Cheap and hearty Japanese rice bowls are music to any foodie-on-a-budget’s ears. Say hello to month-old The Bowl Story, a new hawker stall at ABC Brickworks that serves katsu don (breaded pork cutlets on rice), ebi (prawn) fry and Japanese curry rice bowls for $5 each.
It’s run by couple Calvin Lee, 51 and Elena Ngian, 49. Calvin used to be a car sales consultant and prior to that, a flight attendant with Singapore Airlines. Elena did office admin work. While both only have some F&B experience helping out at Elena’s dad’s now-defunct barbecue seafood hawker stall over a decade ago, they have a trump card: their 21-year-old nephew Ding Zher — a Temasek Polytechnic Culinary and Catering Management fresh graduate who interned at two Michelin-starred restaurant Zen last year. He’s the guy behind the recipes and menu at The Bowl Story.
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1/111/11The couple’s first full-time F&B venture -
2/112/11A family affair -
3/113/11Interning at a two-Michelin-starred eatery -
4/114/11An unexpected surge in biz -
5/115/11The menu -
6/116/11Chicken Katsu Don, $5 (8 DAYS PICK!) -
7/117/11Ebi Fry Don, $5 (8 DAYS PICK!) -
8/118/11Pork Katsu Curry Don, $5 -
9/119/11Karaage Curry Rice, $5 -
10/1110/11Bottom line -
11/1111/11The details