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G: TL;DR: The place near 23233 appears to be Akoya Kitchen (not “Akita”). Their Tofu Bento Box is a build-your-own bento that comes with rice, salad/veggie, and 2 gyoza, plus a drink. Their hibachi items are cooked with teriyaki sauce and are served with white or fried rice and mixed veggies (broccoli, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper). Below is a home clone: lightly crisped tofu in a simple teriyaki glaze and your choice of plain jasmine rice or hibachi-style fried rice. citeturn0search6turn0search14turn0search5turn0search1

What I can confirm online

• Restaurant & location: “Akoya Kitchen” operates in Richmond/Short Pump/Glen Allen (near 23233), offering Hibachi | Bento | Bowls. citeturn0search1
• Tofu Bento Box description: “Build your tofu bento box that comes with rice, veggie/salad, and gyoza (2). Also comes with a complimentary drink.” Pricing on delivery apps shows ~$15–$16. citeturn0search6turn0search14turn0search5
• Hibachi prep & sides: Hibachi entrées are “served with fried or white rice, assorted vegetables (broccoli, onions, zucchini, red bell pepper), and cooked with teriyaki sauce.” This strongly suggests the tofu in the bento is the same hibachi/teriyaki tofu. citeturn0search6

“Akoya Tofu Bento” at home (serves 2 generous bento portions)

Part A — Crispy Teriyaki Tofu (hibachi-style)

Ingredients

• 14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed 20–30 min, cut into ¾-inch cubes
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch
• 2 Tbsp neutral oil (canola/veg)
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter (hibachi flavor)
• Teriyaki glaze: 3 Tbsp soy sauce, 2 Tbsp mirin (or 1 Tbsp sugar + 1 Tbsp water), 1 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1 small garlic clove minced, ½ tsp grated ginger
• Optional veg (to match their hibachi mix): 1 heaping cup total of broccoli florets, sliced onion, zucchini half-moons, red bell pepper strips

Method

1. Coat tofu: Pat tofu dry, toss gently with cornstarch and a pinch of salt.
2. Pan-crisp: Heat neutral oil in a large skillet on medium-high. Add tofu; cook 6–8 min, turning to get all sides golden and lightly crisp. Push to the edges; add butter to the center and melt.
3. Stir-fry veg (optional): Add the mixed veg; stir-fry 2–3 min until crisp-tender.
4. Glaze: Whisk teriyaki ingredients. Pour into pan; simmer 30–60 sec, tossing until tofu is glossy and the sauce lightly thickens. Kill the heat when it coats the pieces (don’t reduce to syrup).

Flavor notes: That small hit of butter plus a quick teriyaki toss mirrors the “hibachi cooked with teriyaki sauce” line on their menu. citeturn0search6

Part B — Choose your rice

Pick whichever your mom usually gets.

Option 1: Simple White Rice (closest to plain bento rice)

• 1 cup jasmine rice (or medium-grain), rinsed until water’s mostly clear
• 1¼ cups water + ½ tsp neutral oil + pinch of salt
  Cook (rice cooker or stovetop). Rest 10 min, fluff. Keep warm.

Option 2: Hibachi Fried Rice (house-style)

Ingredients

• 3 cups day-old cooked rice (cold)
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter + 1 Tbsp neutral oil
• 2 eggs, beaten (optional if you want it meat-/egg-free)
• ¼ small onion (or a handful of scallion whites), finely chopped
• 1 small carrot, finely diced (and/or ¼ cup peas), optional
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1½ Tbsp soy sauce (to taste)
• ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
• Pinch of white pepper (or black), and a few scallion greens for finish

Method

1. Heat oil + butter in a wok/skillet over medium-high. Scramble eggs soft; remove.
2. Add onion/carrot; stir-fry 1–2 min. Add garlic for 20 sec.
3. Add rice; spread and let it sit 20–30 sec to steam-sear, then toss. Repeat until hot.
4. Season with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper; fold in eggs. Taste and adjust.

Bento assembly (like Akoya’s)

• Box it: Tofu teriyaki, rice (white or fried), a small salad/veggie (shredded lettuce/cabbage + carrot is typical), and 2 gyoza if you want to go the full route. A simple ginger dressing or a drizzle of kewpie mayo + rice vinegar works well on the salad. (Apps list the salad/veg & gyoza pairing.) citeturn0search6turn0search14

Tiny tweaks to really nail the shop vibe

• Butter finish: A pat of butter at the end of tofu or rice = classic hibachi richness. citeturn0search6
• Veg mix: Keep veg crisp-tender and recognizable (broccoli, onion, zucchini, red bell pepper). citeturn0search6
• Sauce amount: Akoya’s glaze reads light, not syrupy. Stop as soon as tofu is shiny.
• Rice choice: They let you pick white or fried—serve both if you’re testing which your mom’s box matches. citeturn0search6

Quick gyoza shortcut (if you want the full bento)

Pan-fry store-bought chicken/veggie gyoza per package, then steam-fry with a splash of water and lid for 2–3 min to finish.

Omission / uncertainty noted

• Your message said “Akita Kitchen”; the bento spot by 23233 with a Tofu Bento Box is Akoya Kitchen. If “Akita” is a different place you’ve seen locally, there may be name confusion; all the bento details above are from Akoya near 23233. citeturn0search6turn0search1

If you want, I can also write a one-pot version (sheet-pan tofu + rice cooker timing) for easy weeknight repeats.

G: Pressing tofu is basically about getting rid of extra water so it cooks up with a better texture (firmer, crispier, and able to soak up sauces). Here’s a simple step-by-step:

Quick & Easy Home Method

1. Drain – Take the tofu block out of the package, pour off liquid.
2. Wrap – Put it in a clean kitchen towel or a few layers of paper towels.
3. Weight it – Set it on a plate or cutting board, place something flat on top (like another cutting board or plate), and then add a weight (a heavy pan, a can of beans, even a small stack of books).
4. Wait – Leave it for 20–30 minutes. For extra-firm results, go 45–60 minutes, swapping out wet towels if they get soaked.

Faster Options

• Tofu press gadget – A little clamp device that squeezes out the liquid more evenly. Handy if you cook tofu a lot.
• Microwave trick (when rushing) – Wrap the tofu in paper towels, microwave for 1–2 minutes, then press gently by hand. This forces out water faster.
• Freeze & thaw method – Freeze the tofu block, then thaw it. The ice crystals break the structure so it becomes spongier and presses more easily (great for soaking up sauce).

Want me to sketch out how much liquid you usually lose from a standard block so you know you’re on track?

G: Definitely don’t leave rice out on the counter — cooked rice is one of the fastest foods to develop bacteria (especially Bacillus cereus, which causes nasty food poisoning).

Here’s how to do it safely and still have it taste good tomorrow:

Storage

• Cool quickly: Spread the hot rice out on a tray or wide bowl so steam can escape. Within 1 hour, get it into the fridge.
• Airtight container: Transfer to a lidded container or resealable bag. This prevents it from drying out and keeps other fridge smells out.
• Fridge life: Good for about 2–3 days.

Reheating

• Microwave: Sprinkle a little water over the rice, cover with a damp paper towel or lid, and heat until steaming hot all the way through.
• Skillet (for fried rice): Add a touch of oil or butter and stir-fry cold rice straight from the fridge. It’ll loosen up and crisp nicely.

If you want “bento-style” cold rice

Japanese bentos often include room-temp rice, but that’s only safe if you keep it cool in an insulated lunch container and eat within a few hours. For overnight storage at home, fridge is the way to go.

Want me to show you a little trick restaurants use to keep reheated rice fluffy instead of gummy?

G: Ah got it — you meant the plain white rice you cooked, not fried rice or bento-style leftovers. Thanks for clarifying 👍.

The same safety rules apply, but here’s the best way to keep plain white rice for tomorrow so it doesn’t dry out or go bad:

Safe Storage

• Cool fast: Spread the rice thin in a bowl or tray until steam stops rising. Don’t let it sit out longer than 1 hour.
• Seal it: Once cooled, scoop into an airtight container (or wrap tightly in plastic wrap inside a bowl). This keeps the grains from drying out.
• Refrigerate: Store in the fridge right away. Plain white rice is fine for up to 3 days, though best texture is within 24 hours.

Reheating so it tastes fresh

• Microwave method (most reliable):
  Put the rice in a microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle 1–2 teaspoons of water over it, cover with a lid or damp paper towel, and heat until hot. The steam revives it.
• Steamer method (closest to restaurant rice):
  Place in a heatproof bowl inside a steamer basket, cover, and steam for 5–7 minutes.

What not to do

• Don’t leave it out on the counter overnight — rice grows bacteria fast.
• Don’t refrigerate uncovered — it’ll dry into little pebbles.

Do you want me to include a trick for portioning it into single-serve packets so you can just reheat exactly what you need?

G: That’s a sharp way to think about it 👌 — “medium-high” is really just shorthand, and with a gas flame that swings hotter than electric, it’s smart to anchor to actual surface temps using your IR thermometer. Here’s how to translate it:

For the tofu pan-sear

• Target pan surface: 375–400 °F (190–205 °C)
  This gives you enough heat to quickly crisp the cornstarch-coated tofu without burning the starch or oil.
• Signs you’re right: Drop of water flicked on the pan should sizzle briskly and vanish within 1–2 seconds. Oil should shimmer and just begin to move fluidly across the surface.

For the fried rice step

• Target wok/skillet surface: 400–425 °F (205–220 °C)
  You want that extra heat so the cold rice doesn’t steam itself mushy — instead it gets that dry “sear” on the grains before you toss.
• Signs you’re right: Rice should release steam and a faint nutty aroma within 10–15 seconds of contact, not stick immediately. If it browns or smokes right away, you’re too hot (above ~450 °F / 230 °C).

For reheating plain rice with a splash of water

• If you pan-steam instead of microwaving: 325–350 °F (165–175 °C) is enough to create gentle steam without scorching the bottom.

Practical tip

Because open flame fluctuates, watch both the IR reading and the cues in the pan. Oil shimmer, water droplet behavior, and the smell of starch/sugar tipping into browning are all better real-time signals than a number alone.

Would you like me to also give you a quick reference chart (water droplet test vs °F) so you can judge by eye and then confirm with the laser?

G: Nope, you don’t need to reheat the rice first 👍. For fried rice, you want it cold, straight from the fridge — that’s what keeps the grains separate instead of turning gummy. The high pan heat (400–425 °F surface) will blast off the chill in seconds.

So the sequence is:

1. Cook and chill the rice (at least a few hours, ideally overnight).
2. Use it cold for frying.
3. Let the wok/skillet heat to that target range before adding it.

The only time you’d reheat plain rice before cooking again is if you were serving it as plain steamed rice. For fried rice or hibachi-style dishes, cold is the magic ingredient.