Munch goes to Oishii Bento
Munch had never been to Oishii Bento, but Munch had often driven by its cheerful orange facade. And without fail, Munch would be beset by sharp pangs of annoyance.
It’s not that Munch has a problem with Asian food or brightly colored exteriors — quite the contrary. From the outside, Oishii Bento appeared to be exactly the type of place that Munch would like to eat lunch on a fairly regular basis.
But because Munch works Downtown, rather than in Oakland, Munch doesn’t have that option. In fact, Munch doesn’t have any options for sushi in a simple, standalone restaurant that doesn’t cost $6.50 for a humble California roll (here’s looking at you, Original Fish Market) — despite the fact that Downtown Pittsburgh can seemingly support affordable Indian, Thai, Greek and Mexican restaurants with ease. And that, Munch reckons, is truly a mystery of Pittsburgh.
But enough about Downtown. Let’s talk about Oakland on a sunny Saturday, when Munch met up with Dear One of Munch for a quick lunch at the aforementioned Oishii.
DOOM, who does spend weekdays in Oakland, reports that Oishii Bento is generally quite busy during lunchtime. But at this hour on a summer day, Munch and DOOM were the lone customers.
While DOOM confidently walked up to the counter and ordered right away, Munch had to take a minute to peruse the menu, which was divided into bento (Japanese-style lunches, divided into compartments), bowls (Korean or Japanese-style meats and vegetables over rice), udon (wide noodle soups), sushi and sides.
Munch also noticed the take-out menu, which explained that “oishii” is the Japanese equivalent of “yummy.” Since “bento” means “lunchbox” in Japanese, Oishii Bento translates to The Yummy Lunchbox.
Positively charming — and did you know that yummy also translates to “masisuyo” in Korean, “sabroso” in Spanish and “hao chi” in Chinese? One take-out menu and Munch feels smarter already.
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Munch couldn’t shake the craving for sushi, and ordered the Rainbow Roll ($7.95), which seemed to include an entire aquarium: salmon, tuna, snapper, eel and yellowfish. Feeling guilty about not trying a non-sushi offering at this temple of bento, Munch also got a side of shumai, steamed shrimp dumplings, for $3.50.
DOOM had been to Oishii Bento about half a dozen times before, every time ordering (and loving) the Spicy Pork Bulgogi Bento ($6.95). Feeling adventurous, DOOM changed course ever-so-slightly and this time ordered the Galbi Bento ($7.95), beef short ribs accompanied by rice, kyoza (fried dumplings), highlighter-yellow pickled radishes and a rice noodle salad, with kimchi on the side.
Munch decided to sit upstairs and was greeted by a light-flooded room painted bright yellow and soothing green. A wide windowsill doubled as a lunch counter, with square yellow and orange bean bags serving as additional seats.
Through the large window, Munch had a perfect view of another sushi place, the Sushi Boat, just across the street. Was Munch being taunted by the Gods of lunch? Was it reverse schadenfreude, Munch wondered, to feel such pain at the thought of the sushi-eating pleasure of others?
Luckily, the Rainbow Roll was the perfect cure to lift the spirits. The roll was colorful and huge, with the different specimens of marine life draped over sizable California rolls (a standard six-piece California roll, by the way, is only $3.25). Munch was initially put off by the lack of dipping sauce for the shumai, but a packet of soy sauce actually served to be the right salty complement to the warm, sweet dumplings.
DOOM happily munched on the sides in the bento box, inhaling the cellophane noodle salad before Munch could even get a bite, and swiftly annihilating the kimchi, kyoza and radishes as well. But DOOM was slowed considerably by the beef short ribs. “They’re fatty, but good,” said DOOM, quickly rationalizing that “spare ribs are supposed to be fatty.”
By the end of the meal though, DOOM was regretting the departure from the storied pork bulgogi, and spoke of ordering it again as soon as possible.
Munch, on the other hand, was so darn content with the whole situation that DOOM practically had to drag Munch out of there. Oishii Bento was as cute on the inside as Munch had imagined and more — imagine, say, that girl from “Little Miss Sunshine” petting that baby German polar bear and you’ve pretty much got the Yummy Lunchbox down pat. Munch has vowed to return, even if it’s, sigh, on another Saturday.