There’s a food truck serving authentic Japanese Bento Boxes in a Trafford retail park

When you think of the Trafford area, it’s likely that Manchester United and the Trafford cricket ground are what springs to mind.

But, if you venture into the White City Retail Park and look past the massive Iceland Warehouse, Aldi and Nando’s, you’ll see a small truck dishing up – arguably – some of the best Japanese street food in the city.

Bento Safari is a relatively new concept, and started its life on the corner of the retail park as a mobile kitchen set up under a gazebo. But last month the restaurant upgraded to a food truck, meaning the kitchen and the menu was expanded.

Bento Safari’s owner and head chef, Yusuke (known as Whisky ‘like the drink!’), recently moved to Manchester from Japan with both the desire to explore what our city has to offer and to bring a taste of his country to Mancunians.

Whisky has crafted a menu of four homemade Bento Boxes, a meal that you’ll find being eaten by millions of people over in Japan for lunch every single day. Bento Boxes are known as a ‘little bit of everything’ in Japanese restaurants, and come packed as a single-serving in a Bento, ready to be eaten during a lunch hour.

Whisky’s creations include a tender, melt-in-the-mouth slow-cooked Pork Ginger offering for £7.50 as well as a Salmon Bento for £8.50, which comes topped with his own homemade miso and butter sauce.

There’s also a Vegan Japanese Curry for £7 and the Japanese Pancake Bento for £6 which consists of Whisky’s homemade okonomiyaki, a popular savoury pancake that originates from Osaka, topped with Whisky’s homemade okonomiyaki sauce and lashings of Japanese mayonnaise.

Each Bento Box comes served with a side of rice, salad and pickles.

Whisky has big plans to introduce a Katsu Chicken Curry in the next couple of weeks, so make sure to follow the official Bento Safari Instagram page to stay posted.

Bento Safari can be found at White City Retail Park, Chester Road, Old Trafford, Stretford, Manchester, M16 0RP.