The “Chashu Bento” I bought at Takasaki Station this time is, as the name suggests, a very simple ekiben featuring chashu (roasted pork) served on top of rice. Featuring Haruna Pork—a specialty of Gunma Prefecture—as the star ingredient, this bento was first introduced in 2003. Although it was discontinued in 2016, it was relaunched in 2021 after being revamped. It’s what you might call a “revived” station bento.
Incidentally, Chiba has a char siu bento with a very similar, simple composition, commonly known as “Chaben,” which is famous as a B-grade gourmet item. However, while that bento features heavily seasoned char siu and is a hearty meal designed to be wolfed down with rice, the “Chashu Bento” from Takasaki that I’m introducing here is finished with a light, refined sweet sauce—it’s a station bento that lets you fully savor the flavor of Haruna pork, with its perfect balance of fat and lean meat. For the record, the Chiba Chāben isn’t actually a station bento, but I thought I’d mention it for reference…
The sprinkled white sesame seeds and the nori tucked between the rice and the chashu provide just the right amount of contrast, and they pair well with the included sansho pepper—a simple yet deeply flavorful dish. Both the chashu and the rice have sections coated in sauce and sections that aren’t, and personally, I felt that this variation in flavor actually added to the dish’s appeal. Additionally, although the portion size is on the smaller side, the dish includes maitake mushrooms seasoned with a sweet sauce, tsukudani, and nozawana, all of which have great texture, so I never felt the meal became monotonous while eating it.
Since it’s a simple ekiben featuring just a single side dish, I think it’s a meal that not only char siu lovers will enjoy, but also those who aren’t particularly picky about such things will find quite satisfying.
© Source travel watch