Solo Female Traveling

If taste could be heard, this would be deafening; a veritable wall of noise composed of heavy chords. Yet strangely harmonious at the same time. I guess that’s the beauty of Nasi Padang. Individually, each dish is complete - an unadulterated richness in itself. But together, in whatever combination one chooses, they always taste really good too.
On the day when I stumbled upon this little Nasi Padang stall tucked away in the basement of Orchard Towers, I had to make a conscious effort to stop myself from ordering once I hit 4 dishes. Blame it on the lady boss’ mouthwatering display but everything looked so tempting! I can vouch for her cooking skills too as I was very happy with all the items I chose. The squid cooked in its own ink and sambal paru (cow lung) were tender, while the stirfried four-corner beans retained a little crunch. Only in Malaysia have I eaten ikan bilis with purple onions and the version here was equally shiok.
As I was leaving, I noticed the queue for the Nasi Padang stretched out the door and all the way up the staircase. So if you plan on visiting, I suggest going before noon to get your pick of dishes.

my eat clean today with lei cha. so they say pine tree cafe is good, so travel i come to try. boldest burst of fried cai-por (preserved radish) taste among the lei chas i ate, but lends a lovely saltiness to the mix. ingredients are simple at best (wait, no winged beans??) and the mix with rice are enough to eat on its own. tea was smooth but nothing spectacular. definitely a healthy pleaser for the office crowd there but travel again for another bowl? na, there are better and nearer choices in the west.

Choice of white rice ($4) or brown rice ($0.50 more)

Very filling and vegetables were yummy. You can choose to add 3 meatballs or a taukwa topped with meat for a dollar more. The taste of the thunder tea soup wasn't too strong, so those who are skeptical about Hakka thunder tea rice can try this.

This salad chain (they have five outlets in the CBD and city area) is a reliable option when you're attempting to #eatclean. While the other four outlets at Asia Square, One Raffles Place, International Plaza and Raffles City focuses on soba, the one at Republic Plaza dishes out hearty rice bowls alongside DIY salads. Instead of paying a fixed amount and choosing the items to go into your salad, Wheat charges according to the ingredients picked, so you can exercise more flexibility in customising your salad while keeping to your budget. Baby Spinach ($3) and Chopped Broccoli and Cauliflower ($2) are great as bases and go well with the tender Ribeye ($8) and the Chinese-style, soy sauce infused Char Siew Pork Belly ($5) respectively. As for sides, we enjoyed the Pickled Beansprouts ($1), Baby Young Corn ($1.50) and Grilled Pumpkin ($1.50). There are only two dressings available — wafu and aojiso, a perilla leaf soy sauce dressing. If you're rushing for time, there are six pre-selected bowls (from $10) to choose from, including the Sashimi Rice Bowl ($16.90) and the indulgent Beef and Foie Gras Rice Bowl ($18.90).
Avg Price: $10 per person
Photo by Burppler Muriel A

Besides the fact that this is as healthy as can be, it's darn tasty as well. Blanketing the rice in the bowl is a neat arrangement of--which the OCD in me can't help but marvel at--chopped long beans, "chye sim", cabbage and tofu, crispy "ikan bilis", dried shrimp, peanuts and "chye poh". It is recommended to mix everything evenly with the rice before tucking in. I favour brown rice over white because not only does it have a slightly chewy texture and is more flavorful, there's the bonus of extra nutrients too. The accompanying emerald green tea (or soup) is served at room temperature. Concentrated with herbs, one of which is basil, it goes very nicely with the simple taste of the mixed rice bowl. I have seen customers pour this tea into their rice bowl, turning it into a porridge of sorts but I prefer to keep them separate.

This Hawaiian-themed store run by a group of friends dishes out delicious poké bowls — perfect for a satisfying yet healthy lunch that doesn't warrant a food coma after. Seats are limited, so head here early to snag one of the square tables if you're coming in a group. Poké Doké offers three poké bowl sizes with four add ons each, of which the Medium ($14.90) with two scoops of fish was just right for lunch. Of all the bases, we enjoyed the well-seasoned Soba (additional $1.50) the most. As for fish, salmon and tuna cubes are tossed in three different marinades — Original, Wasabi and our favourite, Spicy. The latter leaves a mild, pleasant burn in small doses, but packs a punch if you have it all at one go — great for those who like a kick. For toppings, opt for the cubed pineapples, flying fish roe, edamame and cherry tomatoes. Skip the not-so runny onsen egg as your premium topping and go for a scoop of creamy Avocado (additional $1.50) instead.
Avg Price: $15 per person
Photo by Burppler Hilary See

Current craving: Tofully yours ($12.90), tofu stacked with mushrooms, cheese, vegetarian ham, egg and greens served with potato in lemon thyme and sweet potato chips. Yes, sweet potato painstakingly peel, sliced and deep fried to perfection. Oh so delicious, so beautiful and so addictive! I am totally willing to exchange meat with these any day!!! 😋😋😋

Everything that I love and more! A relatively new item on the menu, the Maple & Genmaicha-Cured Salmon is similar in texture to gravlax, except it carries a tinge of sweetness and deliciously toasty fragrance. Their fresh salmon sashimi never fails to delight as those fatty omega 3s dissolve gloriously in your mouth.

The set also comes with nuts, ebiko, salad, and an onsen egg. Managed to swop the mixed grain sushi rice with soba, and ginger balsamic sauce to truffle balsamic vinaigrette instead. So, so satisfying 😌

Cod + broccoli + cherry tomatoes + cinammon baked pumpkin!! The pumpkin was good, really tender. Generous portion too.

Haven't been here in far too long. One of my favourite places for a healthy lunch - pretty much everything's a hit 😉

Koji Sushi Bar is an extremely small hole-in-the-wall eatery located within the busy China Square Central area. This place serves to please hungry office workers looking for a great chirashi fix. At just $17, the Sashimi Rice bowl is a steal, with a generous portion of lightly marinated chunks of salmon, tuna, swordfish, yellowtail and jellyfish, topped with tempura bits to add a slight crunch. If you love uni, a top up of just $8 will get you fresh, creamy uni from Hokkaido. Opt for brown rice (additional $1) if you want something healthier, but the vinegared sushi rice does tie the entire dish together for a more satisfying bowl. Make reservations if you're coming for dinner, as seating is limited.

Located in the basement of Chevron House, Omnivore is an exceptionally affordable version for protein-rich salads. Each box comes with one carb, three toppings and one dressing with your choice of protein ($9.90 for one protein, $12.90 for two, $15.90 for three). Portions here run big, prices are reasonable and the quality is consistently good, which makes it the much-talked-about salad place amongst the fitspos. It'll be easy to convince your buddies to grab a salad with you for lunch, especially when there's the good-looking crispy skin Salmon (add $2), wobbly sous vide egg, sweet potato and the refreshing aloe vera topping! Drizzle some honey soy before digging in and wash it all down with a pint of their homemade Cold Brew Black Coffee ($5.50)! That is one fantastic way to eat clean.