So what's the idea? ban ban is a fusion concept, combining Asian flavours with Western-style grain bowls and proteins. First, pick your base: quinoa and brown rice; kale salad or soba noodles; and then pick your protein: salmon fillet, grilled chicken, tofu, ahi tuna, ceviche, and others.
And then the best part: pick your style. There's Thai, Vietnamese, Sichuan, Korean and more, and each involve an array of veggies and toppings, lots of sauce combos and fresh herbs. A bowl will run you 65RMB, with optional add-ons like Onsen egg, avocado and another serving of protein for an extra charge. It's priced well – the bowls are large and filling.
The 'Sawadeeka' flavour is great; a Thai-style red curry that goes well with tender chunks of chicken on a bed of quinoa and rice, which absorbs all that spicy coconut goodness. Sprinkles of peanuts, spoonfuls of crispy shallots, papaya slaw, pumpkin and a giant mound of fresh herbs top it off.
Vietnamese-style 'HCMC is my jam' dresses the next bowl of kale salad and juicy salmon – we add on half an avocado for good measure. Find woodear mushrooms, julienned carrot and turnip, pickled veggies, again, topped off with a generous serving shallots and herbs. The sauce is light and fresh, it's tangy with vinegar and fish sauce and slightly sweet.
If there still aren't enough toppings and sauces on there for you, hit the condiment bar for some spicy extras in the form of any of the house-made sauces, herb blends, nut and seed mixes, kimchi and more.
After your healthy lunch, treat yourself to something sweet: a light and fluffy coconut pandan cupcake with coconut meat shavings, or an uber-moist apple cupcake with miso caramel icing. Or, go for something even more decadent with a silky black sesame parfait with salted egg yolk crumble.
This place is totally delicious, and we'll be shocked if ban ban doesn't have locations all over Shanghai in the near future.
