A new fast-casual spot for rice bowls and wraps, appropriately named Bowl & Roll, opens Thursday, October 1, at 200 St. Paul Street in Burlington, the former home of Magic Chopsticks.

Bowl & Roll serves a variety of appetizers, poke bowls with sushi-grade fish, rice bowls with fire-grilled proteins, build-your-own bowls, kati-roll-style wraps and, soon, boba tea. Its globe-spanning menu is a mix of South Asian, East Asian and Mediterranean flavors with an emphasis on healthy ingredients, co-owner/chef Santosh Bhattarai said.

Brown rice, quinoa and greens are all available as healthier options for the base of the bowls, he added.

Bhattarai recently moved to Vermont from California to open the biz with his longtime friend, co-owner Neeraj Tiwari. The duo first worked together in Los Angeles, and decided to team up to make Bhattarai’s dream of opening a place of his own a reality.

The resulting restaurant is “fresh and different,” Bhattarai said.

Santosh Bhattarai at Bowl & Roll Credit: Jordan Barry / Seven Days

Tiwari, who lives in Burlington, has co-owned Namaste Indian-Nepali Kitchen in Montpelier since 2022.

The counter-service model allows the business to operate with a smaller staff than a traditional restaurant, though customers are welcome to eat at one of Bowl & Roll’s roughly 50 seats. Online ordering is also available.

The restaurant’s mix of Indian-Nepali and Japanese influences is unique, too. Edamame, seaweed salad and pan-seared dumplings share the appetizer menu with golden samosas, while house sauces reference butter chicken and tamarind. Chicken, falafel, lamb, tofu and grilled paneer are all available as protein options on the restaurant’s cooked bowls, which are completely customizable.

Bowl & Roll is open daily for lunch and dinner. Follow @bowlandrollvermont on Instagram for updates.