BY GABE HERMAN | There are so many food options on MacDougal St. between Bleecker and W. Third Sts.
But Mighty Bowl is definitely worth seeking out amid this culinary cornucopia. It offers bowls of Asian cuisine with fresh ingredients, including custom menu items and a build-your-own-bowl option.
The shop, at 120 MacDougal St., is the company’s original location. It opened in March 2016, and is a cozy space, with just five tables and a counter for ordering.
Mighty Bowl has since opened a shop in East Midtown, another on the Upper East Side, and will launch an Upper West Side spot this year.
The bowls are prepared and ready within minutes of ordering. The classic bowl options go for either $8.95 or $9.95. You can choose brown rice, white rice, quinoa ($1 extra) or salad for a base.
A personal Eats favorite is the Tokyo Bowl, which has grilled chicken, scallions, furikake (dried fish and seaweed) seasoning, mushrooms, a poached egg, cucumber salad and smoked teriyaki sauce.
The menu indicates spicy and vegetarian options. The only vegetarian bowl is the California, which has crispy organic tofu, a poached egg, avocado, bean sprouts, pickled red onions, furikake, kale, Japanese mayo and miso barbecue sauce.
The build-your-bowl option includes a base from the rice, quinoa and salad options. One protein can be picked from grilled chicken, grilled steak, crispy pork belly, seared shrimp or crispy organic tofu. The three veggie combo options are kale and mushrooms, Chinese broccoli and mushrooms, or cucumber salad. Up to four extra items can be chosen from options that include fresh cilantro, pickled veggies, chopped peanuts, crispy shallots, bean sprouts and a poached egg. And lastly, you choose from their homemade sauces, including lime fish, teriyaki, peanut butter curry and soy ginger.
Mighty Bowl is popular with Yelp reviewers, despite the occasional complaint that the shop is rather small.
“This is a great addition to the food choices available on MacDougal street, namely because it represents so many different Asian cuisines so well,” one reviewer wrote.
“Healthy and full meal under $10,” another woman commented. “It has become a staple for me. It is great that I get to custom make the bowl. I love the pickled mangoes, the salad and the variety of sauces to choose from. Service is also quick and efficient.”
More information on Mighty Bowl can be found at www.eatmightybowl.com.
