5 Quick & Wholesome Lunch Spots in the CBD + GIVEAWAY

Nestled in the heart of the new downtown, Marina Bay Link Mall provides an array of lunch spots that cater to a variety of tastes. Conveniently connected from Downtown, Marina Bay and Raffles Place MRT stations, the subterranean mall offers lunches for all occasions – whether for business or a quick grab and go. Here are 5 wholesome and hearty lunch fixes for busy executives!

Aloha Poké – Hawaiian Surfer Staple of Seasoned Raw Fish Topped on Rice
Unit: Marina Bay Link Mall, #B2-46
Tel: 6634 0730

Aloha Poké’s second outlet has opened in Marina Bay Link Mall and has quickly become a contender for the CBD’s power lunch staple. Poké (pronounced “poh-kay”), a traditional Hawaiian dish, is served in a bowl of fresh greens, brown rice and topped off with your choice of superfoods.

Combining the best of food quality, value and service, choose from $11.90 for the Lil Swell (75g of poké), $15.90 for the Standard Bowl (150g of poké) and $19.90 for the Big Kahuna (225g of poké). You get to enjoy a generous amount of sashimi grade tuna or salmon, heaped over a bed of salad and/or rice, accompanied with a wide selection of toppings and superfoods (including avocado, pomegranate, edamame, and flying fish roe just to name a few).

The salmon and tuna come from Norway, Tasmania, Indonesia and the Philippines. They come in three signature flavours – Original, Wasabi Mayo and Spicy. There’s also a vegetarian option, the Nutty Sesame Tofu. Only at Marina Bay Link Mall, can you get to experience new poké flavours including Kimchee Tako (octopus), Black Pepper Tuna, Ginger Ponzu Salmon etc. Every bowl tastes fresh, with bold flavours, and the best part is that it doesn’t have a lot of calories.

Together with new choices of seasonal toppings and superfoods, it will never be a dull day in the office with the fresh ingredients in your poké bowl. Enjoy a healthy, tasty meal that will remind you of the perfect sunny day on Waikiki Beach. Drink options include Cocoloco and cold pressed juice from Juix Up, both competitively priced at $5.90.

Kyuu Kei–Newest Japanese Udon and Soba Noodle Bar
Unit: Marina Bay Link Mall, #B2-67
Tel: 6509 8493

Kyuu Kei is the newest addition to the food family in Marina Bay Link Mall and was recently featured here. They have spruced up the usual udon or soba meal with a medley of home brewed broth, dipping sauces and sides selections. This unique concept now comes with delivery to the offices around Marina Bay Link Mall and at the same time is a great place to grab and go some Japanese grub in a bento!

Start your lunch with either the soba or udon ($1.80). Followed by selecting your broth from a wide variety of 7 types, all made in-house – Mentaiko ($5), Soba Dipping Sauce ($2.20), Miso Butter ($3), Japanese Curry ($3.70), Creamy Sesame Dressing ($3), Ginger Shoyu ($3.70) and KyuuKei Dashi ($3). My recommendation is to go for the Mentaiko Sauce, Creamy Sesame Dressing or KyuuKei Dashi.

Top off your noodles with thoughtfully prepared sides that are catered to health conscious individuals – nothing here is deep-fried. One favorite would be the well-seasoned chashu which is rich in flavour and comes with a good bite.

Mex Out – Fresh, Home Cooked Mexican Fare
Unit: MBFC Tower 3, #02-05
Tel: 6443 1719

You need to check out Mex Out – one of the very few Mexican bistros in Singapore. The environment is fun and they serve great Mexican food at affordable prices.

Mex Out’s Tacos can barely hold their chubby fistfuls of meat. Depending on the type of meat you choose (either grilled chicken pulled pork, grilled steak or vegetarian), they are encased in 6-inch soft corn tortillas, topped with shredded cabbage and a salsa of your choice (mango pineapple salsa, fire roasted salsa, salsa picante).

The chargrilled chicken with mango pineapple salsa, smothered in sour cream works the best for me. Even though messy, it turned out utterly delicious. They are richly tangy and sweet, a complex Mexican flavour we all love. Prices start from $8.90 (2 tacos) or $11.90 (3 tacos).

More elaborate dishes, including a gluten-free Burrito Bowl (from $11.90) featuring Mexican rice, black beans and choice of salsa. The grilled steak was marinated in cilantro, onions and paprika, which was tender and smoky. One of my favourites was the pulled pork that is braised in orange juice, spices and banana leaf, a little different from the rest.

SSäm – Korean and Mexican Fusion Food
Unit: Marina Bay Link Mall, #B2-45
Tel: 6634 4619

Ssäm means wrapped in Korean, though it traditionally refers to wrapped in lettuce leaves. Here at Marina Bay Link Mall, things turn a little modern with the use of whole wheat tortilla wrapped with pieces of delicious meat and spicy blend of pickled vegetables. Verdict? The combination turned out to be unexpectedly good!

Ordering is simple. First, you choose a base: burrito, rice bowl, or a Ssäm salad. Then pick between 4 types of proteins – beef short plate, pork belly and shoulder, chicken thigh or sesame tofu. Next, go for your favourite toppings – guacamole, kimchi or salsa. Finally, finish things off with sides and drinks.

Affordably priced at $8, I thoroughly enjoyed my burrito with pork belly and shoulder with cilantro lime rice. The pork belly and shoulder is well marinated with kimchi sweet and sour marinade, wrapped with scrambled eggs, kimchi salsa, Ssäm pickled vegetables, tomato salsa, onion-lime relish, sesame seeds, fried shallots and cheddar cheese sauce. Simply enjoyed the crunch, especially from the pickled vegetables and kimchi!

Another option is the beef short ribs rice bowl ($9) which comes with kimchi rice and topped with fresh basil, kimchi salsa, onion lime relish, tomato salsa, pickled cucumber, kimchi, seaweed, sesame seeds and fried shallots. My hearty lunch was a huge portion of beef short ribs, which were marinated for 40 hours with a special BBQ marinade. Every bite was packed with flavour. You can also pair your meal with their sides – Korean Fried Chicken ($4) or Homemade Truffle Chips ($4).

The House of Robert Timms – Grab & Go Lunches Packed with Flavours
Unit: Marina Bay Link Mall, #B2-11
Tel: 6509 8117

From coffee to sweet savoury Aussie classics, The House of Robert Timms is designed to create a rustic yet comfy ambience whether dining with colleagues, friends or a solo lunch. If you wish to go for a light and nutritious meal, their Superfood Salad ($11.70) is packed full of protein, iron, fiber and an abundance of other attractive phytonutrients.

If you’re strapped for time, Robert Timms gets your lunch box delivered to your desk. From just $15 onwards, you can satiate your craving with a choice of a main (including tiger prawn, chicken thigh, snapper loin etc.), a side (baked potato, aglio olio, vegeroni pasta etc.) and three supplements (asparagus, cherry tomatoes, carrot, bell pepper, button mushrooms etc.). Alternatively, you can let the experts handle your lunch box with three signature menu items such as Roasted Chicken Leg ($17), Baked Snapper Fillet ($18) or Spicy Tiger Prawn Spaghetti ($17). The latter was right up my alley; featuring a salad, al dente aglio olio, crunchy and garlicky prawns and a signature lamington for a sweet finish.

Robert Timms also provides a hearty selection of all-day breakfast to energize busy PMEBs at the start of the day. Their Pancake Stack ($15.80) got us excited when it arrived at our table. The piping hot and fluffy pancakes topped with a dollop of chilled butter and a side of maple syrup lined our tummies, getting it ready for the creamy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon. Complementing it with their premium roasted coffee, we were ready to rock the day.

WIN A $50 DINING VOUCHER ON OUR FACEBOOK!

Psyched up to win some Marina Bay Link Mall vouchers for a hearty meal? Complete the steps below on Miss Tam Chiak’s Facebook page and stand a chance to be one of 5 winners to win a $50 Marina Bay Link Mall voucher.

Step 1: Like Marina Bay Link Mall’s Facebook page
Step 2: Like and Share our Facebook post
Step 3: Answer a simple question below: Which restaurant would you like to try in Marina Bay Link Mall?

Closing date: 27 Sep 2016, Tuesday. Marina Bay Link Mall will pick 5 winners and contact the winners for prize collection. Good luck!

This post was brought to you by Marina Bay Link Mall.