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| - This place definitely has energy. The good kind of energy and ambiance that makes you literally want to go there every night, sit on their patio, enjoy their food, and ponder on your thoughts for hours. And I just deduced that from my first visit there.
Ever since I started going to ASU (about 2 years ago) I have really wanted to try this place. That means I spent 2 years of running into their Yelp page, staring wide-eyed at pictures of their yummy protein bowls, fresh salads, and delectable-looking pitaya bowls. That is, until, I finally decided to give Original ChopShop Co. a try.
Around 7:00 PM on Monday night, I called in a take-out order for their shrimp protein bowl accompanied with their forbidden rice. The user-submitted images of the shrimp protein bowl made it an easy sell for me. A bunch of large, succulently cooked shrimp drizzled in chili-lime sauce? What more could you ask for?! Anyhow, about 30 minutes later, I picked up my bowl. The place is small, and at that hour it was really starting to get packed. There was a line at the dine-in register about 6-7 people long, and all of the staff were working hard to accommodate accordingly. It was a tad bit annoying that I had to wait in the "pick-up orders only" line for around 10 minutes, considering I was the only person in line, but hey. I'm not going to complain because it's not like the staff were just sitting around.
I was greeted by a young gentleman who was personable and didn't seemed bothered by the rush, something that is key in a high-volume, fast-casual dining establishment. I paid for my meal, and after tax, I was just shy of $12, not including a tip. I took my bowl and went on my merry way.
When I opened the sack the bowl was in, it was a nice surprise to find that the chili lime sauce came on the side, rather than being put on top of the bowl to let the contents get soggy. I was rather disappointed, however, at the size of the actual bowl and the contents. The bowl itself was large, however the rice/shrimp/veggies/etc only took up maybe half of the volume of the bowl. Something I wasn't expecting for almost $12. There were around 10-11 shrimp inside, but don't be fooled, they were a lot smaller than the ones in most of the pictures on Yelp. Mine were a smidge larger than than the size of a quarter. Like I said, after seeing the bowl and its contents it was hard to justify the money I spent on it.
I regained some of that lost faith in Original ChopShop Co. when I took my first bite of the protein bowl. The shrimp were cooked excellently. They had just the right amount of crunch, were seasoned perfectly, and were cleaned and de-veined appropriately. The forbidden rice is a nice complement to the meal, as it has a wholesome, nutty flavor (not to mention it is chock-full of antioxidants). The veggies includied (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, and mushrooms) were also cooked well. They still had some crunch to them, which I like. All together, the flavors blended harmoniously. Like I said, the chili-lime sauce is what really tied it together. It was not too spicy, nor too tangy and was a perfect, and yes I mean perfect, accent for the succulently-cooked shrimp. All in all, I really loved the protein bowl.
I will always be a fan of Original ChopShop Co. so long as they keep producing bowls and salads and whatnot this delicious and this fresh. It really is getting more and more difficult to find good quality food these days. However, I won't be visiting them as often as I would like, because being a full-time college student on a part-time budget doesn't allow much room for me to be spending in upwards of $12 on one meal item. But as far as treating myself goes, I will definitely return and try some more delicious-looking menu items.
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