I have a friend who is training really hard and trying to eat healthy in order to lose weight. When she suggested we check out Big Protein, I thought it would be good to go to a place that is healthy for a change. The place is located in a corner of a small shopping complex next to the Foodland store on Marion Road. It’s not the nicest place you’ve ever seen and it kind of reminds me of a renovated fish and chip shop. There are several tables both inside and out, but from what I could see while I was there, most of their customers opt for take away.

This place reminds me of a Subway store but for salads. The process is simple. You pick your salads, your proteins, your dressing and the size of the salad. There are different cold and warm salad combinations already available, however, you can customise your salad if you choose to do so. Then there are 14 different proteins and 18 unique dressings to choose from. The salads come in 3 sizes; quick fix, big and extra large. Don’t be fooled by the size of the containers (all meals come in containers regardless of whether your dining in or taking away). A quick fix sized container is enough to satisfy the normal appetite.

Tonight, I ordered the Big Super Caesar Salad with Chicken. The meal was ready after a 15 minute wait and was quite ordinary in presentation. The container was large and filled to the brim, however, with all the ingredients squashed inside a plastic container, the salad didn’t look too appealing. The vegetables were fresh and crisp. The carrot and croutons provided nice crunchy textures, while the beetroot had a nice natural sweetness. The bacon and anchovies provided good balance by adding saltiness. Lean chicken breast was used and provided in generous amounts. The chicken was nice and warm, the first time around.

Why do I say the first time around? When I was about a third of the way through my salad, I find a hair in my poached egg. The guy working at the store does a close examination of the hair and admits it was his, and then offers a replacement. While he was inspecting my salad, I couldn’t help notice all the dirt under his finger nails. Anyway, I wasn’t going to go home hungry, so I got him to prepare another Caesar Salad.

Another 15 minutes later, my second Big Super Caesar Salad arrives. Everything was the same except the chicken wasn’t as warm as the first time around. Going through one big salad was a struggle but starting a second was like mission impossible. I only got through a quarter of the second salad and I felt there was too much dressing applied. I was kind of already full from the first one and I had just lost my appetite from the hair and the dirty finger nails.

My friend ordered the Quick Fix Mediterranean Prawn Salad. She said it was delicious and was quite content.

For dessert, my friend ordered the Raw Kiwi Tart. This store doesn’t make them but orders their desserts from a place called Nurish. The Raw Kiwi Tart was frozen at the time of purchase and we had to wait for it to thaw out. The tart was sugarless and tasted good.

The staff were friendly and the service was average. The atmosphere was relaxed as we were the only ones dining there. The pricing is reasonable considering their large portions. They charge depending on the size of the salad and the number of proteins you choose. My Big Salad with one protein set me back $16.50, which is fairly close to restaurant prices. It all balances out really. You get more salad but you don’t get the restaurant service, presentation or atmosphere.

This is the perfectly place to head out to if you’ve just finished your gym workout, you’re too lazy to cook, and you want to eat something healthy. Not my cup of tea but it certainly caters for that niche market.

WHERE: Shop 3, 746 Marion Rd, Marion