I know that I’m fat on the inside, and kind of on the outside too.

But last week, my fatness reached a new level as I encountered my own fat sense. It’s like a Spidey sense, but it doesn’t have a cool costume or web slinging abilities. Instead, it’s an ability to know that something good related to food is on its way. My sense kicked in early last week when I was on my way to get ice cream from McConnell’s in Grand Central Market. Something told me to walk past the ice cream shop and to be nosey at the store beside it. Low and behold the once empty space had a sign saying a new restaurant, Bombo, would arrive that Thursday. The fatty in me broke out and had to check out the restaurant as soon as it opened. Luckily, I was invited to a preview dinner the day before the opening so I could sample Bombo’s best dishes and quiet my inner fat girl.

I got to the dinner early not because I was eager to eat (that’s a lie), but because I wanted to check out the new concept from the kitchen to the tables. Watching Chef Mark Peel and his team work together to prep for the dinner was exciting. Seeing the steel steam kettles that inspired the restaurant name and make the dishes was interesting. They seemed small, but powerful. I was ready to see how these kettles would satisfy my hunger. Good luck kettles.

Once all of the attendees arrived, the dinner began. I thought I would get to order a dish or two from the menu, take a few pictures, and maybe hit up In-N-Out if I wasn’t full. That’s where I went wrong. Turns out, Chef Mark was serving up a plethora of dishes so we could get a true taste of what Bombo has to offer. I still thought I could conquer this dinner especially when I realized that the size of the dishes during this dinner weren’t the actual size when one orders later. “I got this!” Then I found out it was 8-courses. “No, no I don’t got this”. That’s when I became intimidated and regretted the belt I was wearing. This was going to be deliciously rough.

To get the tasting started, I ordered the Housemade Lemonade with Fresh Ginger ($3). It was more lemonade than ginger, but the ginger wasn’t a silent player. The ginger comes in with just enough of a kick, but not enough to overwhelm it. Think of it like the sweet sibling to ginger beer, but not as loud and obnoxious.

The first dish was the Chopped Salad ($8). Iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, chickpeas, red onions, marinated tofu, and a few other ingredients made this vegan salad a favorite of mine.

It was a favorite of mine until the Curried Shrimp ($12) was put in front of me. It was jumbo shrimp with chili paste, crushed peanuts, kabocha squash, steamed rice with flax seeds, and potatoes. The dish was full of flavor and spice. Not too much spice that you start to sweat, but enough that your sinus’ clear up a bit (which came in handy). The only minor drawback I had was the flax seed threw me off a bit. I think flax seeds are too hard for my liking so it wasn’t the most exciting for me here. Would it stop me from eating the dish in the future? Hell no.

Following the shrimp was the Seared Tofu ($9). It was made with dried mushrooms, radishes, spicy Napa cabbage, kombu, scallion oil, and pickled garlic. Normally, tofu would make me feel a little uneasy with its squishiness, but this one was ok since it was seared. The consistency wasn’t too spongy and the extra ingredients helped give it a good heaping of taste. By the way, the green horror movie looking liquid is surprisingly delicious.

After the tofu was the Steamed Clams & Pork Sausage ($11). This is where I covertly loosened my belt. I would have been fine if they served clams alone like any other restaurant. But they’re different; they want to feed the soul so they pair it with chunks of perfectly seasoned sausage, roasted onions, lobster broth, and egg pappardelle. This was by far my favorite!

The Tomato Salad ($7) and Fried Chicken ($11) were next and were planted on the table pretty close to one another. The salad was good, but didn’t stand out as much as the Chopped Salad. It was made of feta cheese, black olives, and cucumbers. It’s not a bad salad, in fact, it was refreshing and delicious. But, it tastes like something you could get from any other restaurant or make at home. A good dish, but compared to the other plates it isn’t as unique. The fried chicken is made with a crisp fried thigh, super thick cut steak fries, and served with a Persian cucumber yogurt dressing and spicy vinegar. The thigh is so delicious and moist! And look at the size of that steak fry, Christmas came early for me.

When the Spicy Red and Green Coleslaw ($4) arrived, my belt wanted to break itself and I wanted the same. I didn’t eat too much of it because I was getting full and I knew the final dish would be a killer. Plus, I’m not the biggest fan of coleslaw so this one would have to be set aside.

Finally, the last dish was served: Braised Beef Short Rib ($13). I swooned with excitement because this was the dish I wanted the most! It had mustard greens, oyster sauce, egg pappardelle, roasted onions, and dried mushrooms which danced around pieces of short rib. It was the best dish of the entire night because the rib was expertly made, the pappardelle was gentle, and the veggies alongside of it were paired just right. I loved it so much that I didn’t care that my belt was cutting into my stomach. The pain was worth it!

After this event I can see that I’m going to like Bombo. It’s in a fun location and they have a ton of options that can fit almost all of my tastes. From a vegan Chopped Salad to a meat lovers Braised Beef Short Rib, there is something for me whether I’m trying to stick to my diet or I’m trying to stick-it to my diet. All because of this dinner, the fat girl in me was full and has a new go-to restaurant.

Follow Them.
Address: 317 S Broadway Street, Stall D3 Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: (213) 624-2378 (Grand Central Market)
Hours: Daily – 11:00am to 6:00pm
Social: Website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.