I remember my son was around two years old when he tried his first Ebi Fry (Fried Prawn). He immediately fell in love with this crispy crunchy prawn and it’s one of his favorite dishes since.
The Ebi Fry he had was a part of Japanese Bento that I purchased from a Japanese grocery store. He was still small to eat his own lunch so we used to share one bento. Ebi Fry Bento typically has only one large deep fried prawn along with several side dishes, and the whole prawn was gone before I realized.
When my son was first born, I continue to cook but did not deep fry food because you need full attention when deep frying. Stepping out of the kitchen can be very dangerous when you’re deep frying (Please stay in the kitchen at all times while deep frying!).
When I learned that he really, REALLY loves Ebi Fry, I occasionally made it for him when my husband was around. It was a real treat for all of us. Several years already passed by since then, but my son’s love for Ebi Fry hasn’t changed a bit. I knew his face would brighten up when he sees Ebi Fry in his lunch box. So I made it again.
Previous Dinner was: Ebi Fry
Lunch Next Day:
- Ebi Fry Bento
- Small fruit box
- Water bottle
Ingredients:
- Japanese rice
- Ebi Fry
- Lettuce for garnish
- Tomato
- Pre-blanched broccoli
- Pre-cooked Tamagoyaki (Japanese Rolled Omelette)
- Furikake
Instructions:
- Fill up half of bento box with Japanese rice. Let it cool so that hot/warm rice will not warm up other cool food.
- Reheat leftover Ebi Fry in a toaster oven until it's warm thoroughly.
- Wash lettuce and tomatoes and pat dry. Place nicely in the bento box.
- Pack cooled Ebi Fry on top of lettuce.
- Put Tamagoyaki in the bento box.
- Sprinkle furikake on top of rice.
- Cool down completely before closing the bento box.
Notes
[Please read FOOD SAFETY TIPS].
* This lunch is for my 6-year-old son.
Enjoy making bento!
Hi, I'm Nami. Thanks for stopping by Just One Cookbook. You can read little bit more about me 
{ 73 comments… read them below or add one }
I do love fried prawn. Yours looks wonderfully crisp and delicious Nami
My daughter and I are crazy about Ebi Fry! She would love this bento!
This bento looks so good, Nami! Love the fried prawn!
Nami,
This is amazing. I love this bento box! I would like to try it for my son, he would love this. Is EbiFry the same as Shrimp Tempura?
Thank you for always sharing cool recipes!
Anabella
Hi Anabella! Shrimp Tempura and Ebi Fry are two completely different recipes in case some people wonder if they are same. Tempura (batter) vs Ebi Fry (panko breaded). Shrimp tempura is usually used for some sushi rolls. Hope this helps.
Shrimp Tempura recipe here: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/shrimp-tempura/
I love those tempura shrimp but have to admit that I buy the frozen version (called torpedo shrimp in one of the brands available to me) to include in my sushi rolls since I don’t make bento boxes.
Yours look amazin … barring the raw tomato wedge.
I just want to quickly mention that Shrimp Tempura and Ebi Fry are two completely different recipes in case some people wonder if they are same. Tempura (batter) vs Ebi Fry (panko breaded). Shrimp tempura is usually used for some sushi rolls. Hope this helps.
Shrimp Tempura recipe here: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/shrimp-tempura/
I should have said that I enjoy BOTH tempura battered and panko breaded and then fried shrimp. The torpedo shrimp are panko breaded and the kind I put in my sushi rolls. Thank you for the reminder and opportunity to clarify.
Nami,
I just found the difference between ebi-fry and tempura shrimp on this tutorial.
http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/ebi-fry-fried-shrimp/
Thank you,
Anabella
Hi Anabella! Sorry my response was slow. Glad to hear you found the answer.
Looks good! remind of me when I was in school went to “Ensoku”:)
Hi Chiemi-san! Thank you! I miss going to ensoku with obento!
This looks delicious! (As all of your bento boxes do…) I especially LOVE ebi furai!! I always used to order the ebi furai teishoku whenever I’d see it on the menu at lunch restaurants in Japan.
ohhh, I am in love with this bento. I see why your son loves it. Definitively would be my favorite too.
Mmmm this bento is an special favourite
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
That looks so good, I love fried shrimp as well but your version looks better than any I have tried!
I love your bentos, Nami!
Bento makes a great school lunch. I bet your children love to have it…xx
Fried prawns are addiction for me… These look wonderful!
Such cute Bento Nami.
I love how colorful this is! Looks great!
I LOVE fried food to begin with, so i definitely love fried ebi! I know i`ll be glad to see this in my lunch box! Haha~
Oh what can I say, I feel so good when I;m looking to your bentos!
Have a nice weekend my friend!
I see why it’s his favorite! His bento looks scrumptious!!
Why don’t u make for me next time, dear? I love Ebi fry & I’m one big kid too! Hey, u may like to check out my latest dining @ L’Embellir, A Michelin-starred French Restaurant In Tokyo!
Oh my! I would most definitely not complain if you packed me this for lunch. Ebi fry is also one of my favourite-way more than prawn tempura!!
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you for your kind comment Vivi!
Hi Nami, your son is a very lucky boy!
Delicious
Nami, what a very loving blog post – I like the way you write about your son´s food preference. It is so nice to see the happy face when you prepare the favorite food(s) for one or more of the children, that´s what makes cooking and preparation so much fun! And your son´s bento box with the delicious looking Fried Prwns looks delightful – although, personally, I am partial to the Tamagoyaki!
It’s such a joy seeing the little ones loving their food. That looks delicious, Nami. Love the little cupcake and little happy face. Such sweet memories for your son : )
I bet your son’s face brightens up when he sees ebi fry! Mine has already brightened up looking at your photos
Ebi fry is one of the best dishes in the world (not only in Japanese cuisine). I could have it every day for lunch (especially if it was placed in such a beautiful bento as yours). Alas mine never looks so gorgeous…
(Sorry for being late with this comment! I am really slow this week… or is it you who is amazingly quick with posting? I am impressed as always).
What a gorgeous Bento for your son. My children love it when I make something like this for them, I will have to start doing it again. Thank you for reminding me
Beautiful… and delicious for someone like me wholoved fired prawns and fried fish!
I envy the light you have in your pictures… here in Sweden in winter is so dark… at 14:30 is already dark and the sun is so low. I am getting so mad because I can take nice light up picture (with natural light) only during the weekend when I do it at mid-day), in the evenings is really difficult. BUT it is getting better now since we are going towards spring.
Ciao.
He’s always been a smart kid, eh? Still trying to get sushi rice down first…I’m trying…
This bento is for me….!!! I love prawn…!!!
My face would brighten up too if you served me this. Absolutely lovely, happy weekend
I think so far this is my favorite of your bento recipes. Love everything in there, yummmy!
It looks beautiful and very appetizing!
Cheers,
Rosa
Does the prawn still stay crispy in a bento? I love fried shrimp and I know I’d love this but never thought to put it in a lunch box!
I cannot compare the crispiness level compared to right after deep fried (this is the best!). However, if I re-heat by toaster oven in the morning, let it cool down completely and pack in the bento box (therefore no moisture after closing the lid), it’s pretty decent. However, since I grew up eating bento in Japan, I’m used to eating room temperature bento… so my standard for bento may be different from you though.
I don’t eat prawns but but boy this crispy looking one makes me wish I did.
This bento looks delicious. I like how you package it too.
Carmen
Thank you so much for your kind words Carmen!
Nami, your son is really lucky to get such a delicious home made lunch box!
Now I learned as well the difference between Ebi Fry and Shrimp Tempura, very interesting. Thank you for sharing!
Oh wow…this looks SO good. How I wish I can have that for lunch…and even dinner
Looks good! I can never forget the tutorial of rolled omelet. I even showed it to my husband, that how neatly you do all videos.
Nami this is stunning. I really love bentos and wish my kids were younger so I could have some fun with them. It’s such a cool idea.
全部美味しそうです。They all look delicious!
完璧なエビフライ弁当のやり方を教えてくださってとてもありがたいです。
Very grateful to you Nami-san, for sharing the how-to for perfect shrimp fry bento.
If I was your son, I would come home with an empty bento box too! Looks so good.
My kids have some serious lunch box envy when they see these beautiful bento lunches your son gets.:) I love the shrimp… looks fantastic.
No two lunches are the same, Nami. Your son must delight every time he opens his lunch box. Many people in Ireland just a little older than me can recite what they had for school lunch on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday… because their State-aid lunches had only 5 variations, and I think they all rhymed: Jam, Spam, Ham… if only they’d had you in charge of the lunch menu!
Mmm, this would be my favorite too! I love all of your bentos!
Nothing better than fried prawns! Any kind of seafood seems to take to frying well. Another fun and beautiful bento.
I love all the bentos you’re making. Really good stuff – thanks.
Those shrimp look amazing!
Yum Yum! Too bad no shrimps for me
… I have to use either chicken or fish.
Mr. N (and the rest of us) love ebi fry! Mr. N in particular. Miss A just had her first ebi fry a few weeks ago and she too loves it. I’m always just so amazed by the variety of dishes you cook for your family. Delicious!
I so loe fried eby and this would make a most wonderful lunch. Only one though is cruel torture
Really delicious bento Nami! I Love fried prawns and so does my kids. All together looks wonderful and tasty!
Japanese cooks always know how to make fried foods healthy by adding vegies Nami
No wonder he fell in love with ebi fry: it is delicious and suits any man, little and not!
Your shrimp is gorgeous! A lot different that the fried shrimp that I grew up eating in the south. It was good but not as crispy as this looks. Yours looks healthier too. Love the combination of the shrimp and egg omelette! Another great lunch!
I agree with you re the dangers of deep-frying. I’m always anxious that the little guy will get splattered or worse. I love the look of your prawns. What a great meal and your bento box looks so pretty xx
Yummmm! I loved eating the ebi fries in Japanese restaurants in HK. Those were so crisp and looked so mouthwatering. Wonderful bento boxes, Nami. I am really amazed by the variations!
You’re a great mommy
Looks delicious! Now I want to buy a mini deep fryer.
My kids love ebi fry too. They always order the sushi with ebi fry on top, and sometimes they just eat the prawn and leave the rice! They’ll be so happy if I made this at home! Looks great! At school, the kids just sit on the ground to have lunch, no tables. So it might be a bit tricky to eat if I packed a bento lunch for them..hmm…
Oh my goodness – what do I need to do for you so that you can pack this for me for my work lunch?
What a sweet story! Time passes by too quickly with little ones. I bet your son will still love ebi fry when he has his own family. =)
That ebi fry looks crispy delicious
I must admit I don’t eat prawns but yours look super cute in the bento box and very golden and crunchy looking!
I think my kids will finish off the Ebi fry first too if I prepare this bento for them.
Made the pickled daikon and it was perfect on the 3rd day, like you said. Thanks!
Hi Shirley! I’m so happy to hear you liked my Pickle Daikon recipe! Thank you for letting me know!
This is a favorite of mine as well. You may have just answered my, “What shall I make for dinner?” question. Love your pix as always.
{ 1 trackback }