3 Monkeys

Special thanks to 3 Monkeys Juice Bar for extending this food review invitation.

Update: This business has ceased its operations.

3 Monkeys Juice Bar is located at Siam Road (Jalan Siam), a short walk from Siam Road Char Koay Teow. The juice bar was founded earlier this year by 3 friends who wish to promote the benefits of cold-pressed juice to the general public. Several months later, The Salad Tree's salad menu was added to cater the health-conscious clientele.

The dining section of 3 Monkeys is spacious indeed. Two hanging chairs provide a unique sense of comfort. Several sections of the wall are deliberately left unplastered, revealing the bare red bricks.

For the salad menu, one of the popular dishes is The Signature Pear (RM15.90). Grilled chicken breast is cut into thin slices so that tangy French dressing penetrates it entirely. Meanwhile, roasted walnuts are very light on the mouth, providing delightful crisp that is not surfeiting. Also included are Packham pear, red capsicum, shimeji mushrooms and cos (romaine) lettuce. The salad is topped with a copious amount of chia seeds, which is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. I like the restaurant's harmonious approach as exemplified in this salad dish.

Next on the line is Creamy Potato (RM13.90). Australian potatoes, boiled and peeled, are mixed with chopped chicken ham and red onions. Individual ingredients are brought together by creamy dressing made from boiled eggs. The salad is served in a bowl laden with green coral lettuce (lollo bionda), then garnished with chopped scallion and parsley for refreshing aroma. Creamy Potato is best enjoyed when cold; I like the icy sensation when chilled potatoes make contact with my tongue.

Orange Fields (RM15.90) is a new item on the menu. Citrus aroma is provided by orange suprêmes, which are on the sour side of things. Indeed, orange's sourness varies from batch to batch. Also included in the salad are bits of chicken ham, honey-coated roasted walnuts, onions, leaf lettuce, cos lettuce, green coral lettuce and red coral lettuce (lollo rosso).

As for desserts, The Dragon Fruit Bowl (RM16.90) incorporates one of my favorite fruits: pitaya (dragon fruit). This slushy treat is made from red-fleshed pitaya blended with açaí berry (a source of antioxidants). The blended mixture is topped with white-fleshed pitaya, kiwi, green apples and rolled oats. A light sprinkle of chia seeds provides crispy sensation.

Meanwhile, The Mango Bowl (RM16.90) is a marriage between ripe mangoes and açaí berry. The mangoes are naturally sweet and work well in an eatery which refrains from adding sugar. The blended mango emulsion is creamier and more filling than the pitaya version. As for toppings, there are two types of pitaya, green apples, rolled oats and chia seeds.

Raw almonds and cashew nuts are also available in packets for RM6.90 each.

3 Monkeys' menu features 15 flavors of juices, which are categorized into several series and come in bottles of 330 millilitres each. The juices are cold-pressed as opposed to being blended, since the latter approach produces excessive heat which destroys temperature-sensitive nutrients especially Vitamin C (ascorbic acid).

Each type of juice is made from pure fruits and vegetables; no additional sugar is added. The juice also does not contain artificial preservatives, which explains why it must be refrigerated and has a shelf life of 3 days only. To keep the juices fresh, 3 Monkeys prefers to keep a small inventory of each flavor and replenishes stock when necessary.

The Nature series of cold-pressed juices covers Apple Carrot Celery Lemon Ginger (RM10.90) and Carrot Beetroot Apple Orange Spinach (RM10.90).

Meanwhile, Citrus series includes Pineapple Orange Lemon (RM10.90) and Orange Carrot Lemon Ginger (RM10.90).

From the Fruits series, there are Watermelon Orange (RM10.90) and Pineapple Watermelon Mint (RM10.90).

Honey Lemon Activated-Charcoal (RM10.90) has grainy consistency due to the presence of coconut charcoal.

Other juices include Apple Cucumber Celery (RM10.90), Apple Beetroot Celery (RM10.90), Raw Almond Cinnamon Honey Sea Salt (RM11.90) and Guava Honeydew Apple (RM10.90).

Besides juices, there are also other refreshing drinks like Chloro Fresh (RM6.90) and Alkaline Water (RM2.90).

All food and drinks at 3 Monkeys are pork-free. The eatery provides delivery service throughout Penang Island for a fee of RM10.00 per order. The fee is waived for orders of RM50.00 or more. Meanwhile, delivery to Seberang Perai is subjected to a minimum order of RM50.00. Besides this outlet, 3 Monkeys also maintains presence in Gurney Plaza and Queensbay Mall in the form of kiosks.

Name: 3 Monkeys Juice Bar
Address: 74, Jalan Siam, 10400 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Contact: 04-218-9745
Business hours: 10:00am-9:30pm
Website: http://www.3monkeysjuice.com
Coordinates: 5.41462 N, 100.32121 E
Directions: 3 Monkeys is located near the midway point of Siam Road (Jalan Siam), on the left side when driving from Siam Road Char Koay Teow. The Salad Tree also occupies the same premises. There are parking spaces in front of the restaurant.