Where to find healthy food in Raffles Place
If you often slip into a food coma after lunch, here’s a guide to help you discover healthy food in Raffles Place that will keep you energised throughout your workday.
By RamirBorja at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0.
For the deskbound working crowd in Raffles Place, finding healthy meals is key to countering a sedentary lifestyle. But fret not—healthy doesn't mean boring. From hawker delights with generations of history to hearty salads and grain bowls, the variety is truly impressive. Plus, if you're in the mood for something a bit different, we've also got international fare on the menu.
1. The Daily Cut
Source: The Daily Cut
The Daily Cut is no stranger to office workers in the area. Shunning the notion of "strict diets, uninspiring salads, or intimidating protein bowls," it offers fresh meats, wholesome vegetables, and nutritious grains.
The build-your-own-bowl option starts at $10.50, including two bases, two supplements, and half a protein portion, plus your choice of topping and dressing. Not sure where to begin? Choose wisely with the help of the macro calculator and nutritional information available on their website.
2. Grain Traders
Thanks to its cafe-like ambiance, a healthy meal feels like a treat at Grain Traders. The restaurant procures a selection of quality ingredients that changes with the seasons and coaxes out their natural flavours using slow cooking methods such as sous-vide, baking, grilling, and fermenting.
Opt to "gather your meal" by customising your bowl with options like barley with mushrooms, quinoa, and, for a uniquely Singaporean twist, brown rice nasi lemak. Alternatively, dive into Asian-inspired flavours with choices like the Hen’s Nest, featuring sous-vide chicken and green papaya salad, or the plant-based Tantrum, made with jackfruit "Pad Kra Pao."
3. Salmon Samurai
Source: Salmon Samurai
If you're a fan of salmon sashimi, prepare to be wowed by Salmon Samurai in Raffles Place. Unlike traditional Chirashi Don, you can opt for healthier bases such as mixed greens salad or buckwheat soba instead of white rice.
To guarantee the freshest flavor in every bite, the restaurant uses fresh whole Norwegian salmon, meticulously filleted on-site. Patrons can choose from premium varieties such as Sockeye, Coho, and Chinook salmon, available in sashimi or poke-style, with toppings including salmon roe, creamy avocado, or a perfectly soft onsen egg.
4. Omnivore
With bar tables overlooking Capital Tower, Omnivore offers a picturesque dining experience. Here, even a regular-sized dish surprises with its generosity, offering succulent protein choices like lemongrass chicken thigh, smoked duck, and sirloin steak atop nutritious bases such as brown rice, sweet potato, couscous, or baby spinach.
True to its namesake, Omnivore doesn’t stop at meat; it also reinvents vegetarian options. Expect curried chickpeas, sesame tomatoes, and unique additions like green apple kimchi and grilled tempeh, complemented by an array of sauces from Thai basil to coriander yoghurt.
5. Healthy Soba IKI
Source: Healthy Soba IKI
Healthy Soba IKI is among the few eateries open for dinner in Raffles Place, providing office workers a wholesome meal option for those late work nights. Utilizing premium ingredients imported from a wholesome meal option for those late work nights. Utilizing premium ingredients imported from Japan, the eatery specializes in 100% buckwheat soba, renowned for its low glycemic index that aids in stabilizing blood sugar levels.
Choose from savory hot soba options like chicken, salmon, and duck, or indulge in plant-based delights such as mushroom soba and herbal vegetables. For a crisp, refreshing taste, try their cold soba varieties like unagi, avocado kaisen with fresh sashimi cubes, or unique plant-based selections like daikon, eggplant, and the nutritious, albeit contentious, natto.
6. Lucky Saigon
Lucky Saigon, beloved for its rustic Tanglin outlet, offers an equally authentic yet more urban experience at its CBD location. Here, most mains are affordably priced under $15, allowing patrons to enjoy a wide array of Vietnamese classics alongside unique dishes that are hard to find elsewhere.
Looking for an excuse to order sides? You'll be pleased to know that their Fresh Spring Rolls and Mango Salad are packed with vitamins and fibre. As for mains, we recommend the Traditional Vietnamese Chicken Pho and Mekong Fish Noodle Soup, both rich in protein and low in fat.
8. Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup
Xin Yuan Ji Fish Soup in Raffles Place is a must-visit for those seeking a nutritious lunch in the cool comfort of air-conditioned surroundings. Seating is limited, however, so it’s best to arrive early or opt for takeout.
An offshoot of the renowned Tan Quee Lan Street flagship, this venue stands out with its broth, rich in flavour from extensive simmering. For a healthier option, choose sliced fish over fried, clear soup instead of the milk-infused variety, and swap thick bee hoon for mee sua or the increasingly popular five-grain noodle, which is known for its lower calorie and fat content and enhanced satiety.
9. Arcade Fish Soup at Hup Lee Cafeteria
For those who enjoy their fish soup in a classic kopitiam setting, head to Hup Lee Cafeteria. Established in 1988, Arcade Fish Soup has evolved into a beloved institution now run by the second generation. If its long-standing presence in Raffles Place isn’t testament enough to its quality, the snaking queues and early bird tissue pack reservations certainly are.
Each portion is cooked in its own pot, featuring thick, smooth slices of air-flown Batang fish with cabbage, pickled veggies, beancurd, and tomato, all topped with their famed fried garlic. For a nutritious meal, choose between Sliced Fish Soup or Mixed Fish Soup, opt for no milk, and pair it with brown rice.
10. The Herbal Bar
Source: The Herbal Bar
Helmed by the fourth generation of a family steeped in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) heritage, The Herbal Bar integrates Chinese herbs into its dishes while minimising salt, sugar, oil, and completely avoiding MSG.
Their signature double-boiled soups are expertly prepared in porcelain pots set within a steam chamber, locking in both flavours and nutrients and delivering a taste of home-cooked nourishment. Not in the mood for soup? Their bentos—featuring options like brown rice and mee sua—are perfect for a healthy and hearty meal.
Eat well, be well
For busy professionals juggling chronic conditions or working towards weight goals, maintaining health goes beyond selecting the "right" lunch. It encompasses movement, mindset, and sometimes medicine.
That's why NOVI Health adopts a holistic approach, offering personalised guidance and utilising technology for a data-driven, adaptive treatment plan. Collaborating with you, our team of dietitians, fitness and behavioural coaches, and doctors is ready to help you build a sustainable lifestyle that accommodates the demands of your hectic work life.
Learn more about our medical weight loss program here.