I've heard about Yummy Bowl for quite some time but had never visited until now, which was my loss. Most of the comments I heard were about how crowded it is and how much creativity diners used in loading their bowl – but more on that later.
My friend and I planned to have lunch on Columbus Day at another restaurant, but my looming deadline for this article required an audible, to which my friend immediately agreed, as he'd been wanting to visit as well. We were originally scheduled for noon, but at my suggestion we changed to 11:30 a.m., given the stories I've heard about people lining up outside the door. It was a good call.
We arrived to find Yummy Bowl about three-quarters filled. The space used to be Baker's Square, but nothing was left from that former use – even the entry was moved. The first thing diners see is a buffet surrounding a large hibachi with four cooks going all out. There is a sushi bar, a separate seating area and a rather large dining area. The space is comfortable, clean and not too bright.
We were quickly shown to our table and our server came to take our drink orders. While we waited, we perused the menu. There are quite a few pages devoted to sushi and various Asian appetizers, including dumplings and spring rolls. But Yummy Bowl is all about allowing diners to customize their own bowls from a large variety of ingredients, which is then cooked on the grill while you wait, or it can be delivered to your table.
When our server came back with our drinks, she kindly and concisely explained the process. Diners opting for the bowl (which appeared to be about 95% of the crowd) are first given a small sheet of paper on which they write down the table number and their name and select the kind of rice they want to act as the base. They then proceed to the buffet, armed with an empty bowl, into which they place their own combination of noodles, vegetables, proteins and sauces. There's also a stir fry option that is very similar to the bowl process. Lunch bowls cost $11.99.
Naturally, we both opted for bowls, but we also ordered the lunch sushi special (two rolls) and an order of spring rolls. I only managed a small bite of my spring roll before it fell to the ground, but my guest appreciated its crunch and fillings. The sushi was on par with most of the other sushi being offered in Springfield.
After that we grabbed our bowls and headed to the grill, only to be met by a line of at least 15-20 diners and a gathering crowd waiting to be seated. But the line moved quickly and there was sort of a festival vibe with lots of commentary on the styles, tricks and tips people used to stack ingredients to some impressive heights.
Much like a Brazilian steakhouse salad bar, diners first must pass through the veggie and noodle section. There are a few kinds of noodles, eggs (which don't have to go in the bowl) and an impressive number of vegetables. The next section contains quite a few proteins including raw pork, fish, squid, chicken and both marinated and non-marinated beef. All ingredients are clearly labeled and looked fresh.
I started with a thin layer of udon noodles covered with some mushrooms, scallions, cabbage, string beans, jalapeo slices, sprouts, zucchini and broccoli. As I transitioned to the meats, I told myself I would act with restrain. That lasted all of about one second. Although I was nowhere near the more extreme bowls, I managed to pile on just about every one of the offerings.
And then came the really fun part – the spices and sauces. Yummy Bowl has a decent variety of spices — seasoned salt, pepper, curry and more. Most diners appeared to be putting a few shakes of one or another on their concoctions. There are also a dozen sauces that range from sweet to fiery. Squeeze bottles and small tasting spoons are available in case diners are unsure which to select. Then, one progresses a bit further to where you ladle your choices (it's fun to combine) into a small cup and place it on your tray, along with your paper slip. I went for a combination of the Szechuan sauce, hot pepper oil and Thai chili sauce.
Finished bowls are done in about five minutes. We had ours delivered. My guest and I were very pleased with the food and with our ability to obtain exactly what we wanted. In terms of portions, even without our appetizers, it would have been a stretch to finish the entire bowl.
Service was excellent. In fact, since we couldn't finish all of the sushi, I asked for a to-go box but forgot it at the table. Our server came hustling out to deliver it to us as we walked to our cars. Impressive.
Yummy Bowl was fun, delicious and something different. It's a winning combination.
