Bento Tools - Food Picks

Bento picks are a fast way to decor your bento. They are great when you are in a rush, and still want to make a kawaii looking bento. :) There are lots of varieties out there and you will be spoilt for choice.  I love bento picks and often can't resist getting more.


I keep them in compartment boxes like this, I find it easier to pick and choose them this way.


And here's another box of picks that I've collected. Lol, yah, I think I'm collecting them, more than using them.


These are cupcake toppers and picks. Yes, you can use them for your bentos too. However, do take note that they are much bigger as compared to the food picks.


Yet another box in my collection. I've yet to use quite a lot of these picks/toppers. *hides face in shame*

You can also make your own food picks. I'm sharing some of the materials you can use below.

Washi tapes are my favourite. They are available from scrapbooking shops.


You can also use fabric and lace tapes.


These cartoon tapes make very cute picks.


These wrapping ties can be used too, just twirl them round the toothpick.


And lastly, stickers! You'll need the same sticker for the front and back, and add a dot of glue to secure the sticker on the toothpick. Alternatively, you can also cut out a piece of paper and use that as the backing instead. :)

Do note that these materials might not be totally safe to be used on food, so as a precaution, do avoid the tape/sticker from touching the food directly.

Items seen in this post:
  

Bear Bento Again

Yes, like what I said yesterday, it's bears again for today. :) This time, the bears are moulded out of mashed potatoes instead. I've seen these mashed potatoes bears on Japan sites since rather long ago, but I can't read Japanese and I was not sure what I should mix in, so I did not try. But last week, thanks to a fellow Japanese bento Mummy who knows English, I can finally try this. :) If you want to try, just mix in some margarine(or butter), milk and a pinch of salt after mashing up the potato, leave it in the fridge after that and you can start moulding once it's cold. :)


This one is for IT, in the box are chicken/cheese burgers, mashed potatoes, strawberries, grapes and blueberries. :)


LT's crate, same food as above. It's the first time I've made chicken patties for their burgers, I've always made beef patties. :)


This one is for IT to bring to School, just a cheese/chicken burger inside. I'm not sure whether this bear can last till recess, I'll have to check with him. :P


My crates are back again. :) Love 'playing' with the mashed potatoes, will be trying out other animals with it. :)


Burger for me too, had mine with chicken patty, egg and curly crisps. It's a mini burger using butter rolls. So, I kept some dishes from last night's dinner to go with it, Szechuan spicy pork and cabbage/enoki stir fry. lol, yes I know it's a wierd combi. :)


I bought picks again. Lovely picks from Jmama. Aren't they sweet? :)

Bento Shopping in Taiwan

We are back from our holiday. :) I'm sharing the bento related bits of our shopping in this post. Hope you will find it useful if you are going over for a holiday in Taiwan. :)

You can find bento stuff in Daiso, Saiyukan and Hands Tailung. The stuff they carry are different, so I think the latter two are definitely worth a visit. You can probably give Daiso a miss if you already have one in your country.


I did not plan to go Daiso, but since We walked past one, I went in for a look. Spot the boys and me in the mirror. :P


Their bento stuff were the same as what we have in Singapore. But their goods were slightly cheaper, around $1.70 each.


More bento stuff that I saw at Daiso.


The next shop I went to was Saiyukan. They have quite a few branches, and most of their stuff are relatively cheap.


I went to three different branches, and the variety is slightly different.


Lots of lunch boxes, I did not get any coz my cupboard has no space. :(


Love their picks, it's cheap, most are priced at slightly over $2.


Nori punchers and rice molds.


These were from the baking rack.


And lastly, I went to Hands Tailung. This was opened by Tokyu Hands in Japan. For those who have been to Tokyu Hands, you will know that it spans 7 levels. But Hands Tailung in Taiwan is a lot smaller, it's only one level, and so the bento stuff are very limited.


These were from the shop above Taipei train station.


Sandwich cutters. :)


Sauce containers, picks, etc.


These were from Hands Tailung in Zhongli. I love the lego lunch boxes, but they were ex!


There was another rack of bento stuff, but the staff saw me and stopped me from taking photos after this shot. :P


These are my loots. I could not resist the picks coz they were cheap, though I hardly use them in my bentos. :P


Some foodstuff from their supermarket, and a bento book by a Japenese chef who is based in Taiwan. :)


And these will be for my 200th post bento giveaway. I'll probably add in a lunch box too then. :)