Calling all busy salary men! Does your working day leave you with an appetite bigger than Godzilla? Then it’s time to take a tip from your Tokyo counterparts and get on board with the art of the Japanese lunch box because you’re a big kid now.
Kwan Brothers | Fortitude Valley
While we’re not the most athletic office (unless it comes to lifting a wine glass) we’d bento-ver to get our hands on this lunchtime treat! Kwan Brothers dish up delectable pan-Asian inspired bento boxes for locals. Want our inside tip? We just can’t go past the Sexy Bird Bento with kaffir lime chicken salad and special fried rice.Mizu | Teneriffe
Proving that sometimes it is perfectly acceptable to think inside the box, Mizu fills the bento box shaped hole in our hearts with their exceptional selection. From the crispy chicken karaage to their tender pork shogayaki, it’s no surprise Teneriffe locals have been turning Japanese (we really think so) for these feeds.Sono | Hamilton
Somebody get Brad Pitt on the phone because we’ve finally figured ‘what’s in the box’ and it involves crispy soft shell crab with shiso salsa! Putting some serious decadence back into Japan’s favourite lunchbox, choose from their traditional shokado or vegetarian bento complete with miso and tempura. Oh Sono, you make us soy happy!Izakaya Goku | West End
Feeling picky? There’s more than one way to skin a katsu with Izakaya Goku’s bento boxes. Take your tastebuds for a stroll down Boundary Street and prepare to be spoiled for choice with 7 tasty bento box combinations including tender slow cooked beef rib, chicken katsu and salmon teriyaki.Motto Motto | Mt Gravatt
Are you one of those people who truly believe ‘less is more’? That’s fine. We understand. We just probably can’t be friends anymore. Because if there’s one thing that Motto Motto’s bento boxes have taught us, it’s that more is more and we just don’t have room in our life for minimalism. Don’t agree with us? We think one bite of their una don grilled eel with sliced omelette will get you back on our side.Oshin | CBD
Does your love for traditional Japanese run as deep as an Oshin? Then it’s time to join the hordes of Brisbane salary men and women who have made this CBD gem a regular. From the delicate paper screens that line the walls, to the beautifully lacquered boxes that their bento is served in, no detail is too small for these experts. Sake to me baby!Harajuku Gyoza | South Brisbane
Can’t gyoza past some quality food delivered right to your desk? Thanks to the impossibly fun crew at Harajuku Gyoza and Foodora, you can transform your cubicle into the most exclusive like izakaya in town with their hand delivered bento boxes. For added effect we recommend yelling Japanese greetings at your co-workers every time they pass by. IRASSHAIMASE!Sushi & Nori | King Street
Talk about a bento box fit for King Street! Sushi & Nori are delivering the goods with a selection of lunch specials that have got locals flocking to this new foodie Mecca in droves. Choose from a daily selection of hand crafted sushi, grilled yakitori or soba noodles with pickled vegetables and edamame. Miso love you long time!Japanese Deli Mazri Kitchen | Sunnybank
Traditional? Check! Tasty? Check! Super wallet friendly? Check, check, check! When it comes to nailing a great lunch on the run, these Sunnybank locals are ticking all our bento boxes. Heck we’d keep on coming back just for their crispy fried tofu and pickles. Are those chopsticks in your pocket or are you just happy sashimi? Words by Rachel Murphy
