MANILA -- How can you enjoy a Mongolian barbecue buffet in the new normal?

It was a question that the owners of Bad Bowl, a relatively new player in the Mongolian barbecue restaurant scene, asked themselves when the quarantine period was implemented a little less than two months after they opened at Robinson’s Magnolia in Quezon City.

“We opened our doors in January 24, 2020 and we were only just getting the hang of things and getting the brand out there when government imposed the quarantine a little less than two months later,” chef Kel Zaguirre, one of the partners of Bad Bowl, said in an online interview.

Zaguirre and his partners, including the restaurant’s executive chef Kevin Sanchez, created Bad Bowl to bring the Mongolian barbecue experience to a younger generation of diners.

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Named Bad Bowl because they wanted to serve bowls that are "so good that it’s bad," the restaurant opened with a spread of 75 premium ingredients and 15 different sauces. This variety of selection and value-for-money that is classic of the Mongolian barbecue experience was what they still aimed for when they decided to adapt to the new normal.

“These four things were our main focus when strategizing and working around the crisis -- convenience, limited interaction, triggering nostalgia and simplicity,” explained Zaguirre.

Bad Bowl offers five ways to enjoy your Mongolian barbecue bowl.

First is the customize-a-bowl home kit that includes everything you need to make a Mongolian barbecue bowl — except for a pot and stove. Four kit options are available — Meaty (P1,200), Seafood/Pescatarian (P1,200), Vegan (P1,100), and Keto (P1,500).

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We tried the Meaty Kit which has individually labelled packets -- a variety of proteins and cuts from pork to chicken, various starches (we had rice, but you can also opt for noodles), vegetables (even garlic and onion), oil, and two sauces (their Signature Mongolian, and General Tso sauces).

“We have a suggested cooking method, but customers can mix and match the ingredients, depending on their taste or preference. They can play around and put a little bit of everything or go crazy and add everything! Each box generously serves 4-6, and it’s a nice way bond and have fun with the family,” said Zaguirre.

For smaller households, Bad Bowl has other options. Share-a-Bowl are cooked bowls that come in three variants — original, spicy, and noodle. Available in two sizes, the Bad Bowl (P450) is for 1-2 persons, and the Baddest Bowl (P650) is for 3-4 persons.

For a more freestyle approach, you can fully customize your Mongolian barbecue home experience by ordering only your preferred meat and sauces ala carte from their line of signature frozen and marinated meats and sauces.

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“We wanted customers to continue to enjoy the Mongolian buffet experience, but in the safety our guests' home,” said Zaguirre.

With restaurants being allowed to serve diners at only 30% capacity, Bad Bowl wanted to still give dine-in customers the eat-all-you-can experience but with limited interaction.

“Mongolian bowl toppings are selected Chinese-dimsum-checklist-style. The checklist has the complete list of available proteins, starches, vegetables and sauces. Then customers are asked to expound on their preferred flavor palate. This list is shared with the bad boys and girls [in the kitchen] and who then create the customers customized bowls on the Mongolian stage. You can still eat as many bowls as you desire, just ask for another checklist from our servers so we can make your next bowl,” explained Zaguirre.

Grab-A-Bowl was designed with convenience in mind to address the inevitable queues brought about by the limited seating capacity. Diners can customize two bowls (at P550) on-site that will be freshly prepared for takeout.

“What makes it [a Mongolian bowl] better and badder is the right marriage of flavors — the sweet, salty, umami, spicy, sour flavors that is of course finished with butter! [Chef] Kevin always makes sure that each guests’ preference is met and he guides them in choosing their sauces," said Zaguirre.

"No two Bad Bowls will ever be the same, so we suggest that you be creative, have fun and mix and match and explore all the flavors. I just think that the secret to having the perfect Mongolian bowl is to have it in Bad Bowl.”

Customize-A-Bowl is available only for delivery with a two-day lead-time, while Grab-A-Bowl is available for take-out only. Share-A-Bowl is available for takeout and delivery. Orders for deliveries are available via their Facebook messenger order form.