"Bento" news and stories

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are embarking upon a Bento Boom. The prettily packaged (often very elaborate) box lunch has been around in Japan since the 1600s, has its share of obsessives stateside, and now boasts an upscale San Francisco Bay Area entrepreneur as its, uh, bentoperson. Meet Peko-Peko (Japanese for "hungry").

How can a simple, typically cheap boxed lunch go upscale? Well, owner Sylvan Brackett's restaurant background is at Alice Waters' famed local eatery Chez Panisse. His tribute to the food of his childhood -- his mother is Japanese -- do not come cheap. When they're so gorgeously presented in beautiful "to go" boxes, or on traditional servingware when catered, we'd be inclined to shell out the $25 minimum. (Full disclosure: We sampled Brackett's incredible potstickers as college acquaintances). Seasonal, organic ingredients might include Marin Sun Pork Kakuni (soy and sake-simmered pork belly) with chrysanthemum greens or a layered box of Dungeness crab, pork cutlet, local pickled ginger and Brackett's house-brined umeboshi (pickles).

Though gourmet bento has not yet charmed all of America, Brackett studied the cuisine in Japan and declares, "Beautifully laid out food is common there." How does Mom feel about him taking the casual food she served him as a tot and bringing it to the Alice Waters crowd? "She thinks it's amusing."

For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

I must admit that this bento, from the Live Journal bento stream, gives me the crawlies just a little. I love crab, but these guys remind me a bit of bedbugs. Cute bedbugs. The crabs are sweet potato, served over a pork and eggplant donburi. On the side are veggie spring rolls, a red bean mochi (Japanese rice flour pastry) and a green salad with vinaigrette (in the plastic carrot).

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For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

Japanese anime enthusiasts tend to go in for elaborate bentos in a major way. Big surprise, right? This lil' guy (ten points for whoever can name the character), from Narurto Gallery, is rendered in nori, cheese, lunch meat and surrounded by various vegetables and a skewer of edamame.

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For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

Another highly artistic bento today, via Splutch. We've got a lovely redheaded girl (if this is some famous character I don't know about, please do tell) made of turkey, egg, fish cake and nori, along with a nori man, several tamago rollups, some turkey and cucumber rollups and a strawberry jelly.

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Cooking Cute

For your lunchtime pleasure, I'm presenting a series of my favorite bento boxes. Bento are Japanese home-prepared meals served in special boxes, usually eaten for lunch at work or school. These days, bento enthusiasts from all over the world share their creations on Flickr.

You don't get much simpler than this tri-colored donburi (Japanese stewed meal, served over rice) from Cooking Cute. As the author says, "there is something about the texture of the soft egg, chewy beef and crisp snowpeas, and the combination of salty and sweet...yum!" She's even included a recipe. Looks like more of a dinner bento, in my opinion, but I'm sure it would heat up nicely for lunch.

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