Tar Pau Nation: Good-value wagyu bento from Neon Pigeon

A bento rice box from modern izakaya Neon Pigeon. ST PHOTO: WONG AH YOKE

It is easy to be tempted by online photos of the luscious offerings put up by restaurants for takeaways and deliveries - until one looks at the prices. Not many people want to spend $40 or more on a meal, except on special occasions.

Modern izakaya Neon Pigeon probably had that in mind when it came up with a range of bento rice boxes for islandwide delivery, with prices of no more than $30.

The eatery in Carpenter Street mashes up Korean, Japanese and Western cuisines. The bentos come with a choice of toppings - such as Korean Fried Chicken, New Zealand Cod Katsu and Agedashi Tofu - and are mostly priced at $25 each.

Each topping comes with Niigata rice, goma salad, Japanese pickles and Tokyo hummus, a dip made with edamame beans instead of chickpeas.

I decide to live it up and order the Yakiniku Wagyu Beef Bento ($28) since it costs just $3 extra. The beef, while not top grade, is very good for the price. Its distinctive flavour shines through the yakiniku seasoning, which is neither too sweet nor too salty. Cooked with slices of sweet onion in the sauce and spread on top of rice with toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onion, it is delicious.

One thing about having the rice packed with the raw salad in the same box is that you cannot heat it up in a microwave oven. So, it is just as well that the beef tastes good even at just above room temperature, which is how it arrives at my place. The salad, on the other hand, is unremarkable and merely serves to add fibre to the meal.

The Tokyo hummus topped with furikake is amazing, with a creamy texture and rich, addictive flavours. It is perfectly matched by the accompanying "curry chips", thin slices of crispy curry-dusted toast on which you spread the hummus.

If it starts feeling too heavy on the palate, take a bite of radish or ginger pickles and you will find your appetite coming back quickly.

The yuzu tart, which is packed separately, is dismissible. The pastry is too soft and the filling wet and not tart enough.

To hit the minimum order value of $40, I add the Yuzu Kosho Cauliflower ($12). This is superb, with the vegetable cooked till soft and sweet, and coated with a creamy sauce that is slightly sweet, citrusy and spicy. It keeps well for another meal if you cannot finish everything in one sitting.

Where: Neon Pigeon, 01-01, 36 Carpenter Street

How to order: Go to Neon Pigeon's Oddle page. Minimum order of $40.

Delivery charge: $12

Rating: 4 stars

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.