Had been wanting to try Little Bowl for quite a long while ever since they had first started business at the Food Emporium food court at Clifford Centre. Whilst that outlet had since shuttered for quite a while now, Little Bowl’s outlet at Marina One is still in operations — a spot that does have a sizeable crowd these days with more folks returning back to office with the easing of the safe management measures in-place due to COVID-19. Opened by chefs formerly from Saveur, Little Bowl had started operations as Le Bouillon (which we had previously made a visit back in 2017), the change of name from Le Bouillon to Little Bowl is to reflect their shift from serving up French cuisine, to an establishment that specialises in Western and Japanese fusion fare. Being a standalone eatery at the basement of Marina One, Little Bowl serves up quite a variety of Donburi, whilst also having a small selection of pasta and udon on their menu to serve the lunchtime office crowds here.

What stood out most to us in the menu at Little Bowl was the Shio Pasta; the item consists of elements such as Crispy Chicken, Crabmeat and Mushroom Sauce according to its description on the menu. Priced at $9.90, the Shio Pasta is considered a rather pretty affordable eat within Marina One itself, considering how there are not many wallet-friendly options within the building especially where Western and Japanese fusion fare are being served. While the presentation of the dish is certainly not the best here, this was pretty much comfort food for the soul — our favourite part probably being the Cappellini pasta here. No idea how they have prepared it, but the Cappellini comes in a shade slightly darker than one would have expected; there is also a noticeable hint of crustacean flavour lingering that makes one wonder if this is indeed inspired by the lobster cappellini that features a naturally briny sweetness with every slurp of the noodle. As though wanting to appease the masses, the inclusion of the mushroom sauce; itself being like a cream-based sauce that carried a hint of earthiness, can be said as a move to incorporate a classic flavour that most would not mind having on the plate. Whilst the fried chicken pieces had a light and crisp batter that wasn’t particularly greasy, we found it quite a pity how these seemed to be prepared ahead of time and wasn’t exactly served piping hot — there again, maybe a move to speed up the process since they are pretty much a quick casual dining concept that has to cater to the takeaway/delivery crowd whilst also trying to serve as many dine-in patrons as they can.

With quite a number of items priced below $10 at Little Bowl, Little Bowl is definitely one of the more reasonably-priced establishments of its type within Marina One — something that some office workers may actually consider having once a week just to treat themselves to a slightly nicer lunch just to break away from the more affordable local fare such as the likes of Malaysia Boleh. Whilst there are some things which we personally felt needed a slight tweak (i.e. plating and the crispy chicken), I wouldn’t mind dining here again if I am looking for some comfort food without having to break the bank.