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What's
it good for?
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This is
probably my best bento box in terms of quality and versatility. It's
handsome and sturdy and just a
really nice design. The top tier has a tight-fitting seal
and can be used alone for a smaller lunch or with the bottom tier for a
larger one. The removable cup in the top tier is the best possible
solution to the question of fixed compartments vs. movable divider. The
jaunty trapezoidal shape of the removable cup adds visual zing. It's microwavable, but probably not dishwasher safe because of the enameled designs on the top. I purchased this one in January, 2010, from Jbox for $26.95 + shipping. That included the bag and bento band, but no chopsticks. Jbox has a great selection of high-quality merchandise, but you pay for that: both the prices and the shipping costs are on the high side, and delivery can be slow because they ship from Japan.
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Look
how neatly it fits together! The top tier has a tight-fitting lid. It's also the tier with the nesting cup. This is where you want to put your wet foods. The bottom of the top tier is grooved to fit neatly over the bottom tier, forming the lid and making the stacked bento fit together very easily and neatly. This doesn't make a completely water-tight seal, so it's best for cold foods, salad, rice or other grains, sandwiches, fruits and nuts, cheese and so on. The top comes right down over the entire top tier, again making a nice solid stack. It doesn't snap together however - still needs the classy black bento band that is included with the set. |
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Maiden
Voyage of the Double-Tier Hakoya I was thrilled to have a box big enough for the Dollar Tree silicone cups! Two different kinds of slightly gloppy leftovers made good use of the leakproof interior cup in tier 1. Top Tier: ground lamb in cream sauce (oh, okay, cream of chicken soup) decorated with a sliced black olive and leftover carrots. The other compartment is mashed yams and potatoes topped by more leftover vegies and a half-peeled Baby Bel cheese. Bottom Tier: fancy Chinese rice/soy crackers in the moon surrounded by black olives, alfalfa sprouts and avocado. Sauce containers hold balsamic vinegar and olive oil. |
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Heart
Cup Fits Too! Another of my big Dollar Tree baking cups, which I lifted out and microwaved separately so the rollups could be served cold. This is the only 2-tier box that I own that is big enough for that heart cup. This is an example of a filling lunch in one tier and a mid-afternoon snack in the other tier. Bottom Tier: Stir-fried vegies in the heart with cheese stars on top. Rollups (Joseph's Lavash) contain refried beans and lunch meat, with sliced pimientos on top. Sweet pickles tucked around the edges. Top Tier: Honey Greek Yogurt mixed with cottage cheese to make it more of a protein dish and less of a dessert. The rest is obvious: clementines, nuts, Fig Newtons. |
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Cold
Lunch with Hot Trapezoid Totally low-carb cold salad lunch here except for the steamed vegetables, which were intended to be served hot. The little lift-out trapezoidal tray comes in handy for that. Top Tier: Tomato and cheese slices, steamed vegies (carrots, mushrooms, squash). Mrs. Dash sprinkled on the vegies. Bottom Tier: Deli turkey breast wrapped around slivers of string cheese, sometimes wrapped in lettuce. A few cooked mushrooms peeking out of the largest roll. |
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Another
Dumpling Lunch One more in my series of quick lunches based on frozen dumplings. This time it's ravioli sprinkled with black sesame seeds and a sweet-sour red cabbage dish in the hot tier. The bottom tier holds a big salad. I could've done the same thing with the Little Red Lube Sheep, but it would have been a much smaller lunch. When half the lunch is a bulky but low-calorie salad, I use one of my bigger double-tier boxes. |
