I agree, I was a little underwhelmed with n/naka’s standard bento, but I thought this collab was a lot better, just a lot more flavorful.
3 Likes
one time slot still available
Got the n/naka x Porridge and Puffs bento tonight and experienced some highs and lows.
Kicking off with the bento–far and away the best bite is the shrimp tempura spring roll. I was so bummed there was only one of them as I dunked the second half in the numbing calamansi ponzu. Other standouts were the grill pork meatballs (great flavor coming through with the lemongrass) and the assortment of pickles.
The calamari, sweet potato and kobocha salad, and grilled kanpachi, were solid, but sat comfortably in that middle tier. They were well executed and did their jobs well, but didn’t wow me. The beef spaetzle was okay 
The abalone porridge though was a big miss as it unfortunately tasted almost burned. Maybe the smoked abalone just overpowered it, but thinking back to the version that Porridge and Puffs delivered last Friday, it couldn’t stand up. I’m not sure if others had the same experience, but I loved it before, and was very disappointed with it tonight.
Thankfully I had the tarragon gooseberry cake and loquat agar + elixir to fall back on. Both of them were outstanding–especially the cake.
All in all, it was definitely better than my previous n/naka bento, but wasn’t an all around banger like the Porridge and Puffs set meal.
11 Likes
California Ekiben
5 Likes
has anybody tried these balinese seafood boxes from former(?) n/naka gm and iki ramen owner jeffry?
i’m a bit hesitant because there was a lot of shilling from the illuminati influencers out there.
5 Likes
I have 2 separate reliable sources (who are not illiterati) who tell me this is a very tasty box.
3 Likes
Looks delish! How much is it?
I believe $22
2 Likes
n/naka california ekiben
this month’s ekiben is inspired by california’s farmers, fish mongers, and foragers. proceeds from this ekiben benefit the california community foundation’s wildfire relief fund.
some of the purveyors for this bento:
koda farms
sea stephanie fish
weiser family farms
riviera seafood club
tutti frutti
mike & sons eggs
pascal baudar
girl & dug farm
feed people duck
and now in no particular order, @PorkyBelly’s ekiben power rankings, sponsored by @rlw:
american wagyu potato “korokke”
i love anything in fried ball form
rabbit tobacco-smoked branzino
santa barbara uni chawanmushi
udon “vongole” soup
abalone “dynamite”
dungeness crab california roll
sonoma county peking duck with fig miso
braised kabocha
riviera seafood kanpachi sashimi
tamagoyaki
cucumber cup with ikura sansho daikon
farmer’s market seasonal vegetables with koda farms toasted miso and garbanzo puree
kabocha purin brulee
pomegranate jelly
apple yuzu pie
mandatory second bang per n/naka protocol.
20 Likes
Didn’t know I needed abalone dynamite in my life until now.
1 Like
Eventually you’ll need to power rank all the different n/naka bentos against each other. And then do another for Providence 
2 Likes
Did the California Ekiben in its final weekend and thought it was solid all around.
Udon “Vongole” Soup
This was great–the noodles were perfectly cooked and the broth was fantastic.
Warm Box
Braised Kabocha
Santa Barbara Uni Chawanmushi
Rabbit Tobacco-Smoked Vermillion Rockfish
Japanese Roast Duck with Fig Miso
Cucumber Cup with Ikura Sansho Daikon
California and Japanese Rice
Abalone “Dynamite”
American Wagyu Potato “Korokke”
Spinach with Yuzu Dashi
Favorites here were the rockfish, abalone “dynamite”, and cucumber cup because I’m a sucker for Ikura.
Cold Box
Tamagoyaki
Riviera Seafood Kanpachi Sashimi
Spicy Buttermilk “Ranch” Sauce
Farmers Market Seasonal Vegetables with Koda Farms Toasted Miso and Garbanzo Puree
Dungeness Crab California Roll
There’s something about these sauces that n/naka absolutely nails–I could just drink their “ranch” straight. The other standout here was the California roll.
Dessert Box
Kabocha Purin Brulee
Apple Yuzu Pie
Pomegranate Jelly
The apple yuzu pie didn’t look like much, but was quite tasty. I would have liked more of the purin, there just wasn’t much there.
13 Likes
n/naka x susan yoon x la morra
really enjoyed this collab, highlights were
- cured pork belly
- fried lobster stuffed shishito
- black cod
- kabocha soup with mochi (are mochi balls in soup a thing? if not, it needs to be right away)
- kimchi
- scallop crudo
- smoked hamachi kimbap
- satsuma imo almond cake
mixed grain rice, black eyed peas
cured pork belly, cherry tomato calabrian chile
fried lobster stuffed shishito
miso gochujang black cod
dashi braised baby kabu
cucumber cup, daikon, ikura
broccolini, sesame oil, garlic
baek kimchi
kabocha soup, mochi, pear mostarda, pepita
black sesame puff pastry
smoked hamachi kimbap
scallop crudo, tosazu, avocado, cucumber
silken tofu, ginger oroshi, negi, shoyu
radishes, walnut miso, black garlic
pickles
satsuma imo almond cake, date miso caramel sake kasu panna cotta, meyer lemon, pomegranate passionfruit tangerine jelly, golden kiwi
this was probably the freshest tasting frozen pizza i’ve ever had, the crust was thin and crisp and the toppings tasted like they never even touched a freezer. thanks @NYCtoLA
14 Likes
/edit
nm, I’m an idiot.
1 Like
Is that a LaMorra pizza?
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yep la morra margherita
1 Like
Jan 21-30, 2021
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Ekiben Japan Tribute
Dashi Poached Snow Crab (Tottori)
Salt Grilled Salmon (Niigata)
Braised Beef Sukiyaki (Yonezawa)
Roasted Calamari (Aomori)
Kurobuta Katsu with Hatcho Miso (Nagoya)
Ebi Chili Shrimp Saute (Yokohama)
Bara Chirashi don (Osaka)
Masu No Oshi Zushi (Toyama)
Onigiri Rice Balls (Ibaraki)
3 Likes
n/soto
6 Likes