Even the croquettes in a bowl.
The oldest bowl that has been found they calculate that it has about 18 thousand years. Its pieces appeared in an archaeological excavation in China near grains of rice from the same time. We think we are modern, but a long time ago eating in a bowl was already a trend.
Aware of its history and also of current fashion, three partners and friends, Luis Muñoz de Luna, Mario Scheffer and Gon Hierro, decided to make this spherical, handleless deep bowl the center of their gastronomic concept, Bowl Bar. But not everything is as simple as it seems.
The evolution of the gastro man: from bowl to bowl.
“When the three of us left Grupo Cuatro Elementos, we decided to set up something together where we could make the decisions,” explains Mario, head chef at Aire, who has worked at Coque, La Canica and is now the executive chef at Bowl Bar.
With his experience (Muñoz de Luna has passed through Vertical, Aspen; Hierro was also in Aire and KBK Aravaca) and a common idea about what works in the kitchen and the restaurant industry today they started by setting up a gastronomic consultancy until they found the place, near the Temple of Debod, in which to give free rein to everything they had been believing and preaching.
Crab nabemono.
"We realized that last year it became fashionable, especially in Madrid, ** the poké bowl ** and the _ ramen, _ **meal in a bowl”, ** says Scheffer. “Partly because they are very powerful meals, very complete that have all the nutrients you need in a single dish and we get to the idea of serving everything in a bowl, from breakfast to dinner”. In this way they also took advantage of the premises even more and stretched the idea.
But his thing is not to throw varied ingredients in a bowl and make it look nice, They are elaborate recipes, only they are always served in a very deep dish. From the croquettes to the Villaroy breast, from the omelette to the cheesecake.
At Bowl Bar not only are there no dinner plates, You won't find knives on the table. "We have them, in case a client wants them and they are special to use with the bowls, but you will not need them." Fiance.
Steak Bowl Tartare.
The croquettes, stew, spider crab or cauliflower, are eaten with a spoon. The tortilla with truffle too. The meat tataki with chopsticks or the fork. "Everything comes out chopped or prepared from the kitchen to make it easy," he explains.
And mainly, it comes out of the kitchen in a way that you do not expect. Not even his poké bowl is like the rest of the poké bowls you know. "It's our deconstruction," says Mario. He arrives at the table in a single bowl with the ingredients well separated and they will mix it for you.
"We don't know how to work without finishing the dishes on the table, without the client seeing and participating a bit in the process." The same thing happens with the tortilla, for example, which they break in front of you and you then eat with a spoon.
Very close to the Temple of Debod.
And whoever might think that cooking always thinking about a container can limit… "It has no limits, neither of product, nor of type of cuisine, you just have to think harder about the way you serve it,” he replies. And believe in it as a concept “replicable and profitable”.
“It is a different and fun letter”, Scheffer continues, that they will be able to "change flavors", without losing sight of the concept. Although they know that they already have stars among their bowls, such as croquettes, tortillas or poké.
Champions eat breakfast in a bowl.
WHY GO
Read above: croquettes, tortilla and poké. Although the variety is wide, the ramen, the salad, the roasted strawberries, the cheesecake. Without forgetting the brunch, the smoothies... And that basket of bread with international breads.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES
For breakfast, lunch or dinner. The bowl is always present. Of course, the variety of bowls they have deserves attention.
Brunch without a knife.
Address: Calle Quintana, 28 See map
Telephone: 91 502 36 25
Schedule: Tuesday to Thursday from 8:30 to 16 and 20:30 to 00. Friday until 00:30
Additional schedule information: Saturdays from 11 to 00:30. Sunday morning hours only. Closed Monday.
Half price: Lunches and dinners €25. Bowl brunch 7€