In line with this issue’s focus on healthy eating, this magazine decided to check out a new health food-on-a-conveyor-belt chain – Aiwo (Chinese for ‘Love Me’). Love (not that sort, you pervert!) of one’s heart, waistline, complexion, life span, health could be a main draw to come here and eat.
Aiwo received much media attention in the few months that it was opened, drawing praise for its novel concept, and for making healthy food taste so good. Within the 4-5 months that it has been operational, it has opened a 2nd outlet, and has plans to open another 2-3 more by the year’s end. Want to know why it is so popular? Here’s why:
No carbohydrates. None whatsoever. No pasta, noodles, potatoes and rice. Followers of the Atkin’s diet, may wish to camp here for the next month. After eating at Aiwo 8 times, you will be entitled to a free medical check up (Like some coffee outlets, Aiwo has a rewards card too. (Note : not sure if this still exists. )
No red meat. The only things you can’t find growing on trees or that have roots into the ground are seafood, chicken and tofu. The rest, are all vegetables, beans and lentils.
Their lunch and dinner buffets cost $12.60 and $14.60 (note : price is not this anymore). respectively. You can expect to see 14 different types of dishes on the conveyor belt. They consist of chicken / seafood dishes. And tofu, beans, lentils and vegetables.
The dishes are cooked in a variety of styles – Chinese, Thai, Indian, Western etc – so the dishes are varied in flavours day to day.
But you know, what really takes the cake about this place? Each plate of whatever you take, 50 calories or less, it makes!
By the end of the evening, after we had stuffed ourselves like turkeys (we were mindlessly snatching plates off the conveyor belt) with deliciously, low-fat, healthy food, we managed to walk upright and still feel thin in our clothes.
However healthy and chic this concept of dining is, it may not be everyone’s plate of 50 calories. Those who dislike vegetables and whose palate is mainly towards meat, will lament that there are few non-vegetarian dishes on the menu. And no red meat.
Secondly, those who feel that a complete meal consists of rice, curry and other dishes, may find this outlet serving nibbles that only appeal to beak-like creatures. If any of you fall into that category, you’d be better off elsewhere, saving your $.
Otherwise, Aiwo is just pure delight and a reason (not an excuse) to indulge in guilt-free gluttony.
Update : I ate at Aiwo a few weeks ago - dinner. Cost me around $17+ for the dinner. Best part is, though the conveyor consisted of 14 dishes, they brought 4 other dishes to me. So in a way I was paying for 18 dishes. Go, guys! Really delicious!!! But I wouldn't recommend this place for long, meaningful conversations because you'll be too distracted watching out for your fave dish on the belt and lifting them off to you!
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