Lunch at Healthy Soba IKI Restaurant @ One Raffles

1 Raffles Place #04-47 One Raffles Place, Singapore 048616

Tel: 6438 6022

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It was time for catching up lunch with *April again, and we decided on Healthy Soba IKI - partially because there was no queue during lunch hour at Raffles Place!

It is a casual dining concept, and specialises in healthy soba noodles made from buckwheat - a very nutritious and healthy grain.  Every bowl is affordable, starting from SGD$9.00 to SGD$12.00.

We took a while to decide on what to eat, before placing orders at the cashier's counter ahead and making payment. In the end, both of us decided to go for the rice bowls, ironically.

We also ordered a Hot Green Tea (SGD$1.00) each - and were given two paper cups so we could pour the hot tea from flasks on a stand near the counter!

Both of us started with a Salmon Salad (SGD$3.00) each, a rather tasty and simple salad tossed with some lettuce, tomatoes and salmon sashimi slices, dressed with a refreshing lemony sauce that made this dish very appetising.

For mains, *April chose the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl (SGD$10.00) - pieces of succulent chicken sitting on Japanese rice. *April commented that it was quite tasty, and the portion was just nice.

I had the Avocado & Pepper Duck Bowl (SGD$10.00), which was packed strongly with flavours. The buttery avocado was paired beautifully with the piquantly-umami smoked (pepper) duck. I tasted no pepper in the cubes of pepper duck, and while the meat was not too tough, it tasted exactly like smoked duck.  The overall toss of duck cubes, avocado and tomato made the rice bowl pleasantly flavourful.

I also added a side of Salmon Sashimi (SGD$2.00), and was rather surprised to note that they actually add my raw sliced salmon into the rice bowl! Perhaps it is the first time I ever ordered a side of salmon sashimi and not see it served on a smaller side dish, but at that price I couldn't complain, could I?

Overall experience was rather pleasant, in terms of food, service and settings. Oh, by the way they serve beer at good prices too - which is why it was a common sight to see some of the (foreign) patrons enjoying a beer or two with their meals.