THE CONCEPT of a healthy meal of chopped-up fresh and cooked ingredients served in a bowl is not new. Poke bowl shops abound and are easy to find in most urban areas and shopping malls.
However, Kubis & Kale manages to stand out by focusing on taste without sacrificing the health benefits of this dish.
At the recent launch of this outlet located at Bandar Sunway, guests had a taste of what’s on offer on the menu with a sampling of four poke bowls designed by chef Aaron Lim, the founder of Kubis & Kale.
“We have divided our kitchen and menu into two: hot and cold,” Lim explained.
The cold kitchen, he said, serves fresh meals made from farm-fresh ingredients that are served raw, and priced at RM18.90 a bowl.
The hot kitchen served cooked dishes, such as grilled chicken breast, and are priced at RM15.90 each.
“Our goal is to make healthy and flavourful poke bowls that are also affordable,” Lim added.
The chef presented two items from the cold menu – the mango habanero salmon and orange passion fruit salmon – as well as two items from the hot menu – grilled molasses chicken breast and falafel) for our sampling.
The orange passion fruit salmon is fruity and nutty. Bits of green apple add a touch of sour to the dish while rice makes up the main bulk of the meal.
Neither savoury or sweet, this bowl reminds me of rojak, but with sliced salmon on top instead of rojak sauce.
From raw to cooked, the grilled molasses chicken breast surprised me at how well the meat has been seasoned as chicken breast tends to be a dull and uninspired source of lean protein. It comes with brown rice and a sauce to complete this hearty meal.
Traditionally, falafel is an Egyptian dish made from ground chickpeas and fava beans. Here, it is served as a vegetarian protein option that does not take away from the overall flavour of the dish.
The best of the four, in my opinion, is the cold dish of mango habanero salmon. It is spicy, aromatic, and filling. The sliced shallots served raw not only compliment but also add to the overall flavour of the dish, while I don’t think I have tasted quinoa this good before.
Lim explained that customers can either order from the ready-made menu for a fast meal or assemble one themselves.
To assemble their own bowl, they just have to pick a base, one protein, up to three sides, up to two toppings, and up to two sauces.
