Bento Factory assembles flavorful meal

Published 12:43 pm Thursday, December 4, 2008

EVERETT — As a general rule, I avoid restaurants that refer to themselves as a factory. I picture eating at a certain veteran chain restaurant as something close to sitting at a conveyor belt as various entrees roll by: bread sticks, Caesar salad, plate of spaghetti, bowl of spumoni ice cream, breath mint, check, toothpick. Meanwhile, Looney Tunes assembly line music plays in the background.

If there is an assembly line in the kitchen of Maneki Neko Bento Factory in downtown Everett, at least they’re using quality ingredients. Open since earlier this year, Bento Factory offers a packed menu of teriyaki, sushi and rolls, stir-fried wok dishes and a couple of Korean dishes.

For a quick lunch, it’s simple to pick from one of four bento meals. Unless you’re doing take-out, the meals are served bento-box style in trays made to look like lacquerware.

During a recent visit, my wife and I shared a B2 — there’s that factory touch again — an order of unagi roll and two bowls of miso soup. While none of it was something you can’t find at numerous teriyaki restaurants in the county, it was well assembled (sorry), plentiful and reasonably priced.

The miso soup ($1.75) was what it should be: a savory broth of fermented soy bean paste with some chopped scallions and nori to accent it. If you want to understand umami, what the Japanese call the fifth basic taste, have a bowl of miso soup.

The B2 bento box was stocked with two tempura prawns, served with a sweet and sour and mustard sauce; two gyoza; a fried spring roll; rice and a spring mix salad with a really good ginger garlic dressing. Where some teriyaki places would settle for iceberg lettuce, Bento Factory aims a bit higher with the spring mix, a little thing, but it’s enough to leave an impression.

The B2, like the B1, for a main entree offers chicken teriyaki ($7.25) or a choice among beef, pork or chicken katsu; sweet and sour chicken; orange chicken or General Tso’s chicken ($8.25). We picked the chicken katsu, a breaded and fried chicken cutlet served with some plum sauce. It wasn’t anything exciting, but it was at least a switch from teriyaki. And kids used to chicken nuggets will find chicken katsu familiar enough.

The unagi roll ($4.75 for eight pieces) was more interesting: avocado, cucumber and eel in a rice roll, served with plenty of pickled ginger and a generous heap of wasabi. Those who enjoy ginger and wasabi with their sushi rolls often are left with one of two extremes: either too little or all you wish, except that you have to take your chances with public — and therefore questionable — pots of ginger and wasabi. Bento Factory spared us with enough ginger and wasabi on the side to complement the eel roll.

Bento Factory offers about 17 sushi rolls, including the ubiquitous California roll ($4.25), a salmon roll ($4.75), a spicy tuna roll ($4.75) or its Red Dragon Roll ($7.75) with tuna and salmon sashimi served on a California roll.

Bento Factory’s sashimi choices include salmon, tuna, unagi and shrimp, all for $3 for two pieces, $5.75 for four pieces and $7.50 for six pieces.

Diners also can choose from a list of teriyaki, traditional wok dishes, yakisoba, chow mein, fried rice, tempura and udon noodle soup.

I also tried one of Bento Factory’s Korean dishes. Bi-Bim-Bab is as fun to eat as it is to say. The beef version ($8.95) features shredded beef, carrots, cucumber, bean sprouts and mushrooms topped with a sunnyside-up egg and served on a bed of rice with sides of chili paste and sesame oil. Mix it up and make a sauce of the chili paste, oil and yolk. Since you control the chopsticks, it’s up to you how hot to make the sauce. I like it hot enough to raise a little perspiration on my brow.

Vegetarians have plenty to choose from, as many of the dishes can be made with tofu or vegetables only. Brown rice also is available for 50 cents more.

Alcohol is limited to beer and wine: bottles of Bud, Bud Light, Redhook ESB, Heineken and Sapporo; cabernet, merlot, chardonnay and pinot grigo by the glass.

Bento Factory offers takeout or free delivery with five or more orders, but the restaurant has a pleasant dinning room with comfortable seating.

And despite the name, you don’t have to punch a time card before sitting down to eat.

Herald restaurant reviewers accept no invitations to review, but readers’ suggestions are always welcome. Reviewers arrive unannounced, and The Herald pays their tabs.