Front cover of bento

Beautiful Japanese bento boxes to go

What a fun experience when traveling through the bullet trains and stopping at some of the many food vendors and food halls in the train stations we pass. These well designed and packaged bento’s to go are so attractive and fun to check out what all the main ingredients or items included into the bento. Each varying with the variety of standard to more elaborate bento with side dishes. Overall the price of taking a bento to go is a very inexpensive lunch on the train versus purchasing directly from the food carts that shuttle through all the train compartments and charge premium prices.

Japanese boxes are so beautiful and aesthetically pleasing from the outside packaging, the arrangements and the complete presentation of the food. It seems like the food is enhanced and even tastes better when it is presented so well and looks delicious from the display. It may also be that the mind determines taste initially from seeing beautiful food packaged and presented so well that it may actually trick you into believe the food is indeed tastier – or at least it gets the taste buds going right away from a visual stand point.

I love Korean Barbeque and Sushi when I travel in Asia, but my easy go to or take away always ends up being eating Japanese Bento boxes.

 Here’s what the bento boxes typically looks like open

Inside bento yummies

Beautiful works of art you can eat

I think this time I lucked out with all the different tastes, textures and variety in the bento box I ordered. Not only was it beautifully arranged and well presented –  the food was actually tasty and varied from sweet to sour, salty, chewy, eggy, with so many tastes in each bite. Surprisingly, my bento included fried fish, tempura shrimp and squid, beef teriyaki, sausage, pickles and some other ‘unknown’ gooey bites.  I enjoyed the process of walking around the shops and looking for just the right bento and then unwrapping them on the train, and then deciding which pieces I would like to sample in succession.  This time I think I picked just the right bento to satisfy my lunch cravings while riding on the Shinkasen (bullet train).

Take away bento boxes at Train Stations

You’ll find so many different eateries and take away places at the main railway stations you visit and even the fast trains sell bento boxes for a quick visit around the country. If you are in a rush getting through the railway station and trying to get to your train, picking up a quick bento box at the station is the easiest and inexpensive option to enjoy a meal on the train or while you are in transit at the station.

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Conclusion to eating Japanese Bento Boxes

You’ll love all the many bento box meals you will find everywhere from convenience stores, large department stores and even mom and pop shops looking for fast take away service to restaurants that sell business bento box meals to go. These are alway fun to eat, colorful and a surprise with the different tastes and ingredients invovled along with beautiful presentation that makes it all more delicious on the eyes and palate.

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