Tori-Q yakitori takeaway bento ($9.60)!

Lunch — Tori-Q yakitori takeaway bento box at $9.60. Loaded with all the favourites. 😋

What was in the box ($9.60):

• A bed of white rice scattered with shredded nori seaweed strips (kizami nori) under everything.
• Yakitori chicken thigh skewers glazed in dark soya tare sauce — proper char-grilled with that glossy lacquer finish.
• Tsukune (chicken meatballs) in the back, glazed darker and thicker.
• Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) chunks — golden batter-coated pieces in the top centre.
• Gyoza (2 pieces) — crescent-shaped pan-fried dumplings in the middle.
• Ebi fry (panko prawn) as the second fried protein.
• Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) on the left — the dark pink-purple sour plums for palate-resetting.

Tori-Q is the SG yakitori chain that does takeaway right — pre-grilled skewers + sides arranged over rice in the bento format, ready to go in 5 minutes. The bento upgrades the basic yakitori-on-skewer into a full meal by adding karaage + gyoza + ebi fry on top.

The yakitori glaze (tare) was on point — dark soya + mirin + sake + sugar boiled down to a lacquer-like consistency that coats the chicken with glossy sweetness. Chicken thigh stayed juicy under the glaze.

Tsukune (chicken meatballs) was the underrated highlight — pulled-apart minced chicken formed into balls + grilled + glazed. More tender than the chunk yakitori.

Karaage + gyoza + ebi fry on top = three different fried textures in one bento. Karaage has the thick crunchy batter, gyoza has the crispy pan-fried bottom + soft wrapper top, ebi fry has the panko shatter.

Umeboshi on the side is the Japanese palate cleanser — sour-salty pickled plum that resets the taste buds between the rich yakitori + fried items.

Total: $9.60. Premium takeaway price for the loaded bento.

Overall: 4.5 / 5. Yakitori glaze was textbook, tsukune was the tender highlight, three different fried items kept every bite interesting, umeboshi did the palate reset. Will reorder. 😍👍🏼

Original IG post