An Evening with Brendan Liew

As part of our October Kino Eats event series, join us for evening in celebration of chef and author Brendan Liew and his new book, Ekiben. Hosted by writer Lee Tran Lam, hear the food and travel stories that inspired Brendan's recipes and have your copy of Ekiben signed, plus take home a special sweet treat inspired by Hokkaido chocolatier ROYCE', made by Brendan himself.

6:30pm arrivals for a 7pm start.

Tickets: $10 per person (+ GST and Humanitix fee)

Please note: Your $10 ticket fee is redeemable towards any book purchase on the night. Receive 20% off* all full-priced cookbooks.

About Ekiben:

Discover the cult-favourite bento boxes served at train stations all around Japan and learn how to recreate them in your own home.

For travelers crossing Japan by rail, few things capture the excitement of the journey quite like the “ekiben”, the bento boxes that are available at train stations. Delicious dishes packed neatly into lacquered trays, cardboard cases, or even plastic trains, these regional lunchboxes offer a taste of the landscape that rushes past your window.

Each train station has its own specialty, from Hokkaido’s oyster rice to Miyagi’s tender musubi maru (beef tongue) or Tokyo’s refined bamboo shoot bento. More than just a meal, ekiben are a celebration of local ingredients and craftsmanship. They are a delicious map of Japan’s geography and culture.

In this book, you can explore the significance of these special lunchboxes and recreate their components at home. There are recipes for the fillings of 15 ekiben, which sit alongside essays about the origins of this delicious tradition, its significance today and its future. Ekiben is an invitation to experience a unique aspect of Japanese culture and cuisine.

About Brendan Liew:

Brendan Liew spent time at the three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin in Roppongi, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and studied the art of ramen-making in Japan before delving into kappo and modern kaiseki cuisine. In Melbourne, he has worked at Kappo and Supernormal, had a pop-up cafe, Chotto, and is currently at Minamishima. He has travelled extensively through Japan’s countryside and major cities to explore, learn, and live Japan’s culture and cuisine.

About Lee Tran Lam:

Lee Tran Lam is a journalist, podcaster, editor and MC. She has written for The Guardian, Good Food, ABC, Gourmet Traveller, Eater, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. She is the host of podcast The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry, the Culinary Archive podcast for Sydney's Powerhouse Museum, and award-winning SBS show Should You Really Eat That? She is also the editor of the New Voices on Food anthology for Diversity In Food Media.

*Special offer for Cookbook Month, 1-31 October 2026.