My name is Jen and I live in southern California where the climate is mild. I am working as a full time creative professional but gardening, taking photos, and cooking is my hobby. I started growing my own food starting in 2020, right before the pandemic, in my tiny garden, about two patches of 10x20 feet space each.

The most delicious food experiences that inspired me to create Pretty Bento is when I visited different cities, throughout Europe, North America, Mexico, and Asia. Foods always tasted better abroad- melons from Thailand tasted sweeter. Smoked red snapper from Mexico more tender and fresh. Pasta dishes from Italy are lighter, and packs a flavor punch with every al dente noodle bite. Hanwoo beef from South Korea is lean and clean - you just need few pieces wrapped in lettuce and perilla leaves with soy bean paste to feel full and satisfied.

Then I realized that the answer to the question was a simple fact. Food tasted better when the ingredients are at their best, in season, grown and or harvested directly from land and water.

With ease and convenience of fast and processed foods, we forget what natural ingredients should taste like. This inspired to me grow my own vegetables and fruit, and try to use key ingredients directly from the source. I may not be able to grow everything, but through friends, and resources, I have been able to seek fresh ingredients anywhere in the world. You can overnight fresh oysters and lobsters from Maine. Smoked salmon from Alaska. Get a big bottle of organic California Olive oil locally. Get 100 percent buckwheat soba noodles from Korean markets. Get the best ponzu sauce sourced from a Japanese Market.

The recipes in this site uses minimal ingredients- because I believe that the best tasting food does not need to be doused in sauces, with artificial sweetners, and flavor enhancers.

I encourage you to try growing your own food. You can have a small pot with soil, and grow radishes or herbs. Any food you grow will taste sweeter, crunchier, more savory, and more flavorful because its directly from the source. Try growing your own tomato. You’ll never buy store bought tomatoes again.