Asian Style Rice Bowl - Deal of the Day Review

While not anything to write (email) home about, my latest Deal of the Day, Asian Style Rice Bowl by Banquet, is just okay. Banquet frozen meals are often more miss than hit. But this thawed entree has some tasty bits.

The cooked veggie pieces are a nice size, not chopped into pulp. And chopped broccoli, red bell pepper and sliced carrot retain a bit of crunch even after microwaving - often frozen veggies are mushy and flavorless.

frozen & zapped

They tasted like fresh frozen veggies you would get from the grocery cold case.

I was especially impressed with the white rice, not something I would usually comment on. The rice is cooked perfectly. The rice grains are fluffy without being a sticky lump or a soggy mash. The grains held up well to microwaving.

I liked the "Tangy Asian Inspired BBQ Sauce", although the "Tangy" part is mild, not spicy or acidic at all. BBQ sauce is is not too sweet, as is the case in manhy BBQ frozen entrees.

The BBQ sauce has a mild smokey undertaste and a dash of Worcestershire sauce flavor.


The cooked meat is a large lump, and fairly bland, but that's okay for precooked frozen ground meat. The ingredients say a combination of pork and chicken. For being white meat pork and chicken, the meat has an unnaturally dark brown hue.

The protein part of this frozen entree is good enough. The pork and chicken structure reminds me of a McDonald's McRib sandwich patty, but with a little more texture.

The meat is really  just a delivery device for the tasty sauce, veggies and rice,

It is light lunch - just over 7 ounces. The large loaf of meat and rice provide the heft to this cheap$kate deal.

Click on any photo to see larger.

The ingredient list is way too long, but I guess that's comes with frozen Banquet Meals in the cheap grocery section of your frozen deli case.

So on the 99 Cent Chef's Cheap$kate Dining Scale of 1 to 9, 9 being best, I give this Deal of the Day, Asian Style Rice Bowl by Banquet, a 5. It was an okay frozen meal, but I'm not sure I would get it again anytime soon. I think I will stick with my guilty pleasures of Turkey or Salisbury Steak Meals.