Seen quite a fair bit about Bamboo Bowls on social media and all, but didn’t manage to head down when they were still new-new back then since their operating hours are rather limited. Having the chance to be in the area these days, decided to just head down to see what they have to offer. Super clean aesthetics aside, Bamboo Bowls is an interesting concept when it comes to both the food, and the experience. The ordering process is a little cumbersome for first-timers; orders are made through a dedicated app so it does take some time to input the required details (such as card details since they only accept cashless forms of payment) — all that with the rather slow network speed whilst I was there. Once the order has been placed and payment is successfully made, a “pod” will be assigned to the order, where one would need to collect the order from the assigned pod. A notification will prompt on the phone to inform the patron that their order is ready for collection, and one would have to click on the phone to “open” the pod to collect the order. Pretty much aligned to its super minimalistic interior decor, Bamboo Bowls serves up healthy, yet gastronomic grain bowls — each bowl offered is named after a country, and features elements that is tied to the cuisine served in the said country. The menu is co-developed with several chefs from all around; take for example Chef Bjorn Shen of Artichoke/Small’s, Chef Mano Thevar of Thevar, and Chef Nicholas Phillip of Barbacoa in Bali.

It wasn’t too easy making a choice with regard to which grain bowl we wanted to go for, but the Singaporean in us probably felt like we do resonate to the “Singapore” bowl best given the description on the menu. The Singapore, which is created in collaboration with Chefs Eugene Chan (of Panamerica) and Keith Wan (of Quay House) comprises of sugar-free coconut curry, fresh vegetables, and smokey bean sprouts topped with crispy laksa leaves — patrons do have the option to either opt for an entirely plant-based bowl, or choose to add a pre-selected protein; in this case, the house-made prawn cake. Another choice that patrons are able to make a choice would be in their carb preferences — again, patrons can pick between the default whole grain selection (brown rice laksa noodles in this case), and a low-carb option (Shiratake Yam Noodles in this case). It is noted that the option to go for protein and the low-carb option is a chargeable “upgrade” — both of which we didn’t go for.

Opening up the biodegradable container, one would notice how the grain bowl is beautifully plated — mixing up all the elements to coat them up with that rich sugar-free coconut curry, it is of particular note that the gravy is especially creamy and lemak without being cloying or heavy; carried quite a good punchiness despite not being overwhelmingly spicy — just right for those who are able to tolerate low levels of spiciness. To make the entire bowl more wholesome, they did add some crispy laksa leaves (almost similar to that of dehydrated kale) for a light crispness, whilst the addition of peanuts (though I wished they did stated it clearly in the menu) provided a nutty note with more crunch and bite that went surprisingly well with the sugar-free coconut curry. Amidst all of that, the smoky bean sprouts pretty much replicates that sort of texture one would usually expect out of nicely-cooked beansprouts served with the usual bowl of laksa, while the julienned cucumbers provided a refreshing crunch; a fusion of various textures all in one bowl. As with some Laksas out there, they do provide a half of a boiled egg which was good to have, while the brown rice laksa noodles were slurpy and springy; done just about right so it doesn’t become too soft — also came with a very light hue of maroon since it was also made from brown rice. The home-made prawn cake also made an impression; it is almost like a slab of Otah with a consistency of steamed egg; soft and easy to chew through, yet containing chunks of prawn within for that slightly sweet touch amidst the light notes of the rempah spices — pretty enticing. The entire package came across as wholesome and hearty, yet light and easy to finish without clouding the tastebuds with an onslaught of flavours.

It is without a doubt that a lot has indeed went into the concept behind Bamboo Bowls — from its super clean aesthetic, to the entire dining experience and the food available in their menu; there is a lot to be said about the thought and effort which has went into the entire concept. Whilst the basic bowls (i.e. plant-based bowl with whole grain carbs) are pretty reasonably priced at $10, opting for the various choices available does bring the bill up significantly that makes it less appealing as a daily dining option for some. Still, Bamboo Bowls is certainly worth a go once a in a blue moon; an establishment that not only serves up gastronomic grain bowls that distinguishes them from the typical salad/grain bowl joints, but also one that seems to be all big on environmental sustainability where even effort is being placed to separate the different types of waste and reusing placards that comes together with every bowl. Looking forward to be back some other time to give their other bowls a try!