Restaurant Review: Obento (お弁当)

Since moving to Bristol in May I’ve been meaning to write about my local Japanese restaurant, Obento, but I simply haven’t had time. I was lucky enough to go there for lunch today though, and that prompted me to come home and dig out the photos I took back in August so I could put together this quick review.

Obento, on Baldwin Street in Bristol, is typical of most Japanese restaurants here in the UK, in that it offers a selection of sushi, tempura, donburi (rice bowls), and noodle dishes, as well as ‘bento’ (lunchboxes). There’s something on the menu for everyone, and their bento boxes are really good value (between £10 and £12 for a massive box of food, including rice and miso soup). Be warned though – if you order the sushi it can really add up! This is, of course, typical of any Japanese restaurant – the sushi is always so good that you keep ordering more!

My favourite dish is a little unusual, and this photo doesn’t do it justice at all:

It’s tempura sushi! I was hesitant to try it at first, but it’s absolutely delicious and just melts in your mouth!

Another unique selling point of Obento is its upstairs Japanese-style tatami rooms with karaoke. You can hire the rooms for private parties and, speaking from experience, it’s really fun! When I was there with some colleagues earlier this year, I really forgot where I was and felt like I was back in Japan. The only things missing were a buzzer to get the waiter’s attention and an electronic ordering system. 😉

Obento is not actually run by all Japanese staff, which would normally make me think twice about going there, but the food is really good, the staff are lovely and it’s very well located, so I’ll keep going back! It’s my local for work lunches and dinners, but I’d happily go there on the weekend with friends too, and I’d love to have another private party there.

For more information about Obento, please visit their website.