With year-end festive feasting just around the corner, we’ve been looking for a way to reset and refresh so we don’t have to feel too guilty after. And after research and taking our – ahem – healthy appetites into account, we’ve come to the conclusion: we should eat more whole foods. Or at least minimally processed foods.

It’s not just salads that we’re thinking about here, but fresh vegetables, fruits and meat, whole grains and fermented foods. Most people may think that this is how they normally eat – but let’s face it, is this the truth? Do you really not sneak a nugget meal here, and hot dog roll there? … We thought so.

Now that you’ve come clean with yourself, it’s also time to come clean with your diet. Not only are whole foods more easily digestible, but their ingestion supports gut health and whole-body wellness in general.  In fact, choosing to eat like this also means we needn’t compromise on flavour and dining pleasure either. The image of dieting being a sad miserable experience comprising pitiful amounts of dry pale chicken breast fillets is really quite outdated!

Here are some of our favourite places that serve the aforementioned whole foods in the most delicious way. 

54º STEAKHOUSE
Beef naturally takes centre stage in a steakhouse; and at 54° Steakhouse, it’s all about premium cuts from cattle reared with specialised feed. Keto dieters will naturally recognise the high protein and nutrition value of this meat; and at 54° Steakhouse, it’s all about enhancing the natural flavour and texture of ingredients.

In fact, the chef personally created the house-blend of seven different spices, toasted and ground from raw seeds and berries; this is the only seasoning used to enhance the bold robust flavours of the various cuts. Whole foods? Minimally processing? Handmade? Check, check and check!

Also, only here can you savour the Porterhouse and T-Bone cuts from the Black Market line of beef by Australia’s Rangers Valley!

FAT COW
Shiki Omakase translates to ‘Omakase of the Four Seasons’; as its name suggests, it focuses on serving fresh seasonal ingredients – not only wholesome but at their peak in terms of taste and nutrition. This rendition features the best of autumn from vegetables to fish – showcasing Fat Cow Head Chef Shingo’s expertise beyond wagyu. 

Of note is how Chef Shingo personally picked all the seasonings and condiments to ensure the highest quality. Interestingly, they’re all very minimally processed – offering rich aromas and nuanced flavours.

KAARLA WOOD-FIRE GRILL & BAR
If you’re looking for “fresh”, “whole” and “sustainable”, then head straight to the rooftop of CapitaSpring for Kaarla. An advocate of using fresh produce to the fullest (‘from nose to tail’), Kaarla prioritises using seasonal ingredients from farms that engage in sustainable and ethically responsible farming practices.

In addition, the culinary team often feature produce from the 1-Arden Food Forest — the world’s highest food forest — located right next to the restaurant. You can be sure that the ingredients are harvested at their best, and, without need for transport, remain at optimal quality even on your plate. Think dishes like the Kaarla Closed Loop Salad, where the freshest greens of the day are paired with pickled daikon and housemade yuzu vinaigrette.

NAE:UM
NAE:UM re-opened on 21 August 2025 with refreshed interiors and menus. The cuisine remains definitively Chef-Founder Louis Han: rooted in traditional Korean flavours and flavours yet broadened by global sensibilities – perfect for enjoying an inventive culinary expression of traditional Korean cuisine’s salubrious focus on vegetables, lean protein and fermented foods.

The current menu brings together the moments, emotions, and memories from his life that have shaped his culinary identity and features both classics and new items such as Hansang, a dish created to represent the full cocoon and simplicity of home. It’s a vegetable-focused spread with ingredients such as royale chives, napa cabbage, onions, nori accompanied by a rotation of banchan and mushroom gomtang, a clear soup with daikon, mushrooms and minari. Hearty and nourishing, packed with essential nutrients and fibre, it’s Chef Louis’ take on absolute comfort food.

RESTAURANT JAG
For the individuals looking to go “all-veggie” even at elegant dinners, our recommendation is Restaurant JAG – which not only showcases seasonal produce at their best, but which has vegetables as the heart of its cuisine.

At the moment, JAG offers three variations of its tasting menus — “Proteins”, “Vegetarian”, and “Vegan” — each course spotlighting key anchor ingredients that are currently in season. As each course in the variations features at least one vegetable as its core ingredient, you needn’t worry about getting enough greens in when dining here!

Better yet, diners with different dietary restrictions and preferences are gladly accommodated. Whether you have an allergy or a less critical sensitivity, the restaurant will make the necessary substitutions – a generous touch that allows guests to always be at their own peak conditions! 

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With these healthier, minimally processed options that taste good AND take care of your health, we think it’s about time for a detox. Who says clean eating needs to be sad and boring, right?

ADDRESSES

• 54º Steakhouse: 54 Amoy St, Singapore 069880
• Fat Cow: Camden Medical Centre, #01-01/02, Singapore 248649
• Kaarla Wood-Fire Grill & Bar: CapitaSpring, Level 55, Singapore 048948
• Nae:um: 161 Telok Ayer St, Singapore 068615
• Restaurant JAG: STPI Creative Workshop and Gallery, #02-02, Singapore 238236