The Lawn Salad & Grill Cafe

Eating on site for the first time, have to admit it is much nicer than delivery. You fill up an order sheet, then proceed to pay. You will be given a buzzer to collect your food when it goes off. From order to collection, it took less than 5 minutes!
This round I ordered the salad with carrots, beetroot, egg, broccoli and couscous. Topped with herb marinated chicken. The chicken was so good. Very well flavored and quite generous in portion.
For the first time, I didn’t feel hungry after a salad meal. Will definitely revisit!

This place was deceiving. Super cute on the outside and well, unimpressive on the inside. I love the salad bar concept but it only works when everything is super fresh. The lettuce was wilted/​soggy and that’s the base of the salad. If that’s not fresh and crisp, the entire salad is lack-​luster. And that’s how it was for me. Plus, they don’t offer ranch dressing. Wtheck is that about, right? Am I right or am I right?

Great variety and affordable, though every meat is cooked on the same pan which causes everything to taste almost the same, be it fish or meat.

The grilled items are quite tasty but they’re a bit too oily and seasoned. Also, the salad leaves weren’t very fresh.
Our customised salad was missing bell peppers. It turns out that they were out, but this should have been explained instead of simply omitting the item without a substitute.
That said, it’s one of the healthier options in the Buona Vista area.

As a frequent tourist to Singapore, I really enjoy the local fare. But sometimes you just need a good salad. Coming from a country where vegies are fresh and readily available it’s always been a struggle to find the equivalent in Singapore.
When I first discovered The Lawn, I was wary about their offerings as I had been disappointed by other so called salad joints in Singapore.
Food:
I am glad to say that the Lawn satisfied my salad cravings. The bowl comes pre-​mixed with a good portion and selection of mesclun vegies. There’s a sizeable range of healthy additions such as chestnuts, tofu, alfalfa sprouts, amongst others. However the best part is the grilled proteins available, my favourites are the garlic marinated prawns and the marinated dory fish. But the duck breast and Ben’s beef rub also come highly recommended.
Value:
Salad bowls with 5 toppings, one grilled protein and dressing (which are all homemade and delicious) is priced reasonably. Some might consider it overpriced but I believe that the amount of fresh vegies and grilled meat you receive per serve, is definitely value for money!
Ambience:
Taking ‘the lawn’ concept into consideration I found that owners did a fantastic job in creating a witty and idyllic picnic style environment complete with astroturf comfortable cushions!
Other highlights:
–There’s always great music playing through the store
— They serve a pretty decent coffee (at the Shenton Way outlet) and dessert selection (both outlets) for those like to indulge a little
All in all, I highly recommend visiting The Lawn either at Biopolis or the Tanjong Pagar outlet.

The Lawn has pleasant outdoor seating that is covered by large umbrellas. The ordering process is streamlined pretty well and, even with large lines, it moves relatively fast. You basically choose from 1) salad/​rice 2) a protein/​main and 3) a sauce/​dressing. Our orders came out anywhere from 1 to 10 minutes each. I tried the salsa duck with rice. The veggies included were fresh and tasty, such as carrot strips, corn, and tomatoes. The rice had a slightly spicy pepper flavor, which was pleasant. The duck pieces were large and tender with an interesting mango-​salsa-​like marinade. Overall, the meal was quite good and priced competitively with other lunch places of a similar caliber.

As we strive to eat more healthily, one of the things we hope to see more is a decent salad eatery. More precisely, a place that serves a substantial amount of fresh veggies with a variety of toppings at reasonable prices. Well, we’ve finally found that place hidden in… who would’ve guessed… Biopolis.
Here, you create your own. For less than $ 10 (plus extra few bucks if you order additional toppings or premium grills), you can have a large bowl of salad with your preferred «grill» and 5 toppings, or a side salad with olive rice and a «grill». They offer about 25 toppings, and the grill can be veggies, meat or fish. There are close to 10 dressings to choose from, ranging from the spicy me so to the sweet maple peanut. I have tried and liked the Dory grilled with herb, as well as the grilled chicken. The olive rice is worth a try even if you’re not a fan of olives. It’s delicious and certainly more filling than a bowl of veggies.
They also serve freshly brewed coffee and tea, but when we went on a weekend, I was told that only tea was available that day. Perhaps the barista gets the weekends off?
The restaurant is laid back with comfortable seating, but I’m sure it gets packed with the office crowd on weekdays.
SUM: waiting for them to open up more branches…

Note: i wrote this review in March 13 on a different website.
When a friend mentioned that a new salad shop had opened in the West, I was excited. Unfortunately, my excitement quickly turned into dismay. My pet peeve when it comes to salad cafes/​restaurants are places that market themselves as «healthy» when their salads are anything but.
I ordered the char grilled garlic prawns (which I note, come highly recommended here). Mine were served extremely salty and oily. And by that I mean that the morning after my dinner, I was STILL extremely thirsty, and this was despite eating less than half of the prawns which were served. This was a pity as the prawns were juicy and of a nice size. I think there was simply just TOO MUCH marinade on the prawns. My entire salad was oily and salty, so I couldn’t eat much of the vegetables either. Perhaps one way to solve this is to have the meats unmarinated and only seasoned when placed on the grill. The option of less oil would also be welcome. After having my salad, I was extremely thirsty and remained so the next day.
I would have also preferred if more green vegetable toppings were available.
Perhaps I’m a purist. When I have my salads, I want to be assured that I’m truly having a healthy meal. I think this was anything but. If you value well seasoned meats over your greens, perhaps this place might be for you.

Let me get this straight. I USED to love The lawn. I mean, it after all introduced me to the yummy world of salads. The lawn used to be
1. Cheaper
2. Fresher
3. Bigger portions
But somehow, after they became popular, the quality of their food just kept going downhill and downhill and so does the service. Every time I go in with excitement, I exit the restaurant with disappointment.
Today I ordered a black pepper duck salad with 5 toppings. Let me say the good stuff first, the duck is still delicious. All of the 2 stars I am giving to this place is for the duck. OK, that’s that with the good things, let me move on to the bad. First off, there were «water marks» on their greens (which actually means the veggies were starting to rot!), a salad is supposed to be fresh, this is quite unacceptable. And then, there were just a total of maybe 15 pieces of lettuces. I mean seriously, you call yourself a salad place, and all you have in the bowl of greens are lettuces, what happen to other salad greens? It used to have so much more variety of greens than now. I can’t help but feel cheated. Finally, the dressing, I asked for dressing on the side, and it came as small spoonful in the small container. I was shocked at how little dressing I was given, that even after I poured everything into my bowl, the salad still didn’t taste like anything.
I can go on and on, but I wouldn’t. Let’s just hope that you guys will do something about the quality of your food because it used to be good, and I want it to be good again.

great grill-​and-​salad in biopolis — at the nanos building, which really is respite from what has been a long drought of appetizing food options in the area. the denotation of salad café raises connotations of maniacally sparse eating — but I think it’s more accurate to say that this place does a mean grill, and serves up a great selection of salads on the side (or beneath, to be completely pedantic).
we were spoiled for choice by the many options — and then bowled over by the quality of the food, before leaving literally bursting at the bits. the portion sizes are large, the prices reasonable for what is really good cooking — which showcases the quality of produce used here — and that makes for good eating well worth visiting, especially in a gastronomically-​barren area such as this one.
for photos and more:

Nested in a quiet corner of Biopolis’ building Nanos The Lawn is a great find (within 10mins walking distance of Buona Vista mrt). My the time my friend and I got there (about 1.45pm on a weekday) and we were told that there was only the chicken & prawn grills left (that’s how popular they are with the office crowd!!!). I’ll make sure to beat the lunch crowd in future so that I can sample their fish options :) Despite that, they did manage to whip together a wicked meal and impressed us both. We did thoroughly enjoy our meal & The Lawn left us thinking… «Salad Stop who???»… It was healthy yet ridiculous tasty! I would happily go on a diet if I could eat there everyday. My only sin was the peach beer ($ 8)! But I regret nothing. It tasted great and was the perfect compliment to my salad. They carry a modest selection of premium beers (akin to The Good Beer Company).
We had the chance to chat with one of the co-​owners, Sarah, and she explained they got the inspiration for The Lawn from Palo Alto’s very own Pluto’s (which is very popular on University Ave). Similar to Pluto’s concept, you get to «build your own salad» — choose 5 toppings & 1 meat. Unlike most other salad joints, The Lawn grills your meat on the spot so you get it pippin’ hot & fresh. I had the chance to try Pluto when I was living in the Bay Area so I can fairly compare the both and say that I prefer The Lawn :)
The Food ($ 9.90)
1. Grilled Chicken breast with Maple infusion (One of the most popular items)
— I LOVE THIS!!! When I think of chicken breast (especially those placed in Salads) my brain is automatically conditioned to think of dry/​cold meat because this is how most places prepare it. However, The Lawn’s chicken breast was ever so tender and savory! Very well marinated, I must say. It has an addictive subtle tinge of honey flavor to it (akin to Honey chicken). The serving portion was very generous too! Good for guys (Even the big boys).
— The rest of the salad was pretty standard — mixed greens.
— The toppings I chose — corn, eggs, grapes, tomatoes, bread crumbs (I think they were cheese laced bread crumbs).
2. Char-​grilled Garlic Prawns
— My friend order this & she loved it too! I had a little taste of 1 or 2 prawns and it was good. Well marinated and fresh.
The Secret Sauces — This is what really MADE the Salad (aside from the delicious hot grilled meat).
1. Red Island — My favorite!!!
— Not sure what’s inside but it’s heavenly. This sauce was a creamy orange/​peach color. Savory yet it has a slightly sweet aftertaste. I am hooked! I wish I could buy a bottle of this sauce and dip all my food in it.
2. Honeyball
— If you are a fan of sweet dips this one is for you! It’s thick & brown. Think of a sweeter version of the traditional BBQ sauce?
3. Perky Sesame Ginger — My favorite #3
— This one gave my chicken an oriental flavor! Yums! It looks like a light brown liquid sauce.
4. Maple Peanut
— Peanut lovers, you’ll jump for joy at this one. It’s a well made sauce but I prefer my peanuts in my PB&J sandwiches.
5. Me So Spicy — My favorite #2 (almost on par with #1)
— It’s the twin of Red Island (*a smilar appearance — a creamy orange/​peach color) except a little spicy. Not too spicy though (my spicy tolerance level is 2/​5, and it was ok for me).
6. Citrus — This one is a light blend of citrus & olive oil (I believe). It has a green/​olive appearance but not much of a taste (in my opinion).
It was such fun trying all the sauces!!! @Sarah — Thanks for allowing us to do that :) But honestly, even without the sauces my grilled chicken was awesome! With the sauces, you’ll get to switch up the flavors (x2 awesomeness)!
The Desserts
— I didn’t get to try any because I was too stuffed from lunch (as I mentioned serving size is very generous!!! Don’t be fooled to think that this salad is a mere humble starter) but on my way out I saw that they offered tiramisu in a jar! How cute is that? Definitely will go back to try it another time.
The Service
— Fast & efficient.
The Ambiance
— A clean concept of carpet grass and picnic like checked tablecloths. It makes you feel like you are on a picnic with friends. They have fluffy cushion pillows on some tables too. Great for a lazy weekend afternoon!
Overall: Great experience. Exceed all my expectations (initially I was thinking it was just another Salad Stop clone but how wrong I was… This is much better! The sauces and the grill won me over & puts it at the top of my list for Singapore’s Best Salad Joints. I only wish that they will have more outlets :)

If you have the perception that eating a salad for lunch means that the meal’s not gonna fill you up, I’m going to share two things:
1. You’re not alone
2. Visit The Lawn to be proven wrong
I’ve had many a salad in my lifetime of weak attempts to lose weight, and I’m going to declare that the salad I had the other day at The Lawn definitely makes it into the Top 3 Best Salads I’ve had in Singapore. And at an affordable price to boot. ($ 9.90).
The tricky part is you’ve got to get the right mix.
You get:
— A choice of 1 Grill (ranging from chicken breasts, types of fish, prawns, duck, beef, even mushrooms or asparagus for vegetarians)
— 5 Toppings (a whole stretch of toppings laid out on the table, such as corn, roasted potatoes, pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, walnuts, apples, CHEESE etc)
— A Dressing (honeyball, perky sesame ginger, maple peanut, citrus, ma sa spicy, and others which I shall not elaborate further because it doesn’t matter until you taste it anyways)
EVERYTHING IS UP TO FATE — I kid, you can try your best to create the same combination every time once you’ve perfected it.
(I think it’d be great for the shop to recommend the best combinations after doing some experimental tasting sessions themselves, so people won’t have to wreck their brains over it hah!)
I must be lucky because I got a great combi on my first try — Char-​grilled prawns on a veggie base, dressing was perky sesame ginger, and the 5 toppings I can’t really recall except there were pineapples (worked amazingly well with the prawns), egg, corn, cucumber… oh and pasta.
The perky sesame ginger dressing was delectable — it keeps you going, very yummeh.
My friend, who ordered a dory salad with honeyball dressing, wasn’t so lucky because I found her dressing too sour for my liking — and it was strange because a name like honeyball would make you expect it to be sweeter than most. So yeah, one tip — the dressing choice is significant.
Can someone go and try the rest of the dressings and let me know how it goes? :D
It was a sumptuous experience in the mouth. Nom noms juicy prawns and nom noms fresh greens.
I noticed they sold cute tubs of Tiramisu — The Tiramisu Hero; it was $ 7, a little tad expensive but we were in the mood for desserts. Mmm, the packaging was adorable, but I’ve tried better Tiramisu elsewhere. Nonetheless, this would make perfect festive gifts to co-​workers! Employee of the month, here I come.
The environment and setting was very good to chill at, not sure how it’s like during lunch hours though. Some part of me feels that it might get a little crowded because most of their ingredients sell out fast.
The only complaint I have is that people not working in the vicinity would have to make a tiny climb to get to the location. If you’ve heard me whine while I was finding my way under the hot sun, you’d think the sun crash-​landed into Buona Vista.
Thankfully, The Lawn serves free-​flow plain water. There are other drink options of course, but if you’re a strict «salad-health-yoga-cleansemybody&soul» type of person, you’d know you’re at the right place.
Check out
for more pictures and reviews.

The lawn is a good place, only if you are not looking for a good fresh typical salad. Otherwise, you might be disappointed by the variety of greens they offer. Unlike other typical salad bars, they have a premixed bowl of greens which you can add toppings and meats to. The dory fish is pretty tasty, but the prawns tend to be a tad too salty. The beef cubes have good flavor, but definitely on the well done side. It’s good for once a month (only if you are in the vicinity), otherwise it’s real easy to get sick of. I wish they will offer some other selections of greens like an arugula salad or a caesar salad. Their pumpkin soup (if they have it) and the bread roll are worth a try though.
An update: One of the owners apparently does not take constructive criticism very well, so for that, it gets a drop in star rating from 3 to 2.

The Lawn is great place for lunch and a good compromise between your carnivore and vegetarian friends. Basically you pick a serving size (either pot or bowl), followed by choice of grill ranging from chicken to prawns as well as beef and poultry. Then you pick your toppings which include eggs, nuts and corn etc before dressing it up with a choice of eight sauces.