Vegetarian food availability: 5 stars Scrumptious and delicious food. The location of this restaurant is very good. The ambience is lively and cozy. We visited this place for dinner and ordered laksa, Benton set and gyoza. The soup in the bento was tangy and hot. The laksa noodles were thick, slurpy and soupy. It was a silky and luscious dream. The fried goya was filled with amazing filling which tasted enchanting. It is a pure vegetarian restaurant. Overall, a great restaurant.

I’ve been a diner of green dot since their early days at the smaller outlet at the other side of the Westgate restaurant stretch. Food was great and teeming with ingredients. Restaurant always felt super clean and cooling. Service by an elder male staff ushering people in was great. The herbal soup always tasted very herbal and healthy. Moving on as business improved, prices increased, the service standards fell. Now you only get two small miserable pieces of mocked meat. Along with a soup that tastes more salty and soy sauce like than herbal. Service was ok but do not understand why the extra staff would rather do their own stuff than clear the people behind the queue wanting to order food. Cashier counter needs to be a lot more efficient - it wasn’t even peak hours.

It's my favorite vegan fast food restaurant! Awesome menu, fresh ingredients, and super delicious. Highly recommended

Walk in on a Saturday afternoon at around 4pm plus, there was not much crowd and some seats are available. Ordered the crispy beancurd skin bento set and was served in less than 10 minutes. The food is tasty and delicious and customer service is good. Will return to dine in again.

Food is always good but can the management do something with the cashier lady? Lady at the cashier needs some customer service training. I’ve been there multiple times and it’s always the same bad attitude.

Attitude of waitresses on 14 Dec 2020 520pm was terrible and rude. They also liked to serve the dine-in customers first and allowed them insert the queue, instead of serving ppl getting the takeaway bento. And this kind of bad service was a recurrent issue.

Me: hey Greendot@WG, you drop something. G@WG: what? Me: Your standard drop. No recommend the new breakfast Wrap set. The overall portion was quite small and the taste was ok but too dry. I will prefer their Burger set instead. The miss.cashier here wasn’t focus on ordering over the counter enough. Doing something else while taking customers orders. Only cash and NETS is acceptable over the counter. If you prefer credit card then will need to scan the QR code to order instead.

Friendly crew, good service. Laksa soup bowl with rice was awesome. Lots of ingredients - greens, mushrooms, taopok, etc. Laksa soup tasted very good.

Staff are a bit older than your usual diner staff. So got to speak louder especially everyone's masked up. The service is not bad. Other than that, food is great as usual.

Great food, but very bad services. The management should set the timing for customer to finish the food and leave.... so that they have more tables to serves other customers. Make a BIG announcement on this, so all customers know its practise.

Frequented greendot at several outlets and westgate has the worse service and consistency. On several accounts when I ordered lakska and mala, the food standard is different; such as spiciness and the chewiness of their noodles. Some staff asked for the spicy level while some said there's no spicy level for their mala. Putting the usual unfriendly service in westgate outlet, the POS system is always down and customers were only informed that only cash allowed until they placed their order. Was in a rush one afternoon, ordered 2 takeaway bento sets and wanted to order their mala today while I withdraw the cash, yet I was told that they will not proceed the order until payment is made. Lack of flexibility and understanding despite their poor payment system. I will never head back to westgate greendot again.

restaurant became smaller, kitchen seemed to have forgotten my order had to clarify the waiter, bad experience as I had to wait for 20mins for just a light bento. food was good though especially the soya nuggets.

Came here recommended by my friend. Impressed by the rendang sauce on the mushroom set ($11.90). Will probably visit for some small bites hehehehaw Place is well lit and can order via QR code.

Greendot was one of the places that didn't have a waiting time during the peak dinner period, so I gave this place a shot. I got the Deluxe Set for 2 persons ($29.90), but I added $1 to upgrade one of the mains to a premium main. I got two premium mains - Angelica Herbal Trio Mushroom and Rendang Lion Mane Mushroom, two greens - Broccoli and Chinese Cabbage, two brown rice, plus a complimentary soup. I thought this was pretty worth it for the price. I was also very impressed with how fast the food was served. I absolutely loved the Rendang, it was fragrant and rather appetising. On the other hand, the trio mushroom dish did provide an enjoyment of different mushroom types, but I wished the herbal taste could come out stronger. The broccoli was very tasty and had a somewhat smokey flavour to it. I'll definitely order this again. The cabbage on the other hand was pretty average. The complimentary soup was rather bland, which would be a good contrast to the rendang. I also got the fried tofu with homemade chilli sauce ($6.90). I though this could be better with a crispier skin.

It’s my first time trying Greendot’s vegetarian food. My friend recommended me to try the bento and i’m blown away by how delicious vegetarian food can be. It’s truly an eye opening experience! The curry dish is made of Lion’s Mane mushroom and it does taste a little bit like chicken. Service is excellent and staff were helpful with the change of seats once the air conditioned seats are available. 10/10 will come back again to try other dishes.

It has been awhile since I ordered at Greendot. I went on 19/12/2023 at about 5pm before the dinner crowd. I had Vinegard Nagaimo & Lotus Root Bento Set. The soup was very underwhelming with only 4 pieces of 5-cent sized carrot and corn. After eating the broccoli, I felt that it had gone bad but continued eating assuming it was like that (it’s been awhile). Not long after (10 mins) my stomach started to churn and I’m feeling nauseous. This is especially distasteful considering Greendot serves no meat and should be better at ensuring their veggies stay fresh. Service was just decent, had to sit myself and read the sign that I had to choose my sit first then, ordered at the counter. I don’t recall having such a negative experience previously (before COVID) at the Paya Lebar Square.

All time favourite vegetarian place. Yummy & healthy, can't ask for more ;p

Love love love this place!! They do offer great weekday student deals and the staff are Super welcoming, helpful, and efficient :)

Mixed vegetarian rice. Sesame oil rice is aromatic as chicken rice. The dishes are tasty. Come with a bowl of soup.

A great place for vegetarian and it have variety of choices. Whether,u choose noodle/rice/hotpot. Lije it’s soup,is tasty than anywhere. Crowded during lunch hours. Minced Soya noodle has a nice fragrant for noodle and soup,is ‘sweet’ which i like so much.

The Herbal Soup with Sesame Rice was not bad. The Soya Nugget was yummy too. Overall food was good and more importantly green.

Choose what I like and yes its nice.

Delicious and a good twist of modern vegetarian cuisine. I had dry noodle with mushroom sauce.

Gets quite crowded during lunch hours n dinner time, but really worth the wait! Imo, different Greendot outlets' dishes have different quality. Bento: Overall satisfied but there was once when I ordered the cabbage side dish and it wasn't as well-cooked?? Favourite sides are: pumpkin (btr than the ones at Vivo's! The ones here taste so much btr), broccoli n cabbage (legit wokhei taste which are good), curry potatoes and rendang monkeyhead! Don't rly like the okra n the mushroom (taste is meh). Sweet and sour nuggets are quite nice, but a little jelak cos thr are q many pcs (no complaints tho, glad that they are generous and fills me up). Didn't like the sambal konyaku (?) cos it tasted like fishcake. My favourite part is dat their chilli tastes rly rly gd!! It's like a must-have for me to eat w my rice ?? Side note: if buying for kids who can't take spicy food, I don't suggest the broccoli tho cos the stem is q hard. I like the texture but kids tend to not like it. I would suggest pumpkin, sweet n sour nuggets?? Otherwise, go for the noodles ?? Noodles: The only ones I thot is worth eating again is the laksa bcos the broth is so gd. Find that all the noodles are just okay. Not rly fantastic?? Plus I dislike the mock prawns n fishcakes (not a fan of fishcakes in general but hey, if u like it, then go for it!) The shitake noodles' soup are rly nice tho. Has a flavourful taste!

As a lacto vegetarian cum vegan my opinion about this place is: laksa laksa laksa.. my favourite.. i visit this place atleast once in a fortnight.. best place to eat chinese vegetarian,.. i;ve tried tomyum, laska and the bento. potato curry, pumpkin curry, sesame rice, sweet and sour nuggets are my fav and the best they've. PS: i'm drooling .. however, their hygiene can be improved as they're certified as "A" . also i saw them using plastic jugs for transferring boiling hot soups from one place to another - which isn't really a healthy way to do it.. we all know that plastic is carcinogenic .. however, i'm only talking about their franchise in westgate mall. hope they'll look into it.

Food was ok. Personally think that their angelica soup is better than their curry laksa. And suggest owner to substitute fake seafood balls to fresh mushrooms or beancurd.

1.Staff does not understand English which makes the simple process of ordering food so complex. 2. The restaurant says visa , master card accepted but they are not.3. food was strictly ok.

Good

Done well for vegetarian varieties. Spiciness is numbingly good. Herbal is well done

4-May-20, order for dinner Angelica noodles and Soup Bowl with Rice. Come with Herbal soup which is very salty and also forgotten about the rice. I am not sure what happened this time? Hopefully, it will improve.

The food here is always healthy and tastes good. There are different categories of food such as dry noodles, soup noodles, salads, bento sets etc. each with a few varieties. The veg. laksa is very tasty. The veg. burgers are very good too (but are not offered in this branch of greendot). <-- not correct. See response from owner below.

(Translated by Google) Try laksa (Original) Try laksa

Good vegetarian food at affordable prices. Definitely recommended.

Amazing vegetarian food ! Must try the laksha!!

The Hotpot Set for 1 with Handmade Noodles ($12.90 nett) was either a new addition to Greendot's menu, or perhaps something that I've glossed over/never noticed before. Wanting to try something different, I opted for this as opposed to my usual favourite. Ordered at the cashier - chose the herbal soup base - & then sat down. Was pretty confused when my meal was served to me & it was a bowl of soup teeming full of ingredients, & another bowl with the handmade noodles inside... Where's the hotpot? I was expecting something at least like the Minipot Noodles (小碗面) that you get at hawker centres.. With a little candle/fire below the pot. But this wasn't the case. Were my expectations misplaced or unfounded? I enjoyed my meal while it lasted, especially with the plethora of ingredients in my soup. My favourites are the shiitake mushrooms, white enoki mushrooms, tau pok, & konnyaku crab ball. However, my general preference is to eat noodles in soup, as opposed to dry noodles with soup on the side. The noodles were served separately for good reason; they were tossed in a soy sauce (too salty for my liking) so I couldn't dunk them in my soup for fear of making everything too salty. With all that said & done, I'll probably revert to my usual favourite - the Angelica Herbal Noodle with Cordyceps ($7.90 nett). The noodles are served in the soup, & it's cheaper too. Not a bad meal, just a confusing one & not to my preferences! ? Cash/NETS only - no credit cards ? Air-conditioned seats available ☀ Al fresco seats available ? Free WiFi available (Westgate is a Capitaland Mall) ??‍♀ No service charge ? No GST

Great service, always greeted us with a smile. Price is above average but food is good. Highly recommend the laksa!

Food is good but service is a bit slow with only one counter.

Not cheap but good vegetarian fast food style cusines

Poor and slow service. Food is overpriced. Doesn't even give a receipt or say thanks when I made payment. Asked me to wait for receipt even when it's already printed. Food is slow to arrive and some dishes not available. Will not patronise again. Poor value for money.

Best vegetarian place

Nice restaurant

Laksa was delicious, and surprisingly spicy!

Nice but a little expensive

(Translated by Google) Delicacies (Original) 美味佳肴

Recommended dish for bento - lion mane rendang Recommended noodles - Laksa and mee pok Recommended burger - Thai spicy konnayaku burger Recommended drink - Osmanthus Jelly drink

Nice vegetarian restaurant. Herbal noodles is delicious

Food is not bad, environment is average

Our favorite vegetarian restaurant in Jurong East, must try the Laksa noodle. Nice and helpful staff!

Consistent food quality, nice ambience

Very healthy and fresh, like it

Enjoy the laksa always

Foods there very nice

TERRIBLE Service! Table assigned by counter staff had food spillage left by the previous customer that was not eliminated from table top on time for the next customer. Saw 4-5 staff standing at one corner chit chatting but none bother to clean the table! Feedback to manager but he just brush me off by asking me to sit at another table! Everyone knows the other tables might be already assigned to others & need to wait for staff to assign table for you! Message the owner on facebook but no reply for 2 days after message being read! Already reported to SFA government.

Good

Healthy and nutritious meal for all ages

Zero service. Staff at counter impatient with queries on food orders. First time there left unpleasant experience.

Tried the hotpot mushroom and a burger with French fries for my son. Vegetables are fresh. The soy bean paste condiment is very appetizing and tasty. Recommended.

Pretty good vegetarian options, but a bit expensive. Enjoyed it. Service was fairly fast.

Great vegetarian restaurant and worth the money spent. Almost taste like the real thing

Good food. Good variety. Good service

(Translated by Google) Every time I think of vegetarianism, I will definitely choose to come to Greendot. (Original) 每次一想到吃素，一定会选择来Greendot

Nice dining place. Indoor and outdoor seating arrangement. Food's really healthy and scrumptious. Pricing a tad above average, but that's cos it's a specialised dining option - purely vegetarian. My go to place about twice monthly.

Staffs are friendly and courteous. Tried the mala, ingredients are fresh and not so oily. Recommended

Foods are good, staff are friendly and prices are reasonable. Indoor space is a little small and outdoor space is a little warm.

Went on Sat noon time for lunch. Friendly and efficient staff. Place is clean and neat. Did not have to wait too long for our food. We ordered noodles and rice. Food is average. Price is on the high side, which is normal since it is in a mall. We were allocated outdoor table, and hence no air con and rather warm.

If you want to have yummy vegan diet for whatever reason. I would recommend Greendot - huge fan of their bento boxes- sesame rice aka so similar to chicken rice, cereal prawn alike of konjac jelly, the vegetables are crunchy fresh and yum. I like having the mala hotpot when I visit with friends. Highly recommended.

16Jan21, 12.50pm. Waited in queue to dine in, staff said this queue is for takeaway and ask us to queue at dine-in queue. We proceeded to wait at dine-in queue, but after that the staff let the take-away queue in to be seated.. Very poor customer management..

The environment is nice. Food is good and reasonable price. No service charge is definitely make me happy. Staff is friendly and helpful.

Nice hearty vegetarian meals that aren't too expensive. I really like the mushroom rendang as well as the noodles they serve here.

The best “fake-meat” burgers I have ever had !! They have other delicacies too but my all-time favourite are the burgers. Cool, unassuming, informal eatery both indoors and outdoors, though I have always done a takeaway. The food quality is so consistent ! If you are looking for a quick meal, this is definitely a joint to consider. It gets quite full on weekends but efficiently managed by the experienced staff !

A nice place for reasonable price vegetarian food. Tried the mala xiangguo and it's tasty.

Laksa always the best!

(Translated by Google) Go often (Original) 经常去

Only vegetarian restaurant in jurong e. Mrt area i think.

Not bad

Always come here for their vegetarian burgers set. Black pepper patties are awesome!

Went for their steamboat for 2 set. Good enough for 3 pax. laksa broth tasted good.

Not bad

Had mala dish and winter melon drinks. Friendly staff and quite good food. A bit pricey with gst.

Laksa very good, must try .😃👍

Very peaceful environment. Place is clean too. Food is nice

Nice foods

(Translated by Google) Love the laksa (Original) Love the laksa

(Translated by Google) Nice laksa there ... (Original) Nice laksa there...

Whether you're vegetarian or not, you simply have to try this! They serve a variety of dishes at very affordable prices. The vegetarian meat tastes quite realistic, and the vegetarian fish/sotong balls are very bouncy and delicious. I don't usually finish the soup when eating noodles, but I downed the cordyceps soup noodles' soup and wished for more! Overall, they have very healthy options which are delicious as well, so you don't have to compromise health for satisfaction, or vice versa.

Delicious vegetarian food

great delicious & healthy food and friendly staffs... even non vegetarian will like the food here... must try the laksa & hebal noodle

Nice food at reasonable price ! Recommended for most vegetarians.

This was named <hot pot> which just ordinary soup. Taste so so, not hot but just warm. Crews were quite rude too

Taste is No difference from vegetarian hawker stall. Just slightly better ambient at double hawker price with GST extra

(Translated by Google) Recommend his sesame rice and sweet and sour nuggets. Delicious vegetable shop, not too oily! Enough (Original) 推薦他的sesame rice 和 sweet and sour nuggets. 好吃的蔬食店，不會太油膩！份量足夠

Personally I like their food very much...as is nice and delicious. Most importantly they don't charge extra fee for takeaway and their boxes are so clean and beautiful.. thumbs up. Marketing

Great & homely service by several senior aunties , despite their age, they are equally attentive than younger waitress elsewhere, importantly the food taste good & well presented too!

Good veg food. Really enjoyed the Taiwanese Spicy Dry Handmade noddles n mala hot pot.

The Laksa Noodles is irresistibly yummy! The gravy may not have the umami flavour of shrimp paste commonly found in laksa, but is not lacking in creaminess from the coconut milk and robustness from the various spices. The laksa also came with a generous portion of chopped straw mushrooms (which substituted cockles in this case), Konnyaku prawn, Konnyaku ball, tau pok and beansprout. We loved the Konnyaku balls in particular for their bouncy texture!🍜⁣⁣ ⁣ This soul-soothing bowl of Angelica Herbal Noodles with Cordyceps tasted so strikingly similar to mutton soup, with the broth being the star of the dish. The soup was flavorful and brimming with an alluring herbal taste that does not overwhelm the other ingredients. It's a really hearty bowl of noodles to slurp up!😋⁣ ⁣ For a meat lover like Bb, Greendot changed my outlook on eating vegetarian food. Definitely a return trip for other items!⁣

I really feel that the restaurant needs to take a look at its Aircon. Even at 8:40 pm, the place was stuffy and hot. Further dampening the mood, I was told they stop serving mala at 8:30, which I was really looking forward to trying. All that aside, I really liked the chicken nuggets which was really crispy and tasty! Although the laksa came looking rather watery, it was actually not that bad. We wish the beans sprout were plucked clean though. Taiwan noodles were good but wished there was a little more ingredients other than the miserable few strands of carrots and tiny pieces of mock meat.

Good service, value for money and varied choices for vegetarian food!

Had bento set for lunch, it comes with soup, the food is full of flavor, fresh ingredients especially the broccoli, the looks of the food are appealing. Generous portions.

1st time visit this restaurant . The foods are actually much more delicious than my expectation. This place is highly recommended for those who want to have vegetarian cuisine.

Ordered lion mane mushroom briyani rice. Surprisingly, it taste nice, the texture of the lion mane mushroom so chewable and mixed well with the curry. Personally i think its good replacement from beef or pork. Should practise more vegan diet to do part of the human duty to save our environment. Btw, food served less than 5min after we placed the order. Thanks for the frenly staff in the restaurant. Been passing the shop multiple times and didnt even realise its a vegetarian shop.

First time having the “chicken rice” at green dot. I happen to love this a lot! The only complaint is that the cili wasn’t spicy enough for me. It’s also very quick and easy to order via QR code, allowing me to skip the queue.

Service is too lousy.. the staff don’t use their brain to serve customer. When Cashier made mistake, they still chase customer to pay for shortfall. Once I ask for less rice coz I hate food wastage. The staff told me never mind you finish whatever you can..seriously? The one star is only for maintaining their price after renovation, though portion seems smaller.

Food is reasonably priced with GST included. Came here with my wife, niece and mum. Myself and wife ordered the Signature Lion Mane Mushroom Rendang with Turmeric Rice Bento Set, niece had the Crunchy Fillet Wrap and mum had Konnyaku Ball Mee Pok with Crispy Mixed Gyoza. I like the bento set. The rendang sauce can be a bit sweet and must goes with the rice, otherwise the mushroom is chewy with nice texture. And it was filling. The mee pok was just ok for me, and I never like the vegetarian meat ball. Never try the wrap though. Will certainly return again to try out other dishes.

First time trying vegetarian food. Not a fan of it. Laksa wasn’t really flavourful. Their prawn balls tasted real tho. Price inclusive of GST, slightly steep but laksa and the side dishes were below $10 each.

Have tried most of the Greendot outlet. At Westgate was the worst outlet. 1st incident (raining) : the uncle that station outside asking customer to go in. We have 5 persons queueing the uncle at 1st call us go in then while we walking half way stop us said later, the place was crowded and we got no place to stand and we stand at the side, not inside the Q-pole as due to the back customer have moved up. The uncle said don't stand too far it's not cannot see, later say don't block the way even we stand at the side. While no customers siting on the outdoor seat when half of the table side will dripping water (photo can't see but that why no chairs at the half of the table) the uncle asked us to go and sit, and I asked Uncle how to sit? raining and dripping. (lack of common sense? ). 2nd incidents: On 19 May the timing was already 8.50pm. The outdoor staff uncle saw us asked us to wait. Thereafter, pretending like never see us (there were one more couple customer after us) We waited almost 25mins outside(by right want give up). Subsequently, there was an auntie staff generally quite nice asking us and the customers after us to faster go in have a seat and faster order. They closing soon. After we went in then realise there were 2 tables empty. The auntie talk to the uncle and told him at the side, that we heard in mandarin sort of (why? What wrong you work late got OT pay mah) I believe that the uncle is unwilling to work extra. Hence, keeping customers away. The attitude also very bad too after we sit chasing us to order because there were only lack of chairs, I went to ask for other table for additional chair. Ordering: we order 2 sets of laska and 2 sets of herb noodle. After my family members 3 consume nearly half. I think how come my laska still haven serve. When to counter the staff apologise mistake that we only want 3 instead we got 4 people. (small matter) Food: Not sure why due to closing? All the noodle and ingredients were higher than soup for herb and laska. (please refer pictures) not sure why so pathetic the soup only half of it. So many Greendot outlets this was the worst ever outlets that I tried. Maybe need retrain your staffs or for those unwilling to help your organisation should re-evaluate. The auntie was nice. 👍

Enjoyed the laksa (~$11) since it wasn't spicy, and it's nice that if you sign up as a member you get a 20% off voucher during your bday month.

Greeted with friendly waiter when stepped into the restaurant, and the waiter will assign us a seat. Once we gotten a table/seating, next is to proceed to cashier to place order and make payment. Ordered vegan hor fun, its very tasty and tasted like the actual non-vegan hor fun. Will revisit this outlet in future.

Walked in for Saturday lunch. Probably 80% full but filled up pretty quickly. Ordering via QRcode was hassle free. Was served within 15 minutes. Service was efficient. Food was exceptional. My go-to vegetarian place whenever I'm at Westgate.

Bought my mother in law here for a meal as she's a Buddhist vegetarian. Upon recommendations from friends we decided on this outlet at the West side. And overall a 5 star experience! They serve really delicious dishes and highly recommended dishes are the rendang, laksa, and Bento sets. I am pleasantly surprised that the vegan dishes don't really taste like it but flavourful and filling as well. The queue can get very long depending on the timing of the day which also says how popular their food is. Do avoid peak hours if you wish to enjoy your meal in peace.

My solo first dine-in experience (have done take outs previously) this evening was quite lovely. I sat at the corner table outside and it felt relaxing although there were many people walking by. If you sign up for the Greendot Care Club, you can enjoy rebates, along with a 20% discount on your birthday and a 50% off a bento for dining in. The bento is a great way to sample all the dishes. Today I tried the Crispy Beancurd Skin with Sesame Rice Premium Bento and it was very tasty. I also enjoyed the old cucumber and carrot soup very much. Today I waited a long time outside to be seated. I was the only one in the queue (3 people came and went away after looking at the menu), but I think you can just walk in to make your order. Apart from that, whenever I had a question, the staff tried their best and they were always keen and attentive. I have done 3 take outs at this branch since discovering Greendot a month ago. The Rendang Lion Mane Mushroom and Nonya Mixed Veg Curry is a match made in heaven so it’s my must-order dish. The Rendang sauce is flavourful and the texture of the mushroom is very satisfying. It tastes exactly like chicken with skin to me. The Nonya Mixed Veg is equally delicious (just like Sayur Lodeh) and I enjoy the small little pieces of taupok inside. My usual take out now would be 2 portions of each of those dishes from the Ala Carte Menu, plus 1 or 2 other single portions to sample other dishes. The portion for each dish is good for 1 normal person or 2 small eaters for sharing. On the first occasion, the box was filled to the brim but on the other 2 take out occasions, it was 3/4 full. I hope that the portions can be more consistent (up to the brim since the box is quite small) as I really would like to continue coming back to your branch to do more take outs. Of other dishes, I have tried the Rendang Lion Mane Mushroom with Turmeric Rice Premium Bento, and from the Ala Carte Menu the Braised Mushroom & Tau Kwa, Sweet & Sour Soya Nuggets, Braised Pumpkin, and Stir Fry Broccoli which I would normally have with brown rice. I would like to try the Laksa and the Pan-fried Lion Mane Gyoza soon!

Great food at an attractive price point. Service is generally good. One downside is that it sometimes gets frequented by birds for the outdoor seating area. Not the most hygienic