FAQs

The best way to get to know Big Bowl is to come visit us - often. Because the menu features seasonal ingredients, the specials change monthly so you'll always have plenty of tasty choices. If your question isn't answered below, send us one (link here to email) and we'll post it.

My girlfriends love a great stir-fry but someone in the group always messes up. What's the secret to the stir-fry bar?
Simplicity is the best approach. It goes without saying that you should select what you like most. Then the basic rule is to use one made-from-scratch sauce, which works with any of the proteins and vegetables. That said, some sauce-protein-vegetable marriages work better than others. For example, teriyaki pairs with seafood, but shrimp, scallops and salmon are partial to the lemon in the sweet and sour sauce. Beef, not so much. Instead, beef is ideal for spicy kung pao; the heartiness of beef stands up to the bold flavors.

I have a bet with a friend who says restaurants use pre-made curries and I say Big Bowl makes them from scratch. Who's right?
Tell your friend to pick up the check. All of our curries are made from scratch, each spice toasted for optimum flavor. Chiles are blackened to order and the peanuts are roasted fresh and ground by us. This layering of flavors for our curries achieves an authenticity that cannot be duplicated any other way. It takes more time and effort – but that's par for the course at Big Bowl. We believe in authenticity.

Just how vegetarian friendly is Big Bowl?

There are a number of definitions for “Vegetarian,” and we respect them all. The items marked with a “V” on our menu follow the following definition of “Vegan” from merriam-webster.com: a strict vegetarian who consumes no animal food or dairy products. In addition to the “V” items, there are a number of dishes that can be modified to fit the bill. Just ask—we will make it happen! There is also an extensive stir fry bar just chock full of vegetables, and tofu is a staple protein that can be substituted for a beef or chicken.

Some dishes are described as truly spicy. Just how hot is hot?
Heat is subjective but when a dish is designated hot you can expect some heat. If you want a dish that is really hot, please say so. We can always up the ante.

Is Big Bowl kid-friendly?
We are the go-to place for kid-friendly, a fact recognized by the press but most importantly our guests who have come to rely on Big Bowl as a place where there are options far beyond the ubiquitous chicken strips and mac-and-cheese. There are stir-fry options with fresh vegetables accompanied by artisan wheat noodles or jasmine rice. Kids love the Pad Thai and the chicken noodle soup made on premise loaded with breast meat. To let parents know we are on their side, we offer free refills on milk and juice but not soda.

Does Big Bowl offer gluten-free choices?
We do have Gluten Free options, featuring two of our most popular dishes; Kung Pao and Pad Thai. Click to the MENUS page for the special Gluten Free menu.

Do you add MSG to the food?
No, absolutely not. MSG naturally occurs in certain foods but the synthetic kind is not used at Big Bowl. Simply put, MSG is a flavor enhancer. When you cook with the highest quality, freshest ingredients like we do at Big Bowl, no enhancement is needed.

I've never had fresh ginger ale? What's it taste like?
Let's face it, ginger ale as most know it taste nothing like ginger. Big Bowl's ginger ale is made from fresh ginger root so if you like ginger, this drink is for you. We make a proprietary ginger syrup from fresh ginger root with just the right amount of sweetness and blend it with filtered carbonated water. Because ginger is a common ingredient in Chinese and Thai food, our ginger ale is the perfect complement to Big Bowl dishes.

Why don't you offer brown rice?
We do offer brown rice--just ask. We don't feature it on the menu because it's not a traditional part of Chinese and Thai cuisine. We also love to brag about our Thai jasmine rice--top quality and NOT artificially enriched. It is the real deal--fragrant, and with a wonderful texture and taste.

Why don't you serve bottled water? Everyone else does.
We decided to ban bottled water a few years ago for a variety of reasons. Big Bowl supports the environment and it is clear that plastic bottles are bad for the earth considering our already crowded landfills. Also, by banning bottled water, we are showing our guests that everyone can make a difference. The water we serve is from very good sources, but we also use a triple filtration process to ensure the best tasting, purest thirst-quenching water.

I love the sauces & the soy vinegar for the potstickers and the spicy peanuts that goes with the chicken satays. Can I get the sauces to go?
Big Bowl now bottles a variety of sauces, a venture that was a direct result of questions like yours. Soy vinegar, mustard, sesame spicy peanut, plum sauce can be purchased at each restaurant and online. Check out out SHOP page for more details.

Do you have nutritional information on your items?
As everything at our restaurants are made to order, and with our emphasis on freshness and use of seasonal items, our menu offerings change frequently. In addition since portion sizes vary slightly depending on who is preparing the dish, we are unable to provide the accurate nutritional information breakdowns that you see in the grocery store or at fast food restaurants.

Our emphasis and goal is on serving you the best and freshest food possible. If you have any special needs or requests, please do one of the following steps:

1. Contact Us via email and we will assist you in making the right choices.

2. When dining in our restaurants please make your server and/or a manager aware of your dietary needs or requests. They have been through extended training on the ingredients in our food, and they are always happy to assist you with your needs and preferences.

3. Or call the location directly before you visit the restaurant and ask to speak with a manager.

On behalf of Big Bowl we thank you for your interest in our company and our food items and we are committed to helping you make the right choices.

Does Big Bowl offer any other products at retail?
Egg rolls and two kinds of dumpling/potstickers (vegetable and chicken) are available frozen at the store, through select peapod.com and certain Byerly's and Lunds in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Also check out out SHOP page for more details.