Can Be Imitated! 5 Creative Home-Based Rice Bowl Business Ideas

A rice bowl is a dish of rice served in a bowl with various toppings placed on top. This dish is an adaptation of the traditional Japanese meal, donburi rice. Currently, rice bowls are very popular among business owners because they are practical to sell. 

Typically, the toppings in a rice bowl are prepared to be easily consumed with a spoon without getting your hands dirty, making it convenient for customers to eat on the go.

The increasing interest in this dish has led many entrepreneurs to start a rice bowl business. Moreover, starting this type of business is cost-effective, especially when operating on a home-based scale.

Are you interested in starting this business? If so, here are 5 rice bowl menu ideas you can try!

5 Home-Based Rice Bowl Business Menu Ideas

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1. Japanese Rice Bowl

Since rice bowls are adapted from Japanese cuisine, why not try creating Japanese-inspired menus for your rice bowl business? You can experiment with a variety of toppings to create Japanese rice bowls, such as:

- Beef Teriyaki

- Chicken Yakiniku

- Chicken Katsu

- Tempura Shrimp

Don’t forget to add a salad to the rice bowl. You can use thinly sliced cabbage and carrots or lettuce to give the dish a fresher look.

2. Korean Rice Bowl

Korean food is currently popular among many people, especially young adults. You can take advantage of this trend by offering a Korean Rice Bowl menu with South Korean-style toppings, such as:

- Bulgogi Beef

- Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

You can also create dishes like bibimbap with a variety of vegetables, meat, and a sunny-side-up egg. Try crafting your sauce to give your bibimbap a unique touch.

3. Seafood Rice Bowl 

Although beef and chicken are popular choices, it doesn’t hurt to occasionally make a rice bowl with seafood as the main topping. For instance, you can prepare deep-fried calamari, breaded shrimp, green chili squid, and other seafood dishes.

If you plan to use shellfish, make sure to remove the meat from the shell so the dish is easy to eat and doesn’t leave behind shell waste.

4. Spicy Rice Bowl

Spicy dishes have always been a favorite among many people. Some can even handle the spiciest levels without being overwhelmed. To target spice lovers, you can create a spicy rice bowl.

Indonesia has a wide variety of sambals (spicy condiments) that you can use to create a spicy rice bowl menu, including:

- Sambal Matah

- Sambal Dabu-Dabu

- Sambal Geprek

- Sambal Dadak

- Sambal Kemangi

- Sambal Bawang

In addition to those mentioned, there are many other types of sambals in Indonesia. For the topping, you can use fried chicken, shrimp, or squid. Don’t forget to complement the dish with vegetables—sautéed or stir-fried vegetables work well as side dishes.

5. Vegan Rice Bowl

Although not as common, vegans often struggle to find trendy foods like rice bowls. You can seize this opportunity by offering vegan options on your rice bowl menu.

You can get creative with mushrooms, tofu, tempeh, and other vegan ingredients. You can prepare them by frying with batter, stir-frying, grilling, or other cooking methods. Try to be as creative as possible to make the vegan menu look appealing and delicious.

Choosing the right menu is crucial when starting a business. When you successfully create a menu that suits your target market, your business can grow even more. You might even open your rice bowl restaurant, even if you started as a home-based business.

As your business grows, you’ll likely need a more professional system to manage orders, payments, and inventory for your restaurant. To assist with this, you can use the ESB point-of-sale (POS) application.

This POS application will help you manage your culinary business. It can be used for both small and large-scale businesses, so even as your business expands, you can continue to rely on it.