Rice Bowls: Popular, Profitable and a Platform for Invention
The daily rice bowl that is part of almost every meal in China is poised to score big in the U.S. At Big Bowl, a Chicago-based chain, diners have embraced the Asian concept of a rice bowl topped with kung pao beef or Panang curry chicken. In college foodservice, rice bowls are a top trend because they're easily adaptable to ethnic flavors and perceived by students as healthy. It's the ultimate one-bowl meal and a fun way to eat, even if you aren't adept at chopsticks.
Miso and Soy Glazed Salmon Rice Bowl. View the recipe or watch the video.
In the chopstick-using countries—such as China, Japan and Korea —rice is generally served in a bowl for a reason. Have you ever tried to transport rice from a plate to your mouth with chopsticks? If you have a bowl that you can raise to your mouth, eating rice with chopsticks is not a problem.
In the U.S., where chopsticks are optional, chefs have more flexibility with rice bowls. You can use ever-popular medium- or long-grain rice; aromatic U.S. jasmine or basmati; or a whole-grain brown, red or black U.S. rice to give your rice bowl a more healthful profile. Rice bowls are a perfect way to build a healthful meal because rice is the perfect partner with vegetables, lean meats and seafood, and can make a delicious vegetarian meal with tofu, beans or cheese added.
As for toppings, unleash your imagination. Chinese stir-fries and Japanese teriyaki preparations are obvious winners, but what about Thai red curry beef, Indian tandoori prawns or Indonesian chicken satay? You can even liven things up by letting customers be involved with cooking their meal by stirring their rice and toppings in a hot stone bowl as is done with Korean bibimbop. It's easy to please vegetarian customers with toppings like Indian chick pea curry; spicy lemongrass tofu with peanuts; or soy-glazed eggplant. Rice bowls fit perfectly in a buffet or self-serve station.
From the operator's perspective, rice bowls make bottom-line sense, balancing a low-cost ingredient with smaller portions of higher-cost ingredients. They're a great vehicle for repurposing leftovers and inspiring daily specials.