Eat

LIGHT CUISINE

These restaurants are turning healthy eating into delicious aff airs.

Portrait of Tammy Strobel

These restaurants are turning healthy eating into delicious aff airs.

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From cold-pressed juices to grain bowls, there’s no doubt that the clean-eating trend is here to stay. Restaurants are offering more options, whether they be gluten-free items or more greens on the side.

It doesn’t have to be plain salad, though. “Singaporean diners are discerning, they want a dish that is both flavourful and healthy,” says Ola Cocina del Mar’s Daniel Chavez. Thus, in June, he opened Tono, a restaurant specialising in ceviche – a nutrient-rich dish of fresh fish cured in citrus and Peruvian chillies – as an alternative to the go-to poke and acai bowls. “It is no longer just about calories. Nutrients, food quality and portions play important roles too.”

Others work with experts to improve the nutritional value of their food. As a result, at Como Cuisine, which opened in July, executive chef Timothy de Souza uses tamari, a healthier alternative to soya sauce, for umami in an otherwise pedestrian offering of soba noodles. Agave syrup or fruits are also favoured over sugar to sweeten desserts, and a tandoori oven was installed as it naturally enhances flavour without relying on oil. The restaurant’s signature tandoor cauliflower, for example, takes on a smoky flavour and is served with a refreshing side of almonds, pomegranate seeds and yogurt.

 Over at Shangri-la Hotel, a wellness menu has been introduced as part of a collaboration with nutritionists. Besides creating balanced and nutritious dishes, the kitchen looks for organic ingredients from reputable sources, and grassfed meat, to reduce fat and chemicals. 

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01 FRESHLY MADE
 Fresh fish is used to make ceviche at Tono, for a quality nutrient-rich dish.
 02 COMO’S WAY
 Timothy de Souza works with a nutritionist to create healthier dishes.
 03 LESS FAT
 Como Cuisine’s kingfish sashimi is dressed with yuzu buttermilk for a healthier option.

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A MEAL OF SKEWERS
 To add to the array of Japanese cuisine here, Rokukakutei offers kushikatsu, or deep-fried meat skewers coated with breadcrumbs. Chef Hideyuki Tanaka, previously from the restaurant’s Ginza outlet, uses seasonal ingredients and pairs the skewers with homemade sauces. While the omakase-only courses can get cloying, a refillable bowl of Japanese vegetables and pickles, and wine pairing options, help to break the monotony. Thankfully, the menu is flexible: Diners can choose to stop or finish all 15 or 20 skewers and be billed accordingly. #01-04 Odeon Towers.
 
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A COURSE FOR CHOCOLATE CONNOISSEURS

 When it comes to chocolate, The Dark Gallery is doing more than just easing a craving. Aside from its selection of desserts and sweets, the boutique off ers an exploration of single origin chocolates with tasting platters of ice cream or pastries.

 Think chocolate mousse with an intense 72 per cent Venezuelan Dark Chocolate that will pique the interest of chocolate purists. Also worth trying is the hot chocolate made with a velvety smooth tempered chocolate blend. #01-K5 Millenia Walk.
 

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WALSH’S ASIAN GRILL
 Cure chef-owner Andrew Walsh has opened Asian-inspired bar & grill Butcher Boy, just a few doors from his three-year-old modern European restaurant along Keong Saik Road. Butcher Boy’s menu weaves punchy Asian fl avours into its range of small plates, buns and meats. The restaurant also does vegetarian satay, with grilled aubergine and a pleasantly spicy satay sauce. Grilled meats are good on their own, but you can liven them up with homemade sambal, XO sauce or black pepper. The dimly lit setting, which off ers a cheeky play on “concrete jungle” with textured walls and lightbox fi xtures of nature in Singapore, makes for a cosy spot to enjoy Asian cocktails, such as Street Side Milk Punch – made of cachaca, Thai milk tea, and salted caramel syrup. 31 Keong Saik Road.
TEXT JASMINE TAY