Eat This Now: Build-Your-Own-Acai Bowl at Blue Bowl Superfoods

After slinging their goodies at farmer’s markets in Irvine and Anaheim for years, Blue Bowl Superfoods has finally opened a storefront in Orange. Their sell to açai lovers: build your own bowl of indulgence.

Co-founder and owner Ishmael Lozano will probably be there to take your order and give you a “How’s your day going?” and “Have you visited us before?” He’ll explain their three bowl sizes—go with the medium, because it fills you up without making you feel like a Pilates mom. But Ish will leave you to stare at the menu—and you will stare, overwhelmed at the possibility of combos.

Cold options include a pitaya blend, a matcha mix, or acai; hot blends feature steel-cut oats and chia pudding. My favorite is the açaí with steel-cut oats and chia pudding—hot and cold, but a refreshing balance of flavors. From your base, pick your toppings, which are FREE: granola this, fruits that, and a harvest of seeds, coconut shavings, berries and made-in-house nut-butter sauces.

The first bite is all about crunchy, squishy comfort. In the last bowl I had, the chocolate almond granola texturized the goji berries to make it taste like fruit nuts glazed with a hint of creamy cocoa flavoring. Fruits lend tartness; the sauces dance at the back of your mouth. Though a lot of food, all the healthiness sits well on your once-empty stomach. Now, whip out your phone and make some Instagram art.

The shop also offers healthy drinks beyond shakes and smoothies. Organic coffee blends include Mexico, Italian or Guji Hambela from Ethiopia; their on-tap cold brew options are strong but smooth, enlivened with hemp or honey nitro. Not into caffeine? Skip the drip and try the on-tap kombucha. Blue Bowl Superfoods is a great place to spend some cash, talk with buddies, and then feel ready to do practically anything afterwards.

Blue Bowl Superfoods, 417 S. Main St., Orange, (714) 876-5309; www.mybluebowl.com