Work Lunches: Simply Green Grab & Go
FOLLY: Earlier this year (or was it late 2018?), Simply Green said goodbye to their Workstation location. Not sure the reason why but onwards and upwards, I guess.
NOSA: This new location is a much smaller location and the staff take up all the seats so I’m not too sure if this is an upgrade like that.
FOLLY: Their salads came back (delivery only) in July and without much advance teasing, they announced in August that they were coming back with a new space in Mega Plaza.
NOSA: Actually, maybe it IS an upgrade. Mega Plaza is very central in that “other side” of Victoria Island so they should be in good stead with the takeout orders. Also, the parking at Workstation was an absolute disaster.
So yeah…good on you, Simply Green.
FOLLY: Their Instagram page announced a new range of salads and wraps, so we popped in on a Saturday morning to grab a healthy start to the day.
FOLLY: I really wanted the vegan chickpea pesto wrap that i had seen on Instagram, so I was so bummed that it wasn’t available when we went. When I set my heart on something to eat and I can’t get it, everything is always going to pale in comparison and I always end up moody and sulking.
NOSA: Oh, that’s another thing to note. There’s no kitchen in this new spot so don’t expect anything warm. It’s all cold sandwiches and salads so be guided.
FOLLY: I actually didn’t want anything anymore but I’m trying to be a grown up these days and not cry because of food like a baby, so I ordered the Balsamic Beef Wrap and went home to toast it. I don’t like cold cut sandwiches or cold sandwiches in general. I don’t know how Nosa does it but this local man can eat a sandwich straight from the fridge - can never be me. My excuse is that I have sensitive teeth and I cannot chew cold food.
NOSA: Cold sandwiches are lowkey a favorite of mine. Get me a cold chicken caesar wrap and I’m your friend for life.
FOLLY: I’m not sorry that I prefer the fillings of my sandwiches to be warm with a nice toasty exterior - be it bread or tortilla.
NOSA: Because I’m not a local man like Folly, I didn’t have those reservations and I got the Chicken Pesto Salad.
FOLLY: The wrap is loaded with a lot of beef. You absolutely cannot miss it, every bite had meat, no stinginess in that regard. The next thing this wrap has a lot of was carrots and kale, for these I am thankful because they added a much needed crunch to the textures of the wrap. This leads me to the second thing I got at the Farm Box: the granola parfait. The parfait, unfortunately, had the granola layered through it and had been sitting in the fridge so the granola had soaked up all that moisture and was no longer crunchy - just like Weetabix when it goes swimming in milk.
I know some of you may say that if the granola is all on top what happens when you get to the bottom and there’s no more granola. This is why I like that Nuli has their granola in a separate cup on top and you can add a little bit as you go, and so there’s no risk of soggy granola.
NOSA: Despite that depressing looking pesto, the salad wasn’t the worst thing. Toasties is much much better, but Simply Green is serviceable. They weren’t selfish with the chicken so that, too, was very much appreciated.
FOLLY: We’re filling this one under work lunch because it’s designed to be a grab and go or delivery service. If you’re heading here, don’t expect space to sit in and dine though as there’s just about three stools which may or may not be occupied by staff.
POSTSCRIPT
FOLLY: It’s okay. I’m still sad i didn’t get what I wanted.
NOSA: It’s not bad, actually. It’s definitely “grab & go” and it’s worth a quick stroll from your office.
VERDICT
DAMAGE
They didn’t give us a receipt and we lost the take away menu. It’s cheap and cheerful though.
PARKING
You can park at the Mega Plaza car park. Free under 45 minutes on weekdays. N200 on weekends.