[Staff Review] When in Doubt, Reach for This One. Soup, Miso Soup, Salad, Yogurt and More: Trying the SONOBE Mug Bowl

A shelf lined with favorite dishes I've collected little by little. Sometimes I know right away which one suits which meal, but other times I only start wondering "which one should I use?" once the food is ready. Miso soup would be nice in a soup bowl, but it's packed with ingredients, so maybe a larger bowl would be easier to eat from? This dish usually works for soup, but somehow it doesn't feel quite right today...

In this article, I review the SONOBE Sakura Mug Bowl, which has cut down on that kind of indecision. Knowing there's always this bowl to turn to, my everyday meals feel a little more comfortable.

The First Thing I Noticed: How Well the Handle Fits

What struck me first when I picked it up was the small handle on the side. It fits an index finger just right, and the bowl feels steady in the hand. Because it's only one finger wide, it looks sleek, yet it never feels flimsy.

▲A size that's just right for wrapping both hands around.

Still, my favorite way to hold it is to wrap both hands around it. With the gentle feel that only wooden things have, it nestles snugly into both palms. It's by no means small, but because it's wood, it's light and easy to handle. Once you get used to this mug bowl, the mugs you've been using start to feel heavy. Since the bowl itself is so light, I think it's easier to hold than a ceramic bowl, even when it's filled with a hearty soup.

▲The handle is just big enough for an index finger.

Between a Mug and a Bowl

The shape is based on the plump form of Sonobe Sangyo's long-selling Meiboku Wan bowl. Adding a handle turned it into a vessel you can hold like a mug and serve in like a bowl.

▲Shown next to the Meiboku Wan bowl.

▲There is no foot ring like the one on a traditional bowl. The base is finished flat.

Because the base is flat, it sits steadily on the table and is hard to tip over. The wide mouth lets a spoon go in easily, even for a soup packed with ingredients.

How I Use It Every Day

I've been using this mug bowl for about a month. Here's a roundup of the ways I actually use it.

✓ For morning soup. Instant soup fits just right.

▲Instant soup made with 150 ml of hot water. The size is just right.

Instant soup is handy on rushed mornings, or when you just want something warm. Most call for around 150 ml of hot water, and that amount fits in this bowl with just the right room to spare. My usual soup looks more appetizing in it, and when I actually drank it, the feel on the lips was gentle, and the warmth seemed to soak slowly into my body.

Even with tonjiru (pork and vegetable miso soup) full of chunky cut vegetables, the wide mouth made it easier to eat than from the soup bowls I usually use.

When my usual soup bowl feels a little too small, but a large donburi-style bowl would be more than I need, that's when this mug bowl comes in. The handle keeps it from slipping, which is reassuring.

✓ For hot pot. Your index finger holds it in place, so serving is easy.

What I liked most was using it as a serving bowl for hot pot. Since I can hold the mug bowl steady with my index finger, it's easy to ladle food into. It works much like a tonsui (a small bowl used for hot pot), and I'd also recommend it for small children, or for anyone who finds a tonsui hard to hold. Because wood has low thermal conductivity, the bowl doesn't get extremely hot, which makes it easier to handle too. The zosui (rice and broth porridge) that finishes the meal was easy to eat from it as well.

✓ For yogurt and ice cream. Even cold foods don't feel chilly.

The low thermal conductivity paid off with cold foods as well. Glass and ceramic feel chilly to the touch, but the warmth that only wood offers was comforting. As the weather gets colder, we tend to drift away from cold treats, but this mug bowl seems to take them in gently. On a cold winter day, eating ice cream under the kotatsu (a heated table) sounds lovely.

Beyond these, I keep picturing other ways to use it, which is something I've noticed while using this mug bowl. A salad piled high with vegetables would be nice, and so would okayu (rice porridge) when you're under the weather. For families with small children, it also seems well suited to baby food.

What I Learned: The Good Things About a Wooden Bowl

After putting all kinds of dishes in it, a few advantages that only a wooden bowl has became clear.

・The feel on the lips is gentle, without the chill of ceramic.

・Heat doesn't transfer easily, so when you pour in hot soup, the bowl only turns pleasantly warm. Cold food doesn't make it feel chilly, either.

・There's little worry about breaking it if you drop it, so you can use it without fuss.

・Thanks to the urethane finish, it's fine for deeply colored foods like tomato soup, or for oily dishes.

Japanese soups, Western soups, salads, desserts. Since it works with any kind of food, I spend much less time agonizing over "which dish should I use?"

It's fun to see the food I serve look fresh and more appetizing, and that gives me a push to cook, thinking, "Maybe I'll make that next." Even a plain instant soup, made by just adding hot water, looks appetizing, so it's an ally on days when I have no energy.

Before You Use It

Because it's a wooden bowl, it can't be used in a microwave, dishwasher, or oven. You can't heat it directly the way you would a ceramic mug, but that is part of why you can enjoy the natural feel of wood on your lips. If you want to reheat soup, warm it in a pot first and then pour it in.

Care tips:

1. Wash with water or lukewarm water, using a soft sponge and dish soap

2. Don't use stiff scrubbing brushes or abrasive sponges

3. Don't soak it in hot water, and don't leave it soaking in water

None of this is special. It's a natural extension of everyday washing up, and in my own use there's nothing I have to be particularly careful about. As long as you keep it out of the dishwasher and microwave, I think you can use it for a long time.

Enjoy the Different Wood Grain of Each Piece

▲Even among identical mug bowls, the grain and color vary widely.

Because it's made from natural cherry wood, the grain, color, size, and weight vary from piece to piece. The one you receive won't match the photos exactly, but we hope you'll enjoy the one-of-a-kind character of the bowl that arrives in your hands.

This mug bowl is made by Sonobe Sangyo in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture. Their craftspeople handle every step, from selecting and drying the wood to turning it on a lathe and finishing it with a coating. What they hold dear is the idea of working "without strain, without waste, until it returns to the soil." Even the wood that doesn't become products is used up without leftovers. They choose domestic Japanese wood out of a wish to protect Japan's neglected forests, I'm told. In the smooth feel of the bowl in your hand, I sense that attitude coming through.

Two in a Box, Perfect as a Gift

▲Delivered as a boxed set of two.

Because it comes as a boxed set of two, it makes a nice gift for a wedding, or for someone starting out in a new home. Since small children can hold it themselves, I think it would also be a good choice as a gift for a new baby.

A Daily Bowl That Settles Into Your Hand

It's not something to save for special occasions. It's a bowl you pick up again and again at the table, from morning soup to evening hot pot. The more you use it, the more its round shape and its texture settle into your hand.

▼Featured in this article: SONOBE Sakura Mug Bowl (Set of 2)