Chef Naoko Bento Cafe

Really great quality Japanese food which clearly comes from very fresh and high quality ingredients and being prepared with do much love and attention to detail.

Chef Naoko doesn’t get half the media attention she deserves. To my mind, she is one of the most creative and conscious chefs working in Portland today. Her tiny café, tucked in an unassuming strip of SW, is absolutely one of my favorite restaurants in Portland. The service there is impeccable, the food innovative and fresh. The tea is top notch and worth the spend for the higher quality, rare sencha. I can’t imagine a better place to have a business lunch or intimate dinner date. Not suitable for groups due to its size.

Eating here is an awesome experience all around. This little hole in the wall has delicious bento boxes and bowls if you want some authentic cooking. Everything out of my bento box was delicious, half I didn’t know what it was. Also learned that chef naoko caters for delta airlines for flights between Portland and tokyo. Very nice staff too! I would give it an A+

Small and petite restaurant. Slower kitchen for lunch time, at least when I came and there were only two other people in the restaurant, both already with their food. The tamago was sweet and yummy. The kale just ok. The brown rice had a touch of sesame seed and oil garnish. The Salmon portion was a tad skimpy, though I certainly didn’t leave hungry. More of concern was that the salmon was overlooked, and much of the flavor of the wild mushrooms that it was cooked with were overpowered by a salty sugary miso sauce. $ 20.
So the food could still need some honing. But the ladies there are kind and solicitous, the place is clean as a bell, and their focus on organically sourced food and relationships with farmers is all praiseworthy. 3.5 stars, rounded down.

I find myself dishing out a lot of great food reviews in Portland — and this place delivers. Perhaps the best tofu we have ever eaten, and the veggies were cooked to perfection.
Nice job chef.

Holy bento box batman. Chef Naoko is amazing! The flavors were out of this world. I got the wild salmon with shiitake and miso sauce bento and licked it clean. Luckily we had gotten it to go so no restaurant goers were forced to watch me lick my plate– because I would have done it any way! My husband got the pork loin bowl and the Panko coating on the pork was unlike any other I’ve had, it was delicious. Also, there was a single cube of the best tofu ever in my bento. I know tofu doesn’t taste like much, but this stuff had a clean nutty, delicate flavor. I’m sure she makes her tofu in house. The fact that she sources what she can locally and organically makes my heart sing and is why the food tastes so good. We were only passing through Portland, but I will back when we pass through again. I’m jealous of Portlanders… they can have this anytime they want!

It’s pretty expensive. However it is organic. I had the salmon and it was a little dry for my taste. Everything else in the bento was perfect. The little tofu and the egg and the picked vegetables had amazing flavors. I wanted more and more and more. I also had a wonderful iced green tea.
This place is perfect for a party of 2

The food is fresh, expertly prepared, and delicious! This place is a gem don’t miss it! My husband got the tonkatsu fried pork chop and it was excellent — and I had the chicken and vegetable yakisoba. The ingredients were all so fresh and even though the tonkatsu was fried, it didn’t feel heavy. The service was friendly and it was great to see that this place used local ingredients. The chef at this place will be providing all the business class meals for Delta flights out of Portland to Japan. I thought that was pretty cool too!

Looking for a new restaurant to try out, this little gem of a restaurant caught my eye in that the presentation is beautiful and that there is a targeted focus on getting the best ingredients for their dishes. I tried the grilled salt koji draper chicken bento while my boyfriend tried one of their pork special bento. The chicken was infused with so much moisture that your teeth just sank through it like softened butter. Loved the contrast in flavor of each compartment so that you can cleanse your palate between each bite. At the end of the meal, we were given an after dinner tea that was delicious and a great way to end the meal. At the end, I felt full but not stuffed. Thoroughly enjoyed every bite (of my bento plus a bit of the boyfriend’s as well… the pork on his plate was meatier and more filling if you are looking for a little bit more food).

This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in town. There are so many Japanese restaurants that are not authentic which always make me think «I hope people don’t think this is Japanese food.» lol.
Chef Naoko is one of very few Japanese restaurants that I can comfortably say it is Japanese. Ingredients are fresh and all the menu I’ve tried taste just how I remember food back home (Japan).

I was pretty excited about this place because I heard that they cater for an airline company. I came here for lunch and was a bit disappointed with it. I ordered the tofu and seasonal veggie bento for $ 13 and while it wasn’t bad, it didn’t blow my mind. I noticed that it was missing the tamagoyaki that was promised in the description. I was looking forward to that! :(
I enjoyed their fresh and seasonal ingredients, but I honestly could have gotten the same bento somewhere else for probably $ 8.

everything here was perfectly fine, i just wasn’t overly impressed. for lunch they don’t have any appetizer options but they do have an extensive bento box menu which i think is what they do best.
a tip would be to order sashimi or sushi in addition to your bento if that’s what you were craving as their bentos are a selective set of items. all very good for sure.
the service was certainly friendly and fast enough for a lunch date.
i am sad to not give a 4 star for a change but it’s portland, you have to impress me to get my seal of «i love this place».

It’s the first time I go to Chef Naoko during dinner time. We were surprised to see that they are now serving yakitori/​Bbq skewers. All the other places I have been to emphasize about the type of special carbon they used for grilling so I was curious to see how «healthy «that could be in this «healthy food» restaurant.
There were only 5 skewers items on the menu and we tried all of them. There are two types of chicken, pork, mushroom and tofu. Very surprisingly, I have to say, this place serves the best skewers including the one I tried in Tokyo! Why? The chicken skewers are tender and juicy, so as the shiitaki mushrooms. The pork was breaded so it was more like tonkatsu (served with tonkatsu sauce as well), and the tofu was fried and served with a special miso sauce. Delicious! I am a health conscious person (and a biologist) so I know eating burned meat (=carbon) too much will cause cancer… Therefore, I was never a big fan of Bbq skewers… But in this place, I don’t feel guilty about ordering as theirs are flavorful, tender and not burnt! My bf and I ended up ordering 14 skewers and him being big meat eater, like the mushrooms and tofu the most! How odd! That means delicious vegetarian dishes can change someone ‘s diet.
They recently started to prepare the business class meals for Delta airline business class from Portland to Tokyo. I was lucky enough to see the meal as they were getting ready for the Delta people to pick up the food. Wow, it was like a piece of art! They were serving some veggie /​meat slices as sashimi with soup, rice, and pickle! I never liked flying delta to Japan… But next time I might try that if I could afford their business class!

I thought the food here was very good but not great, it is definitely one of the more traditional bento boxes in town though.
I did enjoy the flavors of my chicken teriyaki bento, but the price left a bit of sour taste in my mouth. I really appreciate the chef using all natural ingredients and humanely raised meats, but the price for lunch here is way out of whack.
Also, the wait was quite long to get my food, which I won’t ding them too much for because most of the items on your plate are delicate and made to order.
This is a refreshing Japanese experience, but unfortunately the prices will keep me from returning.

First time here. Everything is so fresh and delicious. I ordered tht Jefferson bowl. It was bigger than I thought. The chicken was so juicy and tasted healthy. The oysters are to die for too. If you like Japanese food this is the place to go.

Hungry for lunch in downtown Portland can be a mob scene at noon with a focus on hearty gooey and bread — as we wish.
Boxer ramen was packed so I headed to this off the path sort of comfortable diner where I was greeted in Japanese.
Bentos only for lunch with your choice of protein — I choose ginger pork bento $ 16, which not noted was served breaded. I ordered a soothing green tea and enjoyed a heathy meal with an emphasis on local and organic that perhaps caused a light fueled radiant aftermath. The only slight mistep was a lack of tempura option — but the whole situation is clean and pretty Japanese.
I wasn’t wowed — and the price wasn’t a bargain but I wouldn’t dismiss this place, and the proprietors were charmingly sweet.

I’m so glad my friend introduced me to this cute little restaurant. I came here for dinner and ordered the pan fried oysters which was one of the specials for the night. Everything in the bento box was delicious and I finished it all! The oysters were cooked just right… crispy on the outside and juicy hot on the inside, the tofu and salad were really refreshing, and the sweet egg was a nice little addition. Everything was fresh and I love how they support local companies and list where their food is from. Beware, the restaurant is a little small so be sure to call for a reservation or be prepared to wait for a table. I’ll definitely be coming back!

~~IRASHAIMASE~~
Here’s the tip of the day, if you ever walk into a «Japanese restaurant» and the moment of entering the staff doesn’t warmly shout this Japanese welcoming to you, then the place isn’t legit.
Luckily Chef Naoko’s shop not only proves her café’s authenticity with this greeting, but also by serving food so authentic, that you’d be hard pressed to tell the difference between her bento and something you’d get straight out of Tokyo!
Be warned: the bento is pricey, so if you’re on a budget, try out a rice bowl & yakisoba for only ~$ 8 – 12 that, though simple, are still delicious and filling. If you want something cheaper and don’t care about quality, then walk a few blocks to one of the many «bento» carts that that likely use Cash & Carry or Sysco ingredients, and offer more Korean/​Chinese dishes than Japanese, but I suspect you’ll regret the decision. If you’re able to afford it, go for the highest quality bento boxes in town ($ 14 – 17), made from local, seasonal, & organic ingredients, and perfectly balanced flavors and portions. Not only does the price reflect the top quality, but also the added variety of authentic side dishes rarely found in the american bento, such as a slice of omelette, ohitashi salad, sweet azuki beans, and warm, sweet tofu.
To top it off, the staff are all warm and welcoming, and the café is clean and simply designed, making this my go-​to option when I want a healthy sit-​down or to-​go/​takeout lunch or dinner.

Delicious Bento! Pretty pricy for lunch ($ 12ish) but totally worth it every once in a while. Naoko uses fresh local ingredients from the farms listed on the chalkboard near the register. Their dishes rotate seasonally and always have a good amount if veggies.
The front and kitchen staff give you a nice warm Japanese greeting when you walk in and again as you leave. I wish they still had the Jefferson Bowl but I’ve adapted to ordering another regular item that is similar.
The hours are limited as Naoko is mainly a catering business. The restaurant is quite small as well and in a part of downtown with only a couple «okay» places nearby. If you are downtown in search of a new lunch spot definitely give this place a try!

Yummy! I wish I could eat this everyday. I love natural organic healthy food and it’s definitely a plus that they support local farms.
My friends and I came on Saturday for lunch and we each ordered a different bento. I had a steamed cod with fresh local vegetables and I really enjoyed trying out all the different types of greens that they cooked. They included a couple varieties I’ve actually never seen before. Bentos are roughly $ 17 – 19 and it is well worth it. Copied from their website, the bentos come with a seasonal green salad, cage free egg tamagoyaki, steamed greens, and Ota tofu with homemade miso sauce. You get the choice of brown or mixed rice and I of course chose brown rice. Their rice was so delicious! Many restaurants make their brown rice too dry but theirs was perfectly cooked. I also ordered a miso soup ($ 2) which was very flavorful because it’s made with house made fish broth.