The Guide To Finding, Eating, and Drinking Raw Food in Singapore

PUBLISHED June 12th, 2014 01:00 am | UPDATED March 14th, 2018 05:01 pm

Raw food. It’s something we’re hearing increasingly more about in Singapore – but for those of you who are new to the ‘raw’ movement, we’re not talking about sushi! Here at City Nomads, we’ve put together a guide to eating raw, to get you in the know and healthy!

Raw food: What’s the big deal?

A completely ‘raw’ diet consists of fruits, vegetables, sprouted grains, nuts and seeds – none of which have been heated over 48 degrees Celsius during meal preparation. But what’s the big deal?

Choosing not to cook the food is said to allow the natural structure and nutrition of the food to remain intact, and consuming these ‘living foods’ is linked health benefits including weight loss, improved immune system, and better sleep. The raw diet may also reduce cellulite and revitalize skin and hair. Raw veganism is becoming increasingly popular, with new raw cookbooks coming out all the time and celebs like Madonna, Demi Moore, and Gwyneth Paltrow going raw.

How to eat raw

You might be thinking that it doesn’t sound humanly possible to stay alive snacking on almonds and carrot sticks (or at least not happily). You’re probably right, but raw eating can be so much more that cut up veggies and salads – also keep in mind that you can just add raw portions to your regular diet and still reap the benefits.

Where to eat & drink raw

We’ve found some amazing raw dishes around Singapore that can compete with the best of the cooked stuff and learned how to prepare some yummy meals for ourselves at home. Here we give you all the tools you need to make a raw food diet work in Singapore. Happy munching!

Balanced Living Café & Deli

If you worry raw food will taste bland, the flavoursome offerings from Balanced Living Café are here to change your mind! Founded by food and nutrition expert Dana Heather, Balanced Living keeps fresh, raw, organic ingredients at the heart of their meals and never use preservatives or artificial flavours. Careful thought has clearly gone into each menu pairing and the result is super healthy food with maximum taste. The Raw Tacos were a delight of textures, colours and flavours – and unlike tacos we’ve eaten in the past – didn’t leave us feeling stuffed or sluggish. And if your yummy meal leaves you wanting to embrace the raw lifestyle – sign up for their healthy food workshops for adults and kids!

Balance Living Café & Deli is located at 779 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 269758, Tel: 6468 4482. For more information see their website here.

Frunatic

Frunatic is a small, vibrant café that focuses on raw and natural living foods. The Frunatic team are obsessed with the power of natural fruits and together with a team of nutritionists they have created a raw all-fruit menu – a first for Singapore. Described as a ‘fast fruit restaurant’ they offer a selection of raw meals, fruit salads, raw desserts, packaged snacks and cold-pressed juices. The Green Field juice with spinach and asparagus is particularly good – it’s high in antioxidants, and is anti-inflammatory and detoxifying. If you find yourself forcing down green juices generally, try this one – it actually tastes great!

Frunatic is located at 491 River Valley, Valley Point, 01-05/06, Singapore, 248371, Tel: 6235 3040. For more information see their website here.

Afterglow

Check out Afterglow on the very now Keong Saik Road for a raw lunch indulgence. Besides the fact that their space is cool, fitted with modern furniture and quirky fixtures, their food will make you a believer in the raw movement. We recommend their Raw Cauliflower ‘Cous Cous’ and the Raw Taco Bowl for mains. They’ve also got an amazing selection of soups and desserts, not to mention freshly roasted organic coffee and cold-pressed juices. Every raw foodie’s paradise!

Afterglow is located at 24 Keong Saik Road, Singapore, 089131, Tel: 6224 8921. For more information see their Facebook page here.

Daily Juice

Juicing is a huge part of the raw diet, as it’s a great way to pack a bunch of raw fruits and veggies in quickly. Daily Juice, a cute café located in the heart of the CBD, is the place to get a wide-range of healthy juices for a super reasonable price (we also love them for their recycling and composting efforts!). They print the health benefits of each juice on their menu and on the sides of the bottles, making it easy to decide which juice is right for you. Their juices are cold-pressed and bottled daily, ensuring freshness. Daily Juice also does office deliveries if you want to have a healthy fridge stock, as well as delivery for juice cleanses which makes getting ready of those toxins all the more easier!

Daily Juice is locate at 20 Lorong Telok, Singapore, 049032, Tel: 6533 7119. For more information see their Facebook page here.

hic’Juice at The Juice Room

hic’Juice is also newly on the scene in Singapore, recently setting up The Juice Room on Boon Tat Street. The small juicing café offers ala carte juices, as well as 1-day cleanses ready for pick up anytime. Hic’Juice offers three different levels of 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day cleanses. We really love this idea, as it’s completely up to you how hard-core you want to go with your cleanse. If it’s your first time you could start with a 1-day Reboot cleanse (which contains a lot of yummy fruit juices). If you’re a seasoned cleanser looking for something to really clear you out, you could try the 5-day Reborn cleanse which contains mostly green juices.

hic’Juice at The Juice Room is located at  Level 2, 27 Boon Tat Street, Singapore, 069623. For more information or to order a cleanse visit their website here.

Learn how to make raw!

The Raw Food Centre

If you really want to become a raw food connoisseur or perhaps start making raw meals that consist of more than a cucumber salad, get in touch with Chef Sunita at the Raw Food Centre. She’s miracle-working raw chef, who is willing to share her recipes and even teach you how to make her delectable dishes in her workshops. Her raw recipes include wake-up smoothies, tacos, mushroom cappuccino soup, chocolate mousse (so good!). In the next few months she’ll be offering her 3-day detox programs, a raw chef certification course, and a 5 night raw retreat in Bali.

For more information on the Raw Food Centre check out their website here.

The Healing Concierge

The Healing Concierge runs a series of detox workshops and health classes throughout the year, in conjunction with yoga studios around Singapore. They offer a popular Green Smoothie Class where you learn the tricks of the trade to create your own smoothies at home. In 90 minutes learn about raw foods, the differences between juicing and blending, how to make healthy and immune boosting smoothies, and how to eat organic without breaking the bank.

For more information on The Healing Concierge check out their website here.

Where to buy raw

At first glance, it can seem tricky to track down organic and raw health foods in Singapore, but once you scratch the surface there are a veritable feast of healthy stores to be discovered. Organic raw produce is certainly pricier than your regular supermarket fare, but is known to have more nutrients and fewer harmful chemicals than commercially farmed food. If you’re willing to spend a little more, check out the below stores for a great range of health food items, superfoods and fresh organic produce:

SuperNature

For organic fruit and vegetables, deli items, natural cleaning products and organic beauty….

SuperNature is located at 583 Orchard Road, Forum The Shopping Mall, B1-05/09, Singapore, 238884 and SuperNature (Mother & Child) is located at 290 Orchard Road, Paragon, B1-20A, Singapore, 238859. For more information call 6304 1336 or visit their website here.

Organic Paradise

For reasonably priced health foods and fresh organic produce…

Organic Paradise is located at 5 Koek Road, Cuppage Plaza, 01-25/27, Singapore, 228796. For more information call 6736 2089.

Nature’s Superfoods

For hard-to-find organic superfoods at wholesale discounted prices…

2 Arumugam Road, Lion Building B, 02-02, Singapore, 409958. For more information call 6841 5476 or visit their website here.

The Organic Grocer

For online delivery and fresh organic produce delivered right to your door…

200 Turf Club Road, Bukit Timah, Singapore, 287994. For more information call 6469 7743 or visit their website here.

Green Circle Eco Farm

Fororganic produce grown in Singapore’s very own eco-farm, online ordering and doorstep delivery….

41 Neo Tiew Road, Singapore, 719028. For more information call 6861 9286 or visit their website here.

Balanced Living

For holistic wellness support, health consultations, detox programs, natural organic foods and supplements….

779 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore, 269758. For more information call 6762 8029 or visit their website here.

Brown Rice Paradise

For organic produce, gluten-free and dairy-free products, vitamins and supplements…

163 Tanglin Road, Tanglin Mall, #02-35, Singapore, 247933, Tel: 6738 1121 and 55 Siglap Road, Siglap Centre, #02-18, Singapore, 455871, Tel: 6448 6770. For more information visit their website here.