REVIEW: Bandoola Bowl Offers Students Taste and Affordability

For Walls students, finding a quick, delicious lunch spot that doesn’t leave you broke is an eternal challenge. To students struggling with that dilemma though, Bandoola Bowl, a restaurant located in Western Market, may be the solution. 

Bandoola Bowl serves salads and warm bowls with pops of Burmese flavors. Not only are the dishes packed with vegetables, but they rely on familiar rice and noodle staples, which underpin Burmese cuisine. Another notable element of Burmese cuisine is its heavy use of cilantro, so, for students who find that the green tastes more soapy than refreshing, it’s worth asking for a dish without it. 

The clear standout on the Bandoola Bowl menu is the shweji. A shweji is a semolina coconut cake, whose sweet flavor can bring an unfamiliar excitement to any student’s lunch.  The texture, somewhere between a muffin and a flan, is addictive, making shweji a comforting dish that is the perfect add on for any student having a rough day or if you want to celebrate something big or small.

Students who order right at the beginning of a Walls lunch period will usually only spend a total of ten minutes at Bandoola Bowl from the time they get in line to when they receive their food. Coupled with the relative affordability of the restaurant (around $15 per person), Bandoola bowl is an efficient and appealing option for students that offers high return on investment. The pricing is particularly reasonable considering the generous portion sizes, which will leave most students with plenty of leftovers to bring home.  

Bandoola Bowl is relatively accommodating to a variety of student dietary restrictions. The restaurant offers a range of both vegan and vegetarian while still having a fair amount of protein.  Students can also add extra protein though the addition is somewhat pricey ($2-3 extra for meat and $1-2 extra for vegetarian additions). 

For students with severe food allergies, Bandoola Bowl may be less appealing. While the restaurant can make dishes without nuts, they can't guarantee that they haven't come into contact with nuts, which may impel some students to steer clear. 

For a warning with much less serious effects, students ought to know that an order comes with plenty of customizations that begets a slew of quickly asked questions from staff, so it's worth deciding what to order in advance. Doing so can allow students to avoid the stressful paralysis of indecision. 

While seating options at the restaurant are limited, it’s just a quick walk to seating outside Western Market or at the GW University Yard (quad). And, the lack of available space is largely made up for by the warm experience, facilitated by the kind and welcoming staff. 

So, if you're interested in a delicious, interesting and affordable meal, head over to Bandoola Bowl and give it a try!