The Bento (or ‘practical meal’) is an aspect of Japanese cuisine that is firmly anchored in popular tradition. The term refers more to the container (or ‘lunch box’) than it does to the contents. Its history can be traced back to the fifth century, and for generations women have prepared their husbands’ and children’s lunches in different sorts of boxes. Traditionally eaten cold, it can also include dishes to be reheated.
Kaiseki cuisine is elaborate and sophisticated. The delicate food is always aesthetically pleasing and often beautifully presented in elegant ceramic dishware.
Chef Hisayuki (Hissa) Takeuchi has revisited and reinvented the core concept of Bento by incorporating his own gastronomic Kaiseki cuisine, thus creating the Kaiseki Bento.
