There's a tradition in my office for new staff to plan the annual Halloween and Christmas party. COVID put a halt to this tradition the last 2 years, so it was nice for our office to celebrate again. I've already paid my dues by planning these parties when I first joined so I had the luxury of just RSVPing. In the invitation, it was mentioned that the food is being catered by Nippon Bento and Catering (NBC). I don't recall ever trying them, so I was intrigued.Established in 1989, NBC has been serving Japanese bentos in the Dillingham area where you can also order from them online (Door Dash, Grub Hub, or Bite Squad). They have a large assortment to choose from and even have vegetarian ones and can also have brown rice for a surcharge. I was impressed with their website for visuals of their assorted bentos. I took no part in the planning nor coordinating but here's what I experienced. NBC's staff came to deliver the food to our office in the Kaimuki area. Party trays were properly labeled and placed in our conference room. Sauces and salad dressings were also labeled and packaged separately. Impressive. It was time to eat and here's a summary of our luncheon menu:Fried Noodles (3/5)Your standard local-style fried noodles using Sun Noodles (?) yakisoba cooked with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, sliced onions, and large chunks of celery. It was okay - - nothing to write home about. Mochiko Chicken (4/5)Boneless and skinless chicken thigh meat cut into chunks that were marinated and deep fried until golden brown. This was delicious but would have been better if the chicken was piping hot. Chinese Roast Pork (2/5)This dish had potential as the pork belly was marinated and seasoned well but it was a tad bit overcooked. The skin was still crispy, but I found the meat to be too hard to my liking. A few enjoyed this dish but many of us found the meat difficult to chew on. Meat Jun (4/5)Another local favorite that was executed well - the meat was marinated nicely and still tender. It had just enough egg batter to keep the dish together. But I found the accompanying sauce heavy on the soy sauce and somewhat monotone. Could have used a bit more vinegar and/or sesame oil. Misoyaki Butterfish (4/5)I was skeptical of this dish as I understand the high cost to make this. The butterfish was sliced thicker than I had anticipated, and it was prepared nicely. I do understand that food is made ahead of time and to be eaten later but it would have tasted better if the food was hot. Corn (3/5)Your typical commercialized canned corn that has been jazzed up with some butter, salt and pepper. I'm not a fan for corn but some of my colleagues enjoyed it.Choi Sum (5/5)Surprisingly, this was one of my favorite things to eat. Compared to what I'm used to eating at Chinese restaurants, the choy sum was cut unconventionally into small pieces but really enjoyed the seasoning. Seemed like they added some shichimi (?) for a little kick. This was delicious eaten at room temperature.Green Salad (3.5/5)I was happy that a premade green salad mix was not used. I appreciate the salad components of fresh and crisp romaine lettuce, sliced cucumbers, carrots, and celery were used. This was served with an Asian dressing on the side.Not sure if my colleagues are small eaters but we did have quite a bit of leftovers. We had lunch for 2 more days for those staff who wanted to eat. One of my colleagues did an excellent job repurposing the roast pork by adding tomatoes, onions and reheated in an oven. Overall, I was impressed with the food quality as it exceeded my expectations. I will consider using NBC should I need bentos or need to cater food for an event.
Visit Restaurant Page
"Soft Shell Crab Sandwich: FOOD ORGASM Was just SO DARN GOODOH- MY- GOSH!: Soft shell crab lightly breaded and crunchyPerfectly Toasty Bun Fresh lettuce and tomatoThat tarter sauce got the right stuff in it and OOOH My -- you just have to catch it when it's on the special if the dayWOWZA!!!! Eyes roll back in the head!Order it. Sit Down cause it's gonna be GOOOD! (See photo) everything just the right texture."
"Timmy T's is a FANTASTIC sandwich shop for everyone! Parking spots are in the back (there's not a lot of parking, but it's a place you don't want to miss).FOOD: I ordered the Goodfella and man that hit the spot. Great fresh cut meats and soft bread. Just an awesome flavor and well worth the price. The menu seems well balanced with options for everyone. SERVICE: Very friendly service and smiling faces. What else could you ask for?! It's great.OVERALL: Timmy T's had some locals and tourists. I always trust anywhere that locals are eating at. The food and service are great so don't miss out! I would highly recommend this place for anyone looking for a quick bite or to sit and enjoy a fresh meal."
