Hawaii’s Favorite Bento Box Recipes

The bento box has come a long way since its origins in Japan. In the late 1800s waves of Japanese migrated to Hawai‘i, and bento boxes emerged in the plantations and fields where they worked. By the early 20^th century a common sight around the islands was of children proudly carrying them to school. Today, bento boxes occupy a favored position among all ages and walks of life.

In Hawai‘i’s Favorite Bento Box Recipes, local author and chef Susan Yuen provides a colorful collection of imaginative bento and appetizing dishes that will make lunch a special treat for even the pickiest eater. Kamaboko slices become little ducks and flowers, blue rice becomes an ocean background for cutout crabs, and vegetables become more alluring tucked behind bow-tied bears, smiling faces, and colorful fish.

Color photos accompany each easy-to-follow recipe, and instructions for presentation make creating the perfect bento a snap. These 60 masterpieces are sure to delight your child. Included are creations such as Roast Pork Mouse Bao, T-Rex PBJ Sandwich, Hummus Bear, and more.

Rounding out the book is a comprehensive chapter of recipes. Here you’ll find more than 50 popular, mouth-watering meals that can be used in your bento box creations. Hawai‘i’s cultural confluence is reflected in such dishes as Teriyaki Hamburgers, Mini Portuguese Sausage Frittatas, Chinese Roast Pork Salad, and each recipe is infused with the aloha spirit.

Hawai‘i’s Favorite Bento Box Recipes is a collection of the best recipes from Susan Yuen’s books Hawai‘i’s Bento Box Cookbook and Hawai‘i’s Bento Box Cookbook, 2^nd Course. It continues to celebrate family and the tradition of sharing food and cultures in Hawai‘i. Complete with a glossary, important tips, and an all-inclusive index, this cookbook will help you feed your child’s imagination and belly with nutritious, delicious, and fanciful food.

Part I: Bentos

Keiki Cutouts

Ballerina
Hula Girl
Surfer Boy

Flying Friends

Butterfly Soba with Pan-Seared Butter Kabocha
Owl SPAM Musubi with Fish Cake Tamago
Butterflies with Matcha Green Tea Salmon Soba
Blackbirds with Teriyaki Chicken

Furry Friends

Bear Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
Bunny and Bear Teriyaki SPAM Musubi with Chikuwa Hotdogs
Croquette Dog with Teriyaki Hamburgers
Croquette Lion with Chicken Yakisoba and Shoyu Hotdog
Sheep with Tonkatsu
Hotdog Sushi Bear
Kitty Musubi with Sesame Chicken
Bear Musubis with Grandma Geri’s Nishime
Hummus Bear
Field Mouse with Sesame Eggplant
Panda Musubi with Chicken Tofu
Panda with Fried Furikake Tofu
Puppy on Udon with Asparagus and Bacon
Reindeer Musubi with Garlic Butter Shrimp and Mushrooms
Mouse with Nori Chicken Burgers

Island Life

Bento Boys with Miso-Teriyaki Chicken
Coconut Tree and Beef Stir-Fry with Black Bean Sauce
Flowers on Soba and Edamame with Citrus Shoyu Dressing
Flower Garlic Cheesy Bread and Pasta with Meat Sauce
Keiki Bread with Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Little Girl Musubi with Sauteed Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomato and Parsley Butter
Spam Flowers with a Heart Shaped Spam Tamago
Octopus and Fish Sushi with Chinese Roast Pork Salad

Scrumptious Sammies

Roast Pork Mouse Bao
Child’s Name Sandwich
Char Siu Bunny Bao
Acorn Girl Sandwich
Bear Spam, Egg, and Cheese Breakfast Sandwich
Birdie Sandwich with Clam Chowder
Brown Bear Sandwich
Chick Sandwiches
Angel Fish Sandwich
Aloha Pig Sandwich and Portuguese Bean Soup with Fun Pasta
Frog Sandwich
Kitty Spam Sandwich
Polar Bear Sandwich
Pumpkin Sandwich
T-Rex PBJ Sandwich
Teddy Bear Sandwich
Yellow Bird Sandwich

Rice ‘N More

Gecko with Mochiko Chicken and Tamago
Teriyaki Meatball Worm with Furikake Imitation Crab Noodles
Dinosaur with Teriyaki Steak
Mermaid with Hotdog Octopus
Octopus with Bacon and Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice
Penguin Spam Musubi with Macaroni Salad
Mini Portuguese Sausage Frittata with Bear Bread and Guava Butter
Mini Manapua Bento
Police Car and Kabocha with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pork
Pumpkin Musubis with Korean BBQ Beef
Stars and Heart Snack Bento
Teddy Bear Peel and Eat Cheese Snack
Chinese Takeout Box Udon and Shrimp Karaage

Part II: Recipes

Beef

Korean BBQ Beef
Slow Cooker Roast Beef
Teriyaki Hamburgers
Pasta with Meat Sauce
Teriyaki Steak
BBQ Beef

Pork

Shoyu Hotdogs
Portuguese Bean Soup with Fun Pasta
Kabocha with Shiitake Mushrooms and Pork
Slow Cooker Kalua Pork
Tonkatsu
Bacon and Portuguese Sausage Fried Rice
Udon with Asparagus and Bacon
Mini Portuguese Sausage Frittatas

Chicken

Miso-Teriyaki Chicken
Sesame Chicken
Chicken Long Rice
Chicken Yakisoba
Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Katsu
Teriyaki Chicken
Nori Chicken Burgers
Chicken Tofu

Seafood

Clam Chowder
Matcha Green Tea Salmon on Soba with a Sesame Miso Vinaigrette
Garlic Butter Shrimp and Mushrooms
Fried Shrimp
Shrimp Karaage
Sauteed Shrimp with Sun-Dried Tomato and Parsley Butter
Furikake Imitation Crab Noodles

Veggies

Grandma Geri’s Nishime
Sesame Eggplant
Chinese Roast Pork Salad
Stir-Fry
Stir-Fry Sauces
Macaroni Salad
Pan-Seared Buttered Kabocha

Sides

Cold Udon
Chap Chae
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
Fried Furikake Tofu
Soba and Edamame with Citrus Shoyu Dressing
Tamago
Mini Manapua
Chikuwa Hotdogs

Butter

Garlic Butter
Sun-Dried Tomato and Parsley Butter
Guava Butter

Author: Susan Yuen