Naru Bento

This place is a hit or miss. I’ve been here many times to order their fried chicken wings. When I first had it, I thought it was the best thing ever. The breading was so crunchy, five spice seasoning was on point, chicken meat was plump and juicy. But there were a few times where it was stale tasting and meat super dry. I don’t think I wanna take a chance and order their wings again. Esp with bonchon around the corner.
I’ve also tried one of their rice bentos with the minced pork and egg. This was pretty good, but the marinated cucumbers and some kind of slaw it came with was awful.

It’s hard to find a descent Taiwanese place on the Peninsula. While this place is not the most authentic, I appreciate the healthy spin they are taking on Taiwanese classics. I placed my online order through Unilocal and everything was ready for pick up when I walked in– super easy! I ordered the Bento A1. Minced pork, A2. Pork Katsu, A.8 Cold noodles and A4 Fish katsu. Everything was super tasty. My favorite part of each bento were the pickled veggies. Only critique was that the Pork Katsu was a bit dry.
Price: pricier for sure than your average Chinese restaurant but you’re paying for quality ingredients (read: Mary’s free range chicken & Niman Ranch)
Ambiance: definitely a quick stop in kind of place. There are a few bar top seats to sit at but otherwise this place is tiny and I would highly recommend take out.
Food: healthy, filling and delicious!
Taiwanese food has traditionally been super fast and portable and I love that they try to uphold that aspect of Taiwanese culture (think night markets and street stalls everywhere) yet still manage to deliver healthy, flavorful food.
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A solid bento place in downtown San Mateo! My friend told me to come here because his sister works here and I was like, what the heck I’ll try something new. This place is very small, there are like 2 window seats or something like that. It’s pretty much a to-​go place, which is fine, just keep that in mind. I had the fish katsu, while my friend had the chicken katsu. Mine was good, above average, but nothing too special about it… The chicken katsu here is amazing though. I took a bite from my friend’s bento box and I immediately loved it. They did a great job with the breading and all the sauces to make the chicken katsu. I’m not sure why the fish katsu wasn’t as good, but nonetheless I enjoyed the chicken katsu. I pretty much stole all I could from my friend, and thankfully he was pretty gracious about it.
If you want to grab a quick bite before heading some place, drop by here and grab a chicken katsu before heading out with your friends!

I’ve been waiting for an organic asian lunch spot in san mateo and Naru Bento doesn’t disappoint, food-​quality-​wise and price-​wise. However it’s a teeny take-​out place. I’m hoping they do well and expand into a sit-​down joint. It’s so worth getting their wintermelon drink added on for a measly $ 1 when you order a meal.
In response to another Unilocaler who mentioned the pork was fatty, it’s time we stop demonizing fat in meat. You’ll get my drift when you read «The Big Fat Surprise,» by Nina Teicholz. If more Americans eat fat, we would be a lot skinnier.

Not good at all!
although the ingredients were fresh the bento A that I received, about 70 percent of the pork was purely fat and barely any actual pork itself
it was like eating a bowl of fat over rice
The flavors were on point was not too salty the egg was delicious but that was about it
Also the vegetable salad that came along with it and the pickled vegetables has some kind of MSG or unnatural seasoning on it that you know is a kind of chemical and doesn’t belong on vegetables… yuck!!!
Reasonably priced at $ 10 but I would not eat here again for sure
#fail

Naru Bento is a tiny place that serves some seriously awesome Taiwanese bento boxes. There’s only like 3 or 4 seats available; this place is more of a grab and go type of place. Most of the time, I see employees who work nearby just drop by to grab lunch. I’ve done this multiple times when I’m in the area and the service is always speedy. The menu isn’t extensive. But even so, the items are quintessential Taiwanese meals.
I love love love their Bento A: minced pork over rice. Easily one of the simplest but one of my favorite Taiwanese foods. You can never go wrong with this one. For about $ 10, you get a meal that can easily stretch into 2 meals. If you’re feeling up to it, grab an Apple Sidra while you’re at it to pair with your meal.
As a person from Taiwanese heritage and grew up in Socal, I am always excited when I find passable Taiwanese food. And when it’s so close to me? I couldn’t ask for anything more.

The food is pretty good. It’s a take out spot, so there are no chairs or tables inside to sit down and eat. But people pretty much did what me and mom did, which was eat outside on the benches next to the street.
When we went it was pretty busy. The menu is simple and straight forward, you can order be to boxes or bowls. I ordered the chicken teriyaki bowl and my mom got the chicken udon. Both were yummy and the prices weren’t ridiculously high ($ 9 – 11)

2.5 stars but rounding down since I probably wouldn’t order the same bento box again. This review is for my order from
. Based on all the good reviews of their bento boxes on Unilocal,I decided to give them a try for lunch. I went with Bento A — Minced Pork (Pork Stew w/​Rice, Daily Side Vegetables, Oshinko, Marinated Cucumber, $ 10.00,
), which was alright, but nothing special. I wish the pork was more tender, and there was a little less five spice flavor or something that I wasn’t the biggest fan of. However, at least it was a big portion and they don’t skimp on the meat, so you could get two meals out of this if you don’t have a huge appetite. Just be careful if you have leftover pickled vegetables, since they start getting smelly after a couple of hours.

Wanted to like this food. You’ve heard of Japanese making chinese food their own like «ramen». This is chinese making Japanese food their own «Taiwanese Japanese food»
The reviews were good, we like Asian food but this was pretty dismal for the price. Like the stuff you get in a bobba tea shop only bigger quantities and expensive for what you get. High school kids microwaving fish balls and chicken nuggets. That sort of describes this place.
Ordered:
Bento A — minced pork — 3 stars according to my wife. She ate the food and liked the salads that came with the bento
bento C — chicken Katsu — kid took a few bites and ate a bowl of cereal instead! I tried to eat a bit. The chicken was tasteless, dry and worse than frozen chicken nuggets. No sauce except a few drops on the rice. Besides the cucumber salad this was awful… 1 star. No Katsu sauce either (or pay $.50 extra)
Curry rice bowl — pork yuck, .really the worst (compared to suruki, himawari and other places) did not taste like curry, pork was dry dry and no red pickles. And why do you call it bento f. It’s not a bento box at all just curry. Bentos are supposed to have a selection of things not just one item. Why is the bowl the same price as the bento when you get nothing else? 1– star for the Poor taste and execution
Average 1.5 stars = 1 star in my book compared to other food in the area. Just too much good stuff elsewhere.
Won’t be back — $ 30+ for 3 people. NOT

I loveeee this place! I was looking for a place that had some good minced pork over rice and found Naru Bento! I usually just used to go to Tea Station for their stewed pork over rice in San Diego, which I LOVED, but now there is Naru Bento close by now that I am back home in the Bay Area.
They have 5 menu items I think, but I have only tried the minced pork (Combo A). The serving size is really good and actually has a surprising weight to it. It comes with a salad and pickled cucumbers. The minced pork over rice tastes really good without being toooooo saucy or too salty or too dry like I’ve experienced in other joints. It’s around~ $ 10 for each bento on their menu, which I think is pretty decent, given the accessibility of this dish in the area and the serving size.
I really want to try their Taiwanese Cold Noodles next, but besides that, I probably won’t want to try the other combos because I am very content with the minced pork over rice that I usually get.
HOWEVER, one thing to note is that the place is really small, so there are only a few high chairs to sit in. So… I go to Philz… or to my car to eat it with my boyfriend LOL.
Psst…please let me know if anyone knows of really really good minced pork over rice in the San Mateo/​San Jose/​Fremont area.
Nom Nommmmm.

The pork katsu tastes like the popcorn chicken that you get at boba shops which isn’t something I’m complaining about. The texture is crispy and the seasoning is good. Just don’t expect the Japanese kind with the golden brown panko crust.
The stewed pork wasn’t bad.
Dainty portions, but I guess you are paying for the «free-​range» meats.

Quick and easy, organic and healthy ingredients on the go!
I have been searching for a quick and easy Taiwanese Bento «foreva» and I have finally found it. Thank you Jesus!
I love how easy it is to place your order. Choose any of their following BENTOS:
BENTO A — Mince Pork
BENTO B — Pork Katsu
BENTO C — Chicken Katsu
BENTO D — Fish Katsu
And their signature dish, TAIWANESE COLD NOODLE with Taiwanese egg noodle topped with shredded free range chicken and veggies, served with their Naru sesame dressing was just «fantastico, delicioso!!»
And for just $ 1 more with any purchase of their BENTO, I highly suggest taking advantage of their house drink — Naru Winter Melon Tea! It was quite refreshing. Service was excellent with a smile too!
Naru also delivers and all you «gotta» do is… goto
.
Until then, Cheers! ~ :p

This place has pretty odd opening hours!
Probably due to the fact that it’s a small store that only serves to-​go items. The menu is small, but highly specialized – it’s clear they are trying to do one thing, and one thing really well, which is taiwanese bento boxes!
I got the combo A, which was a little on the expensive side ($ 10 for bento with a drink), was worth it. The box used quality ingredients, the minced pork rice was done very well, with a flavorful layer of minced meat and a nice egg sitting on top. The side dishes of picked radishes and apple shreds also tasted pretty fresh. Finally, the winter melon drink was ok – it didn’t taste as melon’y as I had hoped (Sharetea’s melon tea, for example, has a huge, consistent winter melon flavor), but overall the winter melon drink was cool, refreshing, and light, which I liked.
Last time I checked, they started expanding their open hours, so check this place out when you happen to walk by during open hours!

YEAHHH! SAN MATEO!
Newly opened restaurant. It’s a small hole in the wall located on the side of busy downtown San Mateo. The best location description that I have for this place is, «you know Little Lamb? It’s around the corner!»
Got here at 11:30, right when they opened. Parking in the area isn’t that bad if it’s during the weekday. As I said previously, because most of the restaurants are located on 3^rd and 4^th St of San Mateo, it shouldn’t be hard for you to park. You’ll need to look for the restaurant though. It’s not easy to spot while driving.
Walked in, greeted by a nice young lady (assuming she’s the owner). Told her I wanted Bento B (Pork Chop w/​Stew pork over rice + small sides that are included). She immediately offered to combo up and try their Winter Melon drink. For some reason, the friendly service feeling that you get in Taiwan applies here. I said why not!
Saw them prep everything once the order was placed. The ladies behind put the pork chop into the fryer for a fresh taste. Nothing preheated or done before you order.
Bento was ready in 5 mins. But the downside… Where the hell am I going to eat this? No seating in the place, also there’s no nearby parks unless i drive away. I sat in the car to enjoy the lunch.
Portions were definitely filling. The pork shop was huge! Not face huge like the street food that you get in Shihlin Market. But, good enough to make you feel satisfied. The stew pork was awesome. They used pretty good quality meat making it soft and buttery in the mouth. Make sure every spoon of rice has some stew pork before munching in. Sides were on the smaller side. Wish it came with a little bit more of the marinated side dishes. Maybe you can ask for more?
Personal thoughts?
— I would have preferred the rice to be a little less soft. Having the stew pork and the sauce makes the already soft rice even softer.
— Maybe different sides? Perhaps stuff like tomato & eggs. etc. etc
— option to add ice to the Winter Melon drink
Other than that, this place is approved by an authentic taiwanese! I’ll be back!
I also shared this to a private fb group called 台灣移民在美國. Hope more people would support them and keep them in business. Taiwanese restaurants often don’t stay alive in the north bay.

I once saw a couple walk into Naru Bento, eye the humble menu containing 5 entrees, scoff at the «limited» selection, and then walk out. That day, I saw a couple of fools.
Naru Bento is awesome. Seriously. The menu isn’t huge, but it doesn’t have to be. You’ll likely get addicted to one item and then only want to eat that. Pork Katsu is my vice. My girlfriend really likes their Minced Pork over Rice. Sometimes we share an order of Popcorn Chicken. It’s great!
I visit at least once a week. I always tell myself I’m going to try something new, but I always get the Pork Katsu. And I never regret it.
My only complaint is the seasoning is off sometimes: it will be too powdery sometimes and other times the fried crust doesn’t even stick to the meat. Also, their compostable eating utensils are super environmentally friendly, but they make eating difficult sometimes. BYOS — Bring Your Own Silverware!!!