Located in Munich’s city center, BENTO YA is a Japanese izakaya that feels like cozy back-alley spot in Tokyo. Warm lighting, wooden décor, and soft noren (暖簾) curtains with traditional Japanese drawings set a relaxed dining vibe.
The real magic here is the incredible value – the unassuming bento boxes, almost legendary for their quality and price. I’d heard guests gasp in disbelief: How can such generous, deliciously authentic Japanese food exist at these prices? We had to try it out fork-first. Come join us as we dive in!
Restaurant Profile
🏷️ Name of the Restaurant: BENTO YA (incl. menu)
📍 Adress: Augustenstraße 4, 80333 München
🍜 Style: Japanese Cuisine – ramen, noodle dishes, donburi rice bowls, sushi, sashimi, tempura, bento, vegetarian options etc.
💰 Price: around 10 – 25 EUR per Person (incl. Drinks and Tips)
The Sip:
Ginger Tea with Lemon & Honey
Before the feast, a ritual of autumn’s warmth.
This ginger tea isn’t timid, but a bold, spirited brew that announces with a strong, peppery kick of fresh ginger. But the heat is soothed by a swirl of floral honey and lemon, for a balance of zing and sweetness.
It’s a great companion, especially if you’re about to eat fresh sashimi in the colder months, gently warming your stomach for the meal ahead.
The Starter:
Sashimi Moriawase (Small/Big)
This “small” platter shows BENTO YA’s generous spirit – because the portions are not small! Each piece is cut into thick, chef-respecting slabs. The salmon is a deep orange, buttery and rich. The tuna is a ruby-red jewel, firm and clean. The octopus offers a pleasant chew, and the sea bream (Tai) is delicate and slightly sweet.
The sashimi rests on a nest of shredded daikon, crisp cucumber, and reddish seaweed salad.
The Mains:
Often hidden in plain sight, the bento box section is the undisputed gold of the menu, offering a perfectly composed meal for around 10 euros.
Bento: A Quick Intro
A bento is a traditional Japanese meal packed neatly into a box, designed to balance flavor, texture, and nutrition. It often includes a main protein, rice, and a variety of sides. At BENTO YA, the bento boxes feature a generous portion of steamed rice, fried spring rolls, and a fresh salad, with a choice of proteins including chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, salmon, and unagi.
Following insider tips, we tried the next two bento and can truly recommend them.
Toriteri Bento:
We’re talking about a generous portion of chicken leg meat, rich with collagen; every bite is unbelievably juicy.
The skin is fried to an audibly crispy, glass-like and glazed in a smoky, sweet, and salty teriyaki sauce that caramelizes into a sticky glaze of glory.
The flavor is deep, with a hint of smoke that elevates it beyond a simple sweet sauce.
Take a piece of that crispy, tender, saucy chicken, pair it with a forkful of fresh greens, and enjoy the sublime balance of rich, savory, and fresh all in one bite.
Buta Kimchi Bento:
This is a Japanese-Korean power couple: while Kimchi is Korean, the Japanese have embraced it, especially in izakaya dishes. They often adapt it to be less fiery, blending it seamlessly into their own comfort food.
This bento is a wok-fired treasure. Tender slices of pork belly are stir-fried until the edges crisp up, then tossed with a tangy, fermented kimchi that isn’t overly spicy, but packs a mighty punch of umami. The pork’s richness is cut through by the kimchi’s acidity, and the dish is studded with leeks, cabbage, spring onions, and carrots for added aroma and crunch.
It’s served with that same refreshing salad, dressed in Goma Ae, a classic in Japanese cuisine. Made from ground toasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, vinegar, and a dash of mayonnaise, this sesame dressing provides a nutty, creamy, and slightly sweet-tangy flavor that complements the boldness of the Buta Kimchi.
So, there you have it – the culinary steal in Munich that delivers heart and soul. While our featured mains are dedicated to the crowd-favorite bento boxes, BENTO YA’s menu doesn’t end there. They also offer ramen noodle soup, donburi rice bowls piled high with cooked goodies or fresh sashimi.
Beyond that, from maki and nigiri to hearty curries and fried noodles and rice, the choices are wonderfully vast. And the best part – the excellent value continues across the entire menu.
Paired with attentive service, this spot is perfect for anyone looking for a satisfying experience without the hefty price tag.
Affordable Japanese food. The rice texture is on point, unlike those half-frozen supermarket sushi. For Munich, the taste is quite acceptable compared with places in a similar or even slightly higher price range. The owner is Vietnamese and very friendly, and there’s also an auntie who is a Vietnamese Chinese.
We ordered two rice dishes, some sushi, and a small beef plate, altogether €26. Not expensive. It’s a small place, not particularly refined, but the food was decent.
It’s labeled as a Japanese restaurant, but the flavors remind me more of Thai or Vietnamese cuisine. It doesn’t really taste like authentic Japanese food.
Thanks for the recommendation! Their fried tofu is also really good, crispy on the outside and perfectly fried.
I highly recommend the eel rice too, a generous portion for one person, and absolutely delicious!
The salmon sushi rice also food. The salmon is super fresh, and the sushi rice is excellent too.
Overall, this place is great! The service is friendly, every dish we ordered was a hit!
The prices are very reasonable by Munich standards, about €25 for two main dishes and two teas.
Personally, I think this chicken rice Bento is the best and most worth it in Munich! As for their ramen dishes, they are still not as good as what you’d get at a proper ramen shop.
Most of the main dishes at Bento Ya are around ten-something euros each. They offer bento boxes 🍱, ramen, and sushi.
The food itself is fairly average, but the dishes come out super fast, and the service is attentive. The interior was much cleaner and nicer than I expected, so it turned out to be a comfortable and pleasant quick meal.
There are quite a few solo diners too. It’s the kind of place where eating alone feels perfectly easy and relaxed.