When choosing an ekiben, sometimes I am not sure whether to choose a meat bento or a fish bento today. Even in airplane meals, you are asked something like, “Beef or fish? You are asked something like that, aren’t you? The “Beef and Shirasu Bento” introduced here is a hybrid bento that is perfect for those who want to eat both a beef bowl and a shirasu bowl (not a rice bowl, but ……).
The beef belly and onions stewed in sweet and spicy sauce on top of the rice are gently seasoned without being too rich, giving the dish a familiar, elegant, and unobtrusive taste of a beef bowl. On the other hand, the rice topped with shirasu (baby sardines) fried in sesame oil is made from large sardines, and the flavor is slightly gentle, with little saltiness and sesame flavor. You can fully enjoy the flavor of the ingredients.
The side dish, kinpira gobo (fried burdock root), has a robust flavor. Potato salad with mentaiko (cod roe) has a gentle flavor that does not overpower the mentaiko. The simmered bamboo shoots, carrots, radish, string beans, and bamboo rings make the most of the flavors of the ingredients. The crispy texture of the daikon radish is also utilized, giving the overall impression of a refined Japanese dish. The eggs are slightly sweet, the meatballs are served with a sweet-and-sour sauce, and there is a wide range of flavors, including a green tea strawbutter cake for dessert.
It is not a very large bento, but the combination of beef and shirasu, the main dish, as well as the other side dishes and desserts did not seem disjointed at all, and the overall dish was very tasty and elegant Japanese food.
© Source travel watch