Bentoss - Torrance

It must be hard to eat well on an island. Hawaii and St. Thomas weren't exactly cheap, and Costa Rica's casada had me pretty damn cansada after two long weeks.

Enter Bentoss, the Torrance iteration of a Japanese staple. The food never gets boring on that island thanks to sushi, sashimi, tempura, teriyaki, mochi, kaiseki...and the bento box, a compartment-ed tray where the assortment of entrees and samplings of sides are endless.

With so many combinations and infinite permutations, this is a lunchtime luxury for the indecisive. Want tempura but can't eat a whole bowl of it? No problem. Just a couple pieces of shrimp will do. Want juicy slices of barbecue beef AND a salty slab of salmon steak for a midday surf n' turf? Korean BBQ Bento for you.

Want to try everything and decide on nothing? Wafu Makunouchi it is. But good luck deciding what to eat first. Choose between a fried chunk of greasy-in-the-best-way-possible chicken, a cold, stew-like combo of rice noodles and potatoes in a meaty broth, a crisp shrimp or kabocha tempura that somehow never gets soggy, or yet another slice of salmon. Intersperse each bite with a couple of pickled pieces, and finish with a dab of potato salad and a cube of tamago for dessert.

Everything goes well with rice and everything tastes good together. The boxes are well-balanced, with just enough of anything and more than enough of everything to send one person into a midday food coma/coffee nap. Indecision never tasted so good!