Customer Reviews

Just Bento Cookbook: Everyday Lunches to Go

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It's been a while now since, fallen in love with bentos, I've been reading blogs on cooking the Japanese style and combine the dishes to create bentos, and by far, Makiko's blog it's the best. The book is just the climax of such work. Although this is my first purchased book on the matter, I'm an avid reader and owner of cookery books, and I can say that Makiko is a generous writer. The book is packed with tips on how to best organise your time and your pantry to create healthy and tasty meals, and there is enough information to get acquainted (and not discouraged) with some typical Japanese ingredients. I can't wait to start cooking!

I actually follow this japanese lady's blog, so was delighted to see her recipe book published. Its set up in a slightly odd but very sensible way -- bento meals are basically 'takeaway' meals, eaten as school or work lunches, or for picnics or similar get-togethers, casual or very grand. (The western equivalent might be a scandinavian smorgsbord, lots of little goodies, beautifully arranged -- you can buy scandinavian versions of bento boxes, to hold your open sandwiches safely for transporting to school or work!)

She's organised things very sensibly, starting simply and breaking things down into the various bento components, then ringing changes from the basic to the fancy, all set out quite logically. There is a lot to take in, but this book is full of the 'how to', not just a collection of pretty photos. Also lots on where to get ingredients (including bento boxes!).

Its a nice way to eat, actually, even if your lunch isn't particularly 'japanese' -- its more about presenting your food in a varied and appetising way (which IS very japanese!).

I'd make only one complaint, that the typeface is a bit small and the designer was too interested in striking colour contrasts -- not always suitable if your eyesight is poor. (But worth the struggle I would say!)

My worklocation changed 3 times in a year and each time the canteen got worse! After much grumbling, I decided to do somthng about it -and discovered bento's - Japans version of a packed lunch- but better. Discovered the just bento web site which helps you make excellent bento's in 20 minutes in the morning. It's not easy - but nor is it dificult and I'm always looking forward to my lunch - and this book is a great way to get onboard.Simple thoughtfull ,orgnised and above all tasty (its even healthy too!), So don't miss out, get a copy and start bentoing.

As an avid reader or the blog, I have been impressed with Makiko and her recipes for a long while and when I found out that there would be a book published, I was ready and waiting to pre-order it! The recipes are simple, down to earth and make for some delicious food. Definitely one I'd recommend for those interested in Japanese culture and food.

I purchased this book because I wanted a cook book to inspire my lunch boxes to university. Most of the other books I flipped through are not that inspiring and doesn't allow you to enjoy what you make and eat. I can stick to all the cold pastas and sandwiches and save myself the money. However this is one of the most well-written cook books I have ever seen.

Makiko's instructions are easy to follow, her plans are well laid out and simple. Her writing style is honest and reassuring, while the photos of the bento boxes are simple divine. The combinations and the variations on the recipes are mind-blowing. Considering it's quite a thin book of 127 pages, it is a fantastic value for money.

Not only have I become a fan of her recipes, I found her advice on planning, time management, equipment and stock control helpful. The recipes are flexible in that they don't necessarily require expensive Japanese ingredients that you have to purchase from specialist shops. However you can learn a lot about basic principles of japanese cooking without feelign overwhelmed. The re-interpretation of western dishes for the bento principles are inspirational if you wanted to make other cuisines to fit into a tiny box.
In simple terms:- I don't see why someone shouldn't purchase this book!

Love Love Love Love this book!!

Great pics, great recipes, great variations and great preparation tips!!!

Im not a great cook, but this is great! Very easy to follow especially if you only have a small budget.

The thing I love the best - is the portion sizes - they are great!!! If you just want to try something for the first time you can just create a bento sized sample to try (instead of cooking a big batch and then realising you hate it and throwing it away).

I also use it for "Japanese Buffets" - little bits of everything - even my boyfriend (who hates "homemade food") has found favourites and polished it all off :D

So I would definitely recommend it - the best bento book that I have found so far :D

This is a great book. I've already tried a few recipes and had some very nice meals! If you eat out a lot (office, school, college, etc.) this book might be useful for you.

This is my first book about bento boxes, or Japanese cuisine at all, and I'm really impressed by the recipes which are nice and easy to follow, do not (for the most part) require too many, or too obscure, ingredients, and offer some new flavours to make healthy, simple lunches more interesting and fun. I'm trying lots and have had considerable success with a family of fussy eaters, so thanks Makiko Itoh ^-^

It's a very well detailed book, with a lot of tips on how to solve any hurdle you might fall into while cooking. I follow the author's blog and every time I tried one of her recipes I've always been delighted. This is not necessarily a book on Japanese-only cooking, it's about packing your take-away homecooked meal in a sensible way with a Japanese slant.

I like the way it's presented, and the recipes are good and not hard to follow. What I always like is when they present you other variations on the same dish/bento. That makes it always more interesting than other cookbooks. It's a neat little book if you like to change up the way you probably eat now :)