Looking for this set of bento boxes

May 19, 2012 7:13 PM

Do you see this 3-layer bento lunch box for sale online? One box in the stack is white with the yellow design, one is white with the orange design, and the 3rd box is white with the green design.
posted by cashman to Shopping (10 answers total)

Are you certain it was originally three layers, and not just three that are stackable? From what I know of bento, any one of those would be sufficient for a bento box by itself.
posted by Lady Li at 9:08 PM on May 19, 2012

Response by poster: I don't know for sure - I just saw the strap. I do know it has been a few years since it was purchased, so it's not a brand new product or anything.
posted by cashman at 9:18 PM on May 19, 2012

I haven't seen that exact set, but you may have some luck browsing Bento&co, J-List (link *may* be NSFW - you never know with J-List), BentoUSA, or Casa Bento.

Based on the picture, it looks like that box may have been a 3-tiered set, given the strap. I do see separate lids for each box so it's possible they were purchased separately (different colors of the same box) along with a strap. Some people also make their own straps. Since it's an older set, I would also check eBay.
posted by pecanpies at 5:13 AM on May 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

I agree with pecanpies. Given that each box has it's own sealable lid.. It's more likely that it's three separate boxes that's being used as a tiered bento box.

(Also, what are the yummy looking plump breaded things? They're making me hungry..)
posted by royalsong at 5:19 AM on May 20, 2012

I do not see it at Bentoandco.com, bentocrazy.ecrater.com, bentobird.webs.com, or from-japan-with-love.com. Sugarcharms.com is currently down for maintenance. These are the sites I usually shop at for bento boxes. Nothing at AllThingsForSale.

I only did a cursory scan of the Bento Obento shop (specifically the Bento Box category) on eBay and didn't see them.

I post where I didn't find them so others can focus on different sites.

On preview, just went through and found nada on CasaBento nor J-List.

When in doubt, hand wash and don't microwave, in case you were wondering. I'm sure many folks here could recommend some square 3-layer alternatives.
posted by IndigoRain at 5:23 AM on May 20, 2012 [1 favorite]

The locking tabs on the lids reminded me of the "Lock N Lock" brand. A quick look brings up a series of very similar products, but none with that specific design. From pecanpies' BentoUSA link there's a bunch of them here on 4 pages, and this is a website that has an address in China, but does give dimensions of the products.
posted by Zack_Replica at 7:41 AM on May 20, 2012

royalsong: The plump "breaded" things look like inara, a tofu "pouch" stuffed with sushi rice.
posted by croutonsupafreak at 11:01 AM on May 20, 2012

This is similar, though not exactly the same. The Deli Style brand seems to make bento boxes with square patterns and the same hook closures as the one in your picture.
posted by brina at 1:11 PM on May 20, 2012

Best answer: You may want to add "tiffin" to your search terms; it looks closer to a tiffin- style lunch box than a bento.
posted by emkelley at 12:46 AM on May 21, 2012

Best answer: Assuming that's actually one box with three layers (which is what it looks like to me), it's not a bento but a juubako (重箱). The very specific use it's intended for is traditional cooking around New Year's, which is supposed to last for three days, though it's also used for picnics.

Unfortunately I have no idea what it would be called for sale in English.
posted by 23 at 10:08 PM on July 17, 2012