Out to Lunch: Downtown Red Bowls

These bowls give teriyaki some serious competition

Red Bowls
[ Downtown ]
812 Third Ave. 206.344.2695
Lunch Mon.–Fri.,
10 a.m.–4 p.m.

Teriyaki’s due for some competition, don’t you think? Sure, I like a plate of chicken and rice with a bit of perfunctory salad, but how about modernizing the whole stuff-on-rice concept?

Red Bowls, a small, mostly takeout joint in the heart of downtown, takes a crack at it: Their fresh fish bowls combine raw or lightly seared fish (or fully cooked fish, if you must) with rice, crunchy vegetables, pickled ginger, a sesame-scented dressing and optional hot sauce ($8–$10), with satisfying results. The rice is hot and the rest is cold, a refreshing and unusual combination. If you’ve enjoyed a bowl of chirashi-zushi (“scattered sushi”), this is similar: just an informal toss of fish and other tasty stuff on short-grain white rice (or brown, if you prefer).

If you’re not after raw fish, try the bibimbap ($4.50–$6), a Korean rice bowl with meat, a riot of colorful vegetables and a fried egg (optional, but take it). If I worked in a downtown office, I’d be happy to pinball between the fish bowls and the bibimbap all week.

The restaurant serves mainly a takeout office crowd, but it’s quite comfortable to sit at the bar looking out onto Third Avenue. Following this light and fresh-tasting lunch, you’ll be ready for a vigorous downtown stroll. I recommend walking five blocks north to Gelatiamo (1400 Third Ave.) for dessert.

BOTTOM LINE: Fast, zesty Asian fare for anyone bored with teriyaki.