Fast-Casual Asian Bento Boxes Spring Up in Pacific Beach

A new entry in fast-casual dining is serving up fresh Asian street food-inspired bento boxes built by Craig Jimenez, a vet of the local restaurant scene who is currently the executive chef of SuperNatural Sandwiches. Along with partners who are also involved in the well-regarded Miramar sandwich shop, Jimenez just launched Nom Nom Bento in a 1,100-square-foot space along Mission Boulevard.

The quick-service eatery, which is now open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, offers a menu that ranges from pre-curated bento boxes to build-your-own options. Diners can choose from a Vietnamese-style bun to a bento box base of chicken broth rice, chilled rice noodles, salad or other heathy options including sweet potatoes and mashed edamame. Nom Nom Bento’s proteins include house-rotisseried chicken, featured in a riff on the Singaporean national dish of Hainanese chicken rice, plus marinated Korean beef bulgogi made with skirt steak, Tokyo-style pork belly chashu, and wild Patagonian shrimp in Vietnamese lemongrass-garlic sauce.

Courtesy photo

One of the partner’s grandmothers, a former caterer, is making spring rolls for the shop which is also offering the signature ice cream macaron sandwiches from SuperNatural along with Mostra Coffee.