Cutest bento - and they taste delicious, too! Twice I have had these at luncheon events and both times, they have been so ono. The little dessert that comes with it, also amazing. I made sure to grab the name so I can order these for my next office event!! read more

Obento Rinka - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A friend told us about this place so we went this week to try it out. We got one order of the salmon bento as it looked good. When we had it to try for lunch we were surprised at how salty and flat the salmon tasted. Barely edible as it didn't taste good to us and the side dishes were unusually salty and vinagery. The rice was good, but we couldn't finish the salmon and threw most of it out. We didn't care for the expensive Rinka lunch that we tried in Kakaako in the Spring of this year so we probably won't return to either. The salmon bento was $20 so it isn't a cheap bento box. read more

Went there shortly after they were opened. Snagged a street parking in front of the store and it seemed that there was a quick turn over of spaces so the chances of getting lucky was good. That's a plus when you don't have a dedicated parking lot. There was a large selection of different bento and even a bento of the day. While prices seem on the high side, it probably is on par what things cost now days. Food was tasty. The style is more Japan Japanese than local which is neither good or bad. Just preferences. Counter help was cheerful and helpful in describing items. They even opened the door for many customers leaving (including us). We'll be back read more

We've been coming to Rinka for many years and for most part, their food was good with variety of tasty side dishes but now, not sure if it's worth the long drive. Their prices keep going up and honestly, it's ridiculous to pay over $15 for their daily specials that don't give you much meat. We had the beef bowl (tiny shredded sukiyaki meat w/too much onions and fat) with spicy shrimp (too hot- too much red pepper or whatever it was), side dishes of hijiki, half of potato croquet & one sumai. Way too much onions & fat from meat. The croquet tasted terrible, probably from bad oil used for deep frying. All other bento's look great but very expensive. C'mon, just because the cost of food has gotten expensive, consider lowering your price, no bento's in Japan cost $20. read more

I had an appointment just down the block at Hale Pawa'a and got some disheartening news. Since my empty stomach wasn't helping I did a quick search for was food was available at 9:15am. What a wonderful surprise to find this bento spot not even a block away. I'm guessing they are of the same group as Rinka restaurant in Kakaako because the quality was on point and everything just as delicious. When you walk in, you are greeted very cheerfully and just 15 minutes after opening the variety of Bento to choose from was great. I wish I could've gotten one of everything so I will definitely be back to try more! read more

Obento Rinka - Early morning bento choices - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I go every once in a while...had to go drop off baby to my mom so decided to get lunch for everyone. Baby woke up from her nap when I parked so wanted to be carried. Workers so nice and helpful. 1 arm had baby, 1 arm had big bag to put bentos in. Worker grabbed the bag for me, and put the bentos on the side. Got 4 bento... Flounder for Ma - looked delish. And HUGE! Mixed "sampler" type - Salmon super ono, veggies, tsukemono, rice, and some other white fish and korokke. Tempura with Soba - baby pounded the soba I gave her. I had a small amount, and hubs polished off the rest. YUM. Tempura pretty good...baby ate shrimp and ika. I liked the veg. Saba/Mentaiko pressed sushi - this super ono, but had few bones in the saba, so gotta be careful. Good thing the one for baby didn't have. I love saba and I love mentaiko so really liked that. Okra for baby - she ate a bunch. Hubs ate the rest. I can't do the slime...but they both liked it. So good and simple. And then everyone said bye to baby and they opened the door for us. Such good service. read more

Takeout lunch in Honolulu, Hawaii... My friend and I needed to pick up some bentos for our homebound friend. We both hadn't been to Obento Rinka - and we had heard so much about this place - so, it was agreed that we get our lunch here. There's metered street parking. All of the customers run in and out of the shop, so there are sufficient spaces. The woman at the counter is efficient because she probably knows that everyone is parking quickly... My friend chose two vegetable-based bentos while I selected the Salmon one and the Hamburger with shrimp one. I figured that I'd eat the one that no one wanted. The two gals chose to eat the vegetable-based ones. I ate the salmon bento and left the Hamburger one for our homebound friend to eat for dinner. We all enjoyed our bentos. The presentation and quality are excellent. The sides that come with each bento are tasty, too! We also got a container of warabi mochi and a container of candied sweet potato... wow... these were delicious, too! I'd return for the butterfish bento and the Anmitsu dessert! Yum yum!!! read more

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I love that Honolulu has so many of these cute little hole-in-the-wall bento spots. Perfect for grabbing a quick, healthy, and hearty meal. I came in around 11 am and there was still a good selection of bentos. The first one I grabbed with the misoyaki butterfish (duh) and one with fried shrimp, fish, and salmon. I also grabbed a side of their hijki, a seaweed salad that was bursting with umami. Picking out my bentos was such a pleasurable experience. The person at the shop was so sweet, kind, and helpful! I had a bit of decision fatigue when I came in and was encouraged to take my time looking around. Be sure to bring your own bag for your bentos! It's 15 cents for a small bag and 50 for a large bag. It is a bit pricey, we paid about $50 for two bentos and a side of hijiki. For the amount of time it takes to make all of the bentos- from the proteins to all the different sides, carefully placed in different sections... it's not hard to understand why. read more

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Not the correct information on Yelp and the restaurant. Prices and items are different.

The food was just okay. Got the salmon bento but I don't think I would go back Pros: bento is ready for you to grab and go read more

I wanted to give more stars but the food was rather unimpressive for my taste buds. Maybe I chose the wrong menu items. The service was very considerate and business like. The place is clean and busy with different choice bentos. I think the price for the bento and the flavor didn't make it for me. I will have to return again but for 2 bentos I spent over $30 and I wasn't wowed. I'll make better choices. read more

Obento Rinka - Beef bento. The beef was absolutely tough to chew. The flavor was decent but the beef so so tough. - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Like most bento box shops, the earlier in the day you get here, the more choices you have. We came towards the end of lunchtime so there wasn't much to choose from. We decided to go with their new item, the beef tongue bento box and it was sooo good! I was blown away by how soft the beef tongue was and how perfectly flavored it was. It was slightly salty with marinated green onions on top. The rice on the bottom caught a lot of the juice. It came with a lemon slice and 2 small pieces of tamago. It was the perfect lunch box that I'm still dreaming about today. The prices are slightly higher than other bento shops I've seen but it offers great quality. read more

Tried Obento Rinka for the first time and it was excellent. We ordered three different bentos and every single one was outstanding. The rice quality was superb and each box had its own unique flavors that all complimented each other while still being distinct and delicious. Everything tasted fresh, balanced, and thoughtfully prepared. You can tell a lot of care goes into the food here. Will definitely be back soon. Highly recommend. read more

Obento Rinka makes the best bentos. When planning for my grandmother's funeral, we needed to order bentos for families and friends in attendance. As it was still Covid times, we wanted to ensure that each person had their own individual bento and we weren't going catering style. We opted for Rinka because their bentos are clean and light. They don't have that heavy oily feel (no shade Zippy's) but these are Japanese style. We ordered ginger pork, chicken karaage and salmon and they were all an absolutely hit. read more

We had a picnic at our daughter's school so we decided to pickup some bentos. Without knowing anything about this place we stopped by and they have some great bentos here! Full on Japanese bentos with nice packaging, everything nicely organized and beautiful in its little space. Food was delicious and the lady there was friendly. I'm so glad we stopped here as I now know a good place to get bentos. read more

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Very Original Japanese Bentos Same as owner as Rinka Restaurant next to Whole Foods in Kakaako we ordered Makunouchi Bento includes 13 items plus ume chiso rice too many to items to mention and changes daily depending what's available on the side we also ordered Koroke another specialty item off the menu you'll need to order ahead for pickup time since they make to order each items of different bento's available each day not a tempura eater but their dipping sauces are exceptional a must try and their teriyaki beef cuts are not a thin cut but very meaty and thick other must is egg roll namasu Fishcake salmon shioyaki I wasn't able to finish the meal too many things to eat Here's pictures from Obento Rinka read more

Obento Rinka - Ordered five Bentos but got only four They were willing to take a cab to deliver but we told them no need just get credit for next time - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Delicious food, very authentic Japanese cooking. Tastes just like eating in Kyoto! Very friendly cashier! Highly recommended if you are looking for a great bento!! read more

Went in for grab and go. Food was ok but did not have much selection. Will probably go back at an earlier time

Quality and flavor of food,, courteous, service, make for good bang for the buck. Like being in Japan. Besides the Bento lunch options ,there is an impressive assortment of side, dishes, and desserts in the refrigerated section. Today there was a flounder steak bento that I never saw before. My eyes rolled back in their sockets at the first bite. read more

After our early Vday couple's massage, Mr G. wanted to refuel with some bento/okazuya type foods. This spot popped up on Yelp when doing my search and it was close enough. Luckily there was street parking right out front, otherwise... no clue where else we'd park. Prob would have to circle around. The spot is tiny. Only 2 people at a time allowed inside. Its nice and clean. Organized and minimal. The simplest thing that caught my eye was the katsu curry plate so I went with that. If I'm ever in the area again I'd prob try the chirashi. Mr G. in his usual style chose 2 diff items. He's a hungry guy and sometimes eats with his eyes! I think he said his soba noodles were green tea? Don't think I caught pics of his food but he might have also gotten some kind of fish plate too. There were samples at the register of their garlic tempura. I'm a huge garlic lover so that was a win for me but at $5 for a small container I passed. After walking out and starting out meal in the car, we were pretty surprised everything came out to about $45. Quite pricey for what we had especially having to dine in our vehicle. My plate was not warm and the katsu was kinda mush, not crispy like it should be... understood that its left out but for the price again, its not desirable. We honestly would rather visit a sit down restaurant for the same food and possibly similar prices. read more

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First thing I wanted to eat after sitting in a crammed plane: clean light bento. After receiving several messages recommending this place we quickly made our way here, scoring good parking too. It was so difficult choosing just 1 bento for myself. Everything looked amazing. My salmon nori bento was the perfect portion for me, with everything seasoned well and not too salty. My partner's Hamburg bento had karaage chicken, japanese sausage, and hamburg. A little bit of everything. The sides were so good, he actually ate the veggies! I picked up a container of Warabi mochi and it was the perfect snack after checking in to our hotel. Cool, refreshing, slightly sweet, and the matcha flavor was a great palate cleanser. I wouldn't be mad if we ate here every day during our vacation. Lady behind the counter was very kind and helped us narrow down our choices. And plan future eats :) read more

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I found this place because it was open at 9:30 am so we can grab bento boxes before driving to airport to eat on the return flight. Last trip to island, we tried HiGoTo but I thought it was just ok. Their bentos here are much better in terms of flavor. Although I thought the salmon was too salty for my taste. The side dishes that came with it were great. Tried their mochi. Super soft but I prefer it with a little chew. I've never liked Japanese/korean red bean paste. It's just way too sweet for me. Japanese don't like sweet desserts so I can't understand why their red bean paste is always so sweet. We definitely will return here on our next trip. read more

Organized, well prepared meals, cost efficient, clean NUF said!! Okay, I say that in jest but my experience at Obento Rinka was parallel to Rinka at Ward. The only difference is the food is in "to-go" containers and there is no dining in capabilities. As with Rinka (dine in) the taste and presentation is authentic Japanese as you can imagine. Parking should be a snap because of street parking on Beretania, including a couple stalls right in front of the Obento Rinka door. They have bento lunch boxes to go with prices ranging from $10-$15 depending on what you order. They have small orders; side orders of potato salad, namasu, kimpira and the list goes on. Adding to your convenience, they also have soft drinks for sale. A definite must try read more

Obento Rinka - Chicken karaage bento $11.50 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

A very good place to get your authentic Japanese' bento fix. I found this place on Yelp of course and immediately went to try it. The quality of the food is very good. Delicious! The authenticity was also spot on. And the presentation of the bento is second to none. It's a bit on the pricey side but with Bidenflation everything is more expensive. I mean a zip pac is $17 for crying out loud! But definitely give this place a try. They're locally owned and operated. And you know how I feel about always supporting local. Especially when the food and service are great! I highly recommend it. read more

Obento Rinka - Shrimp tempura bento. Onolicious!!! - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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So ono! We bought 3 bentos plus mochi with red bean to take on the plane. The saba was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The mochi was soft and pillowly. The red bean filling was so smooth and tasty. Found our next go-to for quick and healthy takeaway for the plane. read more

Obento Rinka - Saba bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Bento, bento, bento! I love bento! From a department store food hall, a 400 year old Michelin three in Kyoto, the iconic ekiben, or the tiny window serviced by octogenarian husband and wife on a hidden back street of Tokyo. Pull the string and heat it up, at room temp, or refrigerated. Give it to me the way you want me to eat it, arigato, thank you very much. Bento! Obento Rinka equals bento happiness. The flavors of Japan. No Americanization or Hawaiian palate manipulation. It is what makes them stand out from all other bento restos. Shrimp soaked in cornstarch water to remove the strong odor. Chicken rubbed with grated ginger to remove the smell of the blood, burgers mixed with cream soaked breadcrumbs to cut the strong beef taste, ketchup from Japan (sweet and not acidic) for the omurice. Steps and ingredients that make a huge difference where authenticity is concerned. A favorite? Can't say. Over 20 different bentos so far, all satisfy. Inexpensive. Average price $11. Japanese proper service (they are happy to help and will get the door for you on the way out) unless you disrespect them and break the rules. 1. NO TEXTING OR CALLS INSIDE THE STORE. (Japanese view this as rude and you hold up the line). 2. Two person max (COVID rule). This means two individuals. NOT two households. Leave the kids in the car. Yet another way to enjoy Japan in a time when travel to the motherland is forbidden. Simple and worthy. read more

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Lunch at Rinkas is one of my favorite experiences downtown. So I was excited to try their bento place. However I much prefer the Rinka dining experience than the take out experience especially when the cost is not that much more for their dine in! The soba alone goes 5 stars!! So light and refreshing. Would have loved even more radish/daikon. I thought the veggie bento and salmon bento was quite pricey. I would have preferred going to Rinka instead and getting their sushi boxes for similar cost. ($19 for salmon bento). I did love the two pieces of okra in the veggie bento. When you entire the store, there wasn't that much to a selection when I went on middle of weekend afternoon. I don't know if they just bring it out one by one or I was picking up the last of the day. I compared the bentos to Teruya's which is nearby, and definitely feel Teruya's was a much better deal in terms of quality and price. However Teruya's does not have fish or soba option so I would come to Obento Rinka for that - esp the Soba! read more

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お弁当凜花 Obento Rinka is a genuine Japanese bento shop. The lady running it is kind and strict for COVID compliance. No more than two people in the small shop at once. If you have any questions about food allergies or anything, she is able to answer without hesitation which makes me think she's the one creating these bento boxes. Walking into the shop reminds of being in a bento-ya in Japan. There are notes written in Japanese everywhere and the products sold are like one would find in Japan. The bento boxes are beautiful to look at and makes your decision to pick one very difficult. These box lunches are perfect for the beach or a picnic as they are easily transportable. A proper bento lunch is thoughtfully crafted and should be a complete meal with a variety of tastes, textures, and food groups. Happy to have found this place and will return again while in Oahu. arigato gozaimasu! read more

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Super quality, fresh taste, fair prices, definitely would return. Go early! I think they sell out fast. No place to sit all takeaway.

There are a lot of places to buy bentos on Oahu, however, not all are created equal. I like the conveniene of grab n go bentos, and Obento Rinka is a great place to get bentos on the fly. They don't have a big selection like what you'd find at DQ or Nijiya, but their bentos are reasonably priced and of higher quality IMHO. The bentos I bought were a mixed tempura bento, chicken karaage bento, and a bento that had a combo of fried white fish and chicken karaage. Prices ranged from $12-15 - very reasonable for the quantity and quality. The lady who rang me up was very friendly. I will defintely put this on my list of place to go for bentos on the go. read more

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I always get the Hana Bento from here. It's divided into 12 sections with thoughtful and beautifully placed items in each compartment. Included sushi, shrimp tempura, roasted beef and croquette and comes with warabi-mochi for desert on the side. Please note that their Hana Bento must be pre-ordered at least one day in advance. They don't have it available for purchase for walk in. I can't put my finger on the flavor of the shrimp tempura, it's not your "normal" tempura flavor if I had to describe it, it's like a mochi crunch flavor? When I first saw this bento I wasn't familiar with everything in it, but I can honestly say everything in this bento is delicious. Even the items that you may be unsure about, give it a try. Everything compliments each other so well and you leave feeling like you've had enough to eat but not feeling like you overate. It's one of my favorite bentos and it's so pretty too. read more

Obento Rinka - Hana Bento (must be pre-ordered a day in advance) - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I am not the kind of person who regularly does take-out. Let me sit down and get my food on real tableware with real utensils anytime I can - I dislike paying for food that is poorly arranged and packed, and unappetizing because it's out of temperature or a mess after transporting. But I can go for take-out from Obento Rinka almost anytime. Food temperature can be a big deal to me. Cold proteins and rice usually won't cut it. The difference is Japanese are very good at serving food that have rich colors, good balance of portions and variety, and still delicious and tasty when not heated. And then there is the variety of packaging. Yeah, I know single serve plastic containers are not eco- friendly, but take a look at a display several choices of bento and you will probably prefer this kind of packaging over a single compartment recycled paper container. You want something fried? Tonkatsu, Menchi Katsu, or Tempura bento. Grilled or simmered? Hamburger steak, Gyudon, Mackerel, Salmon, Unagi. Vegetarian? Available. And any bento usually includes pickled and/or cooked vegetables, tamagoyaki, a side protein, sometimes a potato or pasta. If you do need something warm they often have Oden, served by the piece. And here's a secret ... get there when they open for a warm, pillowy, crispy croquette. A fresh curry or beef potato one, or a sweet potato one, rivals any Wu Gok from a rolling dim sum cart. Lunch boxes that are too unique from other kinds of cuisine. For take-out I go Nihon! read more

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After someone gave me two Rinka Croquettes (pronounced korok'ke in Japan) with their light & crispy crusts and flavorful fillings (curry, sweet potato, spinach, etc.), I had to see what else they offered. I got their "Healthy Bento" and Chirashi on separate visits. The Healthy Bento had 9 meticulously prepared items. The Seafood in the chirashi tasted very fresh even though it was already prepared and in the refrigerated display case. The Chiriashi had a whole (cooked) scallop including the frill, which I'm glad was left on because it was slightly chewy and tasty. This is the place to go for Obento! and not just Bento. read more

Quality fresh bento!! Came at around 11am on a weekday and there were lots of choices ranging from $10-20 depending on the size and premium level of ingredients. The "bento of the day" was the cheapest and featured a lot of different tempura with rice and veggie sides. The fancier bentos were $17-18 and had so many different sorts of proteins in one bento- fish, steak, tempura, egg, oyster etc. All very fresh and ono! read more

Obento Rinka - Pupu bento for $17 - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

While still being under our State's Stay At Home Order, we have rarely ordered take out meals, only because we committed ourselves to market and cooking for ourselves and our neighbors. But, today, as we were out on our daily walk, we changed our route to try Obento Rinka. Rinka Japanese Restaurant is one of our favorite Japanese restaurants so it fell within reason for us tor try their bento (弁当 ) or Obento takeout shop. Located on South Beretania Street (cross street, Keeaumoku Street), Obento Rinka is operated by two friendly and polite Japanese women. There is usually metered street parking in front of or nearby this shop for customers' shopping convenience. Posted on the entrance door is a sign that respectfully provides their recommended preventative measures to customers, such as: 1. Please wait outside when there are 2 customers inside the store. 2. Please limit your shopping time to under 10 minutes. 3. Please stay outside when calling family or friends. 4. Please wear masks while inside the store. By following their recommendations, we felt safer as we continued our social distancing when picking up our takeout orders and Obento Rinka makes sure they operate under high standards of food handling safety. When we arrived, there was already one customer inside so, I stayed outside while my husband went into scope out the different bentos. It was about 12:30 PM and most of the selections were sold out. Peering in through the front window, I noticed Today's Special ($11) which looked healthy and generously portioned. I can say that my husband knows my taste buds quite well as he picked up the Today's Special and motioned to me that he was choosing that bento for me. Then, as he looked over the other choices, he made his lunch choice. He paid with cash though he did say they accept credit cards and, then we were off. We returned home within the hour and hungrily broke into our bentos (luckily, my husband chose bentos that didn't have items that required refrigeration). Both of our bentos were flavorful even though they were stored and eaten at room temperature. But, room temperature bento food was to be expected and these bite-sized portions were nicely presented. Obento Rinka's bentos can be eaten at any time of the day and shouldn't only be considered to be just lunch boxes. We're looking forward to returning for more. read more

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Pretty good bento, I think a 4.2 is well deserved. We got 2 of the butterfish bentos, 1 karage and 1 hamburger steaks to go to take on the plane. (Honestly not the easiest to transport but not their fault just fyi for others. I usually just get musubi for flights). The butterfish was pretty well seasoned and a decent portion was given. The shirae was pretty good too but I really liked the fishcake/tamagoyaki thing. I would order a side of that if I could. I would try it again though and try it for a beach day! read more

Good quality authentic Japanese bentos. Not much selection but this is a great place to stop by for grab and go bentos! I got the tempura bento which came with shrimp tempura and a variety of other vege tempuras. Parking can be challenging but I got lucky and found street parking right in front of the store. read more

Obento Rinka - Shrimp tempura bento - Japanese Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The Hana bento has 12 small compartments. The box and compartments are very pretty as they all have different designs in each one which you can see once you eat the content. Included : one rice bowl with a little sprinkle of purple looking Ume powder, a rice ball with cooked shrimp and rice ball with unagi on top. There was okra, shredded pickled vegetables, a piece of tamago, tofu patti, a cream croquette, 2 one inch pieces of steak, a small shio salmon, one small breaded shrimp, a portion of what I think is a mixture of vegetables and mashed potato/ maybe okara inside( guessing only) , one piece fried chikuwa, and for dessert warabi mochi with beans. For MY taste the rice items were great. The steak was lean but tough, the salmon was a little too salty for my taste, My favorite items were the tamago, tofu nugget, okra, potato with veggies, and dessert. They do have many other less expensive bentos that look pretty good. All seem neatly displayed. read more

If you've ever been to a department store's food hall in Japan, then Obento Rinka will give you a very familiar vibe. This place brings a flood of joy to me because stopping at a food hall (especially right before closing for deeply discounted bento prices!) is one of my to-dos every time we visit the motherland. Obento Rinka is a gem. Delish bento, no doubt. Legit Japanese options. (See my pics!) Kind staff. Easy street parking - here's to hoping someone has left a few extra mins of their already paid for meter! ...and the convenience can't be beat...just pick what you want, pay & go! Support small local businesses! read more

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I've had this placed bookmarked for a while because I've read so many things about this place. I just have never had a chance to go here. We came on an odd day like a holiday or a weekend. I actually think those days may be the best days because the parking is really tough where Obento Rinka is located. It's located right on Beretania so you have to park on the street. I would imagine that the street parking during the week is pretty full. We were lucky that day and found a spot right in front. Obento Rinka is kind of a small place. I guess I imagined it to be a little bigger. There isn't a lot of selection of bentos but what they do have looked very yummy. I had the hamburger with the two musubis. My husband had the pork ginger and my daughter had the miso butterfish. The hamburger and butterfish was good. Didn't get a chance to try the pork ginger because someone gobbled it up before offering any. They also had hot items that they were selling. They were selling croquettes. We bought the sweet potato ones and the curry one. It was really good. It tastes like Japan kind of croquette. Everything tasted good, just the price was kind of steep. I think my husband said he paid like $60 for our lunch. That's super pricey just for bentos and take out. read more

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