Yo! Bowl Brings Huge Asian-Fusion Bowls to Carrollton

“Affordable Chinese food” is the apparent tagline for Yo! Bowl, a new fast, casual build-your-own bowl spot that has just opened its doors next to Fluffy Fluffy in Carrollton, the viral Japanese souffle pancake spot that’s been making rounds on social media. While Yo! Bowl doesn't have quite as strong a social media presence as its next-door neighbor, the exclamation mark in the restaurant’s name and a tight meal budget this month made us extra curious to stop by and explore the world of affordable Chinese food.

We’re glad we did.

Yo! Bowl is perhaps best known for its build your own bowls, with your choice of dry or wet noodles drenched in a slew of customizable sauces and toppings. The ingredients and flavors are standard, but the sheer size of the bowls is impressive. Given their grandeur, we're pleasantly surprised at how affordable they are.

Ordering is done through a screen at the front, making it easy to customize your meal without the stress of decision-making. For under $11 a bowl, Yo! Bowl’s menu is completely customizable, down to the type of noodle. We opted — after reading reviews — for the mifen noodles, a type of Asian rice noodle that’s popular in Chinese street food, and chose to order them wet, floating in a rich beef broth. Your choice of noodles and broth come topped with a selection of Asian-inspired proteins and toppings: choose from options like wok-fried peanuts, bok choy, cilantro and chopped green onion, among others. Options of fried tofu or chicken katsu come at an additional cost and offer a way to add some crunch to your bowl creation.

Bowls take a while to arrive at the table, so we suggest you start with a few shareable sides while you wait. The scallion pancake was a highlight of our visit; it’s a flaky circular pastry layered with chopped green onion and cut into slices for easy sharing. A simply-plated cucumber salad or dish of chili-drenched pork wontons are other menu items that help pass the time. But they shrink in comparison to the main course.
Bowls are even larger in real life than they appear on the menu. Despite the wait time, it's hard to be disappointed when entrees arrive at the table. The bowls radiate an almost intimidating aura, served in huge steelware and blanketed in a daunting layer of toppings. Our mifen noodles were enjoyable: faintly chewy, but not enough to detract from the other ingredients, and we particularly liked the fried tofu, which comes breaded in lightly fried panko for a crunchy touch to each bite. A self-serve side of chili oil allows customization to your spice preference.
Of course, enjoyable doesn’t mean we ever reached the bottom of the bowl; leftovers are almost guaranteed. For $11, we think one bowl could probably last a single person lunch and dinner (and maybe breakfast the next day). We suggest you bring a group of friends for company and comfortable seating. Plus, we’re not exaggerating the size (and affordability) of bowls. There’s enough food to share.

Yo! Bowl, 2700 Old Denton Road, No. 110, Carrollton. Daily, 11 a.m. – 9 p.m.