If you’ve been lucky enough to travel around Japan by train you’ll almost certainly be familiar with the amazing bento boxes you can pick up at the stations. They're typically filled with rice, fish, pickles and other treats. Well now London's Japan Centre is saving you a journey by bringing them to London for the first time – but for one week only.
From 22 - 28 October the ‘ekiben’ (eki meaning station and bento meaning boxed lunch) will be available at fhe Japan Centres in Shaftesbury Avenue and Panton Street and Ichiba in Westfield. In Japan, the boxes will often vary from region to region depending on local ingredients so the range available in London will act as a quick tour around the country’s different specialties.
The London ekiben varieties will include a Makunouchi Vegetarian Bento, Chicken Kaarage Bento, Beef Sukiyaki Bento and, best of all, a Shinkansen Bullet Train Bento which featuring fried chicken karaage, prawn fritter, pork sausage, seafood dumpling, french fries and onigiri rice balls, packaged up in a bullet train-shaped box.
It certainly sounds like a welcome break from the usual lunchtime sandwich so if you’re looking for something a bit different, it's probably well worth checking out.
Japan Centre is at 19 Shaftesbury Avenue, London W1D 7ED, 35b Panton Street London, SW1Y 4EA and Ichiba is at Unit 0220, Relay Square, Westfield London W12 7HB. Keep up with their news on Twitter @ichibalondon and@japancentre
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