Painted Boat Resort experiments with the bento box

On a recent trip up the Sunshine Coast, I got a chance to check out the Painted Boat Resort. Hidden amongst the trees of Madeira Park, the resort offers, along with an extensive list of spa treatments, lunch served in a bento box.

Each bento box comes with your choice of smoked salmon, roasted duck, seared Albacore tuna, or roasted asparagus, as well as an organic salad garnished with a hard-boiled egg, cut vegetables and dip, and yogurt with fresh fruit and golden cookie crumbles.

I opted for the roasted duck, which came with a lemon aioli on a bed of greens. It was perfectly seasoned, although I did find the portion of meat a little scanty. But really, when something is that delicious, you want to gorge yourself to just short of bursting.

The meals, which are available during the peak seasons, go for $20, must be ordered in advance before your spa treatment, and can be enjoyed in the quiet serenity of the resort’s outdoor spa garden.

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