As my cup of coffee is being prepared, the affable barista at MavRx asked me, "so where did you have lunch earlier? My answer was, "ang mo chap chye png" (Western version of Chinese mixed vegetable rice)! Haha!
Grain Traders officially started trading on 1st September 2015, serving up hearty meal bowls which we can concoct on our own. Choose your grain, pick your protein, add various toppings and finish off with a sauce (sounds familiar?).
Mix it, eat it and love it. I'm definitely loving it!
Occupying a brightly-lit, longish space at CapitaGreen, Grain Traders exudes much energy and yuppie vibes. It wouldn't be far off to say this casual joint is fast gaining in popularity judging by the CBD crowd that throng in during lunch hour.
It's okay to display our Singaporean trait of being 'kiasu' (I did :p). Go as early as your schedule allows (or during off-peak hours) to avoid queuing long in line for your food and table. During my visits there, I even saw executives chomping down their bowls standing up. #notexaggerating
Kudos to the folks behind Grain Traders who obviously understand that people nowadays eat with their eyes first. With mouth-watering looking food laid out in large colorful pots and casseroles, the visual appeal is undoubtedly high.
My appetite is already built up even before I start to build my own bowl.
For $16 nett per bowl, we get to pick 1 grain, 1 protein, 1 hot veggie, 2 cold veggies, 1 topping and 1 sauce.
If you're feeling lazy or prefer to opt for something quick and safe, check out the signature bowls that are also available at the same price.
Grains, including Japanese Rice, Brown Rice, Quinoa, Bulgur Wheat, Soba Noodle, Super Greens, form the base of the bowl.
Protein options comprise of Grilled Striploin Steak, Sous-vide & Chargrilled Salmon, Seared Marinated Tuna, Slow-Roasted Pork, Roasted Chicken and Lentils Patty.
Depending on your preferred items, the resulting combination can vary from being gentle on the tummy, to food-coma inducing.
After I finished my bowl of light soba noodles with salmon, wild mushrooms, crudités & coleslaw, wafu tomato, furikake with caramel miso sauce, I told my friend "吃不饱!" (not filling enough). Though the noodles was a tad on the soft side, the salmon was rather pleasing and the entire melange of texture and flavors was very enjoyable.
For my subsequent visit, I chose the comparatively heavier carb of brown rice with striploin, charred veggies, mixed bean pico de gallo, wafu tomato, crispy garlic & shallots with salsa verde sauce and an additional egg (+$1). Wow, that really made for a highly substantial and delightful meal.
Grain Traders also serve a selection of pastries at a separate counter, and coffee is brewed using beans supplied by Papa Palheta.
A breakfast menu of Polenta Eggs Rancheros ($8), Porridge ($8), Oatmeal ($8) and Bagels ($10) is available from 8am to 10.30am. If my bed can release me earlier, I will wake up and be in time to try some of that :p
I wouldn't mind coming to Grain Traders on a regular basis, to enjoy more of their wholesome goodness or takeaway a lunch box if there's time constraint. The food quality is there, and notches more satisfying than what we can typically get at a salad bar.
Grain Traders
Address: CapitaGreen, 138 Market Street, #01-01/02/03, Singapore 048946
Contact: +65 6384 6559
Website: http://www.grain-traders.com/#core3
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/graintraderssg
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 8am-8pm / Closed Sat-Sun
Prices stated are nett (no service charge and GST)
It is definitely not worth the price. At Salad Stop, you pay 30% less for something more. Just compare the Hainanese Chicken Quinoa, it cost $10 less. But look at the sauce. It is as much as what you get at Grain Trader, the Quinoa, similar in amount, Chicken and beansprout, Grain Trader is only slightly a bit more. The only major difference is some grilled veggies. Worth the money? Absolutely not and that is perhaps why Salad Stop is expanding rapidly cos it cost you $10 more at Grain Traders for something only slightly a bit more than offered by Salad Stop.
ReplyDeleteHi Pinky, you should perhaps make a comparison between places that offer healthy food such as Salad Stop and Sushi Burritos b4 saying you don't mind going to Grain Traders, the food wholesome and quality good? More satisfying than a typical salad bar? You might want to frequent all salad bar in Singapore b4 saying that. Go try Sumo Salad, an establish Australian brand first b4 praising Grain Traders. Sumo Salad is my staple in Australia for more than 4 years and in comparison with Grain Traders, the later is nothing. That's why i realised there are much fewer people at Grain Traders at 100AM than Salad Stop at nearby Capitatowers.
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