Bentendo opens in Tokyo Joe's old Helmcken Street spot with made-to-order jyu boxes

There's a new Japanese counter at 955 Helmcken Street in downtown Vancouver, the space Tokyo Joe's used for more than 30 years. The new tenant, Bentendo, serves rice boxes topped with steak, roast beef, katsu or unagi. The mains are cooked after you order.

Goodbye, Tokyo Joe's

Vancouver Is Awesome reported in September that Tokyo Joe's had closed. The restaurant opened in the early-to-mid 1990s and spent most of its years at 955 Helmcken St. in the Wall Centre. Joseph Ree opened the first location in Kitsilano, and the Helmcken shop came a few years later.

The closure was quiet. The founder left a note on the door saying he had decided to retire. The note also said a new Japanese restaurant would move in.

What's on the menu

On its website, Bentendo calls itself a modern Japanese kitchen that mixes familiar Japanese flavours with a casual North American approach. Every meal comes in what it calls its signature jyu boxes. It links the idea to Japan, where dishes like unagi-don have long been served in lidded boxes.

Some early coverage called the boxes multi-tiered jubako. But a Japanese-language post by Vancouver food creator Moroko on Lemon8 says each box is a single layer.

The website says the rice is cooked throughout the day so it stays hot. Steak is grilled, roast beef sliced and katsu fried only after you order. Sides include rolled omelette, greens, pickles and miso soup.

Prices on the website (before tax):

The website says premium boxes come with miso soup and most come in regular or large. It also asks diners to mention any allergies.

There's more than boxes. Noms Magazine reports a short burger section, including a teriyaki burger made with a Japanese hamburg steak, and curry rice with katsu or karaage as add-ons. An opening-day listing on ma.to also mentions a Hamburg steak jyu ($19.95), warabi mochi ($5.95) and daigaku imo with ice cream ($6.95). Menus at new restaurants often change, so check before you go.

Opening, hours and ordering

Noms reported that Bentendo's Instagram announced an October 6 opening. The ma.to listing also gives October 6 as opening day, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Moroko's Lemon8 post says meals other than burgers come with miso soup and a side dish that changes daily.

Bentendo's website now lists hours of 11:00 to 21:00, Monday to Sunday. According to Noms, you order at the counter or call ahead for pickup. The website pitches the boxes as meals to take back to the office, home or a hotel room.

The ma.to listing and Moroko's post both describe Bentendo as Japanese-owned and say it does not expect tips. We couldn't find this on Bentendo's own website, so ask at the counter if you're not sure.

Our take

This section is DOJI's opinion, not reporting. We haven't eaten at Bentendo. Still, a hot rice box made to order is a change from the sushi and ramen that make up so much of downtown's Japanese food.

For Japanese speakers in Vancouver, it's also nice to see a Japanese kitchen take over from a long-running Japanese restaurant on the same block.

Have you tried Bentendo, or were you a Tokyo Joe's regular? Share your tips and memories on the DOJI community board. New to DOJI? Sign up here to join the conversation.