Sometimes, all you need is a big comforting bowl of rice.
Lucky for us, places like Dragon Bowl exist, the Vancouver fast-casual restaurant that offers customizable rice and noodle bowls.
Located at 1168 Alberni Street, Dragon Bowl bills itself as a spot for “Chinese comfort food made easy,” and during a recent visit, we had the chance to try it out for ourselves.
Guests at Dragon Bowl will find a simple menu that breaks down each bowl by component – you can choose from rice, brown rice, salad greens, or noodles as a base, and build your bowl from there.
Options include a variety of proteins, including shrimp, beef, chicken, pork, or a vegan option, along with several different sauces to pair with them. We chose the Spicy Dragon Sauce, which had a bit of a pleasant numbing quality thanks to the Sichuan peppercorns.
As for the bowl’s toppings, the options change depending on the week, what’s in season, and what’s available from suppliers, but expect anything from marinated lotus root, cucumbers, fermented cabbage, bok choy, wood ear mushrooms, bean sprouts, and more.
Patrons can also choose to add on a braised egg and a side of daily soup – we tried a chicken egg drop soup and it was maybe one of the most comforting things we’d eaten in a long time.
The bowls are super filling and flavourful, and with its infinite number of options, it’s no wonder Dragon Bowl has become a popular spot for lunch among business folks working in the downtown core.
Dragon Bowl has breakfast options too, like red bean, chicken, pork, or vegan steam buns alongside coffee or soy milk. There are only a handful of seats in the restaurant as it’s primarily a take-out-only spot, and we’re told that during peak hours, the line can wrap all the way around the sidewalk outside, so plan accordingly.
Opened in early February, Dragon Bowl may be relatively new, but the concept already has big plans to expand.
It tells Dished that a second location in New Westminster is already in the works, with an opening slated for “very soon” – likely sometime in the next couple of weeks.
This location will be much bigger than the Alberni Street spot and will operate somewhat as a “kitchen lab” for the concept, where new recipes can be tested out and other offerings, such as bubble tea, will be on the menu. This Dragon Bowl will be located at 406 West 6th Street, we’re told.
A third location is also planned for Yaletown, where the brand will be one of several offering eats in a food hall-like setting. This will be at the Concord Pacific Arc building, Dished is told, and while the opening won’t be for another couple of months (September at the soonest), it’s another big step for Dragon Bowl and its presence in downtown Vancouver.
David Li, a representative for Dragon Bowl, tells us that over the next two years, they’re hoping to open a whopping 10 locations around the Lower Mainland, with a goal of five in total for this year alone. Potential locations include Metrotown and Richmond, we’re told.
Offering more than just filling bowls for lunch, this spot offers a comforting option for Chinese eats that feels like a hug in food form – something we probably could all use a lot more of.
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Stay tuned for more details on its forthcoming new locations in New Westminster, Yaletown, and beyond.
DRAGON BOWL – ALBERNI
Address: 1168 Alberni Street, Vancouver