Right here's an açaí bowl made just for you
Isabel Lee of An Açaí Affair introduces you to your perfect match
They say you never forget a good açaí bowl.
(I doubt anyone’s actually ever said that, but it makes for a good opening.)
They say you never forget your first one either. (Again, I’ve never heard anyone say that, but it makes it all sound even more intriguing.)
But depending on your memory, some details may get lost along the way, and that’s okay – because it’s the taste that matters.
“I remember being very fascinated with the product, because it tasted really good but was also supposedly healthy,” recalls Isabel Lee, the co-founder of An Açaí Affair.
“It was great that a product could taste good but also have numerous health benefits. More often than not, healthy food isn’t the best-tasting, so I was really glad to have discovered it.
“I’ve been hooked on it ever since!”
Healthily obsessed
So there’s a good chance you’ll catch Isabel and co-founder Anna Ng sampling açaí bowls wherever they go, and wherever they may be.
And it’s not just because they love eating it – it’s also because they created something special and wholesome out of their love for it, and are excited to share it with other people.
Known as “Singapore’s largest açaí specialty café”, with outlets at 313@Somerset, Upper Thomson Road, Westgate and Jewel Changi Airport, among others, An Açaí Affair offers açaí bowls with fresh fruits, granola, fruit sorbets, a choice of different nut butters, chia seeds, and more added in. They also have signature toasts, smoothies, and smoothie bowls.
They pride themselves in serving only organic and pure açaí, with no artificial liquids and ingredients. Vegan- and keto-friendly, their single-origin açaí berries are hand-picked by local communities in Cameta, Para, Brazil, and are rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Plus their menu items are free from GMO, preservatives, dairy, gluten, refined sugars and artificial flavourings.
“Having tried many, many açaí bowls both in Singapore and overseas, I’ve had my fair share of good and bad experiences,” Isabel declares.
“An interesting one that I really liked was served at a beach club. It was topped with apricot purée and granola, and nuts that tasted like caramel popcorn!”
All in the name of research
After tasting all of those açaí bowls for their own pleasure and inspiration (“We eat açaí bowls almost on a daily basis,” Isabel admits), the two’s various experiments with flavours and toppings have resulted in an appealing menu – one where there’s bound to be something that would suit your tastes and mood.
But there's more. “We constantly look at health-food trends, and occasionally get customer recommendations as well, when we are brainstorming for new signature bowls and açaí combinations,” Isabel says.
“Stay tuned to find out what else we’ll be introducing to our seasonal menu.”
In the meantime, we get a few ideas from Isabel to change things up with our own açaí bowls and even açaí smoothies… because we can never have enough variety.
Underrated ingredient
“Cashew butter! It’s super savoury and tasty.”
Household staples
“I love to top my açaí bowls with mango, figs, dried mulberries and a drizzle of honey when I’m making them at home.”
Recommendation for a first-timer
Pick all of the toppings, or as much as you can. Their Triple A, for example, gives you “açaí topped with a bit of everything – six fruits, granola, nuts and superfoods!”
Perfect combination
It’s açaí and coconut. “They make a really refreshing pair and a lot of our customers love it,” Isabel states. It follows that they’d like you to try their Coco Glow too.
A great pick-me-up
Have your açaí with something that has “a good amount of crunch”, like nuts. Their Nutty Party has that, plus cacao nibs and banana.
Keeps you going for the rest of the day
“Açaí plus chia pudding can fill up your stomach and give you plenty of energy,” Isabel suggests. If you add fruits, granola and superfoods, you’ll end up with something like their Ch-ch-ch-chia.
If looks matter
Because you eat with your eyes first sometimes. So grab every opportunity to add colour to your açaí. “My personal favourite is the Pitaya Punch. It’s a beautiful pink colour, plus it’s really tangy and refreshing.”
The one you can’t get out of your mind
“You can’t go wrong with mango and açaí,” Isabel maintains. Have your mango as a sorbet (like in their Mango Tango) or fresh.
A surprise
Spirulina is a blue-green algae that’s often referred to as a superfood and supposedly good for you. (You can read more on it first.) An Açaí Affair has incorporated banana cacao spirulina and passionfruit mango spirulina in their menu – you can choose between the two as a base in their make-your-own açaí bowls. Either is also present in their Lean & Green açaí bowl. “It tastes funky but in a good way, and goes well with açaí,” Isabel stresses.
A game changer
If there’s one açaí bowl that changed Isabel’s mind and outlook about healthy eating and living, it’s their Triple A. “It’s our very first menu item that kickstarted this entire journey!”
So there’s no excuse and no stopping you from having açaí bowls – they’re a reliable and relatively accessible snack, and the toppings you get can add to your fruit and superfood intake.
Plus they’re just so satisfying to look at and have.
If you ask Isabel, “Açaí bowls taste great and also work wonders for your body and mind. It’s also a guilt-free treat that can be eaten any time of the day.”
It’s one less thing to think about when we’re in dire need of something cool, nutritious, filling and unforgettable to eat.