The exterior of Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen in Bend on June 4, 2018. (Andy Tullis/Bulletin photo)

For more than six years, the Bend-O Bento Japanese Kitchen has captivated lovers of true Tokyo-style street food.

Yet, it remains an enigma in Central Oregon. Occupying a tiny corner shop in a secluded industrial-park building on Bend’s east side, the cafe has no more than 10 seats at a couple of narrow counters, making it more suitable for takeout than dining in.

And many Central Oregon diners don’t have any idea what “bento” is.

By definition, it’s a box lunch that contains steamed rice and a meat or fish entree, as well as a couple of cooked or pickled vegetables. Typically served in partitioned, box-shaped containers, bento are popular light meals in train stations and department-store delis, as well as in private residences.

Bento are, indeed, a highlight here. But owner Yukiko McLaughlin, who has lived in Bend with her family since 2002, also offers a selection of rice bowls (“donburi”) and filled rice balls (“onigiri”) popular in the suburban Tokyo home where she grew up.

The little gem of a restaurant is located at 1375 SE Wilson Avenue between 15th Street and Parr Lumber. Look for it on your right as you travel east: Keep an eye out for a pair of picnic tables on a grassy lawn.

Bento plates

The main menu lists a variety of bento choices — chicken teriyaki, wild salmon, shrimp and tofu steak, to name a few — but on one recent visit, I chose off a list of specials.

The Sapporo Bento ($15), named for Japan’s northernmost large city (and one of its most popular beers), came with both teriyaki chicken and crispy fried shrimp. In addition to steamed rice (white or brown) and miso soup, it was accompanied by three side dishes, which change on a regular basis.

I was disappointed that the panko crust on the shrimp was not as light as tempura batter. The soup was good and the teriyaki satisfactory, while the sides — macaroni salad, bean-thread noodles (with carrots and red peppers) and namasu cucumber (thin sliced in a vinaigrette) — were as expected, sufficient to add a few flavors to the palate.

Another daily special was chicken curry ($13.50). The Japanese approach to curry is very different than that of Indian or Thai cuisines. Meat and vegetables, including potatoes and carrots, are served in a thick and only mildly spicy brown gravy, much like a stew. I don’t love it. But for those who do, the flavor is much like what I’ve experienced in Japan.

An accompanying chicken cutlet was much tastier than the curry itself. A tender breast of poultry was breaded in panko, pan-fried, sliced into chopstick-friendly bites and served atop a bed of perfectly steamed white rice.

Rice bowls

My dining companion and I had rice bowls on our second visit. For whatever reason, we liked these better than the bento.

My friend had gyudon ($12). Thin slices of beef and onion were stewed in mildly sweet, soy-based sauce, served atop brown rice and topped with an over-easy egg. My friend found it delicious.

I also enjoyed my bibimbap ($10.50), a Korean-influenced dish whose name means, literally, “mixed rice.” Half a dozen ingredients, led by beef marinated in a sweet and spicy miso sauce, are arrayed atop steamed rice; they include spinach, bean sprouts, carrots and kimchee, that pungent Korean cabbage condiment made with garlic and chile sauce. As with the gyudon, it was topped with an egg.

The onigiri, for $3 to $4, are exactly what they appear to be: balls of sticky rice wrapped in cello-wrap. They come stuffed with salmon, teriyaki chicken, edamame (vegetarian) or a tuna-mayonnaise blend. The last, I found, was essentially an albacore tuna salad.

McLaughlin is a delightful hostess, warmly greeting both regulars and newcomers to the cafe and describing the menu when necessary. As noted, the space is tiny, but it leaves no mistake that it could as easily be in Tokyo as in Bend.

A collection of books and magazines, in Japanese as well as English, invite readers. A colorful ceramic Hakata doll stands nearby. Of special note are the hand-drawn and painted works of Tokyo-born artist Tsukimi Uchikoshi, a resident of Bend.

— John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@bendbulletin.com.