[Supplements] Mala Beansprouts, Japanese Sweet Potato, Smoked Pumpkin
[Protein] Pineapple Prawn, Mala Fish
[Dressing] Thai Lemongrass
-The Review-
I love it when salad bars make little tweaks to their menu, novelty really does go a long way to entice customers to come back. Especially for Grains&Co, I wanted to keep my tried-everything-on-their- menu status.
Mala fans can now satisfy your cravings at a salad bar
Two of my favourites, Korean Beansprouts and Cajun Fish are replaced with Mala Beansprouts & Mala Fish. I wasn’t surprised that both would taste nice because these are some of my preferred mala xiang guo ingredients too.
Prawns at no additional charge
For seafood lovers, Grains&Co brought back their prawn offering. The Pineapple Prawns share the same taste profile as ko lo yuk (sweet & sour pork). It is refreshing, and prawns are the perfect protein to go for if you’re looking for something light.
A new sauce!
My favourite thing on their new menu has to be the Thai Lemongrass dressing. Previously I felt that their dressings were too heavy, hence I tend to have my bowls without dressing. The Thai Lemongrass dressing elevates the bowl with a citrusy taste, without overpowering other ingredients. It’ll definitely be my go-to from now.
My favourite 3x Beansprouts order
I do hope that they update their website with the new menu and its relevant nutrition facts soon!
-Information/Hacks-
Address: One Raffles Place/CIMB Plaza/Fusionopolis/IOI Central Boulevard/MapleTree Business City/Infinite Studios
Hacks: Grains&Co has a new membership system where you key in your number into their tablet when you order in person. You can earn points to offset the price of your future meals.
You can still pre-order for self-collection on their website. Add in the code “20off” for 20% off ($10.32 per regular/gain bowl) your first order. You can also earn points to offset future meals, but note that this is a separate system from the one at the store.
Alternatively, Deliveroo would cost you $10.50 with self-pickup for Plus members, which is the cheapest option across delivery platforms.
Create Your Own Box ($12.90, 1 base, 1 protein, 3 greens, 1 premium green, 2 sauce)
[Base] Shepherd Salad
[Protein] Kebab Chicken
[Greens] Purple Cabbage, Cucumber, Pickles
[Premium Green] Beetroot
[Sauces] Garlic Yogurt, Baba Ganus
They forgot my beetroot this time so it isn’t captured but it doesn’t usually happen and is definitely a one-off incident. Moreover Grab refunded me $3 for this.
-The Review-
This is my favourite place to go to for middle eastern flavours. Once you’ve tried Patrons’, other middle eastern salad bars in Singapore just doesn’t seem to quite cut it.
All protein options are great!
I have tried both their Kebab Chicken and Sautéed Beef Cubes. Both are very flavourful, yet not too salty. The chicken is juicy. What’s most surprising is that unlike other middle eastern salad bars, the beef here is very tender, juicy, and not gamey at all (this is coming from someone who doesn’t actually like beef so beef kebab is often too gamey for my liking, but I ordered it one day when I found out I was anaemic).
The middle eastern sauces are also very tasty
Baba Ganus (eggplant), Garlic Yogurt, and Hummus are my go-to. They got the flavours right and these are items I would always order again.
Only criticism I have is the packaging
If I had any complaints, is that while the box is cute, there are often leakages, especially since they serve their sauces inside the bowl and do not offer a separate sauce packaging option. Perhaps it would be great if they can consider boxes with separate lids so that the food is more secure.
Super generous portion
It’s a very filling bowl, coming in at about 600g for just $12.90. The amount of meat they give is also very generous. Even with missing beetroot, I was very satisfied.
300g Kebab Chicken
40g Pickles
40g Purple Cabbage
30g Cucumber
180g Shepherd Salad
~30g Sauces (unable to weigh accurately)
Patrons’ Menu – Sep 2024
-Information/Hacks-
Address: One Raffles Place #B1-17, Marina Bay Link Mall #B2-63/64, One Raffles Quay (Coming soon)
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10:30AM-7:30PM
Other information/Hacks: Grab self-pickup gives you the best deal with the 15% off pickup order. (Even more if you have grab premium).
The Daily Cut’s new fall menu started in early September, and I am happy to see that they are serving my favourite salad toppings – brussels sprouts and pumpkin. They also do have some very creative offerings like the Thai Basil Tofu (a vegetarian rendition of Kra Pow) which goes very well with brown rice.
Merchandise won from The Daily Cut’s Frame Your Flavours contest for their 10th anniversary celebrations
Newly improved chicken breast
They used to serve their chicken breast in cubed form and it didn’t retain its moisture as well. I’m glad to say that besides improving on their beef since the last time I tried it, they also made changes to their chicken breast. They now serve it in long strips, and it does taste better!
Summer 2024 (Left) vs Fall 2024 (Right) Chicken Breast
Updated macros available
The Daily Cut is the only salad bar that is very prompt with updating their macros calculator. It is already filled with items from their new menu. This time round, the dressing with the lowest calories would be the Ginger Ponzu.
Other information/Hacks: TDC is only available on Deliveroo. The current promotion on Deliveroo Plus is a 15% off self-pickup, making your bowl slightly cheaper than if you were to purchase it in store. If you’re not subscribed to Deliveroo Plus, it would be better to purchase your bowl directly.
[Toppings] Beetroot, Celery, Cucumber, Green Apple, Baked Mushrooms
[Premium Topping] Broiled Chicken (+$1.50)
[Dressing] Lemon Zest
-The Review-
A salad bar in a hawker centre is definitely the answer for calorie counting individuals who feel uneasy about consuming the standard local food offerings. This was a very satisfying bowl, especially one that is so budget friendly.
Favourite item: Baked Mushrooms
The baked mushrooms is something I would order again – it comes in a mix of Shimeji and Shiitake mushrooms, lightly seasoned in a way that allows you to taste the natural sweetness of the mushrooms.
Besides that, the ingredients were fresh – they only leave small portions on display at any point in time and you can see them replenishing the toppings consistently as they run out.
Protein add-on costs only $1.50
They have a range of protein for you to choose from. At about 450g, it is a very value-for-money bowl that only cost me $8.40. Plus, if you wanted to add on a second portion of protein it would still cost you less than $10!
80g Broiled Chicken
70g Romaine Lettuce
53g Cucumber
42g Baked Mushrooms
85g Beetroot
43g Green Apple
46g Celery
~20g sauce (I did not manage to weigh this properly as it was drizzled into the bowl)
Salad Co.Sg Menu – Sep 2024 | Side Note: It’s better to check the display window for what’s available, during my visit they served bell peppers but that is not listed on the menu.
-Information/Hacks-
Address: Market Street Hawker Centre @ CapitaSpring, 86 Market Street, #03-30, Singapore 048947
Hours: Mon-Thu, 10AM-2:30PM
Other information/Hacks: You can WhatsApp them to pre-order for collection @ 91093918. Use the template available on their website to order.
SaladStop! and HEYBO are under the same parent company. Your online account for one store is linked to the other, i.e. you don’t have to create an account twice. Hence, I decided to group my review for both into one.
-My Orders-
SaladStop!
HEYBO
CYO Salad ($10.90, 2 Greens, 6 Standard Toppings, 1 Sprinkle, 1 Dressing) + Protein ($3.20) = $14.10 Total • [Greens] Romaine Lettuce, Cabbage • [Standard Toppings] Thai Asparagus, Roasted Pumpkin, Cucumber, Carrot, Beetroot, Radish Pickles • [Sprinkle] Nori • [Dressing] Green Goddess • [Protein Add-on] Tandoori Chicken ($3.20)
Build Your Bo ($11.90, 1 Base, 3 Sides, 1 Protein, 1 Dip, 1 Dressing, 1 Garnish) • [Base] Garden Greens • [Sides] Roasted Pumpkin Wedge, Roasted • Brussels Sprout, Oriental Cabbage Salad • [Protein] Sous Vide Chicken Breast • [Dip] Purple Sweet Potato • [Dressing] Tzatziki • [Garnish] Radish Pickles
-The Review-
HEYBO and SaladStop are great options if you’re counting your macros because they both offer nutritional calculators on their websites, and even integrated it into their ordering platform so you can see how much calories your bowl will be with each item you add to your order (click “ingredients” if you are on mobile to view the nutrition facts while ordering your bowls).
HEYBO’s offerings are more flavourful
In gist, SaladStop! offers a simpler range of toppings that are either boiled, roasted, or raw. On the other hand, Heybo’s offerings are more complex. For example, the cauliflower rice at SaladStop! is plain, whereas Heybo’s cauliflower rice is mixed with lentils.
HEYBO Menu – Aug 2024
I prefer the Roasted Pumpkin Wedge at HEYBO over the Roasted Pumpkin cubes from SaladStop because I felt like the sweetness of the pumpkin was better retained. I also like that Brussel Sprouts and King Oyster Mushrooms at HEYBO come at no additional charge.
The oriental cabbage salad is my favourite side, it tastes like pickled cucumbers but mixed in with added textures from the blanched cabbage and some cut chilli. If you’re looking for steak (not offered by SaladStop!), the Char Grilled Steak (+$3.90) at HEYBO is lightly seasoned and grilled to a medium-well.
This bowl had 100g of steak!
Service standards are more consistent at HEYBO from my experience
There’s never been mistakes with my HEYBO order, and portion sizes have been very consistent. In contrast, SaladStop! once forgot my protein in my warm grain bowl. Additionally, the portion of each topping at SaladStop! depends on who is making your bowl.
They missed out on my protein for this order:(
HEYBO gives better hi value for your money
Pumpkin Dip in this bowl is my favourite dip option.
This is especially because protein like Sous Vide Chicken (which is very tender btw) do not come at an additional charge, and they do give a bigger portion of protein (about twice the amount of SaladStop!, from my experience).
TOTAL WEIGHT: ~480g • 132g Garden Greens • 95g Roasted Pumpkin Wedge • 58g Roasted Brussels Sprout • 50g Oriental Cabbage Salad • 107g Sous Vide Chicken Breast • 20g Purple Sweet Potato • 30g Tzatziki • 5g Radish Pickles
-Information/Hacks-
Multiple locations, check out their websites (linked below) for more details on their opening hours and addresses. SaladStop! LocationsHEYBO Locations
Other information/Hacks: Create your online account and use WELCOMESS50 (SaladStop!) or WELCOMEHB50 (HEYBO) for 50% off (up to $20) your first order.
^This is what I paid for 3 bowls!
Thereafter, you can use the code WELCOMESSX3 (SaladStop!) or WELCOMEHBX3 (HEYBO) for 20% off your next 3 orders.
If you’re not particular about what is in your bowl, you can order a surprise bowl at $8.25 from SaladStop! or $7.45 at HEYBO for Pickup near their closing hours via Yindii. Use the referral code DKJRMDG2 to get $5 in credits after your first order.
This is an indication of the flavours available. They do have some unique salad toppings to choose from, such as the baby octopus. They also nailed the Citrus Ponzu sauce, in fact I do believe that it is the best Ponzu of the salad bars I’ve been to.
It would have been even better if they stuck to the theme by offering Japanese Sweet Potatoes instead of the orange ones. Nonetheless, the sweet potato was cooked well.
Choose at least 3 veges as your “base”
Interestingly, they do not have a “base” for you to choose from. Instead, you create your own base by selecting 3, 4, or 5 vegetables depending on the size of the bowl. I thought the Pumpkin was pretty pleasant, and I like that they served it in wedges.
Lack of non-oily protein option
The Teriyaki Chicken Thigh appeared to be the least oily and hence I selected it. However, I still felt that it was rather greasy and would have preferred if they offered a non-oily protein option. If they are looking to stick to the Japanese theme, they could offer shabu chicken breast slices or even raw salmon/tuna.
Small Serving, but worth it’s price
The bowl added to about 350g, and for 144g of Chicken, $7.90 is quite a steal! Here is a breakdown of the bowl.
144g Teriyaki Chicken Thigh
48g Sweet Potato
24g Romaine Lettuce
78g Pumpkin
20g Edamame
10g Radish Pickles
25g Citrus Ponzu
-Information/Hacks-
Address: International Plaza, CIMB Plaza
Hours: Mon-Fri, 10AM-7PM
Other information/Hacks: Purchasing the bowl directly in store gives you the most value for your money.
Create Your Own Salad ($7, Mixed Salad Base, 5 Toppings, 1 Dressing) + $1.50 Protein
[Base] Mixed Salad Leaves
[Toppings] Pumpkin, Sweet Potato Cubes, Beetroot, Black Fungus, Lotus Root
[Protein] Smoked Duck ($1.50)
[Dressing] Wasabi Soy ($0.10 separate container)
-The Review-
They have very interesting toppings
It was my first time encountering lotus root and black fungus as options at a salad bar, so I had to give them a try. The black fungus was marinated in vinegar, adding a tangy depth, while the lotus root was crisp and pure. I really enjoyed both. They also offer cauliflower rice at no extra charge, which I’m eager to try on my next visit.
Wasabi Soy Dressing is exactly what it is
Salad bars often use olive oil to create a vinaigrette, so I was pleasantly surprised by their wasabi soy dressing. It was essentially just wasabi mixed with light soy sauce, and it wasn’t too salty. I appreciated that it worked well as a dipping sauce for the lightly seasoned supplements.
Protein portion is quite small
The bowl weighed about 350g, which is decent for a $8.50 bowl. However I felt that the protein portion is too small. Nonetheless it isn’t too expensive to add additional protein into your order.
53g Mixed Salad Base
57g Pumpkin
55g Sweet Potato Cubes
28g Beetroot
27g Black Fungus
40g Lotus Root
38g Smoked Duck
55g Wasabi Soy Dressing
The Salad Corner Menu – August 2024
-Information/Hacks-
Address: PLUS, Tanjong Pagar Plaza, Maxwell Hawker Center
Hours: Hours differ by outlets
Other information/Hacks: You can WhatsApp 81622922 to pre-order for collection at the PLUS outlet.
This is my second visit to SUPERGREEN. I had been eager to return after enjoying my salad so much during my first visit to their Marina One branch. Everything was fresh and crisp, making SUPERGREEN a great choice if you’re after a straightforward, back-to-basics salad bowl. This time, I was in the Tanjong Pagar area and picked up my bowl from the International Plaza outlet.
Quality is different across the branches
When I last visited the Marina One branch, everything was light and perfectly seasoned. However, this time, the broccoli I received was overly salty, with a noticeable clump of salt that hadn’t been properly mixed in.
My bowl from SUPERGREEN at Marina One
The way in which the chicken was sliced was also less tidy and it was a little tougher.
Ginger Soy Dressing is too oily
I anticipated a ginger and soy sauce blend, but it turned out to be more of a ginger and oil mixture. The oil actually filled about two-thirds of the sauce container. After tasting it, I chose not to pour it into my bowl.
Portion is decent
My bowl weighed around 460 grams, which seems like a fair amount for a $10 dish. However, it seems that portion sizes might also vary between different locations. I plan to return to the Marina One outlet to give it another try.
90g Romaine Lettuce
55g Cucumber
45g Purple Cabbage
70g Broccoli
70g Roasted Pumpkin
103g Rosemary Sous Vide Chicken Breast
25g Ginger Soy Dressing
-Information/Hacks-
Address: Cross Street Exchange, International Plaza, Frasers Tower, Arcade, Marina One, SMU, Star Vista, Timbre+ One North
Hours: Hours differ with each branch
Other information/Hacks: Grab Premium’s self pick-up gives you the best offer, allowing you to purchase your bowl for $9.58.
They are also on the app Yindii, wherein you can get a surprise bowl at a 50% discount at the end of the day when they are clearing their ingredients. You can use my referral code DKJRMDG2 to get an additional $5 credits after your first order. Note that however you are unable to choose what you want inside your bowl for this.
Deliveroo made me select a wrap despite it being a bowl (so I selected Multi-grain wrap), and they missed out on my Tomato Barley.
-The Review-
My first visit to Mom’s Hug happened before I started this website. At that time, I told myself that I wouldn’t patronise this place again because the food lacked character. I decided to give them another chance so that I could keep a record of their offerings on this website, but I think this would really be my last visit.
Everything tastes frozen/instant and nothing like a Mom’s hug
The first time I tried the Lemon Pepper Fish I was very disappointed. It tasted like frozen Sutchi fillets seasoned with Lemon Pepper Spice Mix you can purchase off the shelf at supermarkets.
This time round I picked Lemon Spice Chicken Breast, it is definitely better seasoned because it tasted like pre-seasoned Frozen/Instant Chicken Breasts I could purchase from grocery stores/minimarts. I felt thirsty after eating it, possibly due to the amount of additives usually found in such produce.
The baked sweet potato lacked texture and was overly moist, characteristics often associated with frozen sweet potatoes. It was the same for the broccoli. The sautéed mushrooms were under-seasoned (tasted like they only added salt, pepper and oil), with a strong ammonia-like aftertaste from the Shiitake mushrooms; a touch of garlic powder could have balanced this better.
Both the Pickled and Shibazuke Cucumbers tasted exactly as expected if bought from a grocery store, lacking any distinctive homemade or artisanal quality.
“Romaine Lettuce” is actually Iceberg Lettuce
Additionally the menu on Deliveroo is not in sync with their offerings and so I didn’t manage to get the base I ordered. I wanted to select 2xRomaine Lettuce but couldn’t, so I opted for Romaine Lettuce & Barley Rice. However the app forced me to pick a wrap, so in the end I had multigrain wraps and iceberg lettuce in my bowl. (Mom’s Hug, if you’re reading this, perhaps you can update your Deliveroo options).
Iceberg Lettuce is alright. The wrap was overly gritty (tasted like it was defrosted and refrozen before reheating). I have not tried the other bases, but to be fair, I tend to only select Lettuce/Greens at all the salad/grain bowl outlets I visit.
Scrambled Egg and Yogurt dressing is “healthy” only if you’re looking for something high in fats
The scrambled eggs tastes like it has been mixed with too much milk/butter/oil to be healthy. Granted it was creamy and it would fit the tastebuds of someone looking for something to indulge in.
The yogurt dressing was drenched all over the egg, so perhaps I didn’t manage to have a proper taste of it – it tasted more like mayonnaise without a hint of yogurt nor herbs. I would have definitely preferred it packed separately so I could leave it out if it isn’t to my liking.
As someone who is conscious about my calories, I will definitely not order these toppings again.
Portion is good!
For the price, the portion is honestly decent. I could not weigh the dressing accurately as it was drenched onto the bowl, but the bowl was about 500g. This makes it one of the most value-for-money bowls, especially after Deliveroo’s discount.
20g Mixed Grains Wrap
100g Lettuce
160g Lemon Spiced Chicken Breast
75g Scrambled Egg
120g Baked Sweet Potato
15g Pickled Cucumber
~20g Yogurt & Herbs
Perhaps if they provided nutrition information for their items I would be able to better justify how the food is “healthy”.
Mom’s Hug Menu – July 2024
-Information/Hacks-
Address: B1-21 One Raffles Place
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11AM-8PM Sat, 11AM-4PM
Other information/Hacks: Deliveroo’s self-pickup offer is the best, the light bowl costs $6.57 after discount.
[Veggies] Green Papaya Salad, Sweet Potato w Fennel
[Side] Cauliflower Pickle
[Topping] Green Sambal Iljo
[Dressing] Homemade Coconut Curry
-The Review-
Vegetarian Option Pad Kra Pow Jackfruit available
They have very interesting proteins. Pad Kra Pao Jackfruit is essentially the vegan/vegetarian renditition of the Thai Basil Chicken. Unfortunately, they left this item out of my order and I wasn’t able to taste it, despite being so excited that I was willing to top up $5 (on deliveroo). I did get my refund in Deliveroo credits after a lot of back-and-forth with the platform, but that’s not Grain Traders’ fault.
Unlike everything else they offered on the menu, their Sous Vide Chicken Breast seemed to be the dish they put in the least effort in. It was disappointingly dry, and lacked finesse.
The 100 Day Grass-fed Beef Parrillada I tried in another order was so much better. It was incredibly tender, almost like braised pork, and beautifully seasoned. This will definitely be my go-to protein option on future visits, although I still look forward to trying the Pad Kra Pao.
Love the wide range of vegetables
Even the base is not the usual Romaine Lettuce, but a blend of Kale and Spinach. The raw vegetables are all crisp and fresh, and the cooked ones are perfectly timed.
A lot of work is needed to prepare each dish because they all have many layers and components. For example, the Broccoli was mixed with Okra and Coconut Flakes. The Cauliflower with Pomegranate & Pistachio. The eggplant was braised with a very light cashew sauce. All presenting a very nice contrast of sweet-and-nutty nodes.
Grain Traders July 2024 Menu – Base, Protein, Veggies
Even the Green Papaya Salad had edamame and purple cabbage in it.
Of the sides, I’ve tried the Cucumber Pickles (made with Kaffir Lime & Mustard Seeds) and the Cauliflower Pickles (made with carrots, tumeric, curry, and curry leaves). Both are refreshing, light, and adds just the right amount of acidity to your bowl. I can’t wait to try the other two as well.
As for the sauces, the Asian Gravy is a Teriyaki/Worcester mix and it was too salty for my liking. The Salsa Verde is a little too oily, although I did give it a taste and it is quite fragrant. I might try the Beetroot Yogurt or the Homemade Coconut Curry in future, but it seems like they are lacking a lighter dressing option.
Grain Traders July 2024 Menu – Sides, Toppings, Base
Small portion for its price.
The portion size is about 400g. They do weigh every component while adding it to your bowl so the portion sizes are fairly consistent. For a $17.50 bowl, this is one of the most expensive salad bowls in town. However, as I mentioned earlier, every dish is complex, made with multiple ingredients and spices/sauces, and the ingredients are of good quality so I felt that the price is quite justified.
95g Sous Vide Chicken Breast
50g Cauliflower, Tumeric, and Curry Pickle
80g Mixed Mushroom
75g Eggplant w Cashew
60g Super Greens
30g Spiced Chickpeas
25g Asian Gravy
[30 Jul 2024 Edit] I finally managed to try their Pad Kra Pow Jackfruit. The Jackfruit was so delicious, and it tastes almost like the texture of pulled pork.
The two remaining pickled dishes (Kimchi & Beansprouts) paled in comparison with the Pickled Cauliflower so that’ll be what I shall pick in my future orders.
The sweet potato with fennel and curry potato with grapes are both very tasty if you’re looking to supplement your bowl with some light carbs.
The homemade curry is also a good option as a dressing. Unfortunately in one of my bowls they forgot to include my Feta Beetroot Yogurt dressing, along with my chili & lemongrass peanut topping. After reaching out to them, one the owners asked me to return for another bowl on the house. I’m looking forward to try the remaining flavours that I’ve yet to explore!
[3 Aug 2024 Update]
Thanks Bryan and Javier for arranging this on the house! I appreciate the effort they put into maintaining their customer service standards.
The Beetroot Feta Yogurt is definitely a good higher-protein dressing, although I have to say the homemade curry is still my favourite. The peanuts are very fragrant, and a good topping to have if you’re looking for a nice crunch too!
I think I made up my mind on a go-to order, edited above. Grain Traders is definitely the place I’d visit when I’m looking to treat myself to a healthy but really tasty meal!
Other information: Upon comparing the various food delivery platforms and their self-pickup discounts, along with Grain Traders’ own website, Deliveroo‘s 25% off is the most value-for-money. If you have Deliveroo Plus, each bowl would cost you only $15.
It was 50% off for a week or so when they first opened their Guoco Tower branchThis would have been $17.50 on their website.This would have been $21.60 on their website.
The Salad Addict 