Your lunches are about to get a lot more interesting. Starting Monday, Artisan Bento will start filling portable boxes and bowls with tasty, home-cooked Japanese food.
Founder Shihomi Borillo, who also owns Azuki Sushi in Bankers Hill, saw an opportunity to provide the neighborhood with a quick-service, healthy food option.
Her bentos will be anchored by a hearty rice blend that includes 15 different types of grains, seeds and beans, plus miso soup and variety of seasonal side salads. Diners will pick a protein, ranging from chicken skewers to ginger pork and miso salmon or sashimi, which can also top a rice bowl, cold ramen or salad.
Open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Artisan Bento will also serve coffee drinks from Caffe Calabria, plus tea, beer and wine and Asian-inspired desserts.
There will be indoor and outdoor seating, but the concept should prove immensely popular for grab-and-go service, feeding nearby office workers or families on their way to picnic in Balboa Park.
