Skip Weekend Pancakes, Opt for Bento

Slurping Turtle’s Bento Brunch, featuring tuna, pickles, sweet potato and seaweed salad (Photo: Rachel Tan)

 

By Rachel Tan
Hapless Intern

 

Nothing screams brunch and weekends like syrup, carbs and maple bacon. But just for once, take a pass on the omelets at Lou Mitchell’s or a short stack at The Original Pancake House, and let Takashi Yagihashi cook for you. The Chef/Owner of the Slurping Turtle is sharing a bit of his heritage, with a weekend do-it-yourself Bento Brunch.

 

A black and red lacquer box is divided into three, equal compartments, all contributing to a balanced meal from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. One compartment is for a choice of protein, like thinly-sliced short ribs or sashimi. The middle compartment usually houses sweets and pickled sides, and the last features a single serving of perfectly-cooked Japanese rice. Portions are generous and will not leave you craving dessert.

 

The sashimi slices are cleanly cut and an even thickness. With a selection of fresh salmon, tuna, whitefish and octopus, the meal is infused with color and flavor – none of that fishy aftertaste. Sweet potato fries moonlighting as glazed tempura sticks sprinkled with sesame seeds are a delectable finish. A hard shell adds a complementary crunch to the Japanese sweet potato’s denser, chalkier texture. A couple of slices of tamago – sweet Japanese omelets – are delicately made and well-portioned.

 

All-American sweet, doughy and dense brunch classics are hard to deny, but Slurping Turtle offers an equally tasty Japanese alternative. Textures may differ, but the flavors are truly one-of-a-kind, especially on a lazy weekend morning.

 

Slurping Turtle
116 W. Hubbard St.
(312) 464-0466

 

Editor’s Note: this is our final post for 2012…see you back here in January. Happy New Year!

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