Disclaimer: The ginseng dishes and salon treatment were sponsored. However, this is not a paid review and all opinions are our own. We also visited the cafe and salon in April 2021 so no safety measures were flouted! Stay safe everyone 🙂
Located right in the heart of Orchard Road is the popular cafe and salon — Walking On Sunshine! It has an interesting 2-in-1 concept where the cafe is situated right beside its hair and nail salon.
Even before this review, I’ve heard many friends rave about this place so you can imagine my excitement to receive an invitation to try out their ginseng menu and salon services!
I went down on 2 separate days with my colleague, a Friday for the cafe and Sunday for the salon services. Here are my genuine thoughts on our experience at Walking On Sunshine!
About Walking On Sunshine
Walking On Sunshine is one of the most Instagrammable cafes and salons in Singapore with its nature-inspired interior. The wooden furniture, flora and fauna scattered throughout the space truly bring out its theme.
The easiest way to get here is via MRT to Somerset station. Just head towards Orchard Central and take the lifts to level 3, where you’ll arrive right at the entrance of the salon.
Address: 181 Orchard Road #03-07, Orchard Central, Singapore 238896
Phone: +65 8877 0088
Opening hours (Cafe): 9am – 11pm (Mon – Sun)
Opening hours (Salon): 10am – 8pm (Sat – Thurs); 1030am – 8pm (Fri)
The Cafe Experience
Walking On Sunshine’s menu is inspired by both Korean and Western cuisine. While you can find typical cafe dishes like salads, pasta and burgers, there are also fusion options like bulgogi beef and mixed beans salad and kimchi pizza.
We were at the cafe at 1.30pm on a Friday and needless to say, it was bustling with diners. What surprised me was the fact that the cafe remained packed even at 4pm when we left.
Ginseng Menu
Ginseng has a range of health benefits including weight loss, boosting immunity and lowering blood sugar levels.
At the cafe, their ginseng dishes are limited but they have a wider selection of ginseng drinks!
Fried Ginseng
Taste:
Presentation:
An entire ginseng root was served on a long wooden platter with 3 sides of cinnamon powder, honey and honey almond granola. It looked appetising but I was hesitant given that I’m not a fan of ginseng in general.
The good:
The batter was fried to a beautiful golden colour and had a nice crunch when I bit into it. Though I personally don’t fancy the taste of ginseng, it was perfect when dipped with honey and granola.
The not-so-good:
The ginseng was very bitter when taken plain and though the cinnamon did help to distract me from the bitterness, I could still taste it at the back of my tongue.
Overall, this was an interesting take on ginseng! It’s great for diners who want to enjoy the health benefits without having to suffer the bitter taste of it (if you use the right dips!).
Ginseng Coffee Latte
Taste:
Presentation:
The ginseng coffee latte came on a wooden tray with some baby’s breath in a jar, which totally spruced up the presentation of an otherwise normal-looking latte.
The initial flavour of the drink was balanced with a slight hint of bitterness from the ginseng slices at the bottom of the cup. However, towards the bottom of the drink, the flavour of the ginseng started getting more intense.
If I gave a rating based on the initial flavour, it would’ve been a 4.5/5 but I was a little thrown off by the intense ginseng flavour towards the end.
Food and Drinks Menu
Luke’s Favourite
Taste:
Presentation:
This was one of the cafe’s best-selling items so I went for it! At first look, the dish was quite a mess as there are a ton of ingredients included.
The good:
I enjoyed the dressing — it was very well-seasoned and complemented the dish well. I also liked that there was a good variety of ingredients so you could have a mix of different things with every bite.
• One of the eggs was flowy but the other wasn’t.
• The salmon had a slight crisp but was rather difficult to cut through. Some parts of it were slightly dry but the middle part was still a bit moist. Minimal seasoning was used as well.
Overall, it has the potential to be a 5/5 dish but there are still a number of elements that need to be refined!
Beef Burger
Taste:
Presentation:
This dish was also one of the recommended items and being quite a fan of burgers, I had to try this!
The good:
It’s a tall, double-patty burger that came with a generous serving of fries and salad. The brioche bun was thick and the fries were a nice shade of golden-brown and fluffy on the inside.
The onions added some sweetness and a nice crunch while the tomatoes gave some tartness to the burger.
The not-so-good:• I found the beef patty to be slightly dry and crumbly. I would’ve preferred it if it was juicier.
• The fries weren’t particularly crispy on the outside.
As a whole, it was a decent burger that had great variation in terms of texture and flavour. However, the beef patty, which was the main component, was a tad bit too dry for my liking.
Apple Of His Eye
Taste:
Presentation:
Love the presentation of the drink! As for the flavour, I was expecting an apple flavoured tea because of the name. But I couldn’t quite taste that; it was more of a floral tea for me.
Very light beverage that’s not pretentious. A safe choice for floral tea fans like myself!
Just a note that it’s only available hot. If I could have it iced, I would give it a 5/5 😛
Signature Souffle Pancake
Taste:
Presentation:
Now, this is truly a treat for the eyes – the bright colours from the fruits and overall presentation got me really excited to dig in!
The good:
The pancakes lived up to their name as they were nice and fluffy and the fruits added a refreshing element to the dish.
The not-so-good:
The whipped cream was unsweetened. I felt that it would’ve added some depth to the dish if it was slightly sweet.
The souffle pancake has got to be my favourite dish of the day. It not only looked pretty but tasted pretty good too!
I would definitely recommend having sweetened whipped cream or honey on the side to give it that extra flavour that it needs (and I’m saying this from the perspective of someone who drinks 20% sugared milk tea!).
*Do note that this dish takes at least 20 minutes to prepare so if you’re a quick eater, it may be better to have it served together with your mains.
The Salon Experience
Walking On Sunshine has a wide range of salon services including hair treatments, nail care, facial treatments and more. The salon has a nice view overlooking the main road of the busy Orchard district.
Like the cafe, the salon is decorated with lots of flowers and plants all around, giving a calming and relaxing vibe. We were given a warm welcome by Prince (Customer Service Manager) and offered drinks while we waited for our turn.
The Team
Left: Virene (Nail Artist) | Right: Carmen (Director) | Bottom: Irving (Assistant)
The team that attended to me at the salon was a warm and friendly bunch. They kept me entertained during the entire process and were open to sharing their knowledge about hair treatment and nail care!
Carmen (Director) and Irving were in charge of my hair treatment and Virene was my nail artist.
Miracle Aqua Hair Treatment
The Miracle Aqua Treatment, also known as cool treatment, helps to moisturise and correct the shape of your hair strands.
As compared to other forms of hair treatments that use a hot iron, the Miracle Aqua treatment uses a cold plate iron to ensure that molecules remain inside the hair strands. It also promises zero damage to your hair and uses natural ingredients such as meadowfoam seed oil and Quebec water.
The price of this treatment will depend on your hair length. This is their price guide:
My Expectations
According to Carmen, the Miracle Aqua treatment should leave my hair 40-50% straighter. If you prefer a stronger treatment, you can opt for the Cinderella treatment which is said to make your hair 60-80% straighter.
These are my expectations of the treatment:• Less frizzy
• Curl in one direction
• Easier to maintain
My background:
I don’t have any experience with hair treatments at salons and don’t have the habit of using hair treatment at home either.
The Treatment Process
Start time: 5.45pm
End time: 7.25pm (Approx. 1h 40min)
Carmen was incredibly patient during the entire treatment process and explained each step in detail so I could better understand the treatment I was getting!
Let’s get started with what I learnt and experienced 😉
- Step 0: Hair wash
The treatment began with a hair wash which was done by Irving. The hair wash was enjoyable (or as locals would say “shiok!”) and Irving was very considerate.
He made sure to dry the seat with a cloth before I sat down and offered me a blanket since I was in a dress. He also checked if the water temperature and pressure were alright.
After I returned to my seat, Carmen offered me 2 robes to prevent my clothes from getting wet during the treatment.
- Step 1: Activate the cuticles
The first step was to activate the hair cuticles. This means to open the cuticles for the hair to absorb the treatment. Carmen used the blue-coloured bottle (on the left) for this step.
- Step 2: Apply moisturiser (depends on hair texture)
Depending on each person’s hair texture, the stylist will decide on the appropriate moisturiser to use.
In my case, Carmen recommended using the purple bottle*, which is for frizzy or damaged hair. This moisturiser would help to straighten my hair and make it silky!
*The alternative is a green bottle which is for curly hair.
- Step 3: Steaming
As moisture is necessary for this treatment, steaming the hair will help to keep the hair humid. This process lasted for 10 minutes and though it got a bit warm, it didn’t feel uncomfortable.
Immediately after the steamer was switched off, my scalp felt a little cooling!
- Step 4: Coating
After the steaming, it was now time for coating! There are 2 options here – heavy and ex. Carmen used the latter instead as the heavy option might be too oily for my hair type.
- Step 5: Frozen iron
Once the coating was done, they moved on to use the frozen iron. It looked exactly like a hot iron, except for the blue UV light that came from the iron plates.
This process was done exactly the way you would normally use a hair straightener and I didn’t feel a thing.
- Step 6: Rinse
After the frozen iron, it was time for the second round of hair wash!
- Step 7: Apply serum
The second last step before the entire treatment ends is to apply the serum. This step only took a few seconds and helps to condition the hair.
- Step 8: Blow dry
I was finally at the end of the treatment! They finished off by blowing my hair dry and styling it slightly so I could snap a nice photo.
The Results
Overall experience:
When I touched my hair after the treatment, I was truly shocked. It felt smooth to the touch and somehow my hair even felt lighter! I think it’s also pretty evident from the pictures that my hair is less frizzy than before.
The straightness of the treatment lasted about a week before it went back to being slightly wavy but my hair still feels smoother and more tamed even until today!
In all, my experience with this treatment, from the service to the results, was more than positive and I would definitely recommend it to my friends and family.
Basic Manicure
Start time: 6.45pm
End time: 7.30pm (Approx. 45min)
Experience:
While I was getting my hair treatment, Virene came over to do my nails at the same time – talk about efficiency! I got a basic manicure (not gelish) in a bright turquoise color.
As Virene was working on my nails, she noticed that they were streaky. She shared that this was a sign that I lacked calcium and advised me to drink more milk.
The polish chipped within a couple of days though, but I may be a pretty bad gauge because I’m often rough with my nails. Plus it’s normal polish so I wouldn’t expect it to last long.
Enjoy A Multisensory Experience At Walking On Sunshine
Walking On Sunshine is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a relaxing day of self-love! You can pamper yourself at their salon with their extensive list of services before heading over to the cafe for some food.
Do you have a service that you’d like us to review? Send us an email at hello@bumblescoop.com 🙂