If I'm comparing to LA style and LA palates, this may be a 3-star. However, LA is competitive so it isn't fair and mainly rating it accordingly to the area and palates of a much less asian community. So if comparing on Oregon alone, giving it a 4. In general alone without comparisons: - chicken teriyaki flavors and sauce was perfect and not overwhelming BUT it was very charred. Loads of scattered chars on chicken which spread throughout rice made it difficult to eat without having the thought of eating a bowl of high cancer risk. (See pic. All the black areas, sauce and rice had specks scattered like pepper all over but is char). Unless you love a great char bbq flavor, then this is for you. Again, had it not been so overly charred, I actually really liked this. - the gyudon bowl was good. No char here. Descent portion and meat to rice ratios (same as the chicken). One thing i like is they used lean beef instead of the traditional fatty beef belly short plate type slices. Easier for me so I don't have to pick out the fat strips. Flavor is not bad but this compared to chicken teriyaki sauce is much stronger. More saltier and sweet than what im used to. I actually prefer the juices from yoshinoya instead which seems more brothy. In addition, unsure if its my taste buds but if i taste it correctly, it was missing dashi base. Although i also feel its catering to local taste buds and preferences which I could completely understand: so if you prefer more flavors (salty and sweet) and less or no dashi flavors then this is for you. - We also got spam musubi (this is quite generic and cant really go wrong). So this is definitely a safe one to get. Service: there were a skeleton crew of 3. They were all super nice and sweet. I can tell they take a lot of pride and care in making your food. They made our chicken to order, as I saw one lady literally just cutting strips of chicken to cook. So I will also add that it took awhile to get our food. So if you are coming hungry, expect a wait and be patient as they are a small crew especially during busy rush hrs. Or call in your order ahead of time. Ambience: like many Japanese establishments, they are usually small. Just a long table along each side of a long hallway. However, there are sooo many nice parks and malls around that we took it to go and did a small picnic nearby. It was amazing. Cost: definitely much more costly than LA. Oregon doesn't have sales tax but exchanged with the spiked price tags (more tourists vibe prices). read more

See all

Small but mighty Japanese style chow. I had a delightful tofu and veggie bowl with brown rice. Hit the spot. Plenty of parking, intimate interior so likely a to go place read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Tofu and veggie bowl - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

THE WAIT Quite long at about 1:05pm on Friday 7/5. It is definitely a family-owned restaurant, with one guy at the grill, one woman taking orders. There were 2 large groups ahead of us ordering. It took about 40 minutes for our 3 entrees and 1 spam musubi to come out. THE FOOD The sides (cucumber salad, macaroni salad) were ok, a little lackluster. * Chicken Teriyaki Bento - 4 stars. Pretty moist chicken. * Chicken Katsu Bento - 3.5 stars. Lovely breading, but chicken quite dry. * Spam Musubi - 4 stars. Lovely spam and sauce, but the seaweed was a little stale and not easy to bite through. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Chicken Teriyaki Bento - 4 stars. Pretty moist chicken. Fri takeout lunch 2024-07-05 - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

Food was not cooked the way I wanted it was salmon and I wanted it seared and raw in the middle but it was well done. Also it was very pricey service was good. I don't think I will ever go back. read more

Update: Nothing has changed. Still a great lunch option. Upgrading to five stars. Bend-O Bento is a takeout restaurant, which is what traditional bento is about. There are some seats tucked in the back but they're not very welcoming and seem to be used primarily for folks waiting on their order. Open during the week and only for lunch. - Teriyaki Beef Bento, with macaroni, glass noodles and brown/forbidden rice: Everything was tasty. Unlike with a lot of local restaurants, the teriyaki sauce is not cloyingly sweet. Good cuts of beef, well prepared. - Chicken Curry Special: breaded, sliced chicken on a bed of rice, separate tub of chicken curry. Lot of food, particularly if you eat all the rice. The curry is tasty, not too spicy, with a nice amount of chunky veggies, like a curry stew. I found the breaded chicken cutlet to be tasty but a little tough. - Chicken Katsu Bento with glass noodles and cucumber: Well-prepared chicken, pickled cucumbers are divine and glass noodles complement the whole bento. Lot of food. There are numerous standard menu items but also be sure to check out the white board with today's specials. Super friendly folks running this joint. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Chicken Katsu Bento with noodles and cucumbers. - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

Service: the service was average. We were the first customers that were in the shop and the service was fast for us. It got busy with a packed front part of the shop with multiple people. Food: I ordered the wild salmon bento. It was a little on the fishy side. That is my only comment. The macaroni salad and the cucumber salad was good. The chicken Katsu was pretty good in my opinion. I do miss my bentos I would get when I ride the Shinkansen. Ambiance: small, cute, clean shop. I liked it. I feel there are limited ingredients in Central Oregon. This is pretty good for what we get in Central Oregon. I am happy that there is a small Japanese community in Bend. I can't wait to join it! read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Chicken Katsu Bento - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

Great stop, lunch, friendly happy people... is what it is. YELP SHORT ANSWER: Recommended, and so nice to see this business doing well, please visit or best to call order in. Location: Not the best but it works, more of a locals stop. Interior: Small, very small but counters and a few chairs. Menu: Great, not large but this is a small space so we were impressed. Food Prep: Very nice, lots of care taken for presentation... it was perfect, domo. Food: Awesome, Bento Teriyaki Chicken and Curry Chicken Cutlet meals were sport on. Value: It is a bit expensive but I get it... guessing to stay open prices have to change a little. $16 for a Bento Box, it was worth it for us. We will be back when we are on the that side of town. read more

See all

Excellent Japanese home style cooking. Delicious food that is healthy. Great ambience with warm and inviting servers and owners.

Best authentic Japanese restaurant! They are casual, fast, and homie style. They offer variety of items to choose from. They also have a long list of today special items. We enjoy our meal with hot green tea. Bento is a must try. We can pick the meat and 2 sides. The bento is huge and we had leftovers for the next day. The chicken cutlet is extra crunchy and the meat is still juicy soft. So good!! They gave us the whole bottle of katsu sauce. Love this!! I can have my favorite sauce as much as I want. The cucumber salad has a great taste and still maintains its crunchy. We also got chicken curry with panko fried shrimp (special item of that day). The curry is very tasty and I could taste the heat from pepper. I never have this lovely curry like this before. Shrimps are fresh and crunchy outside. Rice is perfectly cooked. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Chicken curry with panko fried shrimps - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

See all

Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! Sugoi! It's delicious and so pretty.

Yukon and her team make amazing and authentic food. It's always so much fun stopping by and seeing the hustle in the kitchen. It also great watching Yuki pass on her culture and language to the young students she employs. read more

Legit authentic Japanese food. Owners are always there chef'in in the kitchen and the sweetest people. Food never disappoints plus tons of fun rotating specials. A must visit in bend for sure! read more

See all

A local friend suggested this place. She said it was Japanese owned and they had good bento boxes. I ordered the Pork Katsu Bento with the power rice, the thread noodles and cucumber for sides, and a miso soup. Everything was delicious. They also have onigiri but they could take up to an hour to make so I'll have to try those next time I'm in town. The staff was extremely welcoming. Great little place and will be back for sure. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Pork Katsu Bento with the thread noodles and cucumber for sides and a miso soup - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Food was too expensive for what you received. Walls were filthy where people sit as well as the bathroom door. I'd imagine their kitchen is the same. People working there seemed nice enough, serving sizes have caught up with inflation. read more

I lived in seattle and Tacoma and ate teriyaki regularly for a solid decade of my life. This place is better than anywhere I've ever eaten. Chicken is perfect. Side dishes are next level. A bit spendy for teriyaki, but worth the price. read more

Friendly staff especially Yuki and delicious authentic Japanese flavors! The bento box is a perfect combo of choice proteins along with two scrumptious sides. Love the extra forbidden healthy rice too! read more

Authentic Japanese food from Japanese people! I'm from Seattle and it's better than anything I've had there. Staff was very kind and friendly. Would go again! read more

Amazingly authentic flavors - served hot with great gratitude - the curry and the katsu sandwich is a must ! We will be back - often!

Authentic Japanese food in town! It reminds me of the delicious lunch spots from Japanese market food courts! I love their Katsu combo with macaroni salad and sunomono. read more

Delicious authentic bento box. It is so hard to find authentic Japanese cuisine that hasn't been Americanized. The food was flavorful and the perfect portion. Has both meat and non meat options. I loved the pickled daikon on the side Do not sleep on this restaurant, it is truly a gem! read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Tofu Steak Bento - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

My partner had never had a bento box so it was a real treat for him. Service was exceptional and friendly. read more

Love Suki! She's a hard worker and very pleasant. If you like Japanese food make sure to go by there.

Newly opened in the light industrial area on the SE side of town, Bend-O Bento offers bento boxes and rice bowls in a to go format. There are only about six seats inside, three at a low counter and three more at a high counter, so best to plan on take out. FOOD: Bento boxes include tofu burger or salmon or katsu or teriyaki chicken served with pickled daikon, steamed rice, bean thread noodle salad and miso soup (with tofu cubes and wakame) for $8.50 Katsu sandwich $5.00. Kids' Bento for $5.00 Three kinds of rice bowls, one vegetarian, around $6.00 All of the ingredients are top quality (as example, pork for katsu is from local Pono Farms) and the food flavors are delicious. Next time I'm going to see if the pickled daikon and bean thread noodle salad come as separate to go sides - both are SO good that I could make a meal out of them on their own. HOURS: Only open Monday - Friday until 3p, so swinging by for dinner take out or weekend meal not possible for now. DRAWBACK: That limited indoor seating as mentioned above. A couple of picnic tables on grass in front of the building will provide more seating in warmer weather. But in snow flurries today, not a great option. ACCESSIBILITY: One spot of accessible parking in the lot. Level in. Three of six counter seats are chair height. Outside picnic tables require stepping up over curb and are on deep grass so not accessible. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Always good food at a reasonable price. The owner is a delightful woman and great chef. My favorite is Spam Musubi. read more

We came here for lunch. We ordered right away. My Mom and I split their bibimbap. My Brother got their teriyaki beef bowl. My Dad got their shrimp curry. My Brother and I got a bottle of Dr. Pepper to drink. My parents just got some cups for water. At first all the seats inside were taken. There aren't that many seats inside maybe only about eight seats total. So we sat outside at the picnic tables. It was nice outside, but the tables had a spider under it that wouldn't leave. So when people started leaving inside we went inside at their counter to eat. They were just about to bring us our food when we moved inside so they gave is our food at the counter. We got all our food at the same time. I asked for an extra bowl since my Mom and I were splitting. She got it right away. I first tried the bibimbap. The portions here are actually kinda petite. I could of eaten a whole portion of their food here. The bibimbap was really good. Very flavorful. I loved the miso in it. The kimchi brought some spice and the veggies gave it some crunch. Their rice was great, a little sticky and cooked perfectly. My Mom also got a side of their power rice because she wanted to try it. I don't like brown rice, but I tried some and it wasn't that bad. I liked the edamame in it. My Mom took the egg and mixed it with the power rice since I don't like egg. I also had some of my Dad's shrimp curry. I got a piece of shrimp, some rice and curry in my bowl. It was amazing. The curry was delicious and the shrimp was clean and had a crunchy panko coating. My Dad got the best dish if them all. My Brother devoured his teriyaki beef bowl so I'm sure he liked it. This place was great and the two women running it were super sweet. My Dad told them that their curry was excellent and they thanked him. This place was a great find and perfect for lunch. read more

See all

So good! Everything was amazing. Im ruined for all other bento. This quality food is made with love!

Such a great spot! We love Bend-O Bento, always so good and the most authentic Japanese food you can get in Bend. The owners are so nice too. Their hours are limited and it is a very small space, so it seems like they do a lot of take-out orders, but everything is worth it when you can get there. We have had several of the menu items and have never been disappointed or left hungry. Prices are reasonable. On our most recent visit we had two of the "specials", chicken curry and the Bento Box Special. It was a nice day so we took the opportunity to sit outside at one of the picnic tables available. Perfect lunch! read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Amazing food and the owner is so sweet. Love this place for a lunch spot with the family.

I love everything about Bend-O Bento! What really stood out to me is the amount of care put into each customer's dish. I went away feeling like I had 2 kind people, who cared about me, prepare food just for me in a very thoughtful way. I can't remember the last time I've felt this way after such a brief encounter! And I didn't realize how big of a difference this would make in a restaurant setting. On top of being a unique concept (in this country), the food is truly excellent. I ordered the chicken teriyaki and chicken cutlet (aka katsu) deluxe bento box with bean thread noodle salad and cucumbers. My husband ordered the teriyaki tofu with cucumber and macaroni salad. In my deluxe box, there was a huge amount of rice and meat, and the sides (along with a serving of miso soup) were a perfect balance. My husband's tofu was eaten too quickly for me to judge the quantity, so I can't comment on that. Everything appeared to be made from scratch, which did take some time (I'd recommend calling ahead if you're in a hurry), but I felt like this was a big part of the experience. I'd highly recommend both the food and service at Bend-O Bento; it really made my day. :) read more

See all

Call from outside ordering was quick and I got my food within 10 minutes or so. I enjoyed my meal (teriyaki chicken bento box) but I wasn't blown away either. I will go back and try something else on the menu next time. Decent, but hoping there's more that I just missed from not ordering a lot. 4 stars because I'm really still not sure how I feel but it wasn't a bad experience at all. read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Teriyaki chicken lunch bento box with noodles and macaroni salad. - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon

Fast, easy, and all around delightful! The customer service was the best I've had in a while. Very authentic and delicious. I didn't even know Bend-O-Bento existed, found this little spot while taking a detour due to the Wilson road construction. I'm so glad I did! Will be back :) read more

Never open, even during m-f lunch time. I've tried going there 4 times and have never found it open when their phone message indicated that they were. If their food is good I wouldn't know. read more

Bend-O Bento is a treat to myself when I take time off work or I'm not feeling well on a weekday since they're only open on weekdays. The ladies that work there are the sweetest, and the food has never disappointed, from their musubis, teriyaki, and their Mac salad...their Mac salad puts so many other Mac salads to shame! During COVID-19 restrictions, they will accept phone orders, and once you're in front of the restaurant, you must call them again to let them know the name of the order and they'll bring it to you and accept payment then. Such a great hidden gem operated by awesome people! read more

Seriously great food and even better customer service. We got the beef gyudon and chicken cutlet, and spam musubi. Everything tasted sooo good and extremely authentic. The lady who brought our food out was the sweetest lady ever. I'll reccomend this place to anyone! read more

Delicious food, great service! I was visiting Bend and my brother brought me here, his favorite japanese cuisine! read more

Yuki-San and staff work tirelessly to provide delicious traditional Japanese recipes and bento. Bibimba is Yuki's take on a Korean dish and is a family favorite. Her teriyaki chicken is amazing. Her sides rotate, so follow the restaurant on Facebook for daily updates. Oishii desu!!! read more

See all

Every time I visit, the food is delicious and the staff are very friendly. Today I tried the Korean inspired bibimba. All of the vegetables were perfect. read more

Pricey but great food. Always a special treat when I'm in Bend. Food is super fresh, lovingly prepared and delicious. The Glass noodle salad and macaroni salads are both phenomenal sides. Had the shrimp bento this last time and was not wowed (chicken and sushi are definitely better) but the overall quality still has me wanting more Bendo Bento! read more

The food was tasty with a good serving size. I felt it was too expensive for what it was and the place was filthy dirt accumulated on frequently touched area in the kitchen and around the small dining area. read more

I have never been to Japan, but as far as I know this is the closest to the real deal you're going to get in Bend. The rice was absolutely perfect, the cucumber salad was delicious and although I've never had noodle salad before for a comparison, it was very good! I ordered the teriyaki chicken bento for some familiarity because I agree with another reviewer saying the menu was a bit confusing. The employees were the nicest people I've ever met in the service industry and honestly I would want to go back to support their business even if the food hadn't been good. Thankfully it was very good so now I have double the reason to enjoy the experience again! I wish the hours and location were more convenient, but it's definitely worth the trip!! read more

Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen - Chicken teriyaki bento - Japanese Near Me - Bend, Oregon