This charming salad shop is run by a mother-and-daughter duo who clearly have a deep passion for their food. I was particularly impressed by the mother’s dedication, as she made a genuine effort to remember each customer. She warmly chatted with a group of office-workers about “that guy” they were packing lunch for, showing her personal touch and commitment to creating a welcoming atmosphere.
Food tastes like home
There’s a comforting warmth to the food here. The way the mom casually mentions, “I need to check on my vegetables, give me a minute,” adds a special, personal touch that feels like a chef’s kiss. It’s easy to see why they were nearly sold out by 1 PM when I arrived.
Gochujang Vinaigrette was tasty!
I love the acidity that the vinegar adds to the Gochujang. However do note that this is an oily option, i.e. if you’re counting your calories the oil in this dressing would inflate the numbers.
Zucchini could be cubed
If I had any feedback, it would be that I prefer zucchini cubed rather than sliced to give it more bite. However, the zucchini was well-prepared and not overly mushy (this can happen with thinly sliced zucchini if it’s overcooked, which is definitely not the case here).
The serving is decent for its price
The bowl added to about 405g. For a $10.90 bowl I felt very satisfied. Here is a breakdown of the items in the bowl.
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.
[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.
[Supplements] Pickled Turnip, Roasted Pineapple, Egg White
[Dressing] Spinach Pesto
I did not use the pesto sauce in the end. It looked too oily for me. On a separate trip I picked the Ponzu Sauce and that was perfect.
-The Review-
I visited the SBF branch, which I heard is superior to SuperSimple’s other branches in CBD. This branch is partnered with Guerilla Coffee, and they recently launched their operations here in June 2024.
After visiting twice, SuperSimple has become my top choice for salad bowls because the flavours were unique, and yet I didn’t feel thirsty after having my meal. Every dish I ordered was perfectly seasoned, and it tasted clean, just as a salad bowl should be.
The only salad place that serves medium steak
So far, I’ve tried the steak and the slow-cooked chicken, and I liked them both. The steak is cooked to a perfect medium, and the slow-cooked chicken was clean-tasting yet juicy. In fact, it might be the juiciest chicken breast I’ve had from a salad bar.
They have very interesting sides
The pickled turnip tastes homemade, maintaining its satisfying crunch. If you’re not a fan of raw-tasting vegetables, this may not be for you. It was perfect for me and I order the pickled turnip every time.
Unlike most salad bars, the egg white is served in cubes rather than scrambled, resembling feta cheese or tofu, without the latter’s grittiness.
I’ve heard that the roasted pineapple’s standard can vary; some days it’s fragrant and juicy, but on other days it can be a bit tough to chew, probably depending on the quality of the pineapples they get. Fortunately, on the day I tried it, the pineapple was very nice.
For those looking to add cooked vegetables to their bowl, the curried cauliflower and roasted cabbage are excellent choices.
Generous serving
The $11.90 box is ~520g of food. This was how each item weighed in my bowl:
160g Chicken Breast
90g Pineapple
90g Pickled Turnip
80g Egg White
70g Romaine Lettuce
30g Spinach Pesto Sauce
This menu was available in-store but it is inaccurate. They no longer serve soba noodles, instead they have whole wheat pasta. The protein choices are also slightly different. Refer to the various food delivery platforms/YQueue for a more accurate version of their menu.
-Information/Hacks-
Address: SBF Center/Telok Ayer/International Plaza/Galaxis/IOI Central Boulevard
Other Information/Hacks: Upon comparing prices on various platforms, including the store-preferred YQueue, GrabFood’s 15% off self pick-up (or 20% off self pickup with subscription) turned out to be the cheapest option (at $11.81 without premium, less if you have Grab premium subscription).
On YQueue it is at retail price of $11.90 (but you can dine in with this method). On FoodPanda/Deliveroo it will be >$12.
The Salad Addict 