Grains & Hops: Gobble Up Grain Bowls & Skewers In Orchard Road For A Hoppin’ Good Time

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Tucked away in a sleek and futuristic YOTEL along Orchard Road, Grains & Hops is a hip, new restaurant bar for craft beers and skewer rice bowls. They pride themselves on white rice alternatives in their rice bowls; who says eating healthy can’t be yummy?

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The spacious and brightly-lit interior helps to put diners in a cheery mood with the wide windows letting in plenty of natural light, which makes for beautiful photos too!

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I first tried a tasting portion of their special craft beer (yes, this is where the ‘hops’ part of their name comes in). As someone who isn’t too fond of beer, I must say I was impressed by the Grains & Hops Brew ($7 for half pint, $13 for one pint).

Concocted especially for YOTEL, this light and sweet beer was easy to drink and the fragrant finish also made me think of Jasmine green tea.

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To start off, I tried the Coconut Curry Carrot Soup with Seasoned Rice Croutons ($12). Fragrant with a hint of spice, the strong coconut flavour hit my taste buds immediately. The soup was also thick and smooth with just the right amount of heat, which is perfect for the chilly monsoon season! The rice croutons were a welcome with its airy and crunchy texture to the dish.

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The chef recommended his specialty: the Marmite Chicken Pops ($12). Marmite isn’t something I’d eat regularly because of its bold taste, but I decided to give this dish a try.

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Drenched in Marmite sauce, these deep-fried chicken chunks turned out way better than I expected. The chicken was juicy with a crispy outer layer, and each piece exploded with sweet and savoury flavours in my mouth. A sip of beer for each bite made for a good combination; you’ll definitely want to order this dish as bar bites.

One of the highlights of the restaurant is that diners can build their own skewer rice bowls for sharing, but I decided to choose from the preselected sets.

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The Grilled Angus Beef ($23) came with multigrain rice, which was huskier and chewier than white rice. Served with honey mustard sauce on the side, this was a hearty yet healthy bowl.

The beef was lean, and slightly tougher than expected, though it was still juicy. And the black pepper marinade had me smacking my lips for more.

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The beef chunks were served on a skewer, which made it easier to eat. I took a bite from the skewer before pairing it with a spoonful of rice to get the perfect ratio of meat to rice! It got a little heavy halfway through, mainly because the multigrain rice and beef were both big on flavours.

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I also tried the Grilled Miso Salmon Fish ($20), which was also served with multigrain rice. I felt that this grain and meat pairing was better because the lighter taste of salmon complemented the heavier taste of multigrain rice.

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I liked how the teriyaki sauce helped to moisten the multigrain rice, and the juicy salmon was also given a sweeter flavour by the sauce. My favourite part was actually the salmon skin, which was greasy and crispy. Definitely a guilty pleasure.

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For a fuller and heavier meal, I tried the Deep-Fried Kurobuta Pork Loin ($20). Lightly breaded, the deep-fried pork felt a tad dry but was still flavourful, and filled me up quickly.

If you enjoy meat skewers that are bigger on flavour, this is the rice bowl for you!

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I also enjoyed the garlic quinoa in the bowl, which was smaller and softer than the multigrain rice. The subtle garlic fragrance helped to brighten the taste of the dish, while the softer texture also complemented the crispy fried pork pieces.

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I tried a small tasting portion of their bestselling Purple Sticky Rice, and its texture is closer to white rice. You can actually swap any types of grains for this. We were told that this is popular with most of their customers, and it’s not hard to see why!

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No meal is complete without dessert, so I had to choose a few sweet endings for my meal. The Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Krispies ($11) was a decadent confection smothered in chocolate butterscotch. Melted marshmallow was also drizzled over the stack of Rice Krispies.

Layers of peanut butter and melted marshmallow were also sandwiched in between the Rice Krispies, resulting in a crunchy yet chewy texture. Topped with vanilla ice cream and garnished with fresh berries, this was an indulgent dessert that’s perfect for sharing.

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For a lighter dessert, I tried the Peach & Berries Rice Popsicle ($8). I was initially quite sceptical because rice and popsicles don’t sound like they would go well together. But this light and refreshing dessert proved me wrong.

The slight fruity flavour went well with the creamy popsicle, and the scattered Rice Krispies provided a contrasting crunch. A very satisfying end to a delicious meal!

If you’re looking for white rice alternatives, Grains & Hops will be your next food haunt. Pop by during your lunch break for a quick meal, or unwind with craft beer and rice bowls for dinner. Eating healthy has never tasted better!

Expected Damage: $20 – $40 per pax

chope restaurant reservation

Grains & Hops: YOTEL Singapore, Level 10, 366 Orchard Road, Singapore 238904 | Tel: +65 6866 8067 | Opening Hours: 6.30am – 11pm (Sun – Thu), 6.30am – 12midnight (Fri & Sat) | Facebook | Website

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