Bento box and accessories review: monbento bento boxes and accessories from France
As the popularity of bento boxes spreads around the world, bento box and accessory manufacturers are also becoming more international. One of the most interesting bento box makers is monbento. Their headquarters are in Clermont-Ferrand, France, and their site proudly proclaims that their products are designed in France.
monbento boxes come in a variety of chic, modern and bright colors, and you can even specify your own color combinations (more on that later).
Everything about a monbento box is classy, even the box it comes packaged in. This is a red 2-tier model; each layer has a 500ml capacity, for a total of 1000ml for both layers. (They also have single-layer 500ml boxes.)
This is an orange model, that was sent to me by monbento for review. (I actually bought the red one for myself.) I’m not an orange kind of person but the orange that monbento uses is really nice. What makes the bentos look and feel even nicer is that they have a gorgeous matte finish. (Note: the standard bento band color is now grey instead of the black shown here.)
Here’s the bento un-stacked. There’s an outer lid, plus an inner lid for both of the layers. (Note: the inner lids are now grey in the standard configurations instead of the black shown here.)
The inner lids have small capped lids so that they can be vented when you want to microwave your bento. The lid is color coordinated with the bento, which is nice. The entire box, including the lids, is microwave and dishwasher safe.
This is the inside. It comes with one moveable divider in one of the compartments.
monbento sauce cupsThe monbento sauce cups are also very well made. They come in sets of two in a variety of color combinations that match the bento boxes. Each pot holds 20ml.
What makes these pots special, besides their cuteness, is that the lids screw on securely and have 2 little silicone gaskets, which make them pretty leakproof. They will leak if you carry them sideways or upside down for a length of time, but if you carry the bento box right way up (as you should really, to avoid a mess) they are about as secure as any sauce pots I’ve seen.
monbento cutlery setmonbento makes two kinds of utensils: color coordinated chopsticks, and a metal cutlery set. I was sent the cutlery set for review. There’s a fork, spoon and knife, all packaged neatly in a plastic case with a snap-on lid.
The cutlery is small, but not too small as to be unusable. It kind of reminds me of the nice cutlery you used to find with airline meals. They are also very sturdy metal, so you don’t have a feeling they’re going to bend or anything while you’re using them.
a packed monbentoSo here I filled up a monbento with a fairly standard bento for me. The two tiers are quite easy to pack. I put things I might want to heat up in the bottom compartment, and salad and fruit type things in the top compartment. (The sauce lids are off just to show the insides.) One thing to keep in mind is that if you pack both layers very tightly with calorie-dense foods like rice and you are trying to watch your intake (i.e. you’re on a diet), 1000ml is quite a lot. So you’ll want to pack those dense foods in maybe just one layer, and fill up with vegetables or something.
Cleanup was very easy too since I could just throw everything in the dishwasher. I put everythning in the top rack, with the little bits in a basket.
monbento mold/inner divider setThis last accessory is brand new and very interesting: the monbento mold set. The set comes with 3 pieces: 2 small cups and a larger one, all made of silicone that is heat-safe up to 240°C/464°F. It comes in this classy grey, blue and fuschia combination.
The smaller cups fit perfectly into one of the monbento box layers, so they can be used as dividers.
The bigger mold however does not work as a box liner, since it has a big lip all around.
This mold is meant for cooking things in, that fit perfectly into a monbento box. It has a slightly smaller capacity than the box itself at around 450ml. You could use the small molds/cups for cooking too, since they’re made of the same heatproof silicone material.
Now, monbento used to make a double-mold, which I have in my collection, but they no longer manufacture it. It’s the fuschia one here. I’ve been experimenting with cooking things in the molds - here I’m trying out cake salé, a savory “cake” (like a quickbread in the U.S.) of the type you see sold quite often at markets in France.
As you can see, the mold produces a flat little cake that fits perfectly in the boxes. (I’ll have the recipe for the cake up on the site soon.) I can see the mold being used for many other things…what about a baked omelette for example? I’m going to continue experimenting and post the good results.
I guess the one quibble I have with the mold is that it’s small, so baking something in it in a big oven feels very wasteful somehow. If you have a toaster oven with baking functions that might work out better. I may try using it in a frying pan too, as well as the smaller cups. In any case it’s a really good idea in principle.
The monbento bento boxes and accessories: Pros and consPros:
- Beautiful coordinating colors, sleek, chic designs, nice matte finish
- You can create your own color combinations on their site
- Microwave and dishwasher safe
- 2-tier design of boxes is easy to pack
- Everything feels solidly made
Cons:
- A bit expensive (but you get what you pay for)
- It would be nice perhaps to have the possibility of buying the big grey mold only for multiple baking
All in all monbento makes great stuff. Besides the items reviewed here they also have bento bands in many colors, bento carrying bags, chopsticks and a few other things.
Where to buy monbentoThere are several options for buying monbento products:
1. Directly from monbento
For the biggest selection, go to the monbento online store. This is where you can create customized bento boxes for example.
Shipping costs vary depending on where you are. If you’re in France you get free shipping if your order exceeds 60 euros. Note: If you live outside of the EU, e.g. in the U.S., you can subtract 20% of the listed price, which is the VAT. You may have to pay customs in your home country but do keep that in mind.
2. From Bento&co
Bento&co carries a good selection of monbento items, starting with their bento boxes of course, as well as sauce pots, chopsticks, the cutlery set and more. If you’re on a shopping spree there anyway, or if you’re in Japan, it’s a good option.
3. From Amazon
The Amazon stores carry a limited selection of monbento items:
- monbento on Amazon.com (US) (I don’t see the sauce pots there)
- monbento on Amazon UK
(Disclaimer: Some of the items reviewed were sent to us by monbento for review purposes. (The other items were purchased.) We did not receive any compensation for the review and the opinions expressed are my own. The links to the sellers are affiliate links. By making your purchases via these links you help to support the site at no additional cost to you. ^_^)
Fishy interlude: An amazingly detailed model of a Tsukiji market maguro (tuna) by Hobbystock
What a beautiful fish! It’s not real though…
makiwi: @watcha salmon skin is the best!
makiwi: all these merchants emailing saying “Happy Earth Day! Buy our junk!” are….morons.
IMPORTANT: If you have a blog on JustBento...
Hi everyone. it’s been quite a while since there’s been much activity on the forums…basically because, well, I broke the new member registration function and haven’t gotten around to fixing it.
The good news is, I am finally working on the background stuff and hope to have the forum up and running soonish. Although we have an active Facebook Page now, and I’ve finally gotten around to establishing a presence on Google+ I know that a lot of people would like a place to interact with fellow bento fans away from the usual big sites. So the forums will be back, although I’ll have to see how much stress they will place on the servers. (Full disclosure: I’m struggling a bit to keep up with the running costs of the site, especially since I’m trying to catch up from my long absence.)
However, in order to reduce the time needed to maintain the sites, I’ve decided to get rid of the individual member blogs feature. There are plenty of places where you can set up a free or very inexpensive blog, and only a few people were using the feature anyway.
So - if you do have a blog on this site, you have until May 15, 2013 to get down any content you have on them. After that they will be gone from the site.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
IMPORTANT: If you have a blog on JustBento...
Hi everyone. it’s been quite a while since there’s been much activity on the forums…basically because, well, I broke the new member registration function and haven’t gotten around to fixing it.
The good news is, I am finally working on the background stuff and hope to have the forum up and running soonish. Although we have an active Facebook Page now, and I’ve finally gotten around to establishing a presence on Google+ I know that a lot of people would like a place to interact with fellow bento fans away from the usual big sites. So the forums will be back, although I’ll have to see how much stress they will place on the servers. (Full disclosure: I’m struggling a bit to keep up with the running costs of the site, especially since I’m trying to catch up from my long absence.)
However, in order to reduce the time needed to maintain the sites, I’ve decided to get rid of the individual member blogs feature. There are plenty of places where you can set up a free or very inexpensive blog, and only a few people were using the feature anyway.
So - if you do have a blog on this site, you have until May 15, 2013 to get down any content you have on them. After that they will be gone from the site.
Please let me know if you have any questions!
What are the weirdest restaurants in the world?
The Blindekuh (Blind Cow) restaurants, which started in Zürich, Switzerland, are totally dark inside. It's meant to give sighted people an experience of what it's like to eat without sight, plus give blind and partially blind people employment. The concept has been spread to Basel and several other cities around the world - although apparently the ones in North America have visibly lighted Exit signs. I've been to the original Blinde Kuh in Zürich and it's totally dark while you are eating, like being in a blackout tent. This is really what you 'see'. It's very disconcerting. People tend to giggle nervously, and it gets a bit messy.
Their website: blindekuh Zürich
Wikipedia: blindekuh (restaurant)
I wrote up my experience there (it's from 2006 so maybe a bit outdated): Restaurant Blinde Kuh: dining in total darkness
See question on Quora
Is it easier for Japanese people to use chopsticks than spoons?
Spoons and spoon like implements have been around for a very long time. Using forks and knives European style, not to mention European table manners, were introduced in the late 19th century or so, but to begin with only the upper class and intellectuals with an interest in the West bothered to learn how to use them.
But these days, modern Japanese people use spoons, chopsticks, forks, knives, even hands to eat our food. And since we learn from childhood how to use chopsticks, we don't find them at all inconvenient.
See question on Quora
What are some dumb questions you have been asked?
"Do Japanese people celebrate Pearl Harbor Day?"
After I wrote a glowing review of a little store in Kyoto, complete with Google Maps, I got an email: "I love that store and want to buy from them? But I don't think I can go all the way to China. Do they do mail order?"
ETA: I just remembered another one that drives me nuts. When some idiot calls your phone, and you answer, and they ask "Who is this?" before even identifying themselves. Sheesh, you are the one who called me. Who the hell were you calling?
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makiwi: Playing a bit more ^_^ #instafood #instafoodapp #instagood #instadaily http://t.co/yTMfCj2ZUB
makiwi: #instafood #instafoodapp #instagood #food #foodporn #photooftheday #picoftheday #instadaily #france… http://t.co/y085Dim7ry
makiwi: I recommend http://t.co/D3uFfRobpg and the Just Bento Cookbook ^_^ @Sakuryu045
What are good ways to evaluate the temperature of frying oil without a thermometer at hand?
This is a method used in Japan, and it's pretty accurate.
First, you will need a pair of cooking chopsticks called saibashi, made of bamboo or wood.
They are available for a few $ at an Asian kitchenware or well stocked grocery store, or online, e.g. Amazon.com: Cooking Chopsticks ~ 13 Inch: Kitchen & Dining . Be sure you have uncoated bamboo or wood chopsticks, and not ones made of plastic or metal or coated with lacquer etc. These long chopsticks are also very handy for turning the frying things over in your pan, as well as for stir frying and such. But if you don't want to shell out for a pair, you could also use a pair of disposable wood chopsticks.
When you are heating your oil, moisten the chopsticks (or soak them for a while in water), wipe away the surface moisture and stick the chopsticks (or just one chopstick) in the oil. Stir it around a bit so you get an average temperature of the whole pan of oil. Then look at the bubbles coming out of the oil.
If the bubbles are small and slowly coming out of the chopsticks, your oil is fairly cool still, around 150-160 degrees C (about 300-320 F). This is a good temperature for frying things that you don't want to get browned, e.g. pre-frying french fries until they are cooked through. The oil should also be slowly rippling.
If the bubbles are bigger and coming out faster, the oil is at medium temperature, around 170 degress C (340F) or so, which is a good temperature for frying most things with a batter or breadcrumb coating and so on, e.g. fried chicken, tempura, etc. The oil should be rippling a bit more visibly.
If the bubbles are very big and coming off the chopsticks rapidly and even making some spitting noises, your oil is very hot - around 180-190 C (355-375F). The oil will also be smoking a bit at this point. This is the temperature you want when you want to quickly brown/crisp something that's already been cooked, e.g. the second frying stage for french fries, or when you want to make those puffy, crispy potatoes called pommes soufflées.
Be careful though and turn down the heat - or turn it off completely - if the bubbles are too big and fast, and there's a lot of blueish smoke coming off the oil. (It's not fun to make a big burn spot on your kitchen ceiling. I've done it.)
(Edited to add: This is assuming that you are using an oil that is suitable for deep frying. That means an oil with a high smoke point - that is, it gets very smoky and discolored and just one tiny step from going up in flames. Oils suitable for deep frying include corn oil, peanut oil, safflower oil and soybean oil. This page has a chart of oils and their smoke points - All About Cooking Oils. FWIW, I usually use peanut or sunflower oil. I put in a bit of sesame oil for tempura, to add flavor; this is ok despite sesame oil having a fairly low smoke point because tempura is not fried at high temperatures.)
Extra tip: if your oil does catch fire, DO NOT POUR WATER OVER IT. That would be a disaster. If you don't have a fire extinguisher, pour salt over the oil, then clap a lid on when the flames die down enough for you to do so safely, to deprive the flames of oxygen.
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Why do rising stars of Kabuki often adopt the names of great performers of the past, like the well-known Matsumoto Koshiro IX or Ichikawa Danjuro XII (RIP)?
There is a long established custom of families adopting non-family adults as members of the family in Japan. This is mostly done for business purposes. If a family run business has no suitable candidates within the family to keep running the business, this is a route that's taken pretty frequently.
You can read about adult adoptions here: Why Adult Adoption is Key to the Success of Japanese Family Firms (Freakonomics); also Japanese adult adoption (Wikipedia)
This system of adult adoption - handing over the reins to the adoptee is not just limited to businesses; it's also done by Buddhist priest families, various martial arts or other traditional arts schools (tea cermony, flower arranging, etc) families, and so on.
This extends to the world of kabuki too. Originally, kabuki was a very lowly profession. Actors were considered to be members of the lowest caste in society, although that did change over time. When kabuki became a more respectable form of entertainment, highly talented outsiders would be adopted into the family and become the next Ichikawa, or Nakamura or Ogami etc. This tradition has continued to this day, when most 'heirs' are not actual blood relatives of the previous generation that held a particular name.
The reason for keeping the whole name is because, in addition to the heir/adoption thing, it's considered a great honor to be bestowed the right to bear the same name as a great actor from the past. In the 21st century kabuki theater is very tradition-bound.
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