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Bowlba recently opened at 59 Passaic St. in Garfield, bringing the taste of Taipei to the area. The restaurant is the brainchild of Chloe Leung, her husband Clement, and Bosco Won, a partner and chef.
"This is my wife's passion project," Clement Leung said. "Her family is from Taiwan and they've worked in the Taiwanese night markets for past 40 years."
After immigrating to the United States from Taiwan, Chloe initially went into the fashion industry. She couldn't shake her dream of opening an eatery, and opened a bubble tea shop in Jersey City called Mocktails and Dreams in 2019. Despite being popular, the shop was forced to close during the pandemic. Chloe decided what she really wanted to do was open a Taiwanese restaurant and allow people to enjoy the food she grew up with.
Taiwanese cuisine reflects the diversity of the island- a mix of Japanese, Korean and traditional Chinese cuisine. Some of the signature dishes include pork belly bao, chicken and spinach dumpling and Taiwanese sausage. Bowlba also offers bowls with shaved noodles, rice or wide noodles, and a protein like braised beef or marinated tofu, along with its signature bubble tea, mocktails and shaved ice.
"It captures the happiness my wife had when she was a kid," Clement said. "She's starting to see people talk about Taiwan, get a taste of Taiwan and share their happiness. That's what Taiwan is all about."
Clement said he feels he is opening the restaurant a time when people are starting to recognize Taiwan and what the country has to offer.
"We are deeply appreciated and really grateful," Clement said.
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