[SPONSORED] The working week doesn't have to be all about Monday blues, desk lunches and wry Hump Day jokes—not when there are so many delicious, fun reasons to get away from the office during your lunch break. Here are some easy (and affordable) ways to make weekday lunches just as exciting as weekend ones.

Bayang

1. Surprise your tastebuds

We know the economy vegetable rice downstairs from your office is perfectly fine, but if you want to kick those mid-week blues, treat yourself to a different cuisine. Mexican, for example, isn't just for late-night munchies. Muchos at Clarke Quay has a three-course lunch option involving a soup, your choice of quesadilla or burrito, chile con carne with rice and dessert ($15). More into Spanish than Mexican? Octapas serves mains like rosemary-crumbed chicken breast and fried fish with mango salsa as part of its two- or three-course lunch set ($15-$18).

Asian food lovers, pay attention to these: RENNthai does a two-course lunch set with tom yum soup and a choice of chicken satay, black olive rice with fish or green curry with rice. Indonesian restaurant Bayang has a three-course set ($15), with flavor-forward options like nasi goreng Indonesia with sate ayam and laut bumbu kuning. Chinese food fans should check out the three-course set at Hutong, with highlights like deep-fried spring roll and fried noodle with beef in XO sauce. Did we mention all these sets are $15?

Fremantle Seafood Market

2. Feast like a king

When you're taking out a client or treating your team for a job well done, you need a bit of multi-course flair. Try something like Ras The Essence of India, which does a two-course and a four-course set lunch, with dishes like chicken curry, meat kebabs and naan. If you're more into seafood, Fremantle Seafood Market has one-course, two-course and three-course options ($10 and $25) with choices like Australian sirloin, seafood linguine and tiger prawns. 

Motorino Pizzeria

3. Ditch your diet

Pretend it's your weekend cheat day by going to town on a decadent juicy burger or slider ($10-$25) courtesy of The Butcher's Club Burger, complete with their signature duck-fat fries. There's also the signature ale-battered fish and chips at Catch Beer & Batter ($15), a choice of marinara or margherita pizza from New York’s Motorino Pizzeria and any of the big plates at Harry's. And to gorge yourself on a selection of signature Sichuan and Cantonese dishes at a mere $25, head to Peony Jade.

Hot Stones Steak and Seafood

4. Go on an affordable date 

Having a casual first date or seeing your friends for a gossip session is a great way to blow off some workday steam. Many of the restaurants around Clarke Quay are rolling out a 1-for-1 special on Mondays for lunch. Vietnamese classic Little Saigon Restaurant & Bar serves you doubles of the $10 and $25 set lunches, and Tomo Izakaya offers the same for its $25 set. Irish bar and restaurant McGettigans, Hot Stones Steak and Seafood and Fremantle Seafood Market also have the 1-for-1 Monday promo, but limited only to the first 10 pairs of diners, so get there early! If you’re looking for a quick drink, Harry’s does 1-for-1 on its Harry’s Premium Lager bottles between noon and 3pm.

Harry's

5. Get outdoors

Take a break from the canned air and fluorescent lights of your office building and decompress your brains with the riverside views and breezes of Clarke Quay. Restaurants like Harry's have particularly nice views. But if it’s a great riverfront view you want, head over to places like Little Saigon and tcc-The Connoisseur Concerto. The latter does a two-course $25 weekday set lunch, with a mushroom soup, a main from either the "Burger, Pizza and Sandwich"  or the "Pastas & Baked Rice" section of the menu and a coffee or tea.

Hooters

6. ...all without breaking the bank

But before you think having fun on weekdays is hard on the wallet: several restaurants doing weekday set lunches at Clarke Quay have promotions starting at $10. Purveyor of local favorites, Xiao Chen Gu Shi does a chicken rice set with four sides and a soup for $10, and a two-course meal at Hooters costs the same.

How about a free meal?

Win up to $50 of food vouchers from Clarke Quay. Visit them on Facebook or Instagram to find out how.

Heads up to CapitaStar members
Scan your lunch receipts from participating outlets and get 3X STAR$. More details here.

For more information on affordable and exciting set lunches at Clarke Quay, click here. Terms and conditions apply.

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