The Morning Gazette

I'm a big fan of DIY salad bars and poke bowl spots, such as Take-Out Salad or Stuff'd Daily Bowl. It's my go-to when I don't know what to eat but still want something healthy.

Hence, I was happy to find out that there's a new DIY salad bowl and poke bowl cafe in Keppel Bay Tower, Harbourfront--Nalu-Ri!

Nalu-Ri DIY salad and poke bowl cafe at Keppel Bay Tower in Harbourfront, Singapore — Nalu-Ri, a DIY salad and poke bowl cafe in Keppel Bay Tower, Harbourfront

Fresh ingredients and toppings at Nalu-Ri DIY salad and poke bowl bar — Fresh ingredients, toppings, and dressings available at the Nalu-Ri DIY salad bar

It's great news for office workers nearby like me, as we now have another healthy lunch option. Even if you're just shopping at VivoCity or looking for a quick lunch before heading to Sentosa Island or Universals Studio Singapore, Keppel Bay Tower is very near and easily accessible from VivoCity.

That being said, the area is close to popular tourist hotspots, so the price of a salad bowl may not be considered very cheap. But it's still below $15, and they give pretty generous portions!

Nalu-Ri salad bowl and poke bowl menu in Harbourfront Singapore — Nalu-Ri's menu

The concept behind "Nalu-Ri" is inspired by a blend of cultures including Polynesian, Japanese, and Malay, resulting in a 100% Muslim-owned salad bar that is vegetarian-friendly, pescatarian-friendly, and halal (حلال). Nalu-Ri offers three in-house signature bowls:

Signature Bowls	Description	Price
Spicy Aloha Poke	Polynesian-inspired bowl featuring sashimi-grade salmon tossed in signature ‘dynamite’ aloha sriracha dressing, layered over sushi rice with avocado, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, pineapples, purple cabbage, and spiced corn kernels. Garnished with scallions, furikake, and tobiko.	SGD 14.90
Miso Maguro Poke	Sashimi-grade tuna marinated in a delicate yuzu–miso dressing, served over sushi rice with wakame, edamame, tamago, Japanese cucumber, sliced carrots, and kimchi, finished with toasted sesame.	SGD 14.90
Rasa Java	Teriyaki chicken served over sushi rice with sliced cabbage, sliced carrots, Japanese cucumber, egg, tofu, and cherry tomatoes. Dressed in a fragrant peanut–lemongrass homemade dressing and topped with roasted peanuts and scallions.	SGD 12.90

The friendly staff members also mentioned that I can change any of the base, dressing, sides, or crunch toppings, even for the signature bowls.

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View this post on Instagram

I decided to go with my own Nalu-Ri (Malay for "instinct") and crafted my own DIY salad bowl instead:

DIY salmon poke bowl with soba noodles and salad at Nalu-Ri Harbourfront — My DIY salmon salad bowl

Make Your Own Bowl (Regular Size)

Base: Romaine Lettuce, Soba Noodles
Protein: Sashimi-grade Salmon
Dressing: Mentaiko, Yuzu-Miso
Sides: Sweet Potato, Tomatoes, Corn, Tamago (Egg)
Crunch: Furikake, Nori (Seaweed)

💸 SGD 11.90
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8/5

I've never reviewed salad bowl spots before, but I realised they come down to two important characteristics: quantity and quality of ingredients.

Quantity refers to the range of choices the place offers. Honestly, for a small salad bowl store like this, offering salmon, tuna, smoked duck breast, and teriyaki chicken is pretty impressive. They also have five bases to choose from: sushi rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, soba noodles, or romaine lettuce. There are also plenty of toppings and crunchy add-ons to choose from. The possibilities are endless!

Soba noodle base in a DIY salmon poke bowl at Nalu-Ri Harbourfront — Soba noodles as a base in my DIY bowl

The quality of the ingredients is also top-notch. I chose salmon as my protein, and it was juicy and fresh. I wasn't 100% satisfied with my dressing though: the mentaiko was a bit too strong and creamy for my liking. In hindsight, I probably should've chosen something lighter -- just the yuzu-miso alone might have worked better.

In addition to fresh salad bowls and poke bowls, Nalu-Ri also sells frozen yoghurt, pastries, and coffee.

Also, don't forget to use your Grab app to pay and enjoy 10% off with the Grab Dine-Out discount!

Overall, I'm ecstatic to have Nalu-Ri around my office area, and I'll definitely return soon.

🔗 View Full Menu Here