of watermelon) I was so intrigued I had to ask the waiter how it was done. He described the steps and said slow cooking a watermelon makes it look like maguro! It was unique and really novel and worth a try but I’ll likely not reorder this again the next time I go. Nothing against the food, I generally don’t like strong fishy tastes.

I had the Happy Executive Set Lunch which, in my opinion, is really value for money! $18 for an appetizer, main, and a choice between the drink of the day, organic coffee or their Healing Tea selection
I chose the Pumpkin Sea Bass which was a S.E.A Sea Bass crusted with roasted pumpkin seeds accompanied with a haricot vert salad, spicy smoked tomato puree and pumpkin mash. JUST SO GOOD. Love it also that they bother to source their produce and meat from sustainable sources.
My dining companion had the Duck Pancake which tasted light a lighter version of the usual Peking Duck. Yummy, too! I liked it that the protein to carb ratio was right and it wouldn’t send my sugar levels crazy. Also the sauce was sweet, like the usual Peking Duck sauce but not saturated in the roll so you could choose how much you wanted on it. Very important for people like me!
Finished the meal off by sharing an avo-choco mousse dessert. Banana? Avocado? Chocolate? ALl my favourites! The dehydrated banana chips were too sweet for me (and my dining companion!) though, so I didn’t finish them. I supposed they were to balance out the flavour of the mousse (I keep typing ‘mousse’ as ‘mouse’). The mousse on it’s own is a dessert I would be happy to eat forever. Thick, creamy, natural tasting and not overly sweet.
So that concludes my first dining experience at ONAKA. Will definitely be back to try out the rest. Go try too! Nothing will make me happier to see places like Onaka thriving and inspiring others to eat better!
ONAKA@ARC
http://www.facebook.com/Onaka.at.ARC
460 Alexandra Road #01-32
PSA Building Singapore 119963
Tel: 62702012
Opens: Mon- Fri 11:30am-10pm
            Lunch last order: 2:30pm
            Tea: 3pm- 5pm

            Sat & Sun (10am-9:30pm)
            Brunch till 5. Dinner from 6pm

Nearest Mrt: Labrador Park
Parking available at PSA building

Click Here for more pictures of food from ONAKA’s menu.

Healthier options in Singapore’s Hawker Centres

I LOVE SINGAPORE HAWKER CENTRES and I always lament to my dad I’m very afraid when I grow older, there would be no more hawker centres! The horror!

Most days when I don’t know what to eat for lunch, I secretly scan and see which stall has the oldest person frying up something and order from that stall instead. Guaranteed yumminess! 🙂

But while hawkers sell really tasty food, I personally think hawker food is really
terrible for daily consumption especially if you are an office worker
and you eat out for breakfast, lunch and dinner then go back to your
desk for the rest of the day with minimal activity. I think we would all
agree that hawker centre food in general is too high in fat salt and
refined carbs lacking in vitamins, minerals and fibre. 

It’s not wonder then if you are an average Singaporean looking to eat better in Singapore’s
Hawker Centres, you might find the task a strangely difficult and uphill
one. You start off the day all determined to Eat Right! and Eat Better and
you troop down to the nearest hawker centre for lunch and you are faced
with all these options that sound kindaaaa healthy but make you feel bloated and full and greasy and lethargic post meal.

I’m still dreaming of the day where EVERY hawker uses less salt, fat and sugar in their meals and offer a choice between brown and white rice (why don’t they, really?)  instead of a couple of little red triangles on their menus.

Anyway, this list is a
couple of suggestions on how you can cut the fat and salt and try to
get in a little more fibre and balance the composition of fat, protein
and carbs a little more evenly.



#1: Thunder Tea Rice

 If you are lucky enough, the hawker centre you are at has a Thunder Tea Rice store. This is possibly the only thing sold in Singapore hawker centres that gives you the most fibre for your buck without all the unnecessary oils and fats. The portion of rice is sometimes still a little too much (especially for an office worker) but you can always half it and up the cabbage.

Thunder Tea Rice, Changi City Point’s Koufu.

Personally, I usually order it with less brown rice, no ikan bilis (too hard, I don’t like!) and fill up all the remaining space with veg please! For extra protein, you can also ask for more beancurd. The combination is really flavourful. The egg and tau gwa side is usually overfried and really oily too but I would eat it if I felt like it or omit it entirely depending on how I felt that day. I’m not a fan of the tea too though I love green tea usually. But there’s just something about that herbally-ness of the Thunder Tea one that just makes it bleargh.
 
  #2 Popiah

Popiah is another option that wouldn’t drive you into a deep post prandial stupor. Go easy (or totally omit!) on the sweet sauce and load up on the veg for more fibre. It’s pretty sad because I’m only at #2 of this list and I’ve run out of things to recommend already. 
The next few are options you can find at hawker centres but it takes a little bit of tweaking to make them healthier choices.
#3 Yong Tau Foo
I’m not sure if I’m the only one but I actually find Singapore’s Yong Tau Foo a better choice compared to the rest but not exactly healthy either. (Then again, aren’t all hawker centre food like that?) If you pick a relatively healthy dish as shown above, it’s still going to be a dish that is not nutritional enough for you. The “meats” it provides like fishballs, meatballs etc are too full of refined flour and very little fibre or protein. The soup stock is usually way too salty as well. Assuming you pick the above items, green veg, deep fried tau gwa, fishcake, white beehoon, you’ll end up with a dish that’s okay on the calorie count but not much on the nutritional front. It’s too high in salt and too low in fibre and protein. What this does is likely to send your heart palpitating,  blood sugar levels racing and making you insanely thirsty and sleepy when you get back to the office. Alas, it will also make you reach for a 4pm snack when your sugar levels crash after spiking from all the refined carbs and it’s not filling enough either.

A better option would be to order half a bowl of veg of different colours like (more!) baby bok choy, eggplant, carrot, yam etc and things like egg or mushroom and non fried beancurd. Tang hoon is a pretty great low GI, non starchy option for noodles. Best however, would be to find a vegetarian store in the hawker centre. They usually sell a serving of brown rice for 50cents- $1.00. Limit yourself to a fist sized portion if you are easily affected by blood sugar fluctuations.

If you are having the dry version, ask for the noodles plain and add the sauce yourself.

If you are having the soup version, ask for the soup in a separate bowl and ask the server to pour HOT PLAIN Boiled water into your ingredients bowl. It sounds strange but they will do it and you can vary the levels of saltiness in your food accordingly when you eat it.

Image taken from The Traveling Hungry Boy

 #4 Bak Kut Teh is another one of my favourites!

Buy your brown rice from a vegetarian store (are you starting to see a trend here?) for your fibre needs and go easy on the soup. The rest of the side dishes are way too oily though.

#5 Fish Soup

Once again, if you can, buy your brown rice from a vegetarian store. If not, white rice is okay too. White by itself is not bad/ good for you. It’s just that there are other options out there for your fibre/vitamin A needs etc. But if there is not other option, why not right? Go easy on the soup, I usually ask the stall owner to dilute the soup half-half. Half plain boiled water, half soup base and and add the chilli padi in the soup for some added kick without the sodium from the soya sauce.

#6 Kway Chap
I LOVE KWAY CHAP!!!! But it’s a definite no no if you are going to eat it everyday. TO make it more everyday-safe, I cut the sodium levels by asking that my ‘kway’ comes in plain boiled water/ soup.

So good, i could eat this everyday. Cut the saturated fat by going vegetarian and asking for the toufu, tau pok and egg. Ask for hot water in your kway and cut the sodium levels by more than half. When you dip your tofu/ taupok/egg into your soup, it turns black and soya saucy as well, tastes EXACTLY the same as if you had ordered the normal version, I PROMISE. 
Leave the all out kway chap fest for the weekend or something. 
Image taken from The Real Singapore
Sometimes I just feel like eating #7 chicken rice but when I eyeball it, the mountain of fat laden rice just doesn’t sit well with my soul. Not to burst your bubble or anything but Chicken rice is so crazy yummy because the rice is steamed in chicken fat and each grain absorbs all the stock and fat till it’s a pearly shiny amazing thing on your plate. Want to know what’s in a plate of chicken rice? FORTY FOUR grams of pure fat (an average person only needs about 30g a day), no fibre, no minerals (save a little vitamins from the white rice), and protein from the chicken. 
So when I have a chicken rice craving, I would go to the chicken rice store and buy the chicken alone and go to the vegetarian store and buy brown rice. Sometimes I eat the chicken with brown bread and dip a little of the chili in it. The taste is still there, though the heart heart might take a little getting used to.
Okay, so that’s about it from me. I suppose everything you eat can be tweaked to be a little better Remember that there is no such thing as bad food. Everything in moderation is key and don’t go overboard with the salt and fat so predominant in hawker food! Also remember that this list is not meant to say that you can never eat a whole bowl of pig innards again but to suggest ways in which you can cut down on sugar, sodium, fat and unneeded refined carbs (especially if you work a desk job!) and pick healthier choices on a daily basis while dining at a food court!
How do you choose healthier options at the hawker centres? I’m really interested because I don’t think I’ll be able to afford eating takeout salads (so sad and boring 🙁 ) everyday and I don’t believe that you have to be rich to eat better. Let me know! And start ordering your food this way! Maybe all the hawker centre stall owners would be so irritated/ curious as to why you are doing all these that they might be spurred to offer healthier choices themselves!