Sora Boru Review: Affordable Japanese Rice Bowls And Soba From $3.90 Nett At Orchard

This elephant in the room has in recent weeks been dealt with, as a new concept store, Sora Boru , by K Food Group has taken over the jarringly empty space. Though Japanese rice bowls are still the main items on the menu, Sora Boru is serving totally novel versions that could potentially make this spot your go-to for cheap meals under $10 in town.

Food at Sora Boru We decided to head straight for their signature bowls, the Snow Beef Don ($7.50/$11.90) and Volcano Beef Don ($7.50/$11.90) . Each rice bowl features a bed of sticky sushi rice, followed by your choice of mixed vegetables or beansprouts, and a heap of marinated beef slices.

Those who love all things cheesy or creamy and have carbonara as their default order for pasta, will enjoy the Snow Beef Don as much as I did. Looking like a snow-capped mountain, the beef is drenched with a white sauce made from whipping cream, with a good scattering of parmesan cheese.

It was sweet from the cream sauce, savoury from the marinade of the beef, salty from the parmesan, and smokey from the breath of the butane blow torch. The Volcano Beef Don is another ultimate-meal-in-a-bowl.

The red sauce is spicy, making it a dish great dish for those who just can’t do without the heat. Some might find both the Volcano and Snow Beef Don a tad too sweet for a meal, but I love how the sweetness mellows the spice and creaminess down in each dish, respectively .

Take a pick of either Mixed Vegetables or Beansprouts to go along with the Volcano or Snow Beef Don. I recommend ordering mini portions of the rice bowls (shown at the bottom right-hand side of the picture), to make space for more variety of food.

The Bara Chirashi Ebimayo Aburi Don ($9.50/$16.90) is another must-try at Sora Boru. Ebiko, or prawn roe, is used in place of the more dear pollock roe for the “mentaiko” sauce. Opt for their Salmon Ebimayo Aburi Don ($8.50/$13.90) if you’re more of a salmon sashimi kinda person.

From Chicken Katsu CurryBoru to Breaded Salmon CurryBoru (from $6.50) , all of them are reasonably priced at $10.90 for the regular size, and $6.50 for the mini, giving you a good bang for the buck. For days leading up to payday, the most value-for-money item on the menu would be the Cha Soba ($3.90/$7.50) .

You can have it cold with soba sauce on the side, or served hot in a huge bowl with soup. Regardless of the size of your bowl, Be it regular or mini sized, complete your meal by making it a set!

A chawanmushi and miso soup or drink costs only $2.90 , while all three will set you back $3.90 . Ambience at Sora Boru Located at the foot of the escalator at basement one, Sora Boru makes for an accessible spot for a budget meal in town.