EdiBOL’s dishes boast fresh, unique ingredients


At downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, food is definitely an art form. New restaurants have popped up throughout  the area, each trying to achieve the most aesthetically pleasing cuisine. EdiBOL, which opened over the summer, is one of the newest additions to the Arts District’s wide array of culinary hot spots.

EdiBOL focuses on food served in bowls, from salads (coolBOLs) to rice dishes (hotBOLs) and an assortment of other small dishes (littleBOLs).  The owner, Andrea Uyeda, serves only locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to create the freshest and most flavorful dishes possible. Though the menu has an Asian feel to it, each dish is completely one-of-a-kind and each bite has a flavor of its own.

For any restaurant, location is key to success, and Edibol’s prime spot in One Santa Fe ensures a promising future. The newly built development is comprised of luxury apartments, boutique stores and restaurants that meld together to create a popular place to live or visit that inspires creativity and generates positive thoughts. There are many other establishments opening up this summer in One Santa Fe, including AmazeBowl and Grow, a fresh produce grocery store. The complex is made up of many great elements; red accents on the white buildings give the property a unique edge that intrigues pedestrians and urges them to explore the area. The restaurant is easy to locate, and the site offers free parking, which is incentive enough to explore the area.

EdiBOL’s interior décor captures the essence of the Arts District. The industrial-style restaurant is composed of concrete pillars, visible vents and pipes lining the ceiling, which harmoniously accompany the deep blue color used throughout the eatery. The dark wood found on the back wall and on the counter at the bar gives the restaurant a calm atmosphere. Blue-and-gray marbled tabletops and zigzag patterns found on certain parts of the wall are a reminder of the unique and creative setting. Even the restaurant’s logo, a circle with its name written inside it — “edi” written small and “BOL” written largely underneath it — is a fun play on the fact that the menu consists solely of food served in bowls and encapsulates the creativity of the restaurant as whole.

 

The restaurant’s service matches the cool and relaxed atmosphere that the  decor has created. Waiters are helpful and take the time to explain the menu and help you order as the unusual dish titles are a bit confusing at first glance. The calmness of the waiters has no effect on the speed of service; the food is prepared and delivered as quickly as possible, which is evident in the freshness of the meal.

Just like everything else about the restaurant, the menu is very unique. Each dish is completely different from the next, but they all have an incredible variety of flavors. The restaurant’s creator, Andrea Uyeda, handpicks the ingredients. She chooses only the best fruits and vegetables of the season to maximize the freshness of each dish. There are other interesting components in the dishes as well, from togarashi to rajas. Don’t be discouraged by the fact that many of the ingredients in the dishes are slightly strange; the staff is very helpful in describing flavors and dishes as a whole. They give great ideas of what the dish will taste like, whether it will be spicy or plain and if there are any overwhelming flavors. The most popular dishes on the menu are the BOLicious and the pretzel grilled cheese.

In the honey citrus coolBOL and BOLicious with shrimp, it is clear that a lot of thought goes into the ingredients in each dish. Each component of the two dishes blends together so that every bite is a combination of fresh produce and unique taste, making the entire experience of eating a BOL exciting.

One especially intriguing item on the menu is the poached egg, which is a part of some of the hotBOLs and can be added to any coolBOL. The egg appears to be fried in breadcrumbs, but the crispy brown outside is so much lighter than that found on most fried food items. The egg’s perfectly crisp outside is juxtaposed with the soft and runny inside, making it a very distinctive addition to any dish.

The menu also includes great drinks and desserts, drinkaBOLs and crumBOLs, respectively, and a selection of “little BOLs,” which allow you to mix and match several small dishes for your meal. The menu is relatively reasonable, averaging about $9 for a filling and flavorful bowl.

EdiBOL is an excellent spot for a nice, and not too time consuming, lunch, dinner, weekday breakfast or weekend brunch that will definitely please taste buds and leave customers feeling healthy and happy.