Power bowls are the new food trend of the moment. Generally promoted as healthy meals, these bowls are filled with lean proteins, greens and tasty sauces for a well-balanced bite. One such place is the The Little Beet in NYC. To start with I didn't understand the name, why all their protein offerings have garlic in them and then why you have to go all the way to the cashier to order your food without having the chance to see what you're ordering first.
The place is nice, long and spacious, classy and neat... but the food is bad! Here's why:
- The food display looks stingy and unappetizing
- The bowls are half full yet costly
- The music is too loud
The poke bowl, pronounced POH-kay, hails from Hawaii. In its most unadulterated form, poke is raw fish, originally combined with sea salt. The Little Beet version however is far from tasty.
This is not a poke place and I really don't think they should even think of competing with the poke specialists out there. The dish is dry overall, the salmon cubes are overloaded with onions, the kale doesn't fit with the other ingredients, and no sauce... A big no!
The other bowl we ordered is like half a meal with flavorless ingredients:
Oversized bits of red cabbage; no sauce; yellow and bitter cauliflower and a flavorless patty of vegetables that feels like dry soil under the teeth. A huge no...
Disastrous and inedible food! I didn't feel good and felt really heavy afterwards. This is not to mention the unpleasant taste left in my mouth for the hour following my visit.
Bad food, bad service, overpriced bowls, not appetizing, dry and bizarre flavors... a big no!