In a Japanese Frame of Mind...

I went to an excellent sushi restaurant yesterday, and enjoyed possibly the best quality sushi (handmade by the chef behind the counter) I've ever had in my life. Of course I haven't seen much, always going to more economical, machine-made sushi belt restaurants, but my taste buds are incredibly discerning.

Still reliving the taste of that wonderful food I had, my body automatically started making preparations for Japanese style bentos.

Although, regrettably, the rice is not the Japanese type but some blend of Thai rice (eww, not nice, not buying anymore after we finish this bag), but pretty much everything else is quite authentically prepared.

And my mojo felt that some picks were in order so out they came! Brighten up the boxes with their adorable faces no end.

I realise that I haven't been packing fruits into their bentos for a loooooonngg time, but it's obvious there's no space for anything else in most of my kid-sized bentos.

Perhaps it's time to get some bigger ones, since both kids can eat and Roast Meat is going to Secondary School next year (I'm sure his appetite will never grow less!)

Tamago Don and Onigiri

For Takoyaki:

For Roast Meat:

Natto et al Don

I love being able to prepare bentos like this once in a while... Don't they look pretty?

Takoyaki has some fried winged beans, while Roast Meat has a peeled cucumber salad.

Inarizushi Lunch

I went out for lunch at a Japanese restaurant with some old colleagues to celebrate someone's birthday, so to make up to RM who loves Japanese food, I left him a lunch bento of Jap foods. Oh, there was some leftover for Takoyaki as well.

What a beautiful box! I finally got to use this lovely Ojyu Picnic box I'd bought a few months back.

Now to get my hands on a furoshiki (cloth for wrapping a bento box) AND to get myself invited to a potluck so I can bring this gorgeous baby out for a trip!

Sausage and Egg Rice Bento

It's been a long time since I last packed a more Japanese style bento, which I really love.

Both Takoyaki and Roast Meat had Taiwan style cocktail sausage with tamagoyaki. Only the fruits are different.

Takoyaki's

RM's

By Request: Raisin Bread

With milk tamagoyaki and cherry tomatoes.

Tamagoyaki Salad With Options

What on earth does that mean? 

Well, it means you get a choice of carb but you have to take the tamagoyaki salad d:)

Takoyaki took rice.

RM chose crackers. He got a little sauce cup of caesar salad dressing as well (not shown in pic).

Simple Don

Menu:

Steamed rice with hijiki-umeboshi furikake

One-egg tamagoyaki

Cocktail Taiwan-style sausages

Veggies

Chuka Kuraage Don Bento

This is Takoyaki's last school bento for the year. It's the school hols for her, hurray! Poor RM is still struggling with revision for final year exams...

Menu:

Chuka kuraage (bought)

Steamed rice

Tamagoyaki (recipe here)

Blanched Spinach

Cherry tomatoes

New Onigiri Wrapper!

Look what I found at Daiso!

I've previously seen it on some online bento store and wanted to get my hands on it. Here I have used it to wrap some round riceballs for Takoyaki and Roast Meat.

Love the cute animals! However, one wrapper can ideally hold only a small ball of rice to be effectively tied up, so to hold enough rice for my two big eaters, I will need to use two each. More work, hahaha.

Aaaaand... Onigiris make their early appearance

Together with Tamagoyaki, of course. One set each for Takoyaki and Roast Meat.

Scallion Tamagoyaki and Riceballs

And karaage, which I seriously wonder whether Takoyaki can eat, as she's just had her braces adjusted yesterday *ouch* 

She said she "should be able to". 

Amazing how good Messy can look Bento

Just simple sandwiches in one half of the box, and an "artistic" (haha) mess of tamagoyaki, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli florets in the other half. Traffic light colours all over the place.

CNY break coming up!

We certainly are looking forward to the lovely four and a half day weekend which begins on Wed afternoon.

One and only bento for this week - bak kwa sandwiches, gold coins (tamagoyaki) and apples.

Wishing all bento'ers a blissful and healthy Year of the Goat!

Bento Mojo Cranking Up

And so we take on the second day of school with a simple bento of sandwiches, ham flowers and tamagoyaki. I achieved a(n almost) round tamagoyaki! Will share in another post later.

Monday Already??

I just realised that my last post was exactly one week ago. The rest of the week was bento-free, other than a very simple breadroll-and-chicken set for Takoyaki, as last Friday was Roast Meat's birthday. Hence, from Wednesday on, I was running around procuring ingredients to bake cupcakes for his celebration in school. Phew... Glad it is all over. It was a rather trying week for me as I was having some gastroenteritis on top of running around for some Parent Volunteer projects. Two more weeks and I'll be able to watch all my burdens roll down the hill!

Today's lunch menu:

Onigiris with mixed furikake

Tamagoyaki

Cucumber ribbons and cherry toms salad

Grapes

I have found two more bento recruits! Will be meeting with them soon to talk bento. Yay!

Traffic Light Bento

Although the theme wasn't planned.

Takoyaki asked me for a bento (this doesn't happen often) so I happily cooked everything from scratch since I didn't have any planned-overs. Another reason I was pleased to cook is that my new kitchen is designed for better workflow and also windy so it's really a breeze (pun intended) to culinarise in it.

Unintentional Traffic Light Bento

If it was for Roast Meat I could insert some of my traffic signs picks but I'm pretty sure the Secondary School girl wouldn't appreciate it d:P

Today's Lunch Menu:

Honey baked ham over rice

Kimchi

Tamagoyaki (first tmgyk in new house!)

Grapes

Very eclectic.

We have reached Friday... Finally

Low on energy and mojo. Barely managed to complete the tamagoyai. 

Same for both kids.

2014 Term 2 Week One - Tied

I brought some bento tools and boxes with me to our temporary living quarters for the next 4 months. However, due to the lack of space, not to mention my not wanting to dirty or touch too much of the houseowner's stuff, I've tried to keep things as simple as I can.

Both Takoyaki and Roast Meat brought simple stuff like onigiris and store-bought buns, plus my usual bento staples of fruits, veggies and toastable chicken. 

RM's PBN bento on Thursday

I finally got up some mojo to cook some side dishes from scratch for RM on Friday, to go with the planned over rice. Grilled shrimps and tamagoyaki are always easy to cook in a pinch. And I MADE SURE I brought my tamagoyaki pan with me d:)

RM's rice bento on Friday

Finally Friday - Pressed Sushi Again! (Real this time)

After yesterday's rather failed attempt, I decided to give my new toy another go, but this time, without the nori and with better fillings.

Oshizushi with egg sheet and pork floss

The middle layer is a thin egg sheet seasoned tamagoyaki style. So it's just one layer of rice, then the egg sheet, then more rice, and finally pork floss on top. My cutting skills suck though.

Takoyaki's oshizushi bento

We will know whether she liked it or not tonight.