One of our favorite restaurants, Thai Luang, is a perfect place for a pick-me-up meal of ambrosial Thai flavors. This bento features a must-have dish from the Thai Luang menu: Duck with Chilis and Sweet Basil--tender yet lightly crispy duck in a richly fragrant green and red chilis and basil sauce. A side order of spicy coconut curry sauce gilds the lily (a portion is in the pink flower container)!
A juicy heart-shaped baby tomato, yellow pepper filled with papaya salad, plenty of fresh cilantro, kiwis and papayas fill the rest of the bento.
I ordered some shiso seeds today and have my eye on some incredible purple and blue Japanese morning glory seeds. Anyone else dreaming of what they'd love to have in the garden this spring-summer? 
I am definitely dreaming of spring/summer time when we can plant some delicious vegetables! Lunch looks tasty!
ReplyDeleteThis bento contains what I would call "an embarrassment of riches". You know? So many lovely and beautiful foods in here it's almost not fair!
ReplyDeleteLove, love, love your exotic and delicious looking bento!
And yes, I am dreaming of the growing season... while the wind splatters rain against my window panes.. although I am enjoying my tiny sweet violets (I have purple and pink) right now in bloom! Yay!
I think my eyes are on beauty overload!! The purple flower really makes the greens and pale oranges punch.
ReplyDeleteHow in the world did you cut your papaya like that? Do I really see three layers of flower in that one piece?
You HAVE to bring out a bento Artbook. It would defenitely be very famous and popular, cause it's different from all the cute charab-bento-books. Your Bentos are art dear! <3
ReplyDeleteSpring in your bento! Everything is so delicious and your great touch and sytle can't be compared to anyone :)
ReplyDeleteHi Jenn!
ReplyDeleteIt will be fun to see the bounty of your home-grown veggies in bentos!
Thank you Sheri dear for such a special compliment! I feel the same way when I look at your scrumptious and full-of-life bentos! Ah, tiny sweet violets sound like an early spring dream to me...
ReplyDeleteHi Simone :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! The papaya were cut with flower-shaped cutters found on Ebay--here's a set currently for sale:
http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Steel-Flower-shaped-Vegetable-Cutter-Molds-Bento_W0QQitemZ310197263325QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4839329bdd
Now the search is on for yet more fun and interesting cutter shapes--ah, bento addiction!
Oh wow, Token, that's so kind of you! I love how we are each developing our bento styles and visions and getting so much inspiration and support from one another. What a great use of the Internet!
ReplyDeleteHi Lia!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love all the flowers appearing in bentos this week? It's really cheering and inspiring as winter holds on here for a little while longer. (And as you know, I find your bento style exquisite!)
the kiwi flowers are so pretty! :)
ReplyDeleteWe are really looking forward to doing a little gardening when the weather improves. I hope we have a little success with it. I'm not exactly holding my breath. LOL :)
Thanks, Melissa! Gardening is trail abd error,to be sure, with the occasional joyous success...what has grown well for you?
ReplyDeleteSo, now I'm introduced to "Thai" bento hehehehe. Sounds so yummy, and your beautiful bento is multicolor as always :D
ReplyDeleteOh spring flower bento!! I love the wooden flower-shaped bento box, and of course love its contents as well. I'm curious about the taste of your Thai Duck.
ReplyDeleteWell...I'd love have a pot or seeds of big blue morning glories like you. Coz I love it so much:D
Haha Tata--yep, Thai bento! Hard to get more sheerly delicious than authentic Thai food! Thanks for your visit, dear!
ReplyDeleteHi Izumi!
ReplyDeleteSo lovely to have you visit and comment! The duck was so flavorful, with garlic, whole chilis, and I think Thai red curry mixed in to the marinade. Just really big and lush flavors! It's amazing how many incredible flowers come from Japan--iris, tree peony, morning glory and more. Do you grow some where you live?
I'm late to the "party" but please don't let that detract from my compliments to your spring inspired bento.
ReplyDeleteI also look forward to a garden of bento friendly greens...and reds, and yellows... :)
Gosh - you know it! I'm planning many oriental greens to my garden this year. And if they grow, they will become bento. Yours is so pretty.
ReplyDelete(I still don't have the guts to debut my box of same.) (Shh - courage will come with spring, maybe...)
Hi Debra,
ReplyDeleteAlways nice to have you visit! Go spring!! Can't wait to see your garden bentos...
Oh Judy, that sounds excellent. So many beautiful varieties of Asian greens--yay! Looking forward to seeing them and your other home-grown lovlies in the round flower bento box! Spring's the perfect time to debut it ;)
ReplyDeleteI grow some herbs and mini roses. And I've had some morning glories before. They die in winter though.
ReplyDeleteI have little gardening space but I love flowers so much like you do ;D
Hi Izumi,
ReplyDeleteThose sound pretty! Yes indeed, we share a love of flowers that is a certainty!