Sitting through a two-hour lecture where no matter how hard you try to focus, you cannot take your mind off the hunger in your stomach is a situation that many find themselves in. Personally, I have been in this situation more than once. Ever since Cafe Luma opened up this academic year I have been able to indulge in between-class-snacks to pacify my hunger.
Like many, I have gotten quick food from there: free soup, a quick drink, and maybe some fries if I have the time. Food from the preceding vendors of the cafeteria was an afterthought to me, something I rarely ever went to. Since Cafe Luma rolled in, and my last year at SCC came around, I figured it was time to treat myself.
I decided to give one of their rice bowls a try. Since the bowls are “create your own,” I had a lot of room to create a meal. I got a bowl with white rice, bulgogi beef, japchae, cucumber, avocado, teriyaki sauce, and spicy mayo. The result was satisfying.
Individually, the add-ins were good. The bulgogi (marinated beef) had a vibrant taste. The marinade had both a sweetness and a savory taste. The bulgogi was the highlight of the bowl for me.
The rice also receives a glowing review from me. As a base, rice is supposed to be plain and simple, though it is easy to mess up. The rice in this bowl was amazing. It was able to take on the flavor of the sauces, bulgogi, and the japchae while maintaining a good texture. The rice was warm and fluffy. Cafeteria rice tends to be hard and clumpy, Cafe Luma defies this norm.
As for the japchae (stir-fried glass noodles), they were a first for me. They had a texture similar to the rice and a semi-salty taste that was not overpowering.
The cucumber was shockingly good as well. They maintained their crunch and added the freshness the bowl required. The cucumbers were a refreshing addition.
The only criticism I have is related to the avocado. The avocado was oddly mushy and had an almost watery taste to it. I also expected the avocado to be sliced rather than mashed, though that does not matter much. If I were to recreate this bowl, I would leave the avocado out of it.
The sauces are what tie the bowl together. They allow everything to have some consistent taste. Spicy mayo and teriyaki sauce are a perfect pairing, and they proved their worth in this bowl.
The bowl, as a single unit, was good; every piece that I selected was good in combination with everything else. An odd peanutty taste was undeniable throughout the mixed bowl. The peanut taste could not be singled out to one specific ingredient. Besides the mysterious peanut taste, I enjoyed the bowl. The spice from the spicy mayo was not overwhelming or overtook the meal, which I appreciated. All add-ins worked in harmony in the paper bowl, which is all I could ask for.
Along with the rice bowl, I figured it would be good to get my old reliable: spam musubi. Spam Musubi from Cafe Luma is not a new try for me; it is my usual snack from them, and I have nothing but good things to say about it.
Spam Musubi is composed of three main ingredients: nori, spam, and rice. Simple, yet a great combination.
The rice on the musubi from the cafe is amazing. Like the bowl, the rice is soft and has a great mouthfeel. Though it is a bit more sticky to keep its rectangular shape.
The nori (toasted seaweed) was good but had a fishy taste. The fishiness is expected and subtle, but still worth noting. Eating musubi can be difficult if the nori is too tough and cannot be bitten through easily; this is not the case for this musubi. Since it is served hot, the nori is tender enough to bite through with ease, making it an ideal snack.
Spam is the main ingredient, and it is truly the best part of the snack. Dipped in teriyaki sauce, the spam slice has an amazingly subtle sweetness to it. Spam is notoriously salty, and the taste can be very overpowering. It is a difficult meat to manage. With the sauce, the spam becomes more palatable.
As one unit, the spam musubi was amazing. The consistency of the spam and the rice pair together nicely, creating not just a good taste but also an enjoyable eating experience.
Both the rice bowl and the musubi were great meals. For about $13, it was a satisfying lunch that I would get again. Cafe Luma hit the mark with both items, and if your dietary restrictions allow, try them both for yourself. As much as I appreciated the add-ins on my bowl, experiment with it, add what sounds good to you, and see what you like.
