I love a Japanese Bento lunch, the idea of multiple small bites to form a tasty whole. So when I discovered that there is a Cafe in Kitsilano that specializes in these set lunches, we were happy to visit.
They serve the lunch time crowd, so opens early and closes at 4pm. Sadly, we came at the tail end of this and did find the need to rush through our meal, packing up what we couldn’t finish in the moment.
The date of our visit coincided with the launch of two new bentos, which we tried, alongside two of their best sellers.
Each set comes with a featured main and small dishes that not only compliment, but act as a palate refresher. There is even a single green grape and mandarin orange wedge to help end the meal on a sweet note. The sides do vary by set, but many had pickled garlicky cucumber, boiled root vegetables, smoked tofu with a salty dashi, and jellyfish. A couple had a glass of steamed egg with a jelly-like texture and a salty finish.
All the sets except the onigiri also has a simple udon with half a soft boiled egg. It was clean in flavour and offered a nice break.
The Ton Jiru & Onigiri Set stands out with Pork Miso Soup, a side salad, and your choice of two kinds of Onigiri. For the main you can pick between the Salmon, Unagi, Tuna mayo, Ebi Mayo, Mentaiko, and Takana. I was expecting sushi quality raw fish and seafood, but instead got cooked flaked salmon with mayo for my first, and a similar tangy mayo coating small mini shrimp for my second. This was disappointing, as it was not expected, and more rice than filling.
Although the serving does also come with a side of teriyaki style baked chicken and an egg omelette square. This you can have with the rice that remains without any filling left to spare. There was honestly nothing unique about it, but all together of great value to have.
I was not a fan of the pork miso soup that is a part of this set. It was thick and heavy, and reminded me of a chowder; given how thick and slurry-like the broth was. The mix was murky and I didn’t find all the ingredients complimentary to an already fragrant and classic soup base, such as miso. It almost felt like it was doing too much and came across slightly bitter together. I would have liked this separated into two different dishes, especially given how large the entire bowl was. It would have been nice to keep the miso soup simple and traditional, and have the pork and vegetables as its own side plate. Although, they never claimed to be authentic Japanese cuisine, more Japanese inspired, so the creative liberties here makes sense.
I did like their fusion approach when it came to the Unagi & Foie Gras Jyu & Udon Set. This one of their new bento sets. Sous-Vide Unagi Lightly Seared with Hojicha and Aburi Foie Gras. This was served in a traditional lacquer lunch box that you had the joy of uncovering and discovering. It was as decadent and sumptuous as it reads. You simply dug in and up to get an even spoonful of saucy eel, lush foie gras, thin shreds of eggs, and plain rice to help soak up all the flavour. And in between all these heavier bites I looked to the sweet soy udon, tangy pickles, and brightening jellyfish for breaks.
If not this set, my second choice would be the Aburi Salmon Oshi & Udon Set. It had the exact same sides as the rice box above. This is their own style of Aburi Salmon Oshi with their Special Sauce. Tasty, but a little on the saucier side, and as a result the rice and fish easily crumbled with the pressure from my chopsticks.
Their second new set is the Gin Dara, Black Cod Saikyo Miso & Udon Set. Marinated Black Cod with Japanese Saikyo Miso. An equal parts fatty and light white fish, served with green salad, some quinoa, a couple of cherry tomatoes, and an egg omelette. I would consider this the healthiest of all the bento options.
In short, we loved what we had and found the sets of great value. I would order from and frequent this cafe if closer to my home.
Bento Cafe
1822 W 1st Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1G5
(236) 777-6511
