'Protein brother' of SaladStop! to open first branch in the Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — The group behind the SaladStop! chain is expanding food options for customers by introducing HeyBo to the Philippines, its first branch outside of Singapore.
Where SaladStop! often focuses on healthy living through maximizing on greens and vegetables, HeyBo — a shortcut for "hey" and "bowl" — is geared towards more protein- and grain-based options, be it for meat-lovers or those following a vegan diet.
A huge chunk of HeyBo's menu is its bowls, which consist of a base grain, protein, three sides, sauce, dip and garnish. Each of the Signature Bos borrow heavily from Asian and Mexican cuisines.
A few examples of these are the Malay-inspired Kampong Table (mixed grains, roasted lemongrass chicken, tempeh, soft-boiled egg, cabbage sald, lime wedge), Japanese-inspired Shibuya Nights (green soba, baked salmon, grilled mushrooms, soft-boiled egg, cabbage salad, furikake) and Sunday Roast (tri-color quinoa, char-grilled steak, roasted pumpkin wedge, charred corn, tomato salad).
Two Signature Bos are considered vegan options, namely, the Spice Trade (cauliflower lentil rice falafels, spiced chickpeas, fried eggplants, carrot salad, Murukku chips) and El Patron (mixed grains, vegan patty, sautéed capsicum, spiced blackbeans, tomato salad, tortilla chips).
HeyBo will also be introducing two Bos that are exclusive to the Philippines: Humba Wumba (garlic black rice, braised pork humba, charred corn, fried eggplants, winged bean salad, spiced peanuts) and Off The Hook (also garlic black rice and charred corn but with halibut cooked adobo-style, basil tofu, coconut lime spice).
Related: SaladStop introduces new signature salads, healthy wraps
While all these Bos have fixed ingredients, HeyBo will also give customers the option to customize their own bowl from a selection of grains, proteins, sides, sauces, dips and garnishes through order screen panels. Cashless payment terminals will be added at a later date.
Other food options are the Chicken Bao and Mexican Bao, the latter with a vegan patty. Side dish choices include Chips N' Dips (taro, sweet potato, or mixed) and Sweet Potato Fries.
The beverage menu still keeps with HeyBo's healthy focus through three canned kombuchas (Midnight Lychee, Coconut Summer, Pineapple Express), and fresh Calamansi and Raspberry Sodas.
HeyBo's three ice cream flavors are vegan, dairy and soy-free. The flavors are Caramel Crunch, Merry Berry and Happy Stachio.
The first Philippine branch of HeyBo will open in Central Square, Bonifacio Global City on August 14, right beside the country's first SaladStop! branch that opened in 2014.
HeyBo will next open in Sydney, Australia after the Philippines. It plans to open for deliveries next month.
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