Photos by L.G. Patterson

Columbia is no stranger to good food, and there’s something comforting about a bowl of goodness for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Luckily, there are plenty of spots with all kinds of bowls to choose from, from healthy bowls to ramen bowls, poke bowls and more! We’ve put together a guide to Columbia’s cuisines that makes us bowl over.

Soup-er Excited

Whether it’s a cold day and you’re craving some hot broth, or looking to cool off with cold ramen, Le Bao has all the bowls you could want prepped and ready. Jina Yoo, the owner of Le Bao, says the ramen is a very popular bowl, especially the pork. “We are in general Asian street food, but we have three types of ramen,” she says. “The pork bowl comes with egg, bean sprouts, spinach and corn in there.” Making the ramen is no easy task; Yoo says crafting the broth alone is a two-day process. “We have to soak the bone, discard the water, boil it up in a 40–50-gallon pot, then dump the water to discard all the nasty stuff and then get purified broth,” she says. “Then we season it and cook it for 8-10 hours, then strain it and keep it in the cooler.” But the process is all worth it when she sees people enjoying the bowls on the daily. “It makes me happy when I am seeing people who like my ramen noodle bowl,” Yoo says. “Especially little kids, they love ramen noodles.” It not only tastes good, but Yoo says there are plenty of health benefits to the dish. “It’s a protein broth so it’s really good for you,” she says. “There’s a lot of collagen and other nutrients.” Yoo is also introducing a cold ramen for the summer, which she plans to have available at the end of May. “It’s not traditional ramen noodles; it’s a cold ramen noodle with a spicy sauce on it.” For those inspired to make their own version at home, Yoo says to maybe not, stick to letting the pros make it. “You probably shouldn’t, she says. “It’s way harder than you think.” If you have allergies, Le Bao also has gluten-free options.

Healthy Heaps

Nothing feels better than diving into a healthy and nutritious bowl to fuel your day. At Nourish Café & Market, Owner Kalle LeMone says the bowls are created with a nice balance of flavors. “We have a portion of our menu that are bowls, all filled with organic veggies, sauces, and/or beans and grains, and high-quality protein like chicken, turkey, beef, sausage, etc. can be added,” she says. If you’re attempting to make a bowl at home, LeMone says it’s important to balance macros. “Have some healthy complex carbohydrates (beans, sweet potatoes), healthy fats (olive oil, avocado) and high-quality protein (chicken, beef, seafood, eggs).”

Main Squeeze, which recently started serving food once again when John Gilbreth and his wife took over, has several bowl options to choose from including its most popular Buddha Bowl. This bowl has a mix of rice, tofu, broccoli, carrots, purple cabbage, sesame ginger, microgreens, scallions and sesame seeds. Main Squeeze has always had a mission to promote plant-based eating through fresh juices, smoothies and cafe eats.

Okey Poke

Located on East Broadway is another spot to enjoy a delicious bowl, but this time it’s tangy seafood or savory hibachi from A Little More Poke Bowl & Hibachi Express. Some of the poke bowl options include the Honolulu Seafood Lover, is a sushi rice bowl, with salmon, crab meat, shrimp, seaweed salad, mango and more. If you’re not into fish, A Little More has a chicken poke bowl customers can enjoy with chicken and crab meat, along with fresh toppings like avocado, cucumber, sweet corn and more. Their hibachi bowls are another crowd favorite. The Hibachi Chicken Bowl comes with sauteed vegetables and fried rice or hibachi noodles. You can also get this bowl with steak, salmon or shrimp or pick a combo. So no matter what you are into, A Little More has what you need to satisfy a bowl craving.

Savory Scoop

If you’re craving something savory for lunch, Beet Box loves to offer savory bowl options. “We’ll play around every single day with brand new concepts and recipes. It means every day will be something different. Our services are heavily driven by specials, so expect something different every time you come in,” the Beet Box website states. Amanda Elliott, one of the owners of Beet Box, says the quality of the bowl all depends on the quality and variety of ingredients. “All of our ingredients are bright, punchy and full of flavor,” she says. “We want our bowls to be memorable when you take a bite.” Along with bowl options on the menu, Beet Box allows all wraps to be made gluten-free as a salad or bowl as well. So, if you see something you like that might work better in a bowl for you, the team at Beet Box can make it happen. If you’re looking to get creative in your own kitchen, Elliot says the key is to have, “Lots of fresh pickled veggies, a flavor bomb sauce and protein,” she says. “That’s always going to taste great.” While some of the menu items are subject to change, here is an idea of the flavor combos you can expect when dining in with Beet Box.