The best salad bars in Singapore for a healthy lunch

Founder Jasper Jek cut his teeth at three-Michelin-starred Joël Robuchon Restaurant in Singapore and one-Michelin-starred RE-NAA in Norway. But now, he is applying his fine dining experience to the humble salad at Super Simple. Super Simple keeps things au naturel – honey is used in place of refined sugar, and side dishes like pickled beetroots and dressings like the parsley pesto are made from scratch. Create your own salads starts from $9.90 – you get half a serving of protein, your choice of base, two supplements, a garnish, and a drizzle of sauce.

Surrey Hills Deli may be known for its sandwiches, but this Melbourne-inspired shop in the heart of Raffles Place also has a variety of nutritious salad bowls at its mini grocer. From a hearty grilled chicken pesto salad ($16) to a refreshing avocado and fruit salad ($15), this section is perfect for those who are time-pressed or those who simply crave a balanced and nutritious meal. Don't leave without an aromatic brew made using beans from ONA Coffee, a popular Australian-specialty coffee roaster. 

Don't expect bland salads at Nature's Nutrition. At this salad and grain bowl bar, all mains and toppings are well seasoned and spiced for a nutritious yet tasty meal. Here, you can build your own bowl of one base, one main, three toppings, and a dressing, starting at the affordable price of $9.50 for black pepper or buffalo chicken. Go super healthy with romaine lettuce as your base, and top it off with curried chickpeas, garlic-roasted cabbage, or spicy oriental beansprouts, among other delicious options. If you're in the mood for some carbs, we recommend the basmati rice and quinoa base though – it's fluffy with a subtle spice. 

Bamboo Bowls in Far East Square is your opportunity to taste the fare of renowned local chefs at just $10 a bowl. The culinary line-up includes names like Bjorn Shen of Artichoke, Justin Hammond of Neon Pigeon and Mano Thevar of Thevar. Collectively, they've  put together eight healthy Asian bowls inspired by Singapore, Sichuan, Saigon, Bangkok, Bali, Tokyo, Mumbai, and Seoul. Our favourite? Thevar’s Bombay Bowl, hands down. This plant-based, organic bowl draws inspiration from Indian street snacks like chana dal and pumpkin vada. Add on spiced lamb kofta ($5), and you’ve got a nutritious meal without an impending food coma.

It's all about the Hygge life at Haakon, a Scandinavian-inspired café serving up nourishing salad and grain bowls. It's hard not to love life when you're biting into tasty, Asian-inspired fare like its Thai beef salad ($14.90) with seasoned beef flank, egg, salad, and ginger ponzu dressing; or barbecued tempeh salad ($12.90) with beetroot hummus, charred corn, baked zucchini, and tahini dressing. For the gym boys and girls, it also has protein-packed grain bowls topped with tasty mains like tandoori fish ($13.90) \and spiced grilled chicken ($12.90). 

Finding wholesome food in the CBD isn’t difficult at all, but Grain Traders is holding on to a winning ticket built on tasty veggies, premium meats and a wealth of grain options and it is no better evidenced in the salad and meat bar at the far end of the space. The pick-and-mix bowls allow for clean permutations with a base of salad greens, grains, quinoa or soba, paired with a variety of proteins and vibrant roasted vegetables. 

The Daily Cut is the meat lover’s answer to the ubiquitous salad bowl in the CBD. Owner Jonathan Yang – also the co-owner of Muchachos – caters to a #eatclean crowd with protein bowls priced from $10.50 packed with healthily grilled options like chicken thighs, sirloin steaks, salmon fillet and lamb meatballs that pair alongside other accompaniments like onsen egg, maple-glazed tempeh, avocado and broccoli.

Your no-nonsense salad bar in the city is most packed during lunchtime with health-conscious CBD folk. You can't go wrong with the standard salads (from $11.90) and seasonal signatures. Want to take control? Opt to build your own salad (from $10.90) from scratch. 

Not all salad bars have to be pricey. Thus humble stall in the CBD is your best bet for salad bowls under the $10 mark. It has a wide range of choices too, including proteins like tofu, tuna, rosemary chicken breast, and a wide range of dressings to go on top. Find them at Tanjong Pagar Plaza, Cecil Street, and Maxwell Road – you're quite literally spoiled for choice!

If you’re a fan of laid-back, Aussie-style café nosh, check out Sarnies. Opened by Australian Ben Lee, this sandwich shop lives up to its name with rustic ’wiches like roast chicken with house-cured bacon and tuna mayo with bell pepper, onions and coriander. But it is also good for doing a fun salad. You'll never get bored at Sarnies with its halloumi salad ($20) and falafel bowl ($22) which both come on a bed of wholesome starches, greens and grains like quinoa tabbouleh, spiced chickpeas and roasted sweet potatoes.