10 gorgeous Japanese bento boxes that are totally worth the splurge

We’ve all heard about sushi and ramen, but there’s one Japanese dish that deserves a little more love from us foodies – that dish is none other than the bento box.

Many may picture a bento box as a cheap plastic tray with several compartments filled with fried gyoza, some soggy spring rolls, and a tidy scoop of Japanese rice with bits of black sesame sprinkled on top. This may be the typical presentation of a commercialised bento box but the ones AVENUE ONE has curated today are far from it.

Especially with the current ban on dining out, many Japanese restaurants have utilised the bento boxes’ convenient packaging and offer their version as highlight dishes in the takeaway menus.

Not only are they exquisitely beautiful to look at, but these bento boxes are also filled to the brim with the most expensive Japanese ingredients you can think of – wagyu, uni, caviar, just to name a few!

Ahead, check out our round-up of ten of the most lavishly constructed bento boxes we think are worth splurging on for your next WFH meal.

1. The Gyu Bar

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If you’re looking for an extravagant fuss-free meal, The Gyu Bar’s Wagyu Uni Chirashi Don may be the perfect bento for you.

On top of a neat bed of rice, there is a harmonious mix of aburi wagyu, takuan, tamagoyaki, and cucumber, which are all diced up for a pleasant eating experience.

To finish it off, the box is decorated with a dollop of premium Hokkaido uni and sprinkled with ikura.

Get it here for S$54.20.

2. Sen-ryo

While it is fairly new to the Japanese F&B scene in Singapore, Sen-ryo does not disappoint with its delectable array of premium sushi and sashimi platters that are surprisingly affordable.

The Premium Maguro Set, in particular, catches our attention with its eye-catching spread of six varieties of maguro sushi.

Get this luxurious set for only S$36.38 on Foodpanda or GrabFood.

3. Tamashii

Fancy different varieties of raw fish instead? Tamashii’s Charashi Don may be right up your alley.

It features over eight types of seasonal raw fish that is layered over sushi rice and garnished with edible flowers as well as chock full of ikura.

This bento has an assortment like no other that we can certainly say that it’s worth well over its price tag.

Get it for S$64 here.

4. Fat Cow

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Featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide Singapore, Fat Cow is a premium wagyu beef specialist that sources its meats from six prefectures from Japan.

If we can only recommend one dish, it would definitely be the Nagasaki Wagyu A5 Premium Donburi which is probably the only bento in Singapore to be dressed with 21-day dry-aged Japanese wagyu.

Savour it alongside premium toppings of foie gras, onsen egg, caviar, and ikura that are plated on top of Fat Cow’s signature rice.

Get the set (which includes miso soup and chawanmushi) here for S$138.

5. Bincho

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Expect authentic and fresh flavours from Japan when you get a taste of Bincho’s Sakura set.

The main star of this set is, of course, the Hokkaido Chirashi Juu bento that is filled with incredibly fresh cuts of salmon, otoro, scallop, tuna, and prawn, beautifully adorned with ikura, ebiko, and a kiku flower.

The set also comes with a plate of pork jowl aburi that is grilled over an open fire using famed Japanese white charcoal, bincho-tan, as well as a crispy chicken skin salad and a delicious bowl of chicken soup.

Get it here for S$100.

6. Hoshi Hill @ 8ASH

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Founded by head chef Addis Tan who worked at some of Singapore’s most prestigious kitchens, 8ASH is a multi-concept modern diner that offers three different menus including Hoshi Hill.

When you’re craving some seafood, we suggest getting the Hoshi Seafood Donburi that is crowned with luscious elements like fresh Hokkaido scallops, amaebi, fried amaebi heads, salmon sashimi, ikura, and tobiko.

Get it at S$32 via the Tabletop app.

7. Rakuya

Can’t decide if you should get a seafood bento box or a meat-based one? Well, why not get the best of both worlds with Rakuya’s Premium Bento?

Featuring a stunning assembly of premium ingredients such as A5 Miyazaki Wagyu, truffle, spring onion, chopped fatty tuna, salmon roe, sea urchin, caviar, and topped with glittering edible gold flake, this box is the ultimate gourmet luxury that will surely whet your appetite.

Plus, it comes wrapped in an eco-friendly furoshiki cloth that is yours to keep!

Order this S$88+ set through WhatsApp.

8. Rappu

If you’re thinking of ordering a bento box for Dad this Father’s Day weekend, you can consider Rappu’s heart-shaped chirashi box.

Returning exclusively for Father’s Day (available until 20 June), this best-selling bento comes with indulgent chunks of hotate (scallops), kanpachi (amberjack), salmon, toro (fatty tuna), and tamago, glazed in house nikiri soy and lavished with ikura and uni.

This set starts from S$55 and can be ordered here.

9. Black Cow

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If you love sukiyaki, you’ll surely find your mouth watering with Black Cow’s A5 Sukiyaki Don.

Each set comes with heavily marbled slices of wagyu beef which you can delicately dip into the molten Japanese yolk, and accompany it with fresh flavours of seasonal vegetables, momen tofu, and hanpen.

With all the ingredients already cooked for you, this is truly the must-have takeout meal for sukiyaki lovers.

Order it for S$118 via WhatsApp.

10. Shatōburian

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This may be the epitome of gastronomic extravagance on our list.

Featuring the best A5 Japanese wagyu (this season, it’s the A5 Satsuma Wagyu Beef BMS 12), Oscietra caviar, and uni, Shatōburian’s A5 Wagyu Chirashi Bento is an indulgent treat you won’t forget for the rest of your life.

It also comes with an aromatic bed of akazu rice that adds an element of sweetness to the dish.

Order it for S$198 via WhatsApp