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Hotto Motto
Hotto Motto is a takeaway bento chain operated by Plenus under the concept of offering to a wide population freshly made, hot, boxed meals that are delicious, comforting, reassuring and prepared with care. "Hotto" has the double meaning of "hot" and "hotto-suru" (to feel relieved). Our symbol mark features a shiny grain of rice, which embodies Hotto Motto's commitment, philosophy and pride in the rice it serves. The brand's key colors represent healthy and active daily living, the warmth of freshly prepared hot food, and the warmth of human hearts. The operation of our Hotto Motto shops nationwide is driven by a passion for the pursuit of enjoyable food. We will be working to expand our network of shops so that they are easy and convenient to access. - From http://www.plenus.co.jp/english/hottomotto.php
Ok..so the United States has McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy's...to sum it up...
BARF! Let's just say,
"America needs Hotto Motto!" As the companies website mentions, they serve their meals in boxes. This is a reference to bento boxes. Here's a quick summary of what bento boxes are and where they came from:
Bentō (弁当 or べんとう, Bentō) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine. A traditional bento consists of rice, fish or meat, and one or more pickled or cooked vegetables as a side dish. Containers range from disposable mass produced to hand crafted lacquerware. Although bento are easily available in many places throughout Japan, including convenience stores, bento shops (弁当屋, bentō-ya?), train stations, and department stores, it is still common for Japanese homemakers to spend considerable time and energy producing an appealing boxed lunch.
Bento can be very elaborately arranged. Contests are often held where homemakers can compete for the most aesthetically pleasing arrangements. The food is often decorated to look like people, animals, or characters and items such as flowers and plants. This style of elaborate bento is called kyaraben.
History The origin of bento can be traced back to the late Kamakura Period (1185 to 1333), when cooked and dried rice called hoshi-ii (糒 or 干し飯, literally "dried meal") was developed. Hoshi-ii can be eaten as is, or can be boiled with water to make cooked rice, and is stored in a small bag. In the Azuchi-Momoyama Period (1568 to 1600), wooden lacquered boxes like today's were produced and bento would be eaten during a hanami or a tea party.
In the peaceful and prosperous time of the Edo Period (1603 to 1867), bento culture spread and became more refined. Travelers and sightseers would carry a simple koshibentō (腰弁当, "waist bento"), consisting of several onigiri wrapped with bamboo leaves or in a woven bamboo box. One of the most popular styles of bento, called makuno-uchi bentō ("between-act bento"), was first made during this period. People who came to see Noh and Kabuki ate specially prepared bento between maku (acts). Numerous cookbooks were published detailing how to cook, how to pack, and what to prepare for occasions like Hanami and Hinamatsuri.
In the Meiji Period (1868 to 1912), the first ekibentō or ekiben (駅弁当 or 駅弁, "train station bento") was sold. There are several records that claim where ekiben was first sold, but it is believed that it was sold on 16 July 1885, at the Utsunomiya train station, and contained two onigiri and a serving of takuan wrapped in bamboo leaves. As early schools did not provide lunch, students and teachers carried bento, as did many employees. A "European" style bento with sandwiches also went on sale during this period.
In the Taisho period (1912 to 1926), the aluminum bento box became a luxury item because of its ease of cleaning and its silver-like appearance. Also, a move to abolish the practice of bento in school became a social issue. Disparities in wealth spread during this period, following an export boom during World War I and subsequent crop failures in the Tohoku region. A bento too often reflected a student's wealth, and many wondered if this had an unfavorable influence on children both physically, from lack of adequate diet, and psychologically, from a clumsily made bento or the richness of food. After World War II, the practice of bringing bento to school gradually declined and was replaced by uniform food provided for all students and teachers.
Bento regained its popularity in the 1980s, with the help of the microwave oven and the proliferation of convenience stores. In addition, the expensive wood and metal boxes have been replaced at most bento shops with inexpensive, disposable polystyrene boxes. However, even handmade bento have made a comeback, and they are once again a common, although not universal, sight at Japanese schools. The Bento is still used by workers as a packed lunch, by families on day trips, for school picnics and sports days etc. The Bento, made at home, is wrapped in a furoshiki cloth, which acts as both bag and table mat.
Bento is also popular in Taiwan. Bendong (POJ: piān-tong) or Biendang (便當, "convenience pack") made its way to Taiwan in the first half of the 20th century from Japan, where it remains very popular to the present day. The term is a loan word from the Japanese word in Taiwanese and Taiwanese Mandarin.
In 2003, airports started offering an analogous version of the ekiben: bento filled with local cuisine, to be eaten while waiting for an airplane or during the flight.
Types of bento Shōkadō bentō (松花堂弁当) is a traditional black-lacquered Japanese bento box. It inspired Lenovo's ThinkPad design.
Chūka bentō (中華弁当) are filled with Chinese food. While Chinese do have cold plates, it is more for appetizers or midnight "snack". The food that is associated with chuka bento was invented in Japan.
Kamameshi bentō (釜飯弁当) are sold at train stations in the Nagano prefecture. A bento is packed in a clay pot and cooked. This clay pot is a souvenir item.
Makunouchi bentō (幕の内弁当) is a classic style of bento with rice, a pickled ume fruit (umeboshi), a slice of broiled salmon, a rolled egg, etc.
Noriben (海苔弁) is the simplest bento, with nori dipped in soy sauce covering cooked rice.
Sake bentō (鮭弁当) is a simple bento with a slice of broiled salmon (鮭, sake) as the main dish.
Shidashi bentō (仕出し弁当) is made in a restaurant and delivered during lunch. This bento is often eaten at a gathering like a funeral or a party. It is usually packed with traditional Japanese foods like tempura, rice and pickled vegetables. A shidashi bento packed with European-style food is also available.
Sushizume (鮨詰め) literally means "packed sushi", and is a bento filled with sushi.
Tori bento (鳥弁当) consists of pieces of chicken cooked in sauce served over rice. It is a popular bento in Gunma prefecture.
Hinomaru bento (日の丸弁当) is the name for a bento consisting of plain white rice with an umeboshi in the centre. The name was taken from the Hinomaru, the Japanese flag, which has a white background with a red circle in the centre. Pure Hinomaru bento only consists of rice and umeboshi to flavor rice without any other side dishes. The metal bento boxes, once popular in Japan, were often corroded by the acid of umeboshi, eventually making a hole in the middle of the lid.
Other Hokaben (ホカ弁) is any kind of bento bought at take-out bento shops. Freshly cooked hot (hokka hoka) rice is usually served with freshly prepared side dishes. The name was popularized after a pioneering take-out bento franchise in the field, Hokka Hokka Tei.
Hayaben (早弁), literally "early bento", is eating a bento before lunch, and having another lunch afterward.
Dokaben (ドカベン) is a baseball manga of which the title came from the protagonist, Taro Yamada's large bento box (dokaben).
Ekiben is a bento sold at railway stations (eki). There are many kinds of ekiben. Most are inexpensive and filling.
ok...enough about bento boxes. Now back to Hotto Motto. I went to grab a meal yesterday on my trip to Hedo Point. I ordered a bowl of rice, fried balls of chicken, and ginger pork over rice. Wow! I was super hungry and it was tasty! I didn't eat all the fried chicken but I did finish off every last bite of the ginger pork over rice. Everyone in the car had a bite too so that helped. Yum...ginger. Unlike fast food chains in America, Hotto Motto is strictly take out so there is no place inside the store to eat. Another good part about this restaurant chain is that there is a picture menu (with English) so ordering is extremely easy.
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Ruben
non-member comment
HOTTO MOTTO
Ahhh yes, this was very good eating when i was stationed in Okinawa, I would love to open a HOTTO MOTTO in the sates...