Best creative salads in Singapore

TOSS & TURN

If you think salads are made from a cut and dry formula, think again. Toss & Turn’s salad variety comprises unique combinations and ninteresting names. You can mix and match thick, juicy, pink slices of ham and roast beef with a mountain of green leafy Romaine lettuce, sautéed mushrooms, raisins, beetroot, cranberries and walnuts. For a sweet and tangy twist, drizzle a moderate amount of the salty-sourish Plum Sesame sauce over the Beef Pastrami & Ham Couscous for a delicious burst of flavour. Love chunks of meat tossed with your greens? Try the Roast Chicken Feta or the Lemon Tuna Nicoise. We love that they have a self-service counter of dressings and seeds. #B4-55 ION Orchard. Tel: 6636 5837

THE GREEN BAR

This little salad joint tucked in an inconspicuous corner of Collyer Quay is packed with office workers come lunchtime—a testament to its popularity with health-conscious yuppies. Our Wicked Strawberry Salad, a potpourri of strawberries, mesclun, slices of roasted chicken, prunes, almond flakes and Danish blue cheese wrapped in a layer of balsamic vinegar, is an attractive riot of Technicolor hues. The blue cheese is used sparingly, allowing the sweetness of the strawberries and prunes to shine and complement the chicken. #01-16/17 Hitachi Tower, 16 Collyer Quay. Tel: 6493 6948

TOAST

The Mexican Salad at this busy deli is like a tortilla or burrito without the carbs. Jalapeños and cumin create a fiery explosion of flavour with raw corn, chunks of tomato, chickpeas and black beans, while crisp romaine lettuce is chopped à la minute to impart freshness. Another salad worth your while is the roasted sweet potato with red kidney beans, fine beans, and tender baby spinach, impeccably dressed with sweet and peppery maple mustard dressing. #02-11 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Road. Tel: 6733 8489

ONAKA RESTAURANT & WINE BAR [CLOSED]

They look like feta, but the silken white cubes on Onaka’s Tofu Avocado salad are actually soy-brined bean curd. They crumble effortlessly into the mesclun and fresh sprouts, while the hazelnut-tamarind dressing lends sour, nutty notes to every bite of fresh crunch. #01-32 Alexandra Retail Centre, 460 Alexandra Road. Tel: 6270 2012

GLOW JUICE BAR & CAFÉ

Nestled between luxury boutiques at Hilton Singapore’s Shopping Gallery, Glow Juice Bar & Café offers a wide selection of foods that will make you feel virtuous. The seared salmon trout salad gets the thumbs up for its soothing blend of avocado, carrots, garden greens, generously topped with squash, finely chopped sunflower seeds and garnished with bonito flakes. The carrot slices were crunchy and resembled orange soba noodles at first glance. Pan-fried to perfection, the pinkish salmon meat melts in your mouth, while the salmon skin is delightfully crispy. The soya citrus wasabi dressing was the perfect final touch to this tantalising salad. #B1-05/09, Forum The Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Road. Tel: 6854 7399. Book a table at Glow Juice Bar & Cafe with Chope. 

REAL FOOD

The Chickpea and Sweet Potato Cakes in this casual organic café is an irresistible salad that packs a punch. Organic chickpeas and sweet potatos are mashed and combined together to form brittle cookie-like cakes, which are crowned with coriander, chopped onions, cumin seeds, capsicum and grilled organic asparagus. The chickpea and potato cakes soaked up the drizzle of organic soy mayonnaise, the latter adding a delightful tangy touch to the wholesome dish. #B1-52/53 The Central, 6 Eu Tong Sen Street. Tel: 6224 4492

SALADS & WRAPS

Salads & Wraps is a breath of fresh air when you have had one too many wagyu burgers. Brimming with all natural, homemade goodness, the Tuna Pesto Pasta Salad is served with a delicious dose of brined tuna flakes tossed in fragrant basil pesto and lemoninfused olive oil with herbs. #01-112 The Centrepoint, 176 Orchard Road. Tel: 8121 4177

DEAN & DELUCA

Waldorf salad consists of a few standard ingredients: chicken breast meat, apples, mayonnaise, and mixed greens. The version at Dean & DeLuca is gussied up with crunchy Granny Smith instead of red apples, and sweetened with juicy plump grapes and raisins. Besides the Waldorf, we also like the Smoked Duck and Orange Salad, which pairs citrusy orange segments and smoky slices of fowl with mesclun greens. #04-23/24 Orchard Central, 181 Orchard Road. Tel: 6509 7708

SALAD STOP

Salads get a dose of Asian flavour with one of Salad Stop’s favourites, Go Geisha. Fresh red and white cabbage is tossed in dollops of Japanese miso dressing with tofu, edamame, carrots, cucumber, sesame seeds and soba noodles. The Japanese miso dressing is refreshingly aromatic and gives the entire ensemble a savoury finish. #01-36, Chevron House, 30 Raffles Place, Chevron House . Tel: 6822 1275

THE GREEN ROOM CAFÉ

The Warm Japanese Momen Tofu Salad provides a surprising contrast to its cooler cousins. The bitesized pieces of grilled teriyaki tofu that adorn the elegant bowl of fresh greens and Japanese seaweed offer a flavourful contrast and resemble that of braised tofu. We recommend adding a dash of the zesty wasabi sauce dressing for a lip-smacking finish. The Spicy Myanmar Salad is also worth trying. Its green mango, enoki mushrooms, mint leaves, peanut crunch and Japanese cucumbers resemble a contemporary twist of rojak. Bishan Park 2, 1382 Ang Mo Kio Ave 1. Tel: 6556 1533