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    Restaurant Review: Dessert Bowl

    The Dessert Bowl is making a name for itself serving Asian dessert options that are… out of the ordinary in the Midwest. It offers a few Midwestern-ish options too, in the event you have friends who find the thought of new things to be intimidating. The joint is small and clean with table service and laminated menus.

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    First up, Sweet Glutinous Rice Balls ($6 – pictured up top). Fascinating. The descriptor “glutinous” is used frequently on the menu. There’s also options such as Black Glutinous Rice Congee and Thai Black Glutinous Rice for enthusiasts of the term. Given its usage, it might seem like a sound conclusion that Dessert Bowl is bucking a trend and celebrating the gluten in its wares.

    But that conclusion would be incorrect. Rice doesn’t actually have gluten. “Glutinous” just means something more on the lines of gluey, viscous and sticky, at least, according to online dictionaries.

    So, those rice balls (glutinous, but probably gluten-free): a dense coating of ground peanuts crowns a collection of shiny, translucent golf ball sized orbs. They’re soft and squishy and stretchy and slimy, like something that might actually qualify as a child’s toy. Inside though, is a nugget of nutella-like filling tucked away as a culinary bonus: entertaining.

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    Then there are IQ Balls ($6.99). For some reason, the dish is vaguely reminiscent of a bowl of little eyeballs, especially the paler ones. A serving yields a mix of ecru and giant purple-ly slate globes in a light syrup. With the eyeball association in mind, it’s difficult to just chomp into one, but no fear: the dark ones contain a sweet, dark goo that tastes vaguely like toasted sesame; the pale orbs have more of a fragrant, flowery flavor.

    The Gingko Nut Yoba with Barley Soup ($6.99) sounded interesting. Of course, almost everything on the menu sounds interesting. As promised, it’s a viscous, sweet almost transparent soup with bits of barley and white wisps wafting around, plus the nuts that float to the bottom -the flavor comes off a bit like pears. As a bonus, the server said it was good for the skin, and the internet says the same thing, although it suggests rubbing the gingko on your face instead. Maybe later.

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    There’s an extensive selection of waffles for more continental palates. The Honey + Butter Waffles ($5.99) were nothing special, though: soft and spongy with a chocolate drizzle that overwhelmed the other elements.

    For diners seeking familiar fare, the Mango + Banana Crepe ($8.50) is a better bet. Filled with fresh, sweet, chunks of fruit inside a tender crepe, it’s executed in traditional, and likable fashion.

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    There are a few savory items on the menu too: a sausage dish and House Special Popcorn Chicken ($6). Big Box popcorn chicken offerings can often turn out as mostly crunchy bits, but an order at Dessert bowl delivers crispy blobs of chicken that offer a full-flavored meat-to-crunch ratio that feels like something substantial.

    There are plenty of ways to try new things at Dessert Bowl. You can find it at 2839 Olentangy River Road. Online hours mention a daily noon opening, but a sign in the door indicated it’s opening at 3pm this summer.

    Photos by Walker Evans.

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    Miriam Bowers Abbott
    Miriam Bowers Abbotthttps://columbusunderground.com
    Miriam Bowers Abbott is a freelancer contributor to Columbus Underground who reviews restaurants, writes food-centric featurettes and occasionally pens other community journalism pieces.
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