1.
a bento box delivered from a caterer or restaurant — typically ordered in bulk for meetings, funerals, film shoots, or other events rather than individual consumption
Refers to bento meals prepared by a catering service and delivered to the customer, rather than bento bought at a store or made at home. Usually ordered by offices, event organizers, or families for gatherings, and often more elaborate than convenience-store bento.
Composed of 仕出し ("catering; preparing and delivering food") + 弁当 ("bento, boxed lunch"). Refers to bento that comes from a catering service rather than something homemade or bought off the shelf.
Usage
- Typical occasions: business meetings (会議), funerals and memorial services (葬儀, 法事), film shoots, family gatherings, and sporting events.
- Usually ordered in bulk; quality and price vary from simple boxed meals to elaborate multi-tiered presentations.
- Common verbs: 頼む, 注文する ("to order"), 配る ("to distribute"), 用意する ("to prepare/provide").
Common collocations
- 仕出し弁当を頼む: to order catered bento
- 仕出し弁当を注文する: to place an order for catered bento
- 仕出し弁当を配る: to hand out catered bento
- 仕出し弁当の予約: a catering order reservation
Similar words
- 弁当: bento — any boxed meal, whether homemade, store-bought, or catered.
- 宅配弁当: home-delivery bento — routinely delivered, often a subscription service for elderly or busy customers.
- 駅弁: train-station bento — sold at stations for travel.
- ケータリング: catering — loanword; often implies Western-style buffet catering rather than boxed meals.