Cherylynn N.
Yelp
COVID-19 TAKEOUT/CAR HOOD DINING
As I was unpacking our Taiwanese bentos on the hood of my car, this mask-less guy rolls up on his bike and starts air sniffing my food.
What is this, SF?!
Back into the car we go, and I feel a paw on my shoulder and another air sniffer on my hands. But, thankfully we had some boiled chicken that the kind owners provided for free to keep TT busy...thank you!
The Bento Box is a family-operated, mom and pop shop serving traditional Taiwanese "Railway" Bento Boxes (provided to commuters/travelers during long train rides). I rarely go to Milpitas but when a Taiwanese friend raved about it, The Bento Box quickly jumped on the top of my list to visit.
During COVID, The Bento Box is open for takeout and delivery through UberEats. I visited for a late lunch yesterday so there was no line. They limit the amount of customers in the store with social distancing markers on the floor. All staff wore their masks properly covering their nose and mouth. Hand sanitizer available.
For their Bento Box ($13.99), choose a protein which is then served with steamed rice, minced pork, veggies, pickled mustard greens, stewed tofu, and a tea egg. It also includes FREE milk tea.
They also have stewed meats like liver, intestines, tendon, tongue, etc. that you can purchase by the pound or by catering trays. Bags of frozen dumplings are available.
For purchases of $15.25+, if you pay by cash, you get a free side: squid balls, pork liver, fried pumpkin, tofu, or smoked chicken.
I ordered two Bento boxes ($13.99 each):
* Ji Pai, Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet: https://bit.ly/3ad5r8s
--Jai Pai: Cooked-to-order, the Ji Pai was hot, uber crunchy, and flavorful. It's like a schnitzel but the coating is crumbly and dusted with mild chili powder and white pepper. The marinated cutlets are really tender and you can taste the fragrant garlic, ginger, and 5-spice. The best part? You get two large cutlets!
--Rice w/ minced pork: Classic Taiwanese comfort food, the minced pork and rice was delicious especially with some of the pickled mustard greens.
--Veggies: Cabbage, carrots, and broccoli were still very crisp.
--Stewed tofu: Firm tofu stewed in soy and spices.
--Tea egg: The tea soy penetrated through the yolk so it was very flavorful. You can taste the anise.
I'm trying to avoid eating too much rice so the food was a tad salty for me but with the rice, it balances out.
* Stewed Pork Belly: https://bit.ly/30K8bHy
This was not my order but I did taste a bite of the stewed pork belly which had a good fat-to-meat ratio. Since I visited after the lunch rush, the meaty chunks of pork belly marinated longer in the stewing liquid....savory sweet and just melts in your mouth.
The accompanying milk tea which I requested less sweet, had strong tea flavor with a good balance of creaminess and sweetness.
Both bento boxes had enough food for two meals so if you're looking for value, The Bento Box is a great option.
Service was very friendly and gracious. I was shocked to read some of the recent negative reviews while drafting mine because I experienced quite the opposite.
I was trying to find something to buy TT that was bland and they were very upfront telling me the spices they use not suitable for dogs. The owner's son (?) told me they usually feed their cat, the salted chicken and boxed up free boiled chicken leg for TT. He loved it and stopped air sniffing my food so thank you (I removed the bone)!
Overall, 4 stars for the Taiwanese Bento Boxes. Personally, I liked it lot better than Bento Express in Sunnyvale. Bumping it to 5 stars for the great value, customer service, and COVID safety precautions.
If you're looking for legit and delicious, Taiwanese Bento Boxes while supporting a small mom and pop business, give The Bento Box a try!