• TippyCanoe on April 29, 2019

  This is a wonderful book. Not only for bento box aficionados. The recipes are just as good for rice bowls at home. I am an experienced cook, but I have already learned a number of tricks that I will continue to use, such as good techniques for mixing a variety grains when making rice, and, my favorite, making omelets using sheets of nori, rolling them and then adding them to the bowl (or box). Looking forward to an EYB index so I can track the recipes that I am using. Note that this is a vegetarian book, and most recipes are vegan, although there are a few egg dishes.

Notes about Recipes in this book

• Grainy Japanese rice

  • jenburkholder on October 06, 2020

    I make this a lot. I don't know that it's actually much healthier than plain rice, given the proportions, but it is more interesting.

• Quinoa-sunflower rice

  • jenburkholder on October 07, 2020

    This is a delicious and versatile rice which adds a nice, subtle nuttiness to a meal.

• Cashew nut clusters

  • eeeve on October 20, 2025

    These are great!! Can’t stop snacking on them. Very reminiscent of sesame snaps. I used mixed nuts here. I prefer mine slightly on the sweeter side, have reduced the soy sauce slightly in my latest batch.

• Sesame snap granola

  • eeeve on October 22, 2025

    I like this, but it's not my favourite granola. It didn't make any large clusters, it's quite fine. I somehow prefer it sprinkled over yoghurt than in my usual oat plus plant milk muesli.

• Raw cashew crumble with cashew cream

  • Kasia.C on December 07, 2022

    Quick, easy and delicious! Cashew cream is great on its own and as to the crumble, I prefer to combine it with seasonal fruits and natural yoghurt, which is a bit more sour than the cashew cream. But both elements are great to diversify the go-to breakfast recipies list. The amount of cashew cream from the recipe is enough for 2 small portions, so I usually multiply the amounts and add more water for a lighter texture.

• No-bake matcha brownies

  • jenburkholder on October 07, 2020

    These looked weird, but I thought they might be good, if in a vaguely hippie way. Nope. The miso is too strong, overpowering the other flavors, and it just doesn't taste good with the sweet, grassy matcha. Don't bother.

• Busy days instant noodle bento

  • eeeve on October 23, 2025

    This wasn't entirely successful. The noodles didn't cook through in the suggested 5 minutes (had to put everything in the microwave for another 1.5 minutes), and I thought the broth was a bit flavourless. Probably because I didn't have ginger in (forgot I didn't have any until after starting the dish), think that would brighten everything up. Don't think I'll repeat though.

• Pasta surprise bento

  • eeeve on October 22, 2025

    This was surprisingly tasty! Worked really well with the dressing. We ate this warm, not cooled down. Forgot to add the chickpeas, though, oops! Please note, the ingredients list here also includes the ingredients for red gomashio from page 41, but they are not essential to this recipe.

• Pulled king oyster mushrooms

  • jenburkholder on October 07, 2020

    An intriguing and delicious way to eat king oyster mushrooms. Note, though, that despite the premise of the book, these really don't keep well - after a day or so in the fridge, they get strangely dry. Probably better eaten fresh.

• Bok choy quick-pickle

  • jenburkholder on October 07, 2020

    The lemon juice tasted off with the bok choy - perhaps just my palate not expecting the two flavors together, but I didn't care for it. I'd use rice vinegar instead.

• Purple shiso mini-onigiri bento

  • mjes on September 07, 2021

    Purple shiso mini-onigiri bento: Onigiri is a black rice onigari with gomashio, pink ppercorns, red shiso, and smoked flake sea salt. Very nice. I did not make the other component of the bento box, Raw beauty box.