Nippon Take Out & Catering

A couple of weeks ago, a friend in my office told us about a new bento place that he had found out about.  He discovered it purely by accident...well not really, there were people passing out flyers.  So since we were looking for somewhere different for lunch, we decided to place an order.

That first time, I had the mini special #1, which was the mochiko chicken, rice, Spam, gyoza and daikon (US$3.50).  I thought it was a delicious bento and an excellent vaue.  In the weeks that followed, I ate other bentos from Nippon which weren't as good as the first one I had.  These were the salmon (OK), the tempura (not so good) and the BBQ chicken (so-so).

Several days ago, a friend in my office asked if I wanted to order a bento again, and still unsure because of the most recent orders, I told her that I would think about it.  She convinced me when she said that I should definitely have the #26, which was the mochiko chicken and butterfish.  So I said OK and that's what I ordered this time -- the large bento #26, mochiko chicken with butterfish (US$5.50).

The mochiko chicken was the same as before -- four pieces of deep fried boneless mochiko chicken which while flavorful, were a little greasy.  This was probably caused by the bento sitting for a length of time before being delivered.  This bento included some noodles (dry, but tasty), and some pickled vegetables (OK).  The butterfish was the best part.  It was moist,  and just slightly sweet with the subtle flavor of miso.  This was also cooked just the way I liked it, with a bit of carmelization.  I was even so lucky as to have gotten a piece of butterfish that had no bones in it.

I was pleasantly surprised this time.  The bentos from Nippon are a bit hit and miss, with the better tasting selections being the mochiko chicken and the butterfish.  I haven't had the opportunity to sample the other choices on the menu, such as the BBQ short ribs or the chicken katsu, but I think that if I order a bento from here again, I'd just stick to what I know.  The food here is reasonable priced, but nothing to get too excited about.

Nippon Take Out & Catering
Queen's Plaza
801 Alakea Street Suite 119
Telephone:  (808)524-7373

NipponTakeOut&CateringMenu
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Comments

[Mr_Me]

I love this place! It's not the greatest bento in the universe, but I still have a guilty pleasure for thier mochiko chicken and the sweet sauce that they accompany it with. Love the misoyaki butterfish too.

[MrsT]

Yums..!

[Samantha]

Yum! I just ate breakfast and I'm hungry already. :)

[Ryan]

Ooh. I think this is the place we call "Nippon Bento". Food looks the same, anyway, and the name is pretty similar. They used to drive to my office and haul out coolers full of food, and everyone would swarm the lunchroom trying to get to the good stuff before it ran out. They (sometimes) make a broccoli tempura that I really, really love. Can't wait for you to fill in the details, Reid!

[Colette]

Wow, Reid, that looks pretty good. I'm ashamed to say that I've never been there, though I work oh so close by. I'm definitely trying it some time soon.

If you're ever back in this part of downtown, I really like Europa Kafe. They have gourmet pastries and a vegetarian greek plate I'm addicted to.

Also, there's a new Korean place where Teddy's used to be. Haven't tried it yet, but it's on my list. If I get there, I'll let you know how it is.

[milgwimper]

Ohhh that looks great, Im trsally starting to get a hankering for mochiko chicken, the pic looks gorgeous. I wonder is the mochiko made into a batter then the chicken dipped in? hmmm I think i need to look this up...

milgwimper

[Reid]

Hi Mr_Me,

You took the words right out of my mouth. It's not the greatest, as the quality of food isn't really there on all of their dishes, but I do enjoy both the mochiko chicken and the butterfish.

Hi MrsT,

Yums, most definitely. I'd have this again if I were in a bind and couldn't decide what to have for lunch. =)

Hi Samantha,

LOL! =P

But yes, the sight of this can make you hungry. It was delivered early and it wasn't even close to my normal lunch time, but I ate it anyway. I ended up going out for a snack a few hours later.

Hi Ryan,

Long time no hear.

It's probably the same place. I think they have an outlet in Kalihi somewhere and I'm wondering if it's on Hart Street where that other bento place was (can't remember the name).

I really didn't like the shrimp tempura I had once. I felt that there was too much batter.

Hi Colette,

I've never been by this shop, but I might drop by to see where it is. The last time I was down near where Teddy's is, it had just closed. I guess I need to stop by and see what's there now! =)

If you go before I do, let me know how the food was.

Hi Milgwimper,

I'm really not sure how this mochiko chicken is made, but I would think that your would use mochiko to make the batter with possibly an egg or water, and some seasoning. I'm going to have to try to find a recipe for this too. =)

[Julia]

I'm salivating already, especially at that lovely slab of slightly charred, caramelized butterfish. And it's value for money too!

[Reid]

Hi Julia,

I was salivating when I got the bento as well. The butterfish was definitely the best thing here and this was most definitely a good value for the money!