Mumbai Food: Six meals-in-bowls to suit your monsoon moods

For no-carbs days
Not only is this one vegetarian-friendly, but it's also a zero-carb meal-in-a-bowl. Mediterranean Veg Bowl is where blushing pink beet hummus meets a chickpea tabbouleh along with pickled vegetables and falafel. This gets doused with lashings of sour cream and it's ready to be chowed down. All guilt-free, of course.
AT: Theory, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.
CALL: 66666506
COST: Rs 415

For asian cravings
Claiming to be the restaurant's signature dish, Taiwanese Aromatic Miso Milk Bowl is made up of udon noodles, tofu and the very wacky, if a tad slimy, wakame seaweed. Though Taiwanese in origin, the miso broth reflects the strong influences of China and Japan in the cuisine through udon and wakame.
AT: Shizusan, Skyzone, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
CALL: 7045004138
COST: Rs 295

For a cosy romantic meal
A cooked take on poke - the raw fish meal-in-a-bowl from Hawaii - Asian Poke Bowl includes a starchy base of steamed jasmine rice. Onto this, fresh organic vegetables like avocados, green onions, coloured peppers and cucumbers are layered along with nuts. This is topped off with either lamb or vegetable balls. Tastes best when shared!
AT: Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu.
CALL: 26469500
COST: Rs 599

For a Take-away treat
A hearty and substantial meal perfect for tucking into at home, Fatty Pho Ramen is the sum of its aromatic chicken broth, smoked chicken, ginger, fried onions, scallions and soft-boiled egg parts. Giving it a bizarre countenance and exotic appeal is the coil of black noodles that gets its hue from charred eggplant powder.
AT: The Fatty Bao, Oasis Complex, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.
CALL: 62371500
COST: Rs 425

For Exotic comfort
Comfort food at its best, Monsoon Bone Broth is what you want to curl up in bed with, while reading your favourite book. This meal-in-a-bowl too uses udon noodles as its base. The smoked chicken stock, shredded chicken, sweet corn, mushroom, coriander and Malaysian sambal give it great depth of flavour, while the rather outré Chinese black fungus lends an amazing bite to it.
AT: Toast & Tonic, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, BKC.
CALL: 26534722
COST: Rs 295

Local twist
Can't get your fill of fusion? Then this bowl is for you. Combining the flavours of India's favourite noodle snack and Mumbai's street food staple pav bhaji, is Maggi Et Al. Served up yin-yang style with the noodles on one side of the bowl and the bright red bhaji on the other, this colourful meal is sure to cast all those monsoon blues away.
AT: Door No. 1, Ankleshwar, ONGC Colony, Bandra West.
CALL: 65355355
COST: Rs 191