Healthy Bentou Box Extraordinaire...

First off Happy New Year to all my friends and readers! Shy is the oyster, fervent is the clam, peaceful is the ocean floor rocked by the sands of time. -- Bradley Chicho

May we be the ocean floor in the new year. There is a Japanese saying on resilience- nana korobi ya oki- fall down 7 times, get up 8. No matter how difficult things may be, we have to keep going! Blessings to you all (❁´◡`❁)*✲ﾟ* 💕.

Look at these colourful, varied and healthy bentou boxes galore for dinner to celebrate a special birthday at home 🇯🇵🍱!

Not just any bento, but meticulously cooked and prepared by Japanese community-loved 80 year old Chef Ishii-san. A catering business he helms with his 80 year old wife, son, niece and the help of friends and my Japanese sister-in-law. The thing that makes his bentos top-notch and incomparable to others in the city is that he constructs his with 30 different types of ingredients to align with Japan's health experts recommending to eat 30 different types of food a day. Each food is uniquely seasoned and delicately cooked, and then beautifully presented in compartments for takeout. They often make 150 to 400 bentos at a time 😯, and you can only imagine how labourous that becomes! He wakes up early in the morning to start prepping and doesn't finish until late in the day with some recipes requiring two days in advance prep. 

I caught wind that he was heading into his second retirement this February, and I had to try his tasty bento one more time. Second retirement because his loyal clientele especially from JCCC (Japanese Cultural Community Centre) didn't allow him to stop cooking, and I just heard now that he may never retire... The demand is too strong! I wish him and his wife well as he has dedicated his whole life to his craft (he use to own a Japanese restaurant), and has the respect of so many in the Japanese community. Sending my deepest blessings! 

Perfect also to ring in 2021, Osechi Ryori are traditional foods enjoyed on New Year’s day in Japan. They come in an assortment of colourful dishes packed together in special boxes called jubako, which resemble bento boxes. Every dish has special meaning in welcoming the New Year. I see Chef Ishii-san has included rolled omelets, seafood and beans which are all auspicious good food! Arrigato gozaimasu 💖🙏!

To order take-out, email info.toriichi@gmail.com.

I have spent less time on social, doing my own things and getting ready for some more food projects on the horizon. Will be back to update 🥰! Be well. Eat well.