The rice is right

Rice bowls may be trendy today, but actually they've been around a long time.

In Japan, they're a standard lunch called "Donburi," or "meal in a bowl." And for years, a similar idea has made the rounds of church socials under the guise of "Hawaiian Haystacks." You top a scoop of rice with an array of salad-bar offerings and finish it off with a creamy chicken sauce or gravy. Different name, same concept.

You know an idea has gone mainstream when giant food labels, such as Uncle Ben's and Betty Crocker, offer their own versions. Which proves the point that all rice bowls are not created equal, whether made at home or ordered in a restaurant.

The ratio of rice to veggies or meat can vary dramatically — and so do the seasonings and sauces.

Local restaurants have picked up on the rice-bowl concept, and home cooks can learn from them. Teriyaki Stix, founded in Provo by Mike and Rick Clayton in 1995, now has more than 50 outlets in the Western states. Usually sharing space with Hogi Yogi, the chain offers chicken, beef or pork rice bowls with a variety of flavors — teriyaki, curry, kalua, sweet and sour, and hot and spicy. For 49 cents more, you can have it topped with veggies, such as green pepper, pineapple, carrot, broccoli and zucchini.

At Rumbi Island Grill, rice bowls make up about 40 percent of the menu sales, according to Dave Prows, the company's corporate chef. "That's what we do best, that's our core item, that's what our guests are telling us they want to eat," he said.

Rumbi's rice bowls come in mix-and-match choices of sauce (Bali Island peanut, Hawaiian teriyaki or Jamaican jerk), proteins (beef, chicken, tofu, shrimp, mahi-mahi) and rices (white, brown or "Rumbi rice," which is flavored with coconut milk, beans and seasonings).

Founder Dave Duffin said he got acquainted with island-style fare while serving an LDS mission in Jamaica. The company is now six-restaurants strong, and it is part of a growing segment in the industry called "fast-casual." You order your meal at a counter but it's brought to your table.

"It's a step up from fast food, but the price point is lower than at a full-service restaurant," Prows said. "You usually get your food within 10 minutes, so you can be in and out in 20 or 25 minutes, or you take your time, hang out and enjoy the ambience," Prows said.