So, someone brought me to this place a couple of months ago.
Now, as things go with me, at first I wasn't sure.
Like, why?
Why would I have to come all the way from one end of the island to this place at Vivocity for what I was told were a couple of rice bowls?
And then of course we ordered, they served, and now- after having eaten there for the grand total of two times- I understand why.
First things first though- it would not have been so much of a big deal had it been just beef bowls or seafood bowls or even seasonal bowls.
But the folks of WAA COW! have (curiously) taken what could have potentially been just another Yoshinoya upstart, and zhnged it up to the level that you feel you're making your $22 bowl very worth.
I think it's the ambience of the place.
I think too it might be their crockery of choice that makes the food turn up so bright and appetizing under the lights even before you've worked your chopsticks into it.
Don't underestimate the power of shiny, solid-feel blue colored crockery.
It makes your pictures nicer.
Brighter.
And even though it might be something simple like complementary seaweed salad with tomatoes or steamed egg in the form of chawanmushi, the bowls alone make the meal appealing and appetizing.
There're a couple of main bowls that I'll want to order when I'm there again in the future.
Like the Mentaiko Wagyu Beef.
Like the Yuzu Foie Gras Wagyu Beef.
And like the Truffle Wagyu Beef.
Not just the beef bowls, of course.
Over here at Waa Cow! they've got chicken and beef and salmon, and can I say that something about the (medium rare) Mentaiko Salmon bowl speaks to me as much as the Teriyaki Chicken Don and the Truffle Chicken Don.
Of course I could go for the Mentaiko Butadon too but I think I like the bright, vermillion looking, fish roe flavored sauce paired with salmon better.
I should know.
After all, we had, for this meal, a bowl of what I think is Mentaiko Chirashi.
At least that's what I think it is, although we could very much have had Original Chirashi or even the Spicy Mentaiko Chirashi.
Don't ask me how the avocado and the canned corn and the ikura ended up in the bowl though.
Either it was an add-on or it was simply there (to replace some of the other vegetables that weren't available on the menu's picture)
It's unlikely we'd chosen the spicy version- spice with salmon is not quite our regular taste.
So chances are it would have been the Mentaiko.
It wasn't just this one bowl that we shared though.
As delicious as this was, however, it wouldn't be enough, so along with it there was a small plate of salmon sashimi, a plate of fried wanton dumplings (in the cutest shape ever) and a plate of what I think might have been grilled eggplant, with some sort of white bits (rice krispies?) scattered on top of it.
We liked the wantons- they were well fried, the way they were shaped made each dumpling so filling and so fun to eat, but I'm wishing I knew what those white bits on top of the eggplant were.
Such a pity to be enjoying the dish and not know what it is I hate.
I'm glad I had the eggplant though.
It's one of my favorite vegetables and I love it whether it's stewed or grilled or fried.
Except that it doesn't look like it's on the permanent menu.
Either that, or they're pushing for Mentaiko Hokkaido Scallops, Soy Glazed Wings, and Chicken Kaarage.
Which, come to think about it, I wouldn't mind having the Soy Glazed Wings anyway.