How Did I Meet CharaBento?
One day, my adventurous friend, “Chasing James”, went to Robinson’s Time Square at Talamban to shoot some video clips for his vlog of the selected items we have hauled from Thrift Shop (Ukay-Ukay). At that time, there’s a program happening in the activity area, so we were looking for a possible place were we can have our fun shoot. We happened to see this café that really caught our attention. And since we didn’t have our lunch yet, we decided to get inside and had our meals.
Upon ordering, we saw in their menu these very affordable meals that are prepared artistically, very instagram-perfect! My eyes were delighted and with no second thoughts, I ordered the three-bear bangsilog and James had his cute panda pork-adobo meal.
Later, I learned that Charabento had been having charabento classes previously and had stopped since the soft opening of their café here in Timesquare, Talamban. I actually have been eyeing on bento meals since before. I have a parent in the private school where I taught before in Zamboanga, who has been preparing artful bento meals for her kids and has always been posting her prepared meals on her FB account. I always wish to learn some things about creating and preparing these kind of meals for my “tatlong bebes” (my three boys).
I felt like heavens above had listened to my prayers and wishes! After years of just seeing posts after posts on Facebook, I finally had a chance to experience first-hand the preparation of bento meals! At last, it is happening now and this wish is granted because of Charabento! Together with Vlogger/YouTuber, Ma2ke TV, we had our Charabento tutorials from the owner herself, Ms. Rowena Ajero.
The Start of CharaBento
Ms. Ajero shared to us that her hobby of creating these artful meals was primarily because of her kids. Being an artist, herself, she was able to translate this passion into creating bento meals creatively. Bento, as known in Japan, is a single-portion homemade or takeout meal that is composed of rice, meat and vegetables. Because Ms. Ajero had the artistic way of creating some famous cartoon characters into her bento meals and bento boxes, she named this CHARABENTO – which means Characters in Bento.
CharaBento Class
If you’re a mom like me who has their preschoolers who are difficult to feed, or an Ate or future moms out there, here’s a new, trendsetting way of preparing meals that every kid, AND even adult will love. If you’re in Cebu, and is wanting to learn the art of creating bento meals, here’s a good news for EVERYONE and for every aspiring bento artists out there! CharaBento is again opening their CharaBento Classes once a month starting this August 2019. The classes are open every last Sunday of the month.
Important Information:
- What: CharaBento FunMeet/Mini Workshop
- When: Every Last Sundays of the Month Starting August 2019, 1:00 – 3:00 PM
- Where: CharaBento Café, 2/F Talamban Time’s Square, Gov. M. Cuenco Ave. Cebu City
- Participation Fee:
- P750 (mom and child)
- P500 (without companion)
The registration/participation fee includes the food ingredients for 2 bento boxes, the free use of tools and some refreshments.
Please check this link for the registration and for a slot reservation.
What are you waiting for? Unleash that creativity in you! Come and join them and you’ll be really surprised with the outputs you’ll produce. Don’t worry if you feel that you don’t have that talent, because honestly,I had been there. I felt like I have no art skills, really, but you’ll just be amazed once you finished creating your CharaBento meal.
Checkout these fun-filled photos we have during our tutorial session with Ms. Rowena on CharaBento Making.
(L-R: Ada Nonie, Ada Elaine, Ms. Wheng and Maistrang Laagan)
I can’t put much into words my experience for this bento tutorial, but I have it documented on my vlog. Please make sure to watch it on my Youtube Channel, link is here.
For more information or queries, please visit and like the pages CharaBento and CharaBento Foodart, Coffee and Tea House of Ms. Rowena Ajero.
How to get here?
From Ayala Malls, you can ride a 13C jeepney with a fare of 11php or may opt to ride a taxi or grab. Below is the google map direction of CharaBento, TimeSquare Talamban if you are travelling from Ayala Center Cebu.
Hope to see you there, dear laagans!!!
