Well Bento

I have good news and bad news.
The good news is… Well Bento has reopened!
The bad news is… they revised the menu and jacked up the prices!
I normally don’t like to post reviews until I’ve tried the food, but in this instance I just had to let everyone know that Well Bento is back! They have a new chef, and it seems they no longer serve beef or chicken. The new menu is salmon, tempeh, seitan and tofu. There’s a new pasta dish, some smoothies, and when I went in, the chef said he was making some brown rice bread that he’d like to include with the meals.
Please tell me you still make the tahini gravy?! I asked. He said yes, and now it’s made with mushrooms too.
He said they’ve been kind of slow. I told him to put the Well Bento sign back up and people will come running. Hopefully it’s as good or better than before! Someone go try it! I will soon!
I’ll post the new menu…

I wish well bento was still around :(I loved their food. Great flavor and so clean! It’s very hard to find food around here that makes me feel clean inside anymore.
I wonder if they are closed forever? As in, no other locations opening?
Only four stars though because even though they were usually friendly and their food was delish, any time I had any sort of question, they made me feel dumb for asking :(

Is it Halloween yet??? One word describes my experience.
«SPOOKY»
Boo…
hehe. kidding. the food tasted good; staff and facilities scared me!

«healthy plate lunch» — sounds weird doesnt it?
i’m used to plate lunches that make me pass out after i’m done, or make me go into cardiac arrest… but healthy?
yes — this place has great healthy plate lunches. the salmon plate, tofu, steak… everything here is pretty good.
the best part? the mac salad = they dont use any mayonnaise! i dont know what they use to make it, but it is hands down the best mac salad i’ve ever had.
and you dont feel like crap after you’re done eating.
i recently heard they’re closing (or moving? i hope thats the case). if they are closing, that is a damn shame!!!

I went into this place for the first time the day before they’re closing their doors forever! SO sad!
I ordered the Tempeh scallopini and it was VERY tasty! That tempeh really has that same texture as veal! So much healthier!
The owner is really nice. She said she’s closing this place to really focus on food nutrition and really getting out there to educate people about eating healthy. She talked for a long time and was really nice.
For the food, it was a gorgeous presentation for a styrofoam container! The brown rice was very moist and the vegetables were really good. However, I found it a little scary that the mac salad and the cole slaw were just sitting out on the counter in huge containers. The kitchen also wasn’t very clean, but all in all the food was very good! Super flavorful!
Goodbye Well Bento! At least I got to try you once!

Been here many times over the past decade. Used to be better in the beginning when they had the cigar smoking chef/​owner. Yeah, I know.
Then when he got his daughter to take over, it went downhill, stuff was burnt, portions were microscopic, and inconsistency abound.
But now, they are trying, but they don’t change their menus so people like me who went too often got tired of the same old formula.
Good for introducing people to healthier (not healthiest) eating when they are suffering from a lifestyle disease.
I usually get the zen for healthiest options but the scallopini is good too. For meat folks you can get beef and salmon.
I wonder if they still cook on separate grills and utensils as they used to advertise in the old days, for hard core vegans.
You definitely have to call your order in ahead, unless you want to wait 20+ minutes. You can always go downstairs and browse the adult video store while you wait! :P

The food here is pretty amazing. When I was still a full vegetarian this place was a life-​saver on my trips home. Pretty much anything tastes far better than you might expect (or than it may look at first glance).
But the service is ridiculous. The last time I stopped by to get food, I waited for at least 30 minutes when they were open but nobody was in sight. I could have robbed the place blind and no one would have been there to catch me. I finally left, hungry and annoyed. I haven’t been back since. This is now relegated to: worth-it-if-they’re-there-but-don’t-count-on-it.

Long gone are my days as a vegetarian listening to straight edge vegan (or who are vegan) hardcore records. Same with those nasty veggie farts I was known for, which cleared out cars and blew hats off heads back in the day. The stinkest, or well funniest part about it all that I never really tried this place till a few years ago. I used to always go to the Hare Krishna Temple in Nuuanu, the Buddhist restaurant in the Chinese Cultural Plaza and Down to Earth for my vegetarian delights. Question is: is The Well Bento delicious designer vegetarian/​vegan food? Yes!
I remember the first thing I tried here is the zen macrobiotic (shown here:
) which I think is total crap. Just an overly priced array of steamed and whatever vegetables I thought. It’s not bad tasting, just generic in my opinion. When you eat at Well Bento, you want the good stuff! My next time there and looking at the menu, the dude working the front went, «We got a nice fresshhh batch of seitan made today!»
looking bewildered I responded, «satan?»
Giving a fake laugh but correcting smile, «Seitan is wheat gluten (like a harder raw tofu, sort of) and today’s the best I’ve tasted it in a while. I highly recommend it!»
Fine. The rockabilly dude (with his non-​leather Creeper footwear) working the front and register seems to be set in this belief, so I ordered this «seitan’. l tried it Cajun style and man was it good! I think if it wasn’t for the heavily seasoned Cajun dry rub (I highly recommend it with Well Bento’s meat menu like: salmon, steak, etc) it wouldn’t of had been as good. No way. The dry rub had a nice salty, spicy, smoky and again salty appeal. Sort of like a beefed up «original» flavored Corn Nuts kick, cept with more heat and minus the powdered cheese.
Another thing that’s killer here is the tempeh scallopini (for the photo, Dev, U da man!
). MMM! Unlike the seitan, tempeh more more like a fried tofu than raw. This dish is a stir fry with olive oil, garlic and fresh mushrooms. I personally think this is the dish to try if you’ve been curious about this place. Something a health consious Tony Soprano would eat wit his crew before they «took care-​uh somebahdy», know whuht-​I-​meen?
Each plate comes with a scoop (or two) with brown rice and organic macaroni salad, which is thank gawd not too slopped up with mayo. Pricing starts at around $ 7 (zen macrobiotic) and around $ 8-​$ 9 for the seitan and tempeh scallopini.
Other things to consider is that you have to pack the plastic utensils and napkins yourself AND they have no dine-​in seating. Be like me, walk next door and grine em’ at the Burger King al fresco seating with the homeless dudes. Believe it or not, some of them are Well Bento patrons too. I know this from conversations with them.
4 stars
The Well Bento on Beretania St.

The Tempeh Scalloppini is what’s up when I need to detox from weeks of plate lunch abuse. There’s so much flavor with that magic sauce over the brown rice, I don’t even miss the meat component.
Call in your order during peak hours to save on wait time.

Very inexpensive place to grab a bite to eat if you’re looking for healthier options. I skip Down to Earth and come here instead because the food is different, unique, and delicious!

My first return to this place after a couple years (I used to go there alot when I was in school at UH). The food is still excellent. I got the Cajun Chicken Plate. It tastes great for being so healthy. The brown rice and gravy is addictive; the vegetables are grilled to perfection; the chicken is flavorful; and the coleslaw and mac salad are very good.
This place is wayyy better than L&L, and you don’t feel terrible after you eat it like you do at a normal plate lunch. However, you ARE paying a premium for a higher quality and healthier food.
I gave this place four stars, instead of five, for the following reasons.
1. Portions: While the rice and chicken portions were satisfying, they really skimped out on the coleslaw and mac salad this time (I don’t remember it being as skimpy a couple years ago). Maybe only one or two tablespoons of each. At $ 10 a plate, I expect them to give me a good heaping of their lowest cost food. Even in this economy.
2. Location: Still sucks. These guys should drop the dough and move to a place like the new Safeway on Kapahulu for more exposure, parking, and atmosphere.
3. Wait: You should order ahead because you WILL wait for awhile if you go there in person to order.

Honestly this place has the best Hamburger Steak plate ever! It doesn’t taste fatty, yet it’s lean and full of flavor. It may be on a little on the dry side but the light tasting gravy makes up for it. I love the way the plate is set up with some broccoli, potatoes, carrots, that brown stalk thing I forgot, mac salad, cole slaw? and brown rice. They are definitely true about their plate lunches which doesn’t give you that «Post Plate Lunch Syndrome.» I always get that sick feeling whenever I eat at L&Ls because of all that oil that is drenched in that hamburger steak and gravy. But after eating here, I feel full, alive, and happy without the sick feeling. The price may be expensive but I think it’s definitely worth it, I guess that’s what stops me from trying to eat there every week.
The only thing I was disappointed in was the Chicken plate that I ordered. A lot of the meat had the fat pieces in it and I did not like it at all. I could only eat about half the chicken since the rest of it was fat. I have yet to try the Salmon but it’s so expensive.

272
That’s my current cholesterol level I just discovered. The high amount is the result of bad eating habits and even worse genetics. Thanks mom and dad =(
So…I figured I’d eat something healthy for a change. I tried their Grilled Salmon ($ 10.80) and their Western BBQ Grilled Chicken ($ 9.60).
Both plates came with brown rice smothered in light gravy, a small scoop of cole slaw and mac salad.
Both dishes were delicious… the New Zealand Salmon was cooked to tender perfection and the chicken was mouth wateringly moist, but the BBQ sauce could have used a little more zest.
Also a skosh on the pricey side, but if you want organic, macrobiotic food, you have to pay a premium I guess.

I lied in my last review, saying I wouldn’t be back so often due to the high prices. I was just looking through my credit card statement and there are many charges for the Well Bento. Damn, I couldn’t stay away! Cost be damned!
I found out what tempeh is. It’s a fermented chunky soybean cake that is NOT like tofu. I did not care for it, but their prep for it, the tempeh scallopini, is delicious. The tempeh is sauteed with mushrooms and garlic in a white wine lemon sauce. Their website does a great job explaining what everything is and has lots of pictures.
I tried the chicken too and it’s good but a little fatty. I wouldn’t order it again. My favorite is the tofu with Louisiana cajun seasonings AND Western BBQ sauce.
Try to eat there when Todd, the husband co-​owner, is working because the food tastes way better, more garlicky and better seasoned. Even the fake mac salad is good when he makes it. I think you get a little more veggies too.

I’m completely impressed with this place! Heard about this «healthy plate lunch» spot for a while but finally got to try it a few months ago. Okay, one try, and yeah, 5 stars.
I’m a real carnivore, and I obligingly ordered a tofu plate, where it’s served like a grilled tofu steak. Wow, it was savory and filling, served with really good brown rice (I love well-​made rice. Really.), along with a variety of tasty veggie sides. I think worth the $ 10, big enough plate to share for a med-​sized appetite. Definitely coming back for more!
(heard not to get their steak though?)

I always crave phở for my hangover cure but I’m anti MSG this week. I’ve opted for some highly nutritious Well Bento. Totally trashing your liver is not always the wisest choice so I decided to treat my body to a little TLC. Since I moved out of town, I don’t frequent my yoga loving pals at Well Bento as much as before, But when I do, I always eat the Louisiana chicken or the Steak. I’ve never tried anything else. I don’t know what fairy dust seasonings they sprinkle on their food but they make eating healthy, enjoyable.
IMO, healthy food usually taste bland and boring. Well Bento is full of flavor.
5 stars for yummy healthy food.
–1 star for the teeny tiny mac salad and coleslaw. It’a a stupid filler that doesn’t fill anything, not even the compartment in the take out box. I counted how many pieces of macaroni they gave me today and it was 35.
umm no…
I didn’t count the stupid macaroni, I just made an edge-​ah-​macated guess.

I love their food. I don’t know where else I can get tempeh either, so I like that about them too. I don’t feel guilty when I eat their food because it’s organic. You gotta at least try it once! I usually get the tempeh scallopini. I know it’s a little expensive, but I’ll pay the price for it.
Discount: Student discount when you show your ID card. Make sure tell them before they ring you up.
Tip: CALL AHEAD OF TIME. Order your food ahead of time so that when you get there you just pick it up. It beats waiting outside their place where it’s super HOT. (It’s a hole-​in-​the-​wall place and no where to sit.)

This place is perfect for those nights when you are famished, get home and open the fridge and lo and behold there is nothing even slightly appealing or healthy to eat. Don’t despair. Don’t eat that whole bag of Sun Chips sitting in your pantry. Just call ‘em and they will normally have your order ready in around 10 minutes.
While I haven’t ordered any vegetarian dishes, I have enjoyed a number of tasty entrees here including the:
–grilled salmon
–grilled chicken w/​bbq sauce (which sadly isn’t spicy; I know; not everyone likes sauce with zing)
–grilled steak
–seared ahi (a special that isn’t always available but is my current favorite; always ask about the specials when you order).
Each of the above dishes came with delicious brown rice in gravy, some steamed broccoli, small helpings of healthy cole slaw and macaroni salad and some lightly seasoned cooked potato wedges.
Here are a couple of minor things which could be improved.
–the grilled steak was not medium rare but instead slightly overcooked
–one night I was totally in the mood for teriyaki sauce and ordered the tamari style chicken over the phone. I get there, hustle home, open up my dish and the chicken was covered in bbq sauce. I still liked it but it was a bit of a buzz kill.

How many places on this island can you actually get a healthy plate lunch? Not many. But at The Well Bento, you can, and you have many choices!
My favorite has to be the seared ahi, but it’s expensive (I usually pay $ 12.95 plus tax), and they don’t always have it. The ahi is seared to perfection, rolled in sesame seeds and sliced into tender bite-​sized portions that go just perfectly with the restaurant’s trademark vegetarian gravy and brown rice.
Speaking of the brown rice. .. This is why I give Well Bento five stars, even if they don’t have my favorite dish every time I want it: they know how to cook brown rice. Seriously! People who like brown rice know what I’m talking about: some takeout places are terrible at it – they put in either too much or too little water, or they do something else to screw it up. Not Well Bento. Their brown rice is perfect every single time.
I haven’t even gotten to the veggies yet! Those are delicious, as well. Where else do you get a huge wedge of steamed broccoli in your plate lunch? That’s right, no where. Again, even if you don’t particularly like broccoli, the gravy will help you get it down. And the carrots, gobo and potato are tasty on their own.
Other favorites when the ahi isn’t in stock: chicken and salmon. I’m partial to the tamari flavoring, but I think I’ve also tried the Cajun and liked that, as well. One of these days, I’m going to try the tofu. Today was going to be that day — but they had my fish! :o)

Yum!
Healthy vegan food — okay that is not a big surprise, vegan food is almost always healthy (except perhaps for some of those vegan cupcakes that Laura B and Maria D make).
The thing that makes Well Bento 5 stars is that is is Tasty vegan food. Really Tasty!
I am not even a vegan and I love this food. It is definitely among the best vegan food I have ever had.
PS Prices have gone up from what they list on their website but it is stil a good value.