inthekitchen
Healthy
Bowls
This 21st-century food trend has gone
beyond craze to become a grab-and-go
staple. Often bright and beautiful,
this serving style’s roots lie in
Hawaiian and Brazilian cultures, but
it rose to ubiquity by way of breakfast
and smoothies. Now, bowls sporting
bold flavours, veggies and fruits are
a gourmand go-to for any meal.
Chosabi
■ Poke Bowl
Chef Cho
Vengavongsa
has changed the
city’s fast-casual game
by combining Japanese
and Korean cuisine with Filipino and Hawaiian influences.
Emblematic of his approach is Chosabi’s poke bowl (above),
which places beauty in the eye of the bowl holder. Piled high
and protruding from this traditional Hawaiian dish are cubes
of salmon, tuna, tofu or shrimp, while a certain snap comes
when biting into fresh cucumber. But it’s the distinctly Asian
elements that elevate the dish. Furikake, a Japanese seasoning,
flavours rice. Seaweed-based wakame salad garnishes the bowl.
Wonton chips add crunch. Depth and a pleasing kick comes
from the horseradish-esque heat of a wasabi aioli.
Fortify ■ Curry Bowl
This green eatery’s protein-packed
curry bowl (left) meets operations
manager Jared Vanderveen’s goal to
provide plant-based options for all, and
Indian influence flavours this bowl.
Marinated chickpeas sing atop a fluffy bed of jasmine
rice. Woven throughout are strands of ribboned zucchini
and carrot. Peppery leaves of arugula
add subtle spice to any forkful. The
zip of a garlic creme and citrusy
pops of cilantro brighten the bowl.
Photography: Ian McCausland, Courtesy of Chosabi (Poke Bowl), Courtesy of Fortify (Curry Bowl & portrait)
Poke Mono ■ Tropical Mango Bowl
Chinese-born and Japanese-trained chef
Zhehong Wen has taken the skills and refinement
he picked up in Tokyo’s kitchens and is bringing
that influence and artfulness to his first Winnipeg
foray. Wen takes special care to hand-select
mangoes and carefully cube pieces for the Tropical Mango
Bowl (right) to ensure unrivalled freshness. Topped with shrimp,
this electrifying dish whisks one away to sun-soaked lands with its
natural freshness and flavour. Drizzles of house-made teriyaki and
sesame sauces add depth. Wen’s desire to tell a story through the dish
and passion shines through in every palate-pleasing bite.
16
ciao! / summer / two thousand twenty