Sports Bento (Time Sale 400 yen) For today's lunch break while working from home, I decided to get takeout from a nearby lunch house. It was just before 1:00 PM and I didn't have much time before my next meeting, so I headed to this convenient spot. Interestingly, this place is actually related to the "Kitashinagawa Bento" that I visited recently, but the latter has since become independent from the lunch house chain. This place has always had a more affordable menu, yet the portions are just as generous if not more, making it a great value for money. Today, I took advantage of their time sale bento, where all pre-made bentos are discounted by 100 yen after 12:45 PM (items made fresh on the spot are not included). The selection for today included seaweed mentaiko, ginger pork, menchi katsu, fried oysters, and the Sports Bento. I opted for the Sports Bento as it was on sale. After paying 400 yen, I received my order with a complimentary plastic bag. The Sports Bento is a bit of an odd name, but it's essentially a hearty bento targeted towards young people who are active or have a big appetite. Despite not being into sports and being an older guy, I thought it would still be a good choice due to its generous portions. Back at home, I opened up the bento. The lunch house bentos are known for their generous portions of shredded cabbage, and the Sports Bento was no exception. The lineup included two pieces of fried chicken on a bed of cabbage, one white fish fry, and grilled meat as the main dish. The side dishes consisted of simmered hijiki seaweed, red spaghetti, potato salad, pickles, and more cabbage. The fried chicken had a unique spicy seasoning on a thick crispy coating, the white fish fry was a typical commercial variety, and the grilled meat was savory with a hint of garlic. The cabbage, mayo, red spaghetti, and potato salad all complemented each other well, and the pickled radish was a nice addition. Overall, the Sports Bento was a satisfying meal with ample portions that left me feeling full. This lunch house really focuses on providing good value for the price, and I might find myself coming back during their service hours again.

Hamburg Bento (400 yen) Home telework lunchtime. During these times, let's support local restaurants by buying takeout and visiting "Lunch House," a popular bento shop in TOKYO Indies. Arrived at 12:30 on a weekday. It was quite busy at this time, with a line of about 10 people. Let's make sure to practice social distancing while waiting in line. Popular bentos seem to be prepared in advance at this time, so the line moves quickly. Although "Ginger Pork" is not written on the menu board, it is also available. I decided to go with the "Hamburg" this time. The Hamburg is not pre-made, so I had to wait a few minutes until it was ready in the kitchen. Received the heavy pack and paid 400 yen with small change before heading home quickly. Let's open it up! Wow, the Hamburg is substantial with plenty of cabbage underneath, causing it to overflow when trying to close the lid. In addition to the Hamburg, there is a popular fried chicken, red pickled ginger, simmered hijiki and soybeans, macaroni salad, and pickled radish. There are white sesame seeds on top of the rice. Let's try the Hamburg right away. Hmm, this is it! It's a complete copy of the "Showa era bento Hamburg," or rather, the taste has not changed at all since then. It seems to be a reheated dish rather than handmade, with a thickness of over 2cm and packed with minced pork and onions. Only one side has a sear for some reason. Also, it has a dense and firm texture, so you can experience the common "trying to cut it with chopsticks feels like they're going to break" situation with Showa era bento Hamburg. The sauce has a mysterious flavor that seems to be a mix of demi-glace and teriyaki. Oh, this Hamburg is so nostalgic. It's quite filling, probably weighing around 180g. The chicken fried chicken is about the size of two regular pieces, and it has a crispy and flavorful coating. The meat is a bit dry, but the strong oil flavor in the seasoning makes it a dish that goes well with rice. The side dishes of red pickled ginger and sweet hijiki are a nice palate cleanser. The salad is a blend of macaroni salad and potato salad. The cabbage is plentiful as mentioned earlier. It's easy to eat even on its own with French dressing drizzled on top. The rice is quite moist, with a sticky texture when cooked. There's probably around 160g of rice. Overall, I'm satisfied and full. It's the same old reliable "Showa era bento" that never disappoints. It's not particularly delicious, but because I don't usually eat this kind of food, eating it occasionally brings back a strong sense of nostalgia. And the fact that it's incredibly cheap for the amount and taste is also appealing! Next time, let's try something like yakiniku or ginger pork, a stir-fry instead of fried food.

Home telework lunchtime. Today, I continued my strategy of supporting local restaurants by buying takeout from a nearby indie bento shop that I often frequent. Here is a summary of my experience: Croquette Curry (400 yen): The curry had a unique flavor and diced ingredients, likely from a retort pouch or similar. It wasn't spicy, similar to medium-spicy curry. The rice was a bit too moist for curry. The portion was around 200g. The croquette was made only with potatoes, which was fine. It seemed to be a frozen meal, but acceptable. It came with kimpira and fukujinzuke. Overall, the price was similar to the fried chicken bento, but I now understand why no one orders the curry. Chicken Nanban Bento (440 yen): This popular menu item featured chicken nanban, which was not just fried chicken with tartar sauce, but rather a type of fried chicken similar to karaage with a tangy tartar sauce. The chicken was cut into wide strips and topped with a mayo-based tartar sauce. It seemed to be a frozen meal. It also came with fried chicken, potato salad, shredded cabbage, red pickled ginger, and dried radish. The portion was generous! Nori Bento Special (400 yen): I ordered the special version, which had mentaiko between the seaweed and rice instead of okaka. I'm not a fan of mentaiko, but I couldn't leave it uneaten. Surprisingly, it was tolerable, probably because it was a less fishy and more spicy version. The bento also included two pieces of fried chicken, white fish fry, and chikuwa tempura. It had plenty of shredded cabbage, pickled daikon, a mix of potato salad, and sweet simmered hijiki and soybeans. The price was quite affordable for the portion and variety. I will continue to support this cost-effective and filling bento shop during the extended state of emergency.

This is a bento shop with a yellow sign as its landmark in the city. There is also a shop in Shinimabashi, about a 10-minute walk away, but the menu and prices are different. The chopstick wrapper says "Gotenyama Shop," but the sign says "Kitashinagawa Shop." It's okay to call it the Shinagawa shop, but it feels modest. The prices here are cheaper, and the hamburger bento I bought this time is 400 yen including tax. It includes a large hamburger and one piece of fried chicken as the main dish. Both the taste and portion are sufficient. It's a shame that they only open during weekdays at lunchtime, but I would like to use it again.

Karaage Bento (400 yen) - Lunchtime at home while teleworking. Feeling the need to get some exercise, I decided to try out a takeout option while playing Dragon Quest Walk. I visited a nearby bento shop for the first time, which is a branch of "Lunch House" located in Shinbamba and also serves noodles. The location is convenient, with the nearest station being Keikyu Kitashinagawa, but also within walking distance from Shinagawa, Oimachi, and Gotanda. I arrived at 1:00 PM on a weekday and found one customer already waiting for their bento. The shop has a very retro Showa-era feel typical of traditional bento shops. Looking at the menu posted at the back of the shop, I was surprised to see that the prices were much lower compared to the Lunch House in Shinbamba. Almost all bentos were priced in the 400 yen range, with the flagship "Sports Bento" priced at just 500 yen. I decided to go with the karaage bento. The karaage was served promptly, and I paid in cash to receive it. The bento felt quite heavy for its price, and when I got home, I was impressed by the generous portion of karaage - about 8 pieces in total. The bento also included shredded cabbage, red pickles, macaroni salad, simmered dried daikon radish, sesame seeds on rice, and red pickles. The karaage was flavorful and crispy, although the meat was a bit dry. The rice was soft and moist, and the overall volume of the bento was satisfying. The cabbage with French dressing and the unique macaroni salad were nice additions. I enjoyed the meal and was impressed by the value for money. I will definitely be revisiting this place to try out more of their menu options.

I arrived at the store a little after 1 o'clock. All the pre-made bento boxes at the storefront were sold out. I was surprised, and the motherly figure working there said, "We can make a Nori Mentaiko bento for you right away." The husband chimed in from the back, "It'll be ready in just 1 minute." To top it off, since it was past the lunch rush hour, they gave me a 100 yen discount. The white fish fry, chicken karaage, and fried fish cake were all crispy and delicious. The yellow tent bento shop is now a rare find, and I hope they keep up the good work for a long time! Thank you for the meal!!

I happened to have a day off on a weekday and couldn't decide where to have lunch. Then I remembered there was a bento shop that only opens for lunch on weekdays, so I decided to visit. When I arrived in the afternoon, there were a few office workers waiting to pick up their bento boxes. The shop had a nostalgic Showa era feel to it, with a hand-written menu in oil-based marker. I was intrigued by the "Sports Bento" with fried white fish, grilled meat, and fried chicken, but I wasn't that hungry so I chose the "Nori Kara Bento" to take home. It had fried white fish, fish cake, and fried chicken. It was a comforting and satisfying bento box.

At lunchtime, neighboring businessmen line up at this bento shop, where it seems like price matters more than taste. The menu is mainly fried food, but the oil used may not be the best quality, as the flavors of the dishes are somewhat lacking. After lunchtime, they start offering even bigger discounts, attracting some customers who come specifically for that.