Healthy, appetizing and economical, it's no wonder that bento are now so popular worldwide. This show will present bento ideas and anecdotes from overseas viewers. Starting with omurice made from the remnants of Christmas dinner, Marc Matsumoto demonstrates how to give your leftovers a bento makeover. Bento guru Maki Ogawa, meanwhile, shows how to use shared ingredients to meet the whole family's bento needs, beginning with a much-loved lunchbox staple: kara-age fried chicken.
BENTO EXPO covers the healthy, appetizing and economical world of bento! On this episode we take a look at bento ideas from our viewers. In the studio, chef Marc Matsumoto makes a delicious and nutritious sandwich bento using leftover meatloaf. Maki shares her favorite tamagoyaki recipes. With the same ingredients and a little ingenuity, she makes 2 dishes: a healthy snack for her children and a hearty meal for her husband. Tune in to find out the secret to making delicious bento!
On this episode, Marc and Maki introduce variations of the always-popular teriyaki bento.! Marc demonstrates how to make a healthy bento featuring a delicious teriyaki maitake mushroom served with scrambled eggs and rice. Maki shows how to make a nutritious bento that pairs everyone's favorite teriyaki chicken with vegetables and a teriyaki-style fried egg. She also teaches us how to make an adorable cherry tomato chick to add to a child's bento.
Mark introduces a nutritious miso-flavored ground pork bento that goes along wonderfully with vegetables. Maki uses oily and delicious mackerel to make a grilled fish and rice bento. This time on Bento Trip, we travel to Indonesia to take a look at local bentos.
Maki demonstrates how to make menchi-katsu, a deep-fried ground meat patty that's loved by people of all ages. Her version for bento has cheese inside, making it extra delicious. Recently, fish and miso dishes have been trending in America, so Marc introduces the most popular amongst them: miso salmon bento. On Bento Trip, we head to the city of Akashi in Hyogo Prefecture to get a taste of octopus pot bento, a well-loved local ekiben that uses octopus caught right off the coast of the city.
Maki shows us how to make a sukiyaki-style onigirazu (rice sandwich) bento. Her onigirazu are filled with fried eggs and beef seasoned with honey, soy sauce and sake. Marc creates a "one-bite hambagu" bento featuring bite-size hamburger steak. It comes together quickly, so it's perfect for a busy morning. Bento Trip introduces us to Korean kimbap, seaweed and rice rolls flavored with sesame oil. We visit a family in Korea that makes healthy kimbap bento using Western ingredients.
Marc introduces a kushiage bento featuring skewered and deep-fried ingredients such as chicken, onion, lotus root and kabocha pumpkin. This type of bento is popular because it's easy-to-eat and filling. Maki demonstrates how to make a bento containing chicken that's been cooked with wasabi and soy sauce. When cooked, wasabi loses its bite and imparts a refreshing aroma. On Bento Trip, we head to Kobuchisawa in Yamanashi Prefecture to try a kamameshi bento that showcases local wild vegetables.
Marc teaches how to make a pork and shrimp shumai bento. Vegetables such as cabbage, carrots and soramame fava beans are steamed alongside the shumai, making for a healthy meal that's easy to prepare. Maki demonstrates how to make a classic tendon bento featuring imitation crab, cod, asparagus and kabocha pumpkin. She reveals the secrets behind making flavorful, crispy tempura using batter made with only flour and water. On Bento Trip, travel to Indonesia!
Maki uses ground chicken, scrambled eggs and canned salmon to make a mosaic-like soboro bento. She adds vegetables to make it a well-balanced meal. Marc introduces a taco rice bento. Taco rice is a fusion dish with Okinawan origins made with soy sauce flavored ground beef. Marc also demonstrates mixing chopped shirataki noodles into rice before cooking to cut calories. On Bento Trip, we head to Singapore to meet Shirley, a popular bento blogger who shows off her eye-catching sushi roll bento.
Marc introduces a simple and delicious salmon roll bento. He stuffs rice paper wrappers with braised pork belly, rice and shiso. Maki demonstrates how to make a yakitori bento, a crowd-pleaser around the world. To make the chicken easy to eat, no skewers are used. The chicken is cooked in a frying pan until the skin is perfectly crispy. Bento Trip showcases Kisarazu in Chiba Prefecture, a city famous for clam digging. The local ekiben there is an asari clam bento.
Marc creates a lemon chicken bento reminiscent of a dish his mother cooked when he was young. Made with ketchup, it's sure to be popular with children. Maki introduces a colorful bento featuring green bell peppers stuffed with ground meat. She also shares tips on how to prepare it for children with an aversion to green bell peppers. Bento Trip showcases adobo, the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. Marinated in vinegar, adobo keeps well in warm weather and is perfect for bento.
Marc makes a bento with stir-fried shrimp in chili sauce, a classic Japanese-style Chinese dish. He adds red chili peppers to ketchup to create a sweet and salty flavor combination that children will love. Maki demonstrates how to make delicious temarizushi with marinated vegetables. Temarizushi keep their shapes well, so they're perfect for bento. Plus, they're fun for children to help make. Bento Trip showcases the inrou bento from Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, which features local ume plums.
Marc introduces a dish from his mother's hometown in Miyazaki Prefecture: chicken nanban bento. The chicken is topped with a Japanese-style tartar sauce made with egg, resulting in an extra-filling bento. Maki makes an umami-packed bento featuring rice mixed with vegetables and other delicious ingredients. The final product is extra colorful, and Maki uses common ingredients, so anyone can recreate this bento at home. Bento Trip showcases a steamed pork patty bento from Hong Kong.
Maki shows us how to make a ham cutlet bento. Ham cutlet is a popular everyday side dish. Maki makes them with two kinds of fillings: cabbage with cheese, and fried egg. Marc introduces a Japanese style keema curry bento that's flavored with tomatoes, grated apple, and soy sauce as the secret ingredient. Bento Trip takes us to Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, where a kinmedai sushi bento is showcased. Maki also makes an original kinmedai tatsutaage bento with hand-made kamoboko.
Marc demonstrates how to prepare a bento featuring okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake made with cabbage, shrimp, and bacon. Maki introduces a simple and delicious mayo-yaki chicken bento. She uses mayonnaise instead of butter when cooking the chicken. Bento Trip travels to Indonesia, where kyaraben (character bento) have become all the rage. A local mother who loves to make bento shares her recipe for a beef balado kyaraben made with cassava leaves.
Marc demonstrates how to make a delicious and filling pork cutlet sandwich bento, which is widely popular all around the world. Maki introduces a unique hot dog-inspired onigiri bento. Rice is shaped into short, thick cylinders and then wrapped in seaweed. A slit is cut along the length of each onigiri and fillings such as sausages and tuna are placed inside. Bento Trip showcases a shumai bento from Yokohama Chinatown and investigates the secret behind keeping it delicious at room temperature.
Maki makes a tri-colored karaage bento. She uses three marinades—soy sauce and ginger, curry and yogurt, and a simple brine. This keeps the chicken tender and flavorful even at room temperature. Marc demonstrates a trick for preparing juicy shrimp: whipping them with egg whites before cooking. It can be used to make a shrimp shumai or ebi chili bento. Bento Trip features a popular bento delivery service in Brazil whose colorful, traditional Japanese-style bento are packed in wooden boxes.
Marc makes a colorful, nutritious bento featuring fried cod and a variety of vegetables. Everything is flavored with "3S sauce" (an equal mix of soy sauce, sugar, and sake) that's been boiled with dashi and ginger. Maki shows off various bento she's made using the versatile 3S sauce, including chicken teriyaki meatballs and sukiyaki-flavored onigirazu. Bento Trip heads to a theater in Ueno and features an inarizushi bento with a 160-year history. Maki also makes her own cute inarizushi.
Marc shows you how to make a Hawaiian-style Loco Moco bento with a hamburger patty and boiled egg in beef and mushroom gravy. From Maki, a double Maki-maki bento featuring 2 sushi rolls -- one inside out, and the other wrapped in an egg sheet. Bento Trip takes us to Toyama Prefecture for a look at a traditional Masu or cherry salmon sushi bento.
Maki brings you a healthy version of chicken nuggets using tofu. From Marc, a bento of classic Chinese sweet and sour pork. Bento Trip takes you to Belgium where cold cooked meats are a bento staple.
Maki and Marc team up to make a fun picnic bento of crispy fried chicken wings and Ten-musu -- onigiri stuffed with tempura! Bento Trip heads to Nikko for a taste of its famous Yuba made from soybeans.
Marc goes Italian, making sushi with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, prosciutto and more. From Maki, crispy sesame chicken nuggets. On Bento Topics, an array of German favorites, including pretzels!
Marc's bento features mixed rice with 3S sauce flavored chicken. From Maki, pork-wrapped onion rings, finger-licking-good! Bento Topics looks at how to use barley miso, a Japanese regional specialty.
Marc creates Japanese-style fritters with rainbow veggies. Maki uses sweet-and-sour chicken to make some funky Chinese steamed buns. We also meet a Dutch family who has embraced slow life, slow food!
Marc creates some sweet and tangy orange marmalade chicken. Maki turns pantry staples into a savory "tuna-burg." Also, a look at what bento makers in France and the U.S. are doing while staying home.
Enjoy Marc's Karokke, or original kabocha croquettes and Maki's Ebi-mayo, or shrimp with mayonnaise sauce! We'll also meet some moms in Singapore who are enjoying bento making with their kids at home.
Marc uses a Chinese sauce to make a spicy eggplant dish. Maki brings you a rich sauce Katsu-don bento! We also meet some bento makers on the US West Coast whose creations reflect their cultural roots.
From Marc, Salmon Menchi-katsu: deep-fried breaded salmon cakes! Maki cooks up a delicious Chicken-nasu bento with her 3S sauce plus one. Also, a look at Taiwan's "san-bei" or "three-cup" cuisine.
From Marc, a sukiyaki-flavored ground meat and spinach Soboro bento. Maki makes a cute Scotch egg bento using quail eggs! Bento Topics look at the popularity of bentos using organic herbs in Thailand.
Marc's bento features pork chops with Japan's original ketchup flavored spaghetti Napolitan. Maki makes a one-dish curry pilaf. And from Tokyo Bay, a traditional bento of sweet and savory Anago eel!
Marc's bento features chicken wings braised in a sweet and savory sauce. Maki brings you a bento of meat-stuffed mushrooms. And from Lyon, France, a one-of-a-kind bento full of local specialties.
Marc makes chicken tender rolls with 2 Japanese stuffing, while Maki wraps her meat rolls with nori! Bento Topics introduces a temple famous for its Zen Buddhist cuisine, including a vegan burger.
From Marc, a dry version of everyone's favorite Nikujaga. Maki uses corn kernels and edamame to wrap shumai. And from London, a bento maker whose popularity is symbolic of the rise in vegan cuisine.
Marc sautés shrimp with butter-soy sauce while Maki cooks up some delicious shrimp cakes. Bento Topics takes you to Shizuoka Prefecture for a taste of 2 local specialties, wasabi and wasabi-fed Shamo chicken!
Mark's bento features sweet and savory steak on rice. Maki uses crabsticks to make a Chinese omelet. Bento Topics takes you to New York City, where teriyaki and bento have become all the rage.
2 chicken bentos! From Maki, Miso Tsukune, and from Marc, Banbanji with sesame dressing. Bento Topics features Kyoto's tasty heritage vegetables and pickles that have inspired a mock-sushi bento.
From Marc, a teriyaki hamburg bento, and from Maki, Chirashi-zushi. Bento Topics features 2 Balinese favorites -- spicy pork satay, and a dish called babi guling that features a spit-roasted pig stuffed with a mixture of spices.
Marc brings you an all-time favorite -- salmon teriyaki. Maki cooks up a delicious apricot butter chicken bento. And on Bento Topics, Hiroshima Prefecture's famous oysters packed in an auspicious bento box.
From Marc, crispy fried tofu in a sweet ginger glaze, and from Maki, sweet and sour meatballs. And from Tottori Prefecture, Japan, famous for its sand dunes, a bento featuring another Tottori specialty, crabs.
From Marc, a crispy chicken cutlet with creamy egg sauce. Meanwhile, Maki makes a finger food version of Omurice. Bento Topics features the food culture of Japan's popular island resort, Okinawa Prefecture.
From Marc, toasted shiitake stuffed with rice and glazed with miso butter. Maki uses crab sticks to make quick and easy cream croquettes. Bento Topics showcases a yummy bento from the Philippines.
Marc grills lamb and veggies in a fragrant curry sauce. Maki glazes chicken with a clear sweet and sour sauce. Bento Topics features Okayama Prefecture's famous Bara-zushi bento, eaten on festive occasions.
Marc's bento features sweet and savory Yaki-udon noodles. Maki makes rice croquettes filled with cheese for her Rice Korokke bento. Bento Topics features Poland's favorite dish, pierogi dumplings.
Marc makes fried wontons filled with spicy pork and shrimp. Maki cooks a whole tomato with rice and bacon to make a one-pot tomato pilaf. And from Matsue, a bento packed with famous Shijimi clams.
Marc wraps various fillings with nori to make a handy sushi sandwich. Maki makes tasty Norimaki salmon fritters. And from Seoul, a Bossam bento of boiled pork and condiments wrapped in leafy greens.
Marc's bento is full of colorful Inari-sushi. Maki makes a crunchy cabbage Menchi-katsu bento. Bento Topics features Karashi Mentaiko, the spicy and umami-rich delicacy of Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan.
Marc pays homage to a regional dish of miso-butter salmon. Maki's deep-fried stuffed eggplant is a favorite with kids. From the coast of the Sea of Japan, a specialty bento packed with turban shells.
Marc's bento features spring rolls packed with a rich and savory filling. Maki uses soy meat to make a healthy dry curry bento. And from Milan, Italy, a bento featuring an all-time favorite -- lasagna!
Marc makes a bento with Ganmodoki, a traditional tofu and veggie dish. Maki makes a burger with teriyaki-style pork and veggies. And from northeastern Japan, a bento packed with Uni, or sea urchin!
Marc dices a thick and tender steak to make a Saikoro Pepper Steak. Maki cooks Sweet Potato Rice in a pot. We also meet a Parisienne who has embraced the concept of sustainability in making bentos.
Marc marinates fried salmon and veggies, while Maki marinates simmered pork. Both dishes can be prepared the night before. From Awaji Island, charcoal-broiled conger pike over sushi rice!
Marc makes a triple curry Soboro with ground meat and veggies. Maki uses canned Saba, or mackerel, to make a seafood version of Menchi-katsu. From Bangkok, a bento featuring riceberry.
Marc tops noodles with sesame sauce and ground meat to make a spicy Tantanmen Bento. Maki uses sliced veggies to wrap her colorful shumai packed with meat and vegetables. From Tokyo, a tempura bento.
Maki rolls veggies in sliced beef to make her colorful Garden Beef Roll Bento. Marc's bento features Satsuma-age, a traditional sweet and savory fish cake. From Australia, a meat pie bento.
A special episode centered on Aichi Prefecture, featuring bentos made by foreign residents of Aichi. Marc and Maki prepare bentos using Mame-miso. From Nagoya, a Tebasaki chicken wing bento.
Marc tops pork steak with sweet and spicy sauce to make a tasty Tonteki Bento. Maki makes an umami-rich Clam Bento, a longtime favorite of fishermen in Tokyo Bay. From Tokyo, a Tamagoyaki sandwich.
Maki uses an ice tray to make an easy yet beautiful Mosaic Sushi Bento. Marc makes a Teri-tama sandwich with teriyaki chicken and eggs. From Guatemala, a bento featuring stew, tortillas and pilaf.
Today: we travel to Tochigi Prefecture and meet some of its foreign residents, including bento makers and restaurant owners. Maki and Marc prepare bentos inspired by Tochigi.
Marc makes a bento featuring goya or bitter melon, a specialty of Okinawa Prefecture. Maki makes korokke, or croquettes, with purple sweet potatoes. From Thailand, a bento in a traditional pinto lunchbox.
Today: energizing bentos! From Marc, sweet and savory pork belly on rice. From Maki, a colorful combination of salmon and avocado. From Kawagoe, a bento featuring sweet potatoes.
Today: our chefs share their takes on onigiri! From Marc, sweet and savory beef wrapped around onigiri. From Maki, a "fireworks" boiled-egg onigiri. And from Mongolia, a bento featuring mutton.
Today: our chefs share their takes on kara-age! Marc opts for tofu instead of chicken, while Maki rolls up thinly sliced pork. From the port of Shimonoseki, a bento featuring fugu, or pufferfish.
Maki layers cheese and basil between slices of pork to make deep-fried cutlets. Marc tosses crispy chicken in tangy scallion sauce. And from Taiwan, a bento featuring a local favourite: lu rou fan.
From Maki, a delicious one-pan tomato sukiyaki. From Marc, pan-fried salmon and simmered daikon glazed with a sweet and savoury sauce. From Arita, a curry bento served in a bowl you can keep.
Today: a special episode focusing on Shimane Prefecture. We meet local bento makers from Germany, Bangladesh and Brazil. Marc and Maki make dishes with a Shimane speciality: snow crab.
From Maki, oysters sautéed in butter, served with miso sauce. From Marc, oysters along with rice cooked in a savory oyster dashi. From Colombia, a fiambre bento wrapped in a plantain leaf.
Today on BENTO EXPO, Maki fries up quail eggs wrapped in pork, and Marc uses a microwave to make a dashimaki egg sandwich. From Malaysia, a bento featuring Nyonya cuisine.
Today: a look at some viewer-submitted bentos. Marc makes sobameshi: chopped yakisoba and fried rice. Maki makes kabocha dumplings stuffed with cheese. From Kobe, a bento made with Kobe beef.
Today: animal-themed bentos. From Maki, glass noodles form the mane of an adorable lion. From Marc, an elegant peacock bento with lots of veggies. From Singapore, a bento featuring Indian paratha.
Today: a special episode focusing on Hiroshima Prefecture. We meet local bento makers from West Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam and more. Marc and Maki make dishes with a Hiroshima specialty: lemon.
Today: a beginner-friendly onigiri bento. Marc shares tips and guidance on how to make onigiri, or rice balls. From Misaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, a bento featuring a variety of tuna dishes.
Today: a beginner-friendly tamagoyaki bento. Marc shares tips and guidance on how to make tamagoyaki, or rolled omelets. From Yanagawa in Fukuoka Prefecture, a bento featuring freshwater eel.
Today: Maki and Marc make bentos using just one pan. Marc prepares scallion oil and crispy chicken. Maki makes a salmon piccata and bacon rolls. From the Philippines, a bento featuring coconut.
Today: appetite-boosting curry bentos. Marc prepares a bento of katsu curry. Maki makes a bento using currywurst sausages. From Yui in Shizuoka Prefecture, bentos featuring sakura shrimp.
Today: bentos made with pantry staples. Marc prepares a soy meat shogayaki. Maki uses cans of tuna and corn to make a Japanese-style pasta. From South Korea, a market's unique bento cafe.
Today: colorful bentos. Marc prepares a colorful soboro bento. Maki makes a sandwich bento with lots of veggies. From Daigo in Ibaraki Prefecture, a bento featuring a local variety of chicken, Okukuji shamo.
Today: a beginner-friendly shiozake bento. Marc shares tips and guidance on how to prepare shiozake, or salt-cured salmon. From Hong Kong, a bento featuring a local favorite: XO sauce.
Today: a beginner-friendly chicken kara-age bento. Marc shares tips and guidance on how to make chicken kara-age, a type of fried chicken. From Niigata Prefecture, a bento featuring a variety of fresh seafood.
Today: bentos perfect for autumn picnics. Marc prepares onigiri shaped like acorns. Maki makes sandwiches with acorn decorations. From Yoshino in Nara Prefecture, a bento of sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves.
Marc makes a fragrant autumn rice bento with lots of mushrooms. Maki rolls up a cute and colourful sushi bento. From Omori in Tokyo, a bento featuring nori, or sheets of dried seaweed.
Today: a special episode focusing on Saitama Prefecture. We meet local bento makers from Indonesia and the US. Marc and Maki make dishes with Saitama specialties: sweet potatoes and miso-glazed pork.
Today, rice takes a starring role. Marc cooks rice and salmon in a single pot. Maki makes a rice burger with barbecued beef. From Kyoto Prefecture, an autumn bento featuring matsutake mushrooms.
Today: tasty soup bentos with chef Ariga Kaoru. Together, our chefs whip up a variety of soup bentos featuring miso. We learn how to make a hearty pork miso soup, a miso ramen soup, and more.
Today, Marc and Maki team up to make a tiered bento to celebrate the new year. It's full of auspicious dishes! From Melbourne, a sandwich bento made with love.
Today: bentos to support students studying for entrance exams. Maki makes a lucky chicken katsu bento. Marc makes a salmon pita that can be eaten with one hand. From Kitakyushu, a chicken rice bento.
Today: a special episode focusing on Chiba Prefecture, located near Tokyo. We meet local bento makers from Pakistan, Vietnam and Italy. Maki and Marc make bentos using peanuts, a Chiba specialty.
Today: bentos that can be made in just ten minutes. Maki makes a quick and easy Hamburg bento. Marc makes a fluffy and creamy omelet over ketchup rice. From Taiwan, delicious vegetarian bentos.
Today: a look at some popular bentos posted to our website. Maki and Marc make gorgeous spring-themed bentos. From Shizuoka Prefecture's Izu Peninsula, a bento that features the best of both land and sea.
Today: health-conscious bentos with Marc and special guest Takahashi Yoshiro, a chef and athlete. Together, they make two protein-rich chicken bentos. From Hyogo Prefecture, bentos featuring Tajima beef.
Today: health-conscious bentos with Marc and special guest Takahashi Yoshiro, a chef and athlete. Together, they make two flavourful pork bentos. From Thailand, a home-made bento for a boat captain.
Today: a special episode focusing on Iwate Prefecture in northeastern Japan. We meet local Uyghur and Vietnamese bento makers. Maki and Marc make noodle-based bentos inspired by Iwate.
Today: bentos with Marc and special guest Watanabe Akiko, a popular bento maker. They each use ketchup in their fun and easy recipes. From Shodoshima, a warigo bento for watching farmer's kabuki.
Today: colorful and tasty bentos with Marc and special guest Nozaki Hiromitsu, a legendary chef of Japanese cuisine. From the Yatsugatake Mountains, a bento with fresh highland vegetables.
Today: bentos with Marc and special guest Nozaki Hiromitsu, a legendary chef of Japanese cuisine. Their bentos feature beef shigure-ni. From Kagoshima Prefecture, a sweet potato tempura bento.
Today: a special episode focusing on scenic Wakayama Prefecture. We meet local bento makers from Malaysia, Poland and Indonesia. Maki and Marc make bentos using umeboshi, a Wakayama specialty.
Today: a look at some popular bentos posted to our website. Maki and Marc make savory bentos perfect for an autumn picnic. From Bali in Indonesia, a tasty and protein-rich tempeh bento.
Today: part one of a special two-part series focusing on timeless Kyoto. Marc visits cooking expert Sugimoto Setsuko. Together, the pair make bentos featuring Kyoto specialty shiro miso.
Today: part two of a special two-part series focusing on timeless Kyoto. Marc visits cooking expert Sugimoto Setsuko. Together, the pair make bentos featuring koyadofu, a dried tofu.
With the pandemic making it difficult to dine out, making bentos has become a global trend. New York-based chef David Bouley is aiming to revolutionize the US diet with health-conscious bentos made with nutritious ingredients. He's developing innovative bentos that combine French cooking techniques with traditional Japanese ingredients. At their core is the concept of transforming high-quality gourmet into a compact experience. The goal: to breathe new life into the struggling restaurant industry. BENTO EXPO host Marc Matsumoto links up remotely with Bouley to discuss his bento challenge.