Bento in the Buffalo, NY area

April 19, 2008 8:06 AM

Where to find Bento-as-I-knew-it-in-PDX in Buffalo NY?

In Portland, back in the 90s, there were many places that served what they called "bento". A bed of sticky rice with grilled meat slices on top. (There were drive thru places with "rice bowls", a restaurant in Milwaukee that probably isn't there anymore, etc.) There was one trailer downtown by the place I then worked at, Europa Communications, in a parking lot, which I went to nearly every day. It had the usual condiments on the ledge - soy, black bean, chili, etc.

Now I'm in Buffalo, NY. I used to go to a Vietnamese place called Pho 99 on Niagara Street, downtown, which had something pretty similar but it has shut its doors. I recently tried what was referred to as teriyaki bento at a place at N Campus UB, but it wasn't what I was expecting. Shredded chicken with some sort of sauce that I wouldn't call teriyaki, although it might well have been more authentic than what I was used to.

Does anyone know of any place that serves the type of meal I'm talking about? It can be in the general metro area (for those of you local, I'm living in Allentown and driving to Lockport to work, so you know I'm not afraid to drive somewhere. *wry grin*) Any help appreciated. I've been craving desperately, and while I might be able to do the meat if I bought a grill, I'm at a loss for sticky rice.

posted by Meep! Eek! to food & drink (17 comments total)

There's a pretty substantial Korean population down in the Lansdale area (halfway to Philadelphia on 476, basically), and there are quite a few Japanese restaurants as a result around here. There's a good chance you'd be able to find something along the lines you're looking for.

Failing all else, I should also put in a kind word for Assi Plaza, which is a full-size Asian grocer (think the size of Acme or Giant) that's about fifteen minutes from the turnpike or five minutes from 309.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:15 AM on April 19, 2008

Oh, wait, I interpreted "Allentown" as "Allentown, Pennsylvania." I am an idiot.
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:15 AM on April 19, 2008

I can't help you with a restaurant, but if you want to make your own, I'm sure the rice was just short-grain white rice. It's also sometimes labeled "sushi rice."
posted by Enroute at 8:16 AM on April 19, 2008

Also can't help you with a particular restaurant, but I think you'll have more luck if you look for Korean BBQ restaurants than for "bento".

In my experience, bento usually comes in a lacquered box with multiple compartments containing rice, sushi, and vegetables, and sometimes fried things like tempura. If that's what you're looking for, you should be able to find it at any Japanese restaurant.

But what you describe sounds more like a fast food variant of Korean bulgogi, which would be thin-sliced, marinated meat served without Teriyaki sauce. Look for hole-in-the-wall Korean BBQ joints.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 8:43 AM on April 19, 2008

99 Fast Food is open in a location on Bailey Avenue.
It is the same people.

Also, you could go to the Korean Express on the UB North Campus (it is in the commons). It has funny hours, though. Call ahead.
posted by oflinkey at 8:57 AM on April 19, 2008 [1 favorite]

Oh, I did not read your question 100%-- I was too excited to tell you about 99. Looks like you tried Korean Express, probably.
posted by oflinkey at 8:59 AM on April 19, 2008

The only suggestion I can give you are some general places that are good to get asian food that I know probably have either bento or something like it for lunch:

1. Wasabi in Williamsville
2. Pangea on Hertel Ave
3. Papaya - upscale but does have an upscale bento box on it's menu

For Korean Food, there is a small korean place on the corner of Niagara Falls Blvd and Sheridan, and also one further north on Niagara Falls Blvd but I don't know the name of it.

Rochester has a great Korean restaurant called Seoul Garden that is some of the best Korean food I have had in general.

Good luck, I hope you find what you are looking for, but we are severely lacking in good authentic asian food here. If all else fails, there's always Toronto.
posted by hazyspring at 10:09 AM on April 19, 2008

Bento lunch boxes are among the most common meals in Hawaii, but I've always seen them associated with Japanese restaurants mroeso than Korean or Vietnamese.

The aforementioned Papaya at 118 W. Chippewa lists a bento with Korean-style meat in it. Yelp turns up Kuni's to Go at 226 Lexington, but the lunch boxes seem to focus on fish. In any case, I'd definitely be sure to add Japanese restaurants to your search.
posted by pzarquon at 12:19 PM on April 19, 2008

I have to say, as somehow who grew up in Philly, and has lived all up and down the eastern seaboard and parts of the midwest, I'd never heard of Bento until I moved to PDX about two years ago. I'd be surprised if you find anything like it...
posted by saladpants at 6:43 PM on April 19, 2008

oflinkey: "Oh, I did not read your question 100%-- I was too excited to tell you about 99. Looks like you tried Korean Express, probably."

Is okay. I think that yes, I did try Korean Express up at UB con last weekend. I'd totally forgotten that 99 had a Bailey location, though. Thanks. :)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 9:40 PM on April 19, 2008

hazyspring: "The only suggestion I can give you are some general places that are good to get asian food that I know probably have either bento or something like it for lunch:

1. Wasabi in Williamsville
2. Pangea on Hertel Ave
3. Papaya - upscale but does have an upscale bento box on it's menu"

I've been to Papaya, which does a great chicken curry. And Udon noodles. Haven't made it there for lunch, working out of the dt area at present.

I've heard good things about Wasabi's. Haven't tried Pangea.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll give them a try.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 9:44 PM on April 19, 2008

DoctorFedora: "Oh, wait, I interpreted "Allentown" as "Allentown, Pennsylvania." I am an idiot."

You're not an idiot, I immediately thought, after posting, "huh. Maybe I should have said 'the Allentown neighborhood', but figured 'well.. it does say Buffalo..'" But really, why would anyone outside of the Buffalo area know there's an Allentown in Buffalo? :)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 9:47 PM on April 19, 2008

saladpants: "I have to say, as somehow who grew up in Philly, and has lived all up and down the eastern seaboard and parts of the midwest, I'd never heard of Bento until I moved to PDX about two years ago. I'd be surprised if you find anything like it..."

But isn't it great? I really miss all of the easily accessible stuff in PDX. Drive thru everything. They've finally gotten drive-thru starbucks here, but I've gotten spoiled by the ~real~ coffee places, and wish they could go drive thru as well.
posted by Meep! Eek! at 9:48 PM on April 19, 2008

qxntpqbbbqxl: "Also can't help you with a particular restaurant, but I think you'll have more luck if you look for Korean BBQ restaurants than for "bento".

In my experience, bento usually comes in a lacquered box with multiple compartments containing rice, sushi, and vegetables, and sometimes fried things like tempura. If that's what you're looking for, you should be able to find it at any Japanese restaurant.

But what you describe sounds more like a fast food variant of Korean bulgogi, which would be thin-sliced, marinated meat served without Teriyaki sauce. Look for hole-in-the-wall Korean BBQ joints."

I think it was a combination of the two. I have a bento box, altho it is plastic rather than wood. What I was familiar with was a chicken breast, grilled with no marinade, sliced in about 1 inch wide strips laid atop sticky rice. (or brown rice. It ~is~ portland, after all.)
posted by Meep! Eek! at 9:52 PM on April 19, 2008

What you're looking for is usually referred to (in Vancouver, anyway) as Teriyaki Chicken Don; bento in my experience refers to a multi-part meal in one of the neat boxes as described above.
posted by heeeraldo at 11:22 PM on April 19, 2008

I have not encountered bento in Buffalo, but when I next long for unagi-don, I plan to call up Kuni's and see if they'll made something up for me. A friend of mine works there and suggested they might be flexible.

Nthing Pho 99 now on Bailey.
posted by Riverine at 4:37 PM on April 20, 2008

I'm a little late to this, but Kuni's (check the non-sushi menu, lunch only) has the only thing resembling a bento I've seen in the area. I didn't think Papaya's was all that great.
posted by kuujjuarapik at 9:00 AM on April 26, 2008