Big W for XW Salad bars take me back to the glory days of Ponderosa & Sizzler, and they were one of the best inventions of the 20th century. Call it nostalgia, call it gluttony, but there’s no denying that salad bars are utterly brilliant. So when I heard that @xwwesterngrill unique selling point was that purchasing any entrée gave you full access to the salad bar, I knew I had to give it a go for old times sake.⠀
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During the date of my visit, XW Western Grill had a limited time special of Mentaiko Aburi Chicken Chop ($15.90++). It sounds sophisticated, but it really is quite simple. A juicy cut of chicken thigh fillet is grilled till it acquires a captivating char, and then a deluge of mentaiko mayo is applied on top and blowtorched. The mentaiko mayonnaise was slightly too creamy & not quite umami enough, but the sublime chicken chop more than makes up for it. The skin has become crisp, and the char adds extra smokiness to the already stunningly savoury chicken chop. It’s served with a side of fries, but I left most of it behind as I had the salad bar to explore.⠀
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The salad bar doesn’t just have salad and other delicious, must-have veggie items like coleslaw, creamed spinach, charred broccoli & carrots, and sautéed cherry tomatoes, they have sides too. Think sautéed mushrooms, potato salad, onion rings, sweet potato fries, aglio olio pasta and a couple of other carb options. All these carb & veg options in conjunction with the decently proportioned proteins make for a bulking brother’s dream, and good lord what wouldn’t I give to have XW Western Grill open up a restaurant in one of the three malls in Paya Lebar.⠀
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If any of y’all at @xwwesterngrill are reading this, this is a sign to take the plunge & open a new outlet with a full salad bar in one of the three malls surrounding Paya Lebar MRT. Thank me later.