Thinkin’ Bao Bento: Cottonopolis Freshens up their Lunch Offering

If you live in Tokyo, when it comes to lunch time, you won’t catch anyone cracking open a sweaty box of last night’s Bolognese or nipping to Tesco for a depressing meal deal.

No, No, No; Japan is home to the Bento Box – and if you haven’t heard of one of these then you will need to strap in because your tiny mind is going to be BLOWN.

The Bento Box is essentially a lunch box filled with all manner of delicious treats to stop you getting bored.

Typically, you might find rice or noodles, with fish or meat, something fried, with vegetables and sometimes fruits too and although many people make them at home, Bento Boxes can be bought from most shops and are the most popular choice for lunch.

Playing on this tradition is Cottonopolis, who have launched a brand new menu of delicious Bento available Monday – Friday between noon and 4 pm.

Now Cottonopolis has also got themselves a brand new chef, and Julian Pizer has seriously stepped up his Bento game. You now have a choice four Bento Boxes all priced at £9 each (or £12 with a beer!)

Spicy Chicken Bento comes with a Free Range Chicken Karaage Bao with Kimchi Tagorashi & Spicy Mayo, Vegetable Tempura and an Avacado Nori Taco.

Finally, this box comes with a Free Range Chicken Yakitori with peanut sauce for dipping.

Vegetarians will fall head over heels for the Salt & Pepper Tofu Bao with Pickled cucumber & Tonkatsu sauce.

If that isn’t enough, you will also get Vegetable Tempura, Asparagus Yaki, Avocado Broccoli and Red Pepper Maki Roll and salty Wakame Salad on the side.

If fish is more your vibe, you can get involved with the Seafood Bento. Start with Loch Duart Salmon, Tobico & Avocado Maki Roll with some outrageously good Tiger Prawn Tempura with avocado salsa and seaweed sal.

Follow this with the Seabream Karaage Bao with ginger and pickled cucumber for a filling lunchtime treat.

Last but not least, if you are a die-hard carnivore, you will be obsessed with the Karobata Pork Bento. Sure the Bao is good, but the Pork Harumaki Spring Roll with Katsu Curry Sauce is the real winner for me.

The Yaki skewer is worth shouting about too and this bento comes with one of those sweet Avacado Nori tacos too.