Japanese food is traditionally served in a simple, sleek, & dramatic style unmatched by any other cuisine. How can you re-create the visual drama of the Japanese presentation? Simple Menus for the Bento Box has the answers with recipes & designs for meals served in a shokado bento box. The black lacquered shokado bento box, covered with a lid & separated into four square compartments, a common sight in Japan, is appearing with increasing frequency in America as an artful way to present food. Acclaimed New York City chefs Ellen Greaves & Wayne Nish have created twelve seasonal menus especially for the shokado bento box. Each menu has four contrasting but harmonious recipes, one for each of the four shokado compartments.