Big Bowls Project – Yummy Japanese Bowls at Amoy Street Food Centre

Victoria Cheung
Victoria Cheung
March 11, 2018

Poke bowls in a hawker centre? That’s a first!

If you work in the Central Business District, you are in luck. Big Bowls Project, which sells poke bowls and is 100% Muslim-owned, has recently opened its shutters in the busy Amoy Street Food Centre. Smart move, I must say, for the lunch crowd at Amoy Street Food Centre is crazy.

DSCF2717

When we visited Amoy Street Food Centre around 12pm on a weekday, the hawker centre was already swarming with working adults clad in office wear. I reckon that this place is popular with the working crowd. Thus, if you are unrestricted by lunch hours, I’ll suggest that you make a visit earlier in order to find a seat in this bustling hawker centre. Big Bowls Project opens at 11.30am, and closes at 2.30 pm on weekdays.

As we visited Big Bowls Project during their pre-launch period, only 4 cooked salmon bowls were available. These include Big Bowl’s Homemade Recipe ($7.90). Szechuan Black Bean Salmon ($7.90), Mentaiko Salmon ($8.90) and Truffle Oil salmon ($8.90). Sadly, the Truffle Oil Salmon was sold out on the day of our visit. Note that the prices listed in brackets are accurate at the time of writing (during their pre-launch period). The young owner at Big Bowls Project mentions that plans to introduce a greater variety of rice bowls, and expand their range of products, are underway.

DSCF2670

DSCF2677

We ordered the Mentaiko Salmon, which at $8.90 was pretty much a steal, considering that the portion of salmon was rather substantial. The mentaiko sauce was impressive. The breath of the blowtorch added a smoky char to the tender fish. And, despite the tendency for mentaiko sauce to get a tad too salty, I was glad that their version of mentaiko salmon was done just right. While the salmon was not of the “perfect doneness” (which, in my opinion, should sport a slightly pink middle), it was still tender with a nice bite. However, I was a little surprised at the evidently broken onsen egg, which wasn’t replaced. Perhaps it was too busy a period for them, so I shall give them the benefit of doubt.

DSCF2697

We also tried the Szechuan Black Bean Salmon ($7.90), which is reminiscent of the sauce smeared atop traditional Chinese-style steamed fish. According to the young owner of Big Bowls Project, the black bean salmon is her favourite. Although the black bean paste was not as salty as a typical black bean sauce, it still embodied the characteristic aroma and taste of black beans. The salmon in this rice bowl was cooked well too, with a consistency similar to that of the salmon in the mentaiko bowl. However, I must let you know that the salmon skin is not the crispy type, even though the salmon flesh itself was delicious.

In conclusion, Big Bowls Project has done a pretty stellar job with its salmon bowls, considering it is still their pre-launch period — a time where stalls typically tend to encounter some teething issues. Big Bowls Project is a great and affordable option if you plan to indulge in Japanese bowls in the CBD.  I am really looking forward to their actual poke bowls. For those with Muslim friends and colleagues, why not introduce them to Big Bowls Project at Amoy Street Food Centre?

DSCF2658

Big Bowls Project

Address: #02-90 Amoy Street Food Centre, Singapore 069111

Mobile: 81830250

Area: Amoy Street, Chinatown, Outram, Telok Ayer, Raffles Place

Opening Hours: 11.30am to 2.30pm on Weekdays

Cuisine: Poke, Japanese

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.