Restaurant Review: SaladStop! at Central Square (BGC)

With more restaurants sprouting like mushrooms, BGC has inevitably turned into every foodie’s haven. If you want burger, pizza, steaks, bibimbap or shawarma, a certain place in BGC will surely have what you’re looking for. But once in a while, yuppies like me who work in The Fort look for the cleaner and greener option. We have recently tried a few restaurants that offer healthier alternatives (there are even a couple that serve organic food), but there is this specific restaurant that we have definitely fallen in love with! I’m talking about SaladStop! in Central Square in Bonifacio High Street. The place first opened its doors December of 2014, but we were too intimidated to give it a try. My friends and I had this connotation that eating healthy means putting a hole in our pockets. But earlier this year, we took a risk and gave it a go. We got hooked since then!

I already lost count of how many times I’ve been to SaladStop. When I first saw the restaurant, I was immediately mesmerized by its simple yet vibrant interiors. The dominant colors are light brown, yellow and green, which simply remind me of nature. The yellow and green chairs will definitely convince you to eat more fruits and veggies! And to top it all, their walls are surrounded by photos and sketches of more fruits and vegetables. Hahaha!
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They have a wide array of different salads to choose from. But if none of these appeal to your palates, you may opt to create your own salad. You can actually see through how the staff members prepare your salad. The number of calories is also clearly indicated on each item of the menu. This gives diners, especially the health-conscious ones, ample options to suit their needs and/or preferences.

In the many times that my friends and I have been to SaladStop, we get the same thing over and over again – Hail Caesar! I would try other items from their menu, but I would end up eating Hail Caesar again on my next visit. I’m thinking that it’s probably because the Filipinos’ taste buds are mostly accustomed with Caesar salad. (In short, Caesar salad lang kasi ang kilala natin! Haha!) Either this or my friends and I just love the familiarity we get each time we eat SaladStop’s Caesar salad!

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Hail Caesar Salad PHP260 / Wrap PHP250

Hail Caesar has Romaine lettuce so you’re getting enough dose of your greens. It also has eggs for your protein boost. The croutons and bacon bits definitely added crunch and more texture to the salad. Ahhh! You will never really go wrong with bacon! With the addition of grated Parmesan cheese, its marriage with the bacon gave this simple salad some salty kick. The Caesar dressing is very tasty yet it still highlights the distinct flavor of each “cast member” from this ensemble. Who says that salads should be boring?! Believe me, it’s one of the best Caesar salad you’ll ever have in your life!

The plain Hail Caesar has 526 kcal. You may opt to add grilled chicken for an additional PHP50. I have tried both. But I have to say that the plain Hail Caesar is good enough even without the chicken. This is one of the perfect example of the cliché, “Less is more.” Plus, it’s kuripot-friendly, too! Hihi! :p

For the first time that day, I got to try Man-Go Wild! It has Romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, green mangoes, red onions, turnips, raisins, fried garlic and mint, all tossed in mango vinaigrette. I asked the server if I could replace the green mangoes with ripe mangoes instead. With all these things, you probably think that there are a lot of things going on in this bowl of salad. Well, you’re absolutely correct! My husband didn’t really like it so he ended up eating my Hail Caesar. I actually loved the burst of different flavors as I dig into this salad. You’ll get the freshness of the cucumbers and the lettuce, the pungent taste of the red onions and garlic and the hint of sweetness of the raisins, carrots and ripe mangoes. I think that my call to change the green mangoes was a wise choice. The green mangoes would have been too sour for my liking if mixed with the acidity of the mango vinaigrette. I liked this salad, but my vote still goes to Hail Caesar! =)

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Man-Go Wild Salad PHP260 / Wrap PHP250

The plain Man-Go Wild has 453 kcal which is way below the Hail Caesar. I guess this lighter salad is perfect for those who are mindful of their calorie count. But if I remember it correctly, there are other choices from their menu with calorie counts as low as 359 kcal. It’s Jai Ho salad, if I’m not mistaken.

You may say that the prices are a bit steep for a serving of salad. But with the very generous serving, believe me when I tell you that you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. One bowl of salad is very filling. You may also opt to have your salad on a wrap. It’s PHP10 cheaper but the calorie count is higher. Hail Caesar in a wrap is at 717 kcal! But if you want something more filling and you need more fuel for the day, the salad on a wrap is a good idea. What we usually do (well, at least before I got pregnant) is we buy a wrap, split it into two, eat the half in the morning and have the other half for lunch. Plus, this is good for those people who are always on-the-go. You can just munch this while walking or if you’re having a working lunch!

Aside from the salads, they also offer other healthier food choices. I specifically love their yogurts and their cassava chips! =)


SaladStop!
G/F Bonifacio High Street Central Square,
5th Ave. cor. 30th St., Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City


* All photos were taken with an iPhone 4s

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2 comments :

  1. Ang healthy naman neto. Gusto ko na mag foodtrip sa BGC tol!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I've been hearing a lot about Salad Stop. I hope they put up more branches.

    ReplyDelete

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