LAmag.com

With a host of classic and newfangled bento, boxed lunches aren’t just for schoolkids anymore

O-bento—the meticulously prepared meals arrayed in compartmentalized boxes—were conceived as elaborate feasts-to-go for the traveling aristocrats of Kyoto’s Imperial Court. Today in Japan, simpler versions can be found just about everywhere—supermarkets, baseball games, even railroad stations; train travelers wait to reach a certain prefecture before buying their regional favorite. Here in L.A., imaginative restaurateurs have been captivated by the bento concept and are using it to serve everything from sushi to dessert.

Yes, they’re thymus glands, and yes, they’re delicious. Chefs citywide play with the many moods of sweetbreads