Sometimes it's nice to have a bento box on the go...but if it's a choice made by young people, it ends up like this. There are various foods that give off a Kansai vibe. Is this considered a soul food...or maybe it's for tourists...either way, let's all enjoy it leisurely together. Special bento box for ¥1080. I had a fun time eating it. Thank you for the meal.

No matter how many times I eat it, there's no point in giving it a score. There's no basis for deducting points. The appearance of the packaging, the colorful outer box even after removing the wrapping, and most importantly, the vibrant presentation when opening the lid, with a taste that feels freshly made, full of umami, enjoyed on the Shinkansen. I have traveled to all 46 prefectures in Japan for work for nearly 40 years, except for Okinawa, but since discovering this bento, this is the one for me.

At around 8 o'clock at night, I hurriedly bought a bento box called "Kitayama" from Kyoto's Gochoten while traveling from Kyoto to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. It cost exactly 1000 yen including tax, and the payment process was smooth. When I opened it in my seat, I saw a beautiful obi with an illustration of a geisha looking at falling flower petals. The design, with the name "Kitayama" and the brand name Gochoten, really gave off a sense of Kyoto elegance. Removing the obi, I found a lid with a colorful design of flower petals floating on a river, labeled "Hanabune," showing great attention to detail. The contents were even better - the ingredients tasted fresh and flavorful, as if they had just been prepared. Each item had its own rich flavor, and the variety of dishes was impressive. The volume was satisfying, and the addition of mixed rice was a nice touch. This bento box was definitely worth the 1000 yen. Hatoya Foods is doing a great job!

I had Yudofu meal at Eikando Kaikan. Unfortunately, the autumn leaves were a bit past their peak and the fallen leaves were dried up. When I visited 5-6 years ago, it was the best season with stunningly beautiful autumn leaves, creating a red carpet of fallen leaves. Thank you for the meal.

While on the move, I decided to order from a bento shop for a meal. The name "Kyoto Kachouan" is very Kyoto-like. I ordered the "onigiri set", which includes two types of onigiri and side dishes like fried chicken and red sausages. The quality definitely surpasses convenience store onigiri. The fried chicken is good, but the red sausages are a bit of a mystery (laughs). Overall, the side dishes in this bento seem pretty good for a quick meal. Just enough to satisfy your hunger.

This time during the lunch break at the meeting, we had a mid-range priced bento box from Daigo. When you open the lid, you'll find a variety of items inside. Apart from the fried chicken and sausages, the rest have a Japanese taste, so it might be a bit spicy for children. Now, onto the taste test! The seasoning is not too strong, more on the mild side, so it might be a bit challenging for businessmen used to convenience store bento boxes. But, it's delicious! The prices range from 700 yen to 2,500 yen, with a wide variety of bento boxes available. They also deliver to a relatively wide area, which is convenient when you need a large quantity. (Note: Delivery requires a purchase of over 10,000 yen)

I bought a bento box called "Maiko Han" at a food supermarket near the Shinkansen and Kintetsu train ticket gates at Hachijo-guchi at Kyoto Station, and ate it on the Shinkansen on my way home. The bento box had nine compartments, with three filled with rice dishes and the rest with side dishes and pickles. The rice dishes included matsutake mushroom rice, five-color rice topped with scrambled eggs, and chili shrimp mixed rice. The side dishes included simmered vegetables, tempura, simmered dishes, grilled fish, tamagoyaki, and sweets and pickles. I was a bit concerned about the strangely colored ginkgo nuts on top of the matsutake mushroom rice.

This time, I didn't use it with my wife and daughter, but when I went to Kyoto for work. It is a bento delivery specialty store located very close to Kyoto Station, called Kyoto Kachouan. The bento I had that day was their popular item Miyabi no Tsuki for 1,404 yen. It is a two-tiered bento, with the first tier containing Kyoto-like ingredients such as yomogi fu. The second tier features a colorful chirashi sushi with bright kinshi tamago. This store seems very convenient for business meetings or outings near Kyoto Station. I would definitely like to use it again in the future. Thank you for the delicious meal.

Before returning to the Kintetsu hotel, it's time for a big dinner procurement mission. I opted for room-only accommodation as I was tired from a long journey and wanted to relax in my room. There was a food supermarket right in front of the hotel entrance, and I was drawn in like a magnet. I actually quite like supermarkets. The location is great, right inside Kyoto Station, so they sell souvenirs, local sake, and bento boxes as well. Should I have a bento box for dinner? I pondered in front of the refrigerated case. Oh, there was a woman in a beautiful kimono standing there. And next to her, it said "Kyoto Maiko Han." This must be the Maiko Han I've heard about. Nice to meet you. Without hesitation, I put Maiko Han in my basket. It's a fairly large package, about 25cm square. I also bought some items for drinking and headed back to the hotel. I went up to the 3rd floor. I took out my key card. Hmm, which room number was it again? Oh, there was nothing written on the key card. I roughly knew the area, but this was a problem. Then, I had a flash of inspiration. I checked the photo of the room on my camera's LCD screen. I was able to confirm the room number. I always take a photo of the room when I stay somewhere. Usually, the evacuation route is posted on the front door. It came in handy this time. Now, let's put away the items I bought in the room... What's this? The refrigerator looked normal from the outside. But when I opened it, the depth was extremely shallow. It could only fit drinks. This wouldn't do for my Maiko Han. Crisis averted for Maiko Han. It was January, so the room was very warm. I lowered the heating to a minimum. I tried my best for Maiko Han, who I was meeting for the first time. If it doesn't taste good, I won't let it slide. It was 10 PM. Maiko Han was about to make her entrance. Even though I was alone, due to the hotel's circumstances, I had dinner in a twin room. The box had a "Maiko Han" seal and a "Kikusui" label. Which one is the real name? I opened the lid. It was divided into 9 blocks. Three blocks were different types of rice, and the rest were side dishes. There were salads, fried foods, simmered dishes, grilled dishes. A nice variety and balance. It had more dishes than a typical bento box, so I didn't get tired of it and it was delicious. As I ate, I found matsutake mushrooms. I didn't expect matsutake to be in there. Maiko Han really knows how to surprise. It was delicious, and the next day I returned home on the Kintetsu limited express. This was KUMAO's experience.

The purification of Nagoshi. "Nagoshi no Harae" - what a beautiful Japanese phrase. The motivation for this trip was to buy the traditional confectionery "Minazuki" in Kyoto, but unfortunately, I couldn't find a confectionery shop as planned. Buying it from a store in Tokyo wouldn't be as exciting. The highlight of this trip was being able to admire the greenery of Kyoto before the peak of summer, with the view of the Kamogawa River and the blue mountains in the distance. I was satisfied with an early lunch at Matsuya, and for the final meal of the trip, I ended up here. I refrained from eating or drinking for 6 hours to give my stomach a rest, while visiting the "Tsuchida Seiki Original Art Exhibition" at the Kyoto International Manga Museum and reading up to volume 8 of "I Am a Hero" by Kengo Hanazawa. I had planned to return to Tokyo while it was still bright outside, but I ran out of time to stop by Isetan, so I bought a bento box at a station kiosk. The Sukiyaki Bento cost 955 yen, and on the back, it said "Kochian". The bubbling stick-shaped item was fried yuba, which had a slightly uncertain texture. The amount of Sukiyaki ingredients and rice was light and healthy. It was the meal I enjoyed the most during the trip, as I was the most hungry at that point. I wanted to buy souvenirs and a bento for the return journey as much as possible before entering the city or station premises. I think I will visit again without fail before then.

This bento box costs 1000 yen. The rice is shaped like a gourd and pressed tightly together. It comes with pickled vegetables, tempura (including shishito peppers, sweet potatoes, and one lonely shrimp), and a side of salt. The simmered dish includes small eggplants, fried tofu, wheat gluten, and green beans, all seasoned well. It could use a bit more variety in the side dishes though. Overall, it seems a bit overpriced at 500-600 yen.

"2013.04 Review: Overall rating 3.5, Food/Taste 3.5, Value for money 3.5 (based on visit in February 2013). I was looking for a bento box before going on a trip... I had decided on Hatsu's beef bento, but was still undecided on what to get as a second option. I looked through the famous bento shops inside Isetan, but couldn't make a decision... So I decided to buy the beef bento before it sold out... I paid for Hatsu. Then I noticed a colorful bento box next to it with various side dishes... without hesitation, I bought the Irodori Gotenzan from Kochouan. The Hatsu bento was selling quickly, but the other bentos were moving slower in comparison... maybe it's understandable. The showcase of bentos at Isetan, including Hatsu. The lighting was a dull, white color and the display was not very appealing... a rather unattractive presentation of bento boxes... Hatsu sells well due to its name value, but how about the other bentos?... I think maybe changing the lighting or selling in open cases could help... but maybe it's just me... it's not that important of a topic... Now, about this Irodori Gotenzan... it's a bento box with 11 kinds of side dishes. At 1260 yen, it's relatively cheap for a department store bento. Hatsu's bento is rich in flavor... this one is a gentle bento that seems like a good companion for the trip... Now, about the taste... contrary to the gentle expectation? The seasoning is well done with a strong dashi flavor... so despite buying a bento that I thought would be gentle, the taste was quite strong and ended up going well with alcohol, making the drink go down smoothly... The side dishes were arranged in a space separated for easy eating in bite-sized portions... I enjoyed the side dishes: good taste -> alcohol goes down smoothly... repeat this process... (in between, snacking on the beef bento...) The final touch was the rice molded with a press... this also had a bit of seasoning? Overall, it was a bento box that was quite bold in flavor, including the side dishes. The Irodori Gotenzan and the beef bento... with these two bentos as accompaniments, the alcohol we drank was... (by the way, on this day, all the other passengers were also drinking quite a bit, so I was also influenced by that...). The two of us had 3 cans of beer + 3 cans of canned shochu highball + 1 cup of wine... during the 2-hour journey, while swaying, we enjoyed deliciously and happily engaged in nostalgic conversation, and the journey was a complete success... Starting the journey in the midst of a blizzard, it was a good start to this trip... all thanks to the bento from "Kyoto Kochouan" that we encountered... it became a good memory. Grateful... By the way, when I looked up this Kochouan, I found out that it's a bento specialty shop. Looking at their website, I found out that they make various types of bento boxes. There's still so much I don't know..."

I received a two-tiered chicken rice bento box from Kyoto for 1000 yen. This was my first time trying a bento box from HatoYa Foods. I think it is a well-balanced bento box with chicken, daikon radish, dried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, burdock, eggs, and other colorful ingredients. The portion size was just right for a bento box. The rice, cooked with various ingredients, was delicious. The bento box was still tasty even when it cooled down. If there are other series available, I would like to try them in the future. Thank you for the meal.

When it comes to working away from home, lunch is often a bento box. On Saturday, January 29th, I had the Miyabi Bento with chirashi sushi and the Hiyashi Chikara Meshi with chicken at Kyoto Kachouan by Hatoya Foods. The view of Lake Biwa from Piazza Oumi, right in front of the restaurant, with the distant snow-covered Mount Hira was beautiful. It reminded me of my old job at Biwako Valley. On Sunday, January 30th, I enjoyed the Kyoto Saya Obanzai Bento and the Kyoto Machi Bento Ichijo at Kyoto Kachouan by Hatoya Foods. The bento boxes had a variety of delicious Japanese dishes. I prefer Japanese cuisine as it includes warm dishes like simmered food that still taste good even when cold.

Transferring at Kyoto Station feels a bit luxurious, doesn't it? Riding on that luxurious feeling, why not try the station bento at Kyoto Station♪ "Kyotozutsumi Bento" available at the Kyoto Station local line store for 1000 yen. For those who love Kyoto, enjoy subtle flavors, and embrace the Kyoto vibe♪ This bento is packed with all things Kyoto. Its appearance matches the image of Kyoto, making you feel even more uplifted!

I received a lovely bento box on New Year's Day at a shrine festival. It looks like it's going to be a good year.

I went shopping at the Isetan department store in Kyoto Station, on the basement 2nd floor. I arrived just before closing time, around 7:30 pm, and found some discounted bento boxes at the bento corner. There weren't many left, but I chose one that had a variety of items inside. The price was also reduced from the regular price. The shop seemed to specialize in bento boxes, and the one I got was called "Kyoto-style Catered Bento". It was around 1000 yen after the discount, and it contained 12 different items, including stylishly arranged rice. I thought it would be light, but some items like the dashimaki tamago were surprisingly flavorful. Well... it might be nice to have once in a while. ^^