I’ve always loved a good lunchbox. As a kid, the school year started with the excitement of choosing one. Some of my greatest hits included: HR Puffinstuff, Planet of the Apes, Charlie’s Angels, and CHiPs. I carried my tin tote with pride; because of it I anticipated lunchtime, delighting in opening its hinges to uncover the gifts that my mother packed inside. It was like a daily birthday party—who knew what bonuses came along with the usual baloney or PB& J? Maybe a fun size Snicker? Or a TastyKake? Which colorful flavor of Hi-C awaited in the matching thermos? All that was missing were some candles and a song.     

Junior High was a letdown, however, as I reluctantly moved on to the brown bag, lest I be labeled a “baby” for the rest of my school existence. But as a teen, I was able to embrace lunchboxes again: my girlfriends and I decided that they made kitschy accessories to our New Wave style as purses. It was the 80s, after all. But as time went by, and my big hair settled more smoothly on my head, I thought I had seen my last lunchbox for good.    

Not so. Upon moving to Tokyo a couple of years ago, I immediately took to the concept of the “bento box;” a Japanese lunchbox of sorts for people of all ages. It is, basically, a partitioned square container, whether plastic, cardboard, lacquer or wood; perhaps multi-tiered; always filled with varied treats. Some come complete with chopsticks and adorable little carrying cases. Some are fashioned into cutesy shapes like panda bears or Hello Kitty. Metal bentos, preferred by salarymen, resemble high-tech laptops. (Check out this link for just a small sampling of the different styles: http://www.jbox.com/TOPPROD/BN ).

And like so many things Japanese, there’s a community of fanatics who specialize in bento-worship. The culture is so banoodles about bento, that chefs compete in contests for the arrangement of the food within. Bento boxes are also prevalent in restaurants, a handy lunchtime tradition, which has carried over to some NY restaurants as well.  No matter where you experience bento, the elements inside usually include vegetables (pickled or cooked); salad; protein (fish, meat or tofu); and some sashimi or sushi.    

So, it was no surprise to find that Inakaya, an authentic, Tokyo-based restaurant at the foot of the new New York Times tower, served the convenient kits for lunch. And while I found Inakaya to be an entertaining destination at night, (see my write-up for Paper here: http://www.papermag.com/blogs/2009/03/restaurant_of_the_week_inakaya.php), I had to go back for bento.     

I was glad I did, because it seemed almost like a different restaurant during the day. At night, the spot clamors with the shouts of the staff, serving up robotayaki specials, and drinks, to patrons on long, wooden planks (like those used to load a pizza oven). Things are a little more sedate around the pentagonal dining bar during the day. The sun streaming in through the windowed façade illuminates the walnut columns and wood accents, making the room feel a bit warmer and relaxed, while displays of fish, oysters and fresh vegetables glint more pleasingly in the light. Details like the sake barrel at the entrance stand out more. And the pace is a tick less rushed, even though most of the suits inside will eventually return to an office somewhere in the vicinity, if not upstairs.     

The menu is leaner during the day, streamlined to just sushi plates, salad, or three choices of bento. Option A includes a salad, kakuni (boiled pork), pickled burdock and carrot, baked potato, agedashi (deep fried tofu in bonito broth) and sashimi of the day ($18). Option B is filled with a sashimi salad, boiled pork, grilled vegetables, baked potato, and grilled fish of the day ($25); Option C features a salad, baked potato, grilled eel, sashimi, and broiled short rib ($32). They all arrive in gorgeous, coffee-table-book-sized black-and-red lacquer shiny boxes. Remove the lid—and happy freakin’ birthday!!    

I sampled from boxes B and C. The sashimi salad in B was a pert salmon dressed in soothing soy-vinegar and sesame oil. The grilled veggies were comprised of okra and mushroom, simply sprinkled with sea salt. Potato in both boxes were small, quail-egg-sized mountain yam. The kakuni, a soft, shreddy pork, tasted more slow-roasted than boiled, arriving on a small dab of mashed potatoes and topped with string beans. A buttery mahi-mahi headlined as the grilled fish of the day; and a slightly spicy kick dominated the short ribs of C, the soy marinade rising through the heat. All boxes also came with rice and miso soup. It amounted to a generously satisfying, and varied, lunch; one I’d be happy to repeat. 

I still recommend a visit at night, too, for the festive atmosphere and delicacies like the fat, juicy kinki fish ($65); golden brown slivers of sweet sting ray fin ($9); a small box of double-steamed rice with gingko nuts and fresh bamboo shoots ($15) and robotayaki favorites like chicken thighs ($10) and king crab legs ($27). But the bento is the way to go for lunch—it’s fast, efficient and delicious. You’ll get back to work—or to the matinee—with plenty of time to spare. My only question: how now to incorporate the bento into my own daily life? Maybe I had the right idea in the 80s after all. A black and red lacquer briefcase might look sweet.

Inakaya is located at 231 W. 40th St., 212-354-2195, www.inakayany.com

—Kathleen Squires 

Andrea Strong