InstaBowl restaurant opens Monday in former Acacia mid-town spot

The restaurant will be open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed for Thanksgiving, and then open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. beginning Friday.

Check out the opening menu:

INSTABOWL FALL 2020

SOUPS

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BISQUE (GF,VG) 6

Coconut milk. Aromatics.

SEAFOOD CHOWDA 11

Mussels. Clams. Oysters.

SALADS

SPAM “COBB” SALAD (GF) 13

Butter lettuce. Feta. Egg. Mustard vinaigrette.

GREEN PAPAYA (DF) 16

Lychee. Nam Pla peanut vinaigrette. Scallions. Thai Chili. Cilantro.

KALE SALAD (GF) 8

Sweet potato. Macadamia nut. Dried Cherries. Parmesan. Sesame Ginger Dressing.

BURRATA (GFO) 12

Mixed Greens. Olive Oil Croutons. Roasted Red Peppers. Basil. Balsamic Reduction.

BREAKFAST BOWLS

STEAK AND EGGS (GF)

Hanger steak. Two Eggs Any Style. Roasted Corn Salsa. Avocado Puree. Chimichurri. Pickled Red Onions.

“EGG”SELENT BOWL (GF)

Roasted Potatoes. Scrambled Egg. Red Peppers. Onions. Spinach. Cheddar Cheese. Slice of House Made Toast.

THE GRATEFUL HEMP (GF) 15

Hemp Seeds. Greek Yogurt. Figs. Berries. Bee Pollen. Honey.

PANCAKE TACOS

Savory Buttermilk Pancakes Stuffed with: Egg. Avocado. Cilantro. Bacon.

LUNCH BOWLS

CURRY IN A HURRY (GF, VG) 14

Yellow curry. Coconut mIlk. White Rice. Seasonal Vegetables. Dark Roasted Peanuts. Thai Basil.

PIKA PIKA POKE’ (GFO) 15

Ahi. Seaweed Salad. Li Hing compressed Pineapple. Cucumbers. Sushi RIce. Spicy Aioli. Sweet soy Reduction. Scallions.

RAMEN 14

House made Noodles. Crispy Pork. Dashi. Napa Cabbage. Carrots. PIckled Shiitakes. Nori. 7 min Egg. Pickled Red Onions.

ADOBO BOWL (GF) 12

Braised Pork. White Rice. Sunny side up Egg. Kim chi. Scallions.

FEED THE SEOUL (GF) 15

Rice noodles. Baby Bok Choy. Bulgogi Chicken. Shiitakes. Scallions.

LOCO MOCO (DF) 16

Chuck Ground Beef. White RIce. Demi Glace. Sunny Side Egg.

SRI LANKAN KESEL MUWA (VG) 15

Turmeric battered Banana Blossoms. Chilis. Ginger. Tamarind Brown Rice.

MIGHTY MIGHTY MUSHROOM (VG, GF) 14

Roasted Mushrooms. Red Quinoa and French Lentils. Braised Kale. Cashew Crema.

VEGAN CRABBY PATTIES (GF, VG) 21

Heart of Palm Cake. ChickPeas. Preserved Lemons. Seasonal Vegetables.

EXTRAS

GARLIC FRIED RICE (GF) 5

Add Kimchi +1

Add Egg +1

HOUSEMADE KIMCHI (GF) 5

SEASONAL VEGETABLES (GF, VG)5

FRIED BRUSSELS (GF, VGO)5

Truffled Hot Honey.

CURRY KALE(GF, VG) 5

GRILLED PROTEIN ADD ONS

ADD A PROTEIN TO ANY BOWL

GRILLED SHRIMP

GRILLED SALMON

GRILLED CHICKEN BREAST

BURGER

PORK ADOBO

FRIED BANANA BLOSSOM

Previous from Oct. 21:

Perch chef Mike Ledesma opening new restaurant - InstaBowl - in former Acacia mid-town spot

Perch restaurant executive chef Mike Ledesma is opening a new restaurant — InstaBowl — in the former Acacia mid-town location near Carytown.

Slated to open in early November, InstaBowl is a fast-casual restaurant specializing in made-to-order bowls (an entree with a grain, protein and veggies), including adobo and poke. Soups and salads also are on the menu.

InstaBowl wasn’t Ledesma’s original concept for the space, which includes a dining room, small patio and full bar.

The pandemic forced the chef to rethink the restaurant he planned to open in the one-level, 4,761-square-foot building at 2601 W. Cary St., which sold in January for $1.18 million, according to the city’s online property records. Acacia closed in February after 21 years in business, and Ledesma and his business partner have been planning a restaurant for the space since then.

“This is the ultimate pivot for a restaurateur,” Ledesma said in a statement.

He has had plenty of practice pivoting during the COVID-19 era. At Perch, the 2-year-old Scott’s Addition restaurant, he helped add a takeout window in the early days of the pandemic and later expanded outdoor seating in its parking lot. A strong takeout program has been part of the restaurant’s offerings since spring.

“We’re taking what we learned at Perch and expanding it to our new location,” Ledesma said. “The one key difference is that everything we make at InstaBowl is purposely designed to taste best when you get home, to work, wherever. Between thoughtful preparation and eco-friendly packaging, our InstaBowls are built to travel.”

InstaBowl also will have a pickup window, plus delivery service — as well as wine and beer to-go. Ledesma plans to add a pastry program down the road and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.

The restaurant’s website (instabowlrva.com) will be live soon.