The Green Market

The Green Market
60 Airport Boulevard
#02 Changi Airport Terminal 2


Tasty Japanese Bento In The Airport Departure Area

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 8
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 7
Service: 8
Value for Money: 8
Spent about SGD $18 per person.


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The Green Market in Changi Airport is not accessible to members of the public, due to its location within the departure area. But for passengers arriving / departing Singapore, The Green Market is worth a visit, as it is both an airport lounge, as well as a Japanese restaurant with tasty Japanese food.

Ambience at The Green Market is modern casual, minimalist with hints of elegance. The spacious interior and communal dining tables are arranged neatly, and the colour theme of earth and green against black, with ambient spotlights, lend a zen-like feel. A section is allocated for the buffet spread, which features breakfast selections from 6:30am - 11am, an all-you-can-eat salad / appetizer bar from 11am onwards till late.

The Green Market also doubles up as a paid airport lounge, more than just a Japanese restaurant. As such, there is free wifi, as well as a television, newspapers / magazines, and work desks. As a paid lounge, it pales in comparision to other airport lounges, as The Green Market has less amenities and facilities. However, it's worth mentioning that passengers with priority passes, or certain selected credit cards, can gain free entry to The Green Market, as well as dine for free!

Service at The Green Market is friendly, proactive, and efficient. Staff are always ready with a greeting, and are knowledgable about the various items available on the menu. I wasn't able to observe if staff could communicate in other languages. But they are proactive and helpful, coming around to check on your beverage / meal, and quickly turning over empty / dirty tables.

Food at The Green Market is focused on Japanese cuisine, in particular, value for money bento boxes, perfect for travellers in a hurry. Generally, I find the food here to be tasty, and of decent quality. Definitely not fine dining, but not bad for the price. Portions are quite large for 1 person, and prices are comparable to most cafes, budget about SGD $18 per person for ala-carte, and about SGD $32 per person for buffet.


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Located on the 2nd level of Changi Airport Departure area, the restaurant is rather out-of-the-way, and along with it being a restricted area, means it's rather quiet. Diners here normally chance upon it, or have already heard about this place via word-of-mouth.

The Green Market Signage

The Green Market Seating

A standard, straight forward Green Tea (SGD $1), which is free flow throughout your meal. I like that staff come around regularly to check and top up your cup proactively.

Green Tea

The Beef Shogayaki Set Meal (SGD $12.80) is a large bento box for 1 person, with 8 different components, and is substantial and filling.

Beef Shogayaki Set Meal

I like that the texture of the Rice is sticky but doesn't clump together. The addition of herbs and spices also helps to make this bowl more fragrant and tasty!

Rice

The Miso Soup is robust with a deep savoury / umami flavour that isn't salty, evidence of good quality miso stock, and no preservatives. I like that the ingredients of enoki golden mushrooms and tofu puffs pockets are generous, lending some texture to the soup.

Miso Soup

The refreshing Salad, with a mix of green lettuce, purple lettuce, and bright cherry tomatoes that burst with flavour, all lightly dressed with a fragrant wafu sauce.

Salad

A rather standard, tangy and slightly sour Daikon Radish Pickles, best paired with rice or the savoury items. I wish the slices could be a little thinner though.

Daikon Radish Pickles

I felt the Gyoza was the weakest item in the entire set. Firm skin, slightly oily, not tightly packed with minced pork. Average taste at best, but because it comes in a set, I can't really complain.

Gyoza

The sweet teriyaki sauce glazed Pan Fried Salmon Skin is tasty, but somewhat let down by its semi-firm texture, neither crisp, not soft.

Pan Fried Salmon Skin

Fresh slices of Fruits - Watermelon, Honeydew Melon, Dragon Fruit, straight forward. I'm thankful for the fresh and juicy fruits to cleanse the palate and relieve some of the heaviness of the meal.

Fruits - Watermelon, Honeydew Melon, Dragon Fruit

The Beef Shogayaki was very tasty. The thinly sliced beef is savoury, with some sweetness from the onions, and fragrance from the ginger. Portion is generous, and I like that it's well balanced and not too salty or sweet. Very good!

Beef Shogayaki

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Update Apr-2017: Returned to The Green Market after more than 1 year, and I can see they've improved. The ambience is completely new, it now looks more spacious, open, and welcoming. The service remain quick and efficient, and the food is still focused on Japanese cuisine, with quality being consistently above average.

The Ramen White Market (SGD $10) features a base of tonkotsu / pork bone soup / broth, filled with ramen noodles, crunchy bamboo shoots, earthy seaweed sheets, ajitama / seasoned soft boiled egg with a runny yolk, fatty slices of pork belly, and kamaboko fish cakes. Simple, straightforward, and bold in taste, with notes of savoury salty meaty. Good!

Ramen White Market (SGD $10)

The Ramen Black Market (SGD $10) features a base of shoyu / soy sauce soup / broth, filled with ramen noodles, crunchy bamboo shoots, earthy seaweed sheets, ajitama / seasoned soft boiled egg with a runny yolk, fatty slices of pork belly, and kamaboko fish cakes. Simple, straightforward, and robust in taste, with notes of earthy savoury salty. Good!

Ramen Black Market (SGD $10)

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