It’s always hot in Singapore, and that much is inevitable. But before you reach out for another teh peng (local iced tea with sweetened condensed milk) or ice cream, why not go for a healthier option — a bowl of acai? If you haven’t tried an acai bowl before, it’s a smoothie-like dessert that originated from Brazil, made from blended acai berries.

Acai berries contain healthy fats and have a high antioxidant content, making them a fruit with many potential health benefits. Acai bowls are served ice-cold, with acai as a base, often topped with even more fruits and sometimes honey, making them the perfect guilt-free fix for the weather and sweet tooth cravings. Some treat this whole food bowl as a meal as it is packed with nutrients and toppings like oats, fruits and peanut butter can fill you up. 

With the growing popularity of acai bowls in Singapore, you can easily find them in many places in Singapore. If you’re looking for recommendations, here are some of our favourites.

1. An Acai Affair

Among all the acai bowl brands in Singapore, An Acai Affair is both the most popular and the largest—with 12 outlets located across the country. Variety is the name of the game here. There are 11 different bases to the acai bowls alone and a wide range of fruits, superfoods and drizzles to choose from. If you have difficulties designing your own combination (we know, paradox of choice is a thing), here’s where you can find  pre-mixed combinations that are sure to delight too. Start by picking two different bases from the list—Chia Pudding, Coconut Sorbet, or even Passionfruit Mango Spirulina. Next, choose your fruits and superfoods—anything from kiwi to cacao nibs and pumpkin seeds, before ending off with one drizzle of your choice. Some popular favourites include cookie butter and cashew butter. 

You can’t go wrong with best-sellers like the Nutty Party (S$6.70 for a small-sized serving)—acai with banana, granola, nuts, cacao nibs and a drizzle of your choice—or the Coco Glow (S$7.30 for a small-sized serving)—acai with coconut sorbet, fresh fruits, granola, nuts, superfoods and a drizzle of your choice.

If you prefer a drink instead of a whole dessert, you’ll be glad to know there are smoothie versions available too.


Address: An Acai Affair can be found at any one of their 12 outlets here, including locations like Jewel Changi Airport and Jurong Point.

2. The Oatberry Café

Finding foods that cater to certain dietary needs or preferences can sometimes be difficult. So here comes Oatberry Café, a plant-based café that offers vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, peanut-free and allium-free options. It’s a long, extensive list but it just goes to show the level of commitment the folks at the Oatberry Cafe have towards the needs of different diners.

Customers can’t get enough of the acai bowls, especially when they come generously heaped with granola—all of which is meticulously made in-house. These delectable bowls are also topped with drizzles like chocolate hazelnut butter and macadamia butter. 

Here, acai bowls are priced from S$9.90 for combinations like the Powernutter Acai Butter, or you could build your own from S$11.90. Apart from acai bowls, you’ll also find other sweet treats like acai cakes, acai smoothies, and various options such as waffles, salads and muffins. For those particularly famished, their all-day plant-based brunch sets are equally satisfying.
 

Address: 6 Scotts Road, #B1-K1 Scotts Square, Singapore 228209
Opening hours: 9:00am to 6:00pm

3. Project Acai

We can’t talk about acai bowls in Singapore without talking about the OG, Project Acai. Back then, many mistook acai bowls for another sinful sugar-loaded dessert, which was a fair misunderstanding. It’s true that these sparkling colourful bowls do make them look like ice cream-based desserts, and the texture’s close to that too. But that’s far from the truth. 

Project Acai makes sure to blend its acai in small batches before serving in order to maintain not just quality, but also the smoothness of the base. Prices start from S$7.20 for its handy-sized bowls (the smallest among the three sizes available). If you’d like to enjoy this sweet treat at home, you can also get to purchase ingredient packs too. The Sambazon Sorbet goes for S$12.50 while the smoothie pack version costs just a little more at S$12.85.


Address: Project Acai has five branches dotted across the island, including Holland Village, Ngee Ann City and VivoCity. You can find their locations here.

4. Coocaça

If finishing an entire bowl of acai sounds too intimidating for a first-timer, you’ll find that Coocaça’s acai soft serve feels just right for your tummy. They’re smaller, easier to handle and aren’t arranged like a whole meal in itself (in terms of volume). Of course, Coocaca also sells the usual acai smoothie bowls for those who can’t get enough of the best quality. After all, the brand swears by its ingredients—100% natural and preservative-free.

Coocaça’s acai bowls all cost the same—at a slightly pricier S$12.50—but its Big Surf stands out in particular for being the first-ever blue spirulina bowl. For the uninitiated, this is essentially a type of nutritious algae that’s packed with antioxidants and a range of vitamins that’s great for our overall immunity. Who would’ve known that algae would turn out to be a healthy gem from the sea? All thanks to acai, that’s now easily incorporated into our diet. 

Nutrients aside, it tastes pretty good too. Some have described it to be a tad earthy (similar to seaweed), but it’s not fishy by any means. DIY Acai Kits are available for sale and delivery too! A single pack serves four and costs S$35. And yes, they deliver island-wide.
 

Address: 541 Orchard Road #01-01B, Liat Towers, Singapore 238881
Opening hours: 11:00am to 10:00pm

5. Haakon

Haakon offers a whole lot, and we really do mean a whole lot, of Scandinavian-inspired healthy foods. There are poke bowls, salad bowls, grain bowls, pita bread and smoothies—everything you’d associate with good health and good food basically. The main star of the show’s definitely got to be its acai bowls, served atop a chia parfait for that extra texture and iciness.

Prices of acai bowls at Haakon start from S$8.90 for the regular size, and S$13.90 for a much heftier large size. If you’re feeling extra fancy, additional toppings like bee pollen or coconut flakes are also available for just a dollar each.
 

Address: Haakon can be found all across Singapore, including the latest branch in Serangoon Gardens.

6. The Acai Collective

Unlike the rest of the shops mentioned above, The Acai Collective makes its dessert bases using unsweetened organic acai and frozen bananas. That’s right, this honeyed dessert is made 100% pure with no added sugars or sweeteners. While we get that acai bowls are meant to be healthy, it doesn’t always have to be. For those looking for something that's just a bit more sinful, The Acai Collective’s also got a Milo Dinosaur Acai ($9.50) that comes with Milo powder, Milo cereal balls and chocolate sauce atop the usual fruit mix. 

For something a bit more unique, try its Acerola Bowls or Spirulina Bowls. The former is made from the acerola cherry native to South America that’s best known for being rich in vitamins, while the latter uses frozen spirulina for an extra boost of protein. 


Address: 1 Maju Ave, MyVillage #01-08, Singapore 556679
Opening hours: 10:30am to 10:30pm

 

If you’re ever craving for a sweet treat but don’t want to worry about how much calories you’re consuming, you know just where to go. Instead of good ol’ ice cream, consider getting a hearty and nutritious bowl of acai the next time a dessert craving hits!

 

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