A couple of months ago, I was browsing through the restaurant list on Grab, searching for a healthier version of Mac and Cheese for my boy. I came across La Juceria and decided to try out their kids Mac and Cheese. As I don't usually order only one item, I decided to try out the Buddha Bowl. A very catchy name that I felt, at that time, was precisely what I was looking for because I needed to bring out the buddha in me.
Thirty minutes later, Buddha Bowl arrived. I was very excited indeed. I took my first bite, it seemed good, and I started to shovel my fork into the bowl, investigating what was actually inside it—tasting every single food with the tantalizing fragrance and taste of Thai coconut curry sauce.
I enjoyed it though, except for the caramelised cashew brittles that were too sweet and appeared in a clump of sugar. I thought I'd not order it again.
As my boy likes their Mac and Cheese, I'd order the Buddha Bowl whenever I'm getting his pasta for him, as other options don't seem appealing to me. Fortunately, the taste had improved ever since cashews did.
Now, what exactly is the Buddha Bowl?
A student had fed me with some information, which I've also googled later and found this interesting website, What Is a Buddha Bowl? | Kitchn (thekitchn.com) that explains the origin of Buddha Bowl and offers plenty of recipes for us to try out.
"Buddha woke up before dawn every morning and carried his bowl through the roads or paths wherever he was staying. Local people would place food in the bowl as a donation, and at the end he would eat whatever he had been given."
In my personal opinion, a buddha bowl can mean different things to different individuals. Although I enjoy the delicious combinations of grains, veggies, proteins and dressing in a one-dish meal, I'd mostly prefer to eat whatever that's available in my kitchen. Sometimes my bowl appears quite impressively colorful, at times, dull. But one thing that I learned from my son was, how he chose to eat just a bowl of white rice with a dash of soy sauce when he'd lost his appetite during chemotherapy.
It's human's instinct to consume something simple and easily digestible when there is a need for healing. When we think we needed a break, its actually our gut that's needing a break.
What is your Buddha Bowl story? and what's your favourite version of Buddha Bowl?
If you are living in Malaysia, do you also have any restaurant recommendations for me?