New takeout restaurant is serving up ramen, poke and more in Morro Bay
A new restaurant is serving up ramen, poke, bulgogi and more in downtown Morro Bay.
Chowa Bowl features “balanced bowls, locally sourced, filled with love,” according to the Asian-inspired eatery’s slogan.
Chowa Bowl opened in late January at 898 Main St., Suite D, in the former location of Hot Dogs on Harbor. The other end of the Morro Plaza mini strip mall used to be anchored by breakfast-and-lunch spot Kitty’s Kitchen, now closed.
Chowa Bowl can be a bit tricky to find, as the entry to the parking lot actually is on Harbor Street. The walk-up window where customers place their orders faces that lot.
In addition, the restaurant features seven outdoor tables and cheery-cushioned chairs, stools or benches. Colorful flowers hang in baskets and grow in wood planters next to the seating area, creating an island vibe.
Meet the chef behind new Morro Bay restaurant
Chowa Bowl’s upbeat chef-owner, Katherine “Katie” Bosken, channels her gastronomic inspiration from Japan, Korea and China, sometimes blending Pan Pacific flavors to come up with her own creations.
After Bosken graduated from Metropolitan State College in Denver, she spent six years living out of a backpack in Asian and South American countries. She worked pro bono as a vegan chef on a three-month Sea Shepherd ocean mission in January 2018.
From there, she was a charter chef in the Caribbean and Alaska, and then fished commercially for salmon in Alaska.
When Bosken moved back to the Lower 48 in 2019, she fished for squid and crab along the West Coast.
Finally, in July 2020, she landed in Cayucos. She did vast remodeling to transform the former hot dog shack, located around the corner from popular bar The Siren, into Chowa Bowl.
The name of her restaurant is drawn from the Japanese concept of chowa, meaning the quest for a life in harmony and balance.
What’s on the menu at Chowa Bowl?
Bosken developed the recipes for Chowa Bowl and makes 99% of everything she serves.
The restaurant’s most popular offering is the Okie Poke Bowl.
Cubed and seasoned ahi tuna nestles on warm, citrus-flavored rice topped with a schmear of lightly spicy mayonnaise. Served alongside the fish are spiralized daikon and carrot, minced scallions and sliced avocado, plus vegetables — cucumber slices, red onions and ginger — that Bosken pickles herself, each with its own special marinade.
Other popular offerings include the Bulgogi Bowl, featuring skewered beef or chicken in a signature tamari-gochujang glaze.
The skewers, seared over a special ceramic yakitori grill, are dished up atop herbed brown rice, then surrounded by piles of kimchi and veggies. The skewers are also available as an appetizer.
The skewers, which are also available as an appetizer, get their sweet, tart and spicy zing from the gastrique glaze created by Bosken and chef friend Daniel Selig. It’s a blend of tamari sauce, fresh ginger, yuzu, gochujang hot sauce and more.
Ramen noodle bowls at Chowa Bowl come with chicken, pork belly or tofu, bok choy and corn cooked in a dashi-flavored broth. Each dish topped with garnishes including scallions, shallots, togarashi, house-made Fresno chili oil and a halved ajitama egg that’s soft-cooked and soy-marinated.
The restaurant also offers a veggie rice bowl and salads such as mixed greens topped with burrata cheese, roasted beets, butternut squash and fennel.
Want it top off the meal with a sweet treat? Mochi ice cream balls come in cherry blossom, blood orange or passion fruit flavors.
Nearly everything at Chowa Bowl is gluten free. Most entrees are dairy free, and some are suitable for those with vegetarian, pescatarian or vegan diets. Diners can also customize their dishes.
Prices range from $6.50 for three chicken skewers to $17 for the generous poke bowl. Bosken hopes to be ready within weeks for online ordering, and she also does catering.
Chowa Bowl is open noon to 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, although those hours may expand. For more information, call 805-776-5060 or visit www.chowabowl.com.
This story was originally published June 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "New takeout restaurant is serving up ramen, poke and more in Morro Bay ."
