For the past 60 years, “Tonkatsu bento” and “Nanohana bento” have been sold by “Manyoken,” a long-established ekiben shop in Chiba Station, which opened in 1928. The “Tonkatsu Nanohana bento” introduced here is a combination of these two long-selling ekiben in a single package.
The most appealing feature of this simple hybrid bento, which has no twist in its name, is that you can enjoy two types of ekiben at once, almost like the contents of a bento.
The tonkatsu bento tastes just like the regular full-size version itself. It is a thin pork loin cutlet topped with a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce and gobbled up with white rice.
The nanohana bento also tastes the same as the regular version and is simply a half-size. The slightly lightly sweetened roasted egg and the sweetly seasoned chicken with minced chicken both go well with the white rice. A spoon is included to prevent spilling during the meal, the same as in the regular version. The clams on the rice are from Ikadayaki Honpo Shojo, a long-established tsukudani (food boiled in soy sauce) store in Katori City, and are also the same as in the regular version.
The nanohana bento was renewed at the beginning of this year, and the nanohana pickles, which were not available before, have been added to the lunch box, enhancing its Chiba-ness. Other items include Nara-zuke pickles, very tender bamboo shoots stew, and sesame kelp. The taste also makes the white rice more appetizing.
The “Tonkatsu Nanohana Bento” is a product that allows you to eat two ekiben at once, but neither is a simplified version. Both the Tonkatsu Bento and Nanohana Bento have been seasoned in accordance with the times, but they still have the flavor of a Showa-era bento that goes well with white rice.
© Source travel watch