Last Friday I planned to have lunch with my workmates. But I packed Jac a bento box anyway. She asked if I could pack her a smoked salmon lunch. No problem! I don’t usually wear gloves (you know, like proper lunch ladies wear!) when I pack our lunches but I did this time, as I didn’t want to smell like smoked salmon afterwards (even after I’ve washed, no – scrubbed my hands, I can always smell the faintest hint of it for hours later). I can’t stand smoked salmon!
In the bottom tier I packed some shredded cos lettuce, finely chopped white cabbage and blanched sugar snap peas (the last of them, boy, did that bag of sugar snaps go a long, long way!). I used a vegetable cutter to make carrot and cucumber flowers to garnish the salad. In a pink heart-shaped container I placed light Philadelphia cream cheese. I also packed some bread and butter, and made a compartment for a few crackers using a section of the disposable plastic container our cherry tomatoes came in.
In the top tier of the box, I made a bed of cos lettuce, on which I placed smoked salmon, which I made into sort-of fat cigar-shaped rolls, topped with more vegetable flowers. I used the lettuce as natural food divider again, this time to prevent the lemon wedges from touching the salmon. Obviously, Jac would eat the salmon later and squeeze the lemon over it, but I didn’t want to lemon to prematurely get to the salmon and possibly “overcook” it. In the bento box’s own mini compartments I packed capers, dill pickles and some freshly chopped spring onion. I would’ve packed finely sliced red onion as that goes very well with smoked salmon, but we didn’t have any.
After I took this photo I GLAD wrapped the cream cheese and the capers and pickles. The top tier has a lid (see photo of entire bento box) and I had drained the capers and pickles before packing, but I didn’t want to take any chances with leakage. Jac really enjoyed her lunch. I always ask Jac if she enjoyed her bento lunch, for any suggestions for improvement, feedback on ideas that didn’t work, etc. She said the only thing to improve this bento would’ve been more salad. Next time. :)
Bento accessories info:
I bought the heart-shaped container in a pack of differently-shaped plastic ontainers from eBay. You can buy similar pink heart-shaped silicon containers from JBox:
Reusable silicon bento cup – heart shape
Baran, or bento partition grass are also available:
Baran -bento/sushi decorative partition grass – multi-colour pack
Baran – bento/sushi decorative partition grass – green
I’ve only got one type of vegetable cutter ( I believe mine is the “sakura”, or cherry blossom). You can buy a four-pack featuring different shapes:
Vegetable shaper assortment set – sakura, plum, maple leaf, chrysanthemum
I enjoyed a nasi lemak (AU$7.50) lunch from Munch Terrace (Shop 6, 230 Hay St, Corner Bennett St East Perth) . Unfortunately, a meeting just before lunch time caused us to get to Munch rather late (after 12:30pm, which is late for us! :)) We arrived right at the peak of the lunch crowd – the Friday special nasi lemak lunch crowd – and there was nowhere to sit. We ordered our nasi lemak takeaway and enjoyed it back at the office (see this previous post for a photo of nasi lemak when it hasn’t been squashed into a takeaway container). The battered chicken wing was simply enormous this time. I bought an extra box of nasi lemak which I took home so Jac could try it. She’d been drooling over the photos and had really wanted to try it for herself. Her verdict: “Yep, I’ll have that again!” :)
Thank you for your recent comments and emails. I’ll be writing my replies this weekend. :)
I'm TFP, a food blogger from Perth, Western Australia.
{ 14 comments… read them below or add one }
Yum, smoked salmon with bread and crackers sounds like a delicious and refreshing lunch!
Question – do you find that things like crackers get soggy when stored in the same compartment as moist foods? I packed some chips next to a sandwich the other day and the chips became a bit stale/soggy. :(
Ya know, I just have to say that the cute little notes that Jac includes with so many of your meals are awfully sweet. How lucky you are to have such a thoughtful companion.
Elaine,
I make sure the dry items like crackers are kept separate from the wetter items by using protective barriers/food dividers. In this bento, I placed the crackers in a makeshift divider I created from part of a plastic carton, and I placed divider “grass” on the other side. I like to also use muffin/cupcake baking paper, lettuce, and greaseproof or baking paper to keep items separate in the bento box. Hope that helps.
Chuck,
I don’t think you’ve realised, it’s me (TFP) who’s been putting together these bento lunch boxes! And the little notes you see are handwritten by me! It’s not only Jac who can get creative in the kitchen. :)
I like smoked salmon despite its obvious fishy-ness, but without capers or pickles. I quite like mine with salad, or with cream cheese in a bagel! But if you asked me to choose between smoked salmon, salad and crackers and nasi lemak, I would definitely say yes to the nasi lemak. Rice always wins hands down, and tasty coconut rice is just ten times more satisfying.
dea,
Jac loves smoked salmon with cream cheese in a bagel too! That’s one of her favourite “special treat” breakfasts. Yep, I’m with you – rice wins every time!
I love the salmon bento.
The nasi lemak sure look different over there. Over here, the chili is redder, and there usually isn’t mixed vege,just sliced cucumbers and half a boiled egg.
allthingspurple,
We do get nasi lemak with cucumber and half a boiled egg. This particular place likes to serve their nasi lemak with the deepfried boiled egg and the achar. The not-so-red chilli that you see in the photo is actually the otak-otak. The chilli is actually behind that. This is the only nasi lemak I have bought which comes with achar and nasi lemak. None of the other places I have eaten nasi lemak at over here serve those items. :)
Hey there, I hope you and Jac have a nice, indulgent and most importantly a romantic weekend. ;)
Hey 1st timer on your food blog thing.. Love the notes on your pack lunch, they’re lovely and creative.. Being a malaysian myself, i absolutely crave for homemade nasi lemak, and the one you have there is making me drool.. :D
Your bento boxes look absolutely delicious.
(Cook for me!!!)
I discovered another place with good nasi lemak TFP. Try it at the Penang Food place in Northbridge, just off the corner of Roe and William Streets. Heaven.
And their laksa is KILLER. Seriously good.
Thanks, Angie. It was all of the above. ;-)
Bjorn,
Oh yes, I can understand that perfectly, being from Malaysia myself originally and having experienced the nasi lemak cravings on many an occasion.
Kym,
Heheheh. Glad you like them.
C,
That sounds great! I must tell my workmate J about that nasi lemak. I’m sure she will also want to check it out. And a great laksa is a very good find too. When are we getting together for a bite?
Spring onion? You have the cutest names for things… I think thats a mexican onion here in the US.
Im with you TFP, Jac’s salmon looked yukky!
Bryan,
Heh. Well, that’s just what we call it over here! :) Never heard of Mexican onion! Heheheh. Jac’s bought a pack of smoked trout now, it’s in the fridge. I guess I’ll be making her a smoked trout lunch one of these days.