GO out for a smoothie and come back looking like Joan Rivers?
That could be a possibility at Pluck Salad and Juice Bar, where they used to add a shot of collagen to your smoothie for an extra $2.
I don’t think any elixir could resurrect my face – which on a good day looks like Nosferatu with a hangover – so I went for the regular Green Goddess smoothie ($11).
Situated in the Bicton Central Shopping Centre, on the corner of Petra St and Canning Highway, Pluck is a popular haunt for locals who can’t get enough of its Asian salad bowls, smoothies and cold pressed juices.
The place has passed me by – probably because I was allergic to salads growing up in Glasgow – but I’m slowly coming round to them in middle-age.
Arriving on Thursday at 11:30am, I thought I would beat the lunchtime rush, but it was already busy with a mix of folk (sweaty pram pushers, students and business folk) getting drinks and a bite to eat.
The menu had a wide range of fresh salad bowls with pork, beef, chicken or tofu including Miso, Kimchi, Thai Chilli, Mexican, Instanbul, and Sweet and Spicy (all $18).
There were a lot of flavour bases covered and the salads were pretty inventive, not resorting to Caesar or crispy chicken, with gluten-free and vegan versions available.
They also sold banh mi and there was a display cabinet with assorted goodies like freshly made wraps and pastries.
The hot bowls were Laksa or Green Curry with chicken, fish or tofu. I went for the Chicken Green curry ($18). I would say Pluck is primarily a takeaway, but there were a few tables inside and some in the shade under the awning and at a standalone bench.
As I waited for my meal I enjoyed my Green Goddess – a super thick smoothie with pineapple, mango, banana, kale, lemon, coconut water and greens powder.
It was well-balanced and not too sweet – one of the best I’ve had in a while – and I could almost feel the antioxidants, vitamin C and iron surging through my pasty frame.
It wasn’t long before I was tucking into my chicken green curry – a fragrant medley of bok choy, green beans, coriander, snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower and fried shallots.
The sauce could have been a tad thicker, but in terms of flavour it was spot on – a lovely mix of creamy coconut with just the right level of spice.
There was a nice variety of veg, esnuring the dish was interesting until the final mouthful, and plenty of thick chunks of chicken – imagine the stuff you’d tear off a roast chook.
Although not super tender, the chicken was good quality and filling, but it could have been cut into smaller, more manageable pieces.
The portion size was spot on for lunch or a light dinner and there was a nice serve of jasmine rice. A very enjoyable green curry.
I also took home a Satay Bali salad bowl ($18) for my wife “Special K”.
She enjoyed the refreshing mix of Asian greens, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, pineapple, coriander, tamari peanuts, lime and hokkien noodles.
“I love the mix of flavours with the sweet pineapple and satay dressing making things very lively,” she said.
“The peanuts and noodles give the salad a lovely texture and make it very filling.
“It’s a very tasty, superior salad.”
My visit to Pluck Salad and Juice Bar was a resounding success.
Next time I might even get a shot of collagen and a gastric band for dessert.
Pluck Salad and Juice Bar
7/158 Canning Highway, Bicton
by STEPHEN POLLOCK