The Place
While Asian countries have long been eating protein and vegetables on rice, the trendy health-conscious Buddha bowl has been having a major moment internationally. The popularity is increasing in Shanghai with Little Catch's grain and salad substitutions for their Hawaiian-style poke, Ban Ban's customizable options and Asian-inspired bowls at Wagas. Cashing in on this is the adorably named Bowl Shakalaka on Shaanxi Nan Lu just south of the iapm Mall. The compact two-story restaurant serves eight styles of bowl.
The Food
In terms of bases, you may opt for the standard sushi rice, mixed salad (add RMB5) or ratatouille (RMB8). Low-carb and grain free options are nice, but the ratatouille is haphazard chunks of zucchini, peppers and eggplant in a bland, watery tomato ‘sauce.’ We thought it might be good in warm, cooked meat bowls, but we were mistaken.
Of the options we tried, the laksa shrimp bowl (RMB68) is our favorite in terms of flavor, thanks to a decent thick sauce with all the essence of the Singaporean soup. Yet with just five petite prawns, four slices of fish cake, a few dainty slices of avocado and an onsen egg, it is poor value.
The salmon poke bowl (RMB58) also disappoints with small portions of salmon joined by classic toppings such as avocado, seaweed, roe, cucumber and cashews. A soy and sesame based marinade for the fish is passable, but the over-seasoned sushi rice ruins the overall balance.
In a case of real life versus Instagram, the beef tongue bowl (RMB68) looks excellent on the menu, but the version you get is nowhere near as photogenic. The protein is cooked into oblivion aside from one perfectly prepared piece, hinting at the dish’s potential.
The main issues we have with Bowl Shakalaka are its garnishes. Avocado appears on every bowl, which is odd for the warm options. Undercooked eggs with horrible, translucent whites are a recurring problem.
Food Verdict: 1/3
The Vibe
There is nothing especially noteworthy or creative about the restaurant’s interior. The menu graphics are a clear copy of Charlie’s while the overall concept references similar venues. Other places just do this type of food better.
Further cementing our dislike, the servers were indifferent at the very best. There is just something off-putting when they don’t even make eye contact when dropping off your food.
Vibe Verdict:1/2
Total Verdict: 2/5
Price: RMB50-100 per person
Who’s going: health nuts, people with dietary restrictions
Good for: customizable cold and hot bowls devoid of personality
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