Naomi Takayama’s lunch inspiration comes from the colorful richness of bento boxes, often presented on a large plate. She likes to use the ingredients available in her refrigerator to quickly prepare a meal that is both beautiful and tasty, ideal for a remote working lunch. Each dish is carefully designed to ensure a balance of colors, aromas, and flavors. Her menu includes boiled sardines in black vinegar, lightly boiled black beans, a fried egg with japonica rice, spinach, and crab sticks with mayonnaise, accompanied by steamed rice (nori tama). In addition, she often places a small bag of tofu in the steamer with the rice to add a pleasant texture. To simplify preparation, she uses hot water to quickly make an instant miso soup, allowing for a delicious and healthy soup to be enjoyed at any time. This lunch not only satisfies the taste buds, but also reflects Takayama’s love and expertise for the colors and flavors of cooking. 
Wednesday: Bento-Sandwich
The sandwich is made with 6 slices of white bread, offering a delicious, easy-to-make option. Wrapping Instructions: Wrap each sandwich in wax paper. Serve with vegetable juice and cheese, if desired.Nam Pla Mashed Potato and Egg Sandwich
These sandwiches, which may seem time-consuming, are quickly prepared if you have the ingredients ready to go. Ingredients (for 1 person):- Mashed potatoes and peas (see page 21)
- Lemon juice: 2 teaspoons
- Pepper: a little
- Egg marinated in fish sauce (see page 21)
- Mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon
- White bread (sliced into 6 pieces): 3 pieces
- Add the lemon juice and pepper to the mashed potatoes and peas, then mix.
- Roughly mash the marinated egg with a fork, add the mayonnaise and mix.
- Spread a little mayonnaise on one slice of bread, put the mashed potato mixture on top, then add another slice of bread with mayonnaise on each side. Arrange the egg mixture on the bread, spread a little mayonnaise on one slice of bread, and wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
- Let sit for about 10 minutes, then cut in half while still wrapped.
Thursday: Grilled Chicken Bento with Plums and Miso
Grilled Chicken Fillet with Plum Miso is a flavorful dish that combines the aroma of roasted plum miso with a protein-rich chicken fillet.Ingredients (for 1 person):
- Steamed chicken fillet (see page 21): 1 piece
- Ginger: 1 piece
- Pickled plums: 1 piece (remove seeds and crush)
- Miso: 1.5 tablespoons
- Toasted white sesame seeds (for garnish)
Preparation :
- Chicken Preparation: Cut chicken breast into bite-sized pieces and ginger in half lengthwise. Place chicken and ginger on aluminum foil. Spread plum miso mixture evenly over breast.
- Cooking: Cook everything in a toaster oven or fish grill. Once cooked, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the fillet.
Accompaniments:
- Nampula Pickled Egg (Quail Egg)
- Sweet and sour cabbage and dried daikon radish
Packing instructions:
- Add a quail egg to complete the dish, ideal for filling holes in the bento.
- Use perilla leaves as edible dividers to accompany miso chicken.
- For the main course, serve the rice hot and cooled well, making sure that it retains its delicious taste, even when reheated in an earthenware pot.
Yakisoba Bento with Beef and Red Pepper
This tasty bento features stir-fried yakisoba noodles, accompanied by sweet and spicy braised beef, red peppers and delicious toppings.Ingredients (for 1 person):
- Sweet and spicy boiled beef (see page 21): half quantity
- Red peppers and chirimenjako sautéed with cumin (see page 21): half quantity
- Yakisoba noodles: 1 ball
- Sesame oil: 1 teaspoon
- Marinated fish eggs (quail eggs): 3 pieces
- Pickled radishes: 2 pieces
- Green algae (for sprinkling)
Preparation :
- Stir-fry Ingredients: In a skillet, heat sesame oil over medium heat. Add braised beef, red peppers, and cumin-sauteed chirimenjako, then stir-fry quickly.
- Adding the noodles: Add the loosened yakisoba noodles, season with salt and continue to stir-fry until well combined and heated through.
Assembling the Bento:
- Fill a bento box with the beef and pepper yakisoba.
- Sprinkle with toasted white sesame seeds.
- Add the marinated quail eggs and marinated radishes.
- Finish by sprinkling with green algae for a touch of freshness.
Fusilli and Radish Bento with Tomato Sauce This bento features a delicious combination of fusilli and daikon radish, topped with a ketchup-flavored tomato sauce. It's a quick and tasty meal, perfect for lunch. Ingredients (for 1 person):
-
Fusilli: 50 g
-
Daikon radish: 2 cm, diced
-
Tomato sauce: 4 tablespoons
-
Ketchup: 1½ tablespoons
-
Chili pepper: appropriate amount
-
Black pepper: to taste
Preparation :
-
Cooking the pasta and radishes: Bring plenty of salted water to the boil. Add the fusilli and diced daikon radishes, then cook for 1 minute longer than the time indicated on the package.
-
Preparation of the sauce: In a saucepan, mix the tomato sauce and the ketchup, then bring to the boil.
-
Mix: Once cooked, drain the fusilli and radish. Add them to the sauce and mix well to coat everything. Season with chilli and black pepper.
Accompaniments:
-
Lightly Sweetened Black Beans: Serve with sesame seeds and silken tofu.
-
Steamed Broccoli: Add a touch of light soy sauce for a savory taste.
-
Pork Milk Soup: Reuse leftovers from the day before to complete the bento.
Monday Bento: Pork Bun and Chinese Soup This bento combines Japanese and Chinese flavors for a comforting and filling meal. With steamed pork buns, seaweed and corn soup, and an assortment of side dishes, it's a great choice for a delicious lunch. Menu:
-
Pork loaf (commercially available)
-
Steamed egg in a bamboo steamer
-
Lotus Root Kinpira with Sesame Seeds
-
Ohitashi with spinach
-
Seaweed and corn soup
-
Steamed Pumpkin Salad
Recipes: 1. Ohitashi with spinach:
-
Ingredients :
-
Steamed Spinach
-
Chirimenjako
-
Yuzu juice
-
Light soy sauce
-
-
Preparation: Arrange the spinach in a bowl, garnish with chirimenjako, then drizzle with yuzu juice and soy sauce.
2. Seaweed and corn soup:
-
Ingredients (for 1 person):
-
Wakame (a handful)
-
Canned corn (3 tablespoons)
-
1 cup chicken broth
-
½ teaspoon light soy sauce
-
Black pepper (to taste)
-
-
Preparation: In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a boil, add the corn and wakame, then season with black pepper.
3. Lotus root kinpira:
-
Ingredients :
-
Lotus root (200 g)
-
2 tablespoons sesame oil
-
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
-
1 tablespoon of mirin
-
Red pepper (in small pieces)
-
Sesame seeds
-
-
Preparation :
-
Peel the lotus root and cut it into 5 mm slices.
-
Heat the oil in a pan, add the sesame seeds and toast.
-
Add the lotus root slices and stir-fry until translucent.
-
Add the soy sauce, mirin, and red pepper mixture and cook until well coated.
-
4. Steamed pumpkin salad:
-
Ingredients :
-
Steamed Pumpkin
-
1 tablespoon of mustard
-
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
-
Black pepper
-
-
Preparation: Mix the mustard and mayonnaise in a bowl. Add the pumpkin, season with salt and pepper, then mix gently.
Presentation: Arrange the pork buns, steamed egg, lotus root kinpira, spinach ohitashi, seaweed and corn soup, and pumpkin salad in a cute bento box. This meal is not only colorful but also balanced, perfect for starting the week with energy! 
Dry Curry Bento: A Taste of Nostalgia Dry curry bento brings back happy memories, reminiscent of carefully prepared lunch boxes. Kids love the comforting taste of curry, and the addition of dried fruits adds a touch of sweetness. This simple yet tasty dish is often part of culinary memories, associated with special events like sports days. Menu:
- Dry curry
- Potato salad
- Dried fruits
Recipes: 1. Potato salad:
-
Ingredients :
- 4 potatoes
- 4 tablespoons yuzu juice
- ¼ onion
- 1 small carrot
- 1 cucumber
- ½ apple
- 5 to 6 slices of ham
- Mayonnaise, salt and pepper (to taste)
-
Preparation :
- Boil the potatoes until a bamboo skewer passes through them easily, then peel and mash them immediately.
- Add the yuzu juice and mix.
- Finely chop the onion and add it to the still hot potatoes.
- Boil the carrot, then cut it into slices. Cut the cucumber into small pieces, sprinkle with salt and squeeze out the water.
- Cut the apple into quarters and the ham slices into strips.
- Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix, then season with mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
2. Dry curry:
-
Ingredients :
- ½ to 1 onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove of garlic
- 200 g ground beef
- Grated carrots (to taste)
- ½ apple
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- Salt and a little honey (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon of oil
-
Preparation :
- Brown the onion and garlic in the oil over medium heat.
- Add the ground beef and sauté until cooked through.
- Add the grated carrots and the chopped apple.
- Simmer until water evaporates.
- Add the curry powder, season with salt and honey, then mix well.
Shared Memories: This recipe is part of a sharing and memory context, evoking personal stories of shared meals and family traditions. Childhood lunch boxes, prepared with love, are often filled with the flavors of the dishes that our mothers or grandmothers knew so well how to cook. These flavors remain etched in our memories, recalling moments of happiness and comfort. Presentation: Arrange the dry curry and potato salad in a pretty lunch box, and add dried fruits for a sweet touch. This bento is not only tasty but also full of emotions and precious memories. 
Fried Egg with Green Onions: Sweet and Comforting Fried egg with green onions, slightly sweetened with tamagoyaki, is a comforting dish that evokes childhood memories. This simple and tasty recipe is perfect for a lunch box, bringing a touch of sweetness that kids love. Ingredients (for 1 person):
-
HAS
- 2 beaten eggs
- 2 small pieces of Kujo green onion (or long onion)
- 2 tablespoons of cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons canola oil (or salad oil)
Instructions :
- Mix Ingredients : In a bowl, mix together beaten eggs, chopped green onions, cane sugar and soy sauce.
- Heat the Oil : In a frying pan, add the oil and heat over medium heat.
- Cooking the Eggs : Pour one-quarter of the egg mixture into the pan. Cook until the edges start to set, then carefully roll the omelette. Repeat for the remaining portions.
- Cutting : Once cooked, cut the omelette to fit the size of your lunch box.
Side Dishes: Spinach with Sesame Sauce and Grilled Eggplant To complete your bento, prepare Spinach with Sesame Sauce and Grilled Eggplant with Peppers. These side dishes pair perfectly with rice. Ingredients (for 2 people):
- 1 eggplant
- 1 pepper
- 30 g thin slices of pork
- 2 tablespoons of commercial miso sauce (or dengaku miso)
- 2 teaspoons canola oil (or salad oil)
Instructions :
- Preparing the Vegetables : Cut the eggplant and pepper into pieces, then cut the pork into bite-sized pieces.
- Cooking : Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the eggplant, pepper and pork pieces. Sauté until the vegetables are tender.
- Seasoning : When the heat is off, coat the vegetables and meat with miso sauce.
Hijiki and Simmered Vegetables Recipe Discover hijiki with a variety of ingredients simmered in a savory broth. This dish, rich in flavor, uses dried ingredients for a touch of comfort and is perfect for a hearty meal. Main Ingredients
-
Hijiki and Light Vegetables :
-
15 g dried hijiki
-
2 dried shiitake mushrooms (donko)
-
100 g thinly sliced pork belly
-
1 lotus root (about 200 g)
-
1 carrot
-
1 small burdock
-
-
For the Broth :
-
2 tablespoons soy sauce
-
1/4 teaspoon salt
-
30 g kiriboshi radish
-
2 pieces of ham
-
1 tablespoon salad oil
-
Preparation of Hijiki and Light Vegetables
-
Preparation of Ingredients :
-
Soak the shiitake mushrooms in water overnight.
-
Soak the hijiki in water for about 20 minutes, then drain. Cut into pieces if necessary.
-
Thinly slice the shiitake mushrooms, burdock, lotus root and carrot.
-
-
Cooking :
-
In a saucepan, add the hijiki, mushroom soaking water, and all the prepared vegetables. Add a small amount of soy sauce and salt.
-
Heat over high heat until boiling, then add the pork. Skim the surface.
-
Add dried sardines (optional) and simmer over medium-low heat until a little broth remains on the bottom.
-
Preparation of Sweet and Spicy Pumpkin Boiled
-
Ingredients :
-
1/6 portion of steamed pumpkin
-
2 teaspoons of cane sugar
-
2 teaspoons of mirin
-
1 tablespoon soy sauce
-
-
Instructions :
-
In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, mirin and soy sauce with 2 tablespoons of water.
-
Heat over low heat, then add the steamed pumpkin. Let simmer until the broth evaporates.
-
Steamed Broccoli and Wakame Seaweed
-
Preparation :
-
Steam the broccoli and add the wakame seaweed.
-
Sprinkle with ponzu, soy sauce and sesame oil to season.
-
Serving Suggestions Serve the hijiki and vegetables in a large bowl, with the sweet and spicy pumpkin on the side, along with the broccoli and wakame seaweed. This comforting meal is not only filling, but also evokes warm memories of home cooking. Note Using dried ingredients like daikon radish and hijiki makes for a quick and tasty preparation, while also being a great option for impromptu miso soup. Enjoy this dish as a way to explore traditional Japanese flavors!