Chicken and Shrimp and Rice oh my! This is one those ubiquitous 'make your own bowl' places this time with an Asian twist. Much has been made of the fact that theres 2240 different possible combinations for your bowl but what really stood out to me was the quality and flavour of the ingredients. You don't need a brain to know that this is a great spot for a healthy quick lunch at very reasonable prices. Portions were generous and the service was fast, friendly and efficient. Facilities were clean. Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore. We're at Basil box. read more

Yum! Yum! Yum! Friendly and modern meets rustic dining area. Clean and always maintained. No parking around must park on side streets. The food is so good. I like to have my food served hot and my combo is: * BASE - brown rice * VEGGIES - beans and sweet potato * PROTEIN - lemongrass chicken * SAUCES - penang curry mixed with tangy tamarind * TOPPINGS - all but the fresh chilies The combo above is spicy with sweet tang. The serving size is large, it's takes me two sittings typically to finish it. You can find other options online. It's easy, quick and friendly. The prices are fair - $10 taxes in! Drinks are unique - too sweet for me. Tried only the Thai milk tea - yum! Another neat feature is the food containers are paper based and a take-out bag is paper too. I love this place! read more

Hands down best place in Toronto for good price, decent quality, and great portions. You can choose from brown rice to spring greens as a base for their dishes which is great - especially for those who enjoy eating healthy. Their lemongrass chicken is my personal favourite and their topping options are endless. Will be back for more! read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This a review strictly on its Thai Ice Tea. I had thai ice tea everywhere. Thailand to Toronto. Toronto Night Market, some of the well known Thai Restaurant in Toronto. Not all of them taste similar. Some are too milky - too sweet. You kind of feel like Goldilocks and the 3 bear...except drinking thai ice tea. This location, it does it well. A good balance between the tea and milk. Not overly sweet, but you got the gist. It doesn't taste like crazy syrup by the end of the drink. I'd be back for it. In a price point of $3.95 Refreshing drink read more

4.5/5 Revisited Basil Box this afternoon after the owner, Pete, invited me back to check out their improved portion size. This time I elected for: -Chilled Rice Noodles -Lemongrass Corn, Sautéed Peppers -Five-Spice Steak -Sweet Chili Lime -Roasted Sesame Seeds, Pickled Veggies, and Crushed Peanuts I also tried their Mango Ginger Ale. My experience seemingly improved ten-fold from my previous visit for a few reasons. Firstly, the portion size did in fact improve - take a look at my pics and compare the box from the 1st and 2nd visit. This increase in portion size is further verified by my fellow Yelpers' recent pictures. Notably, the protein portion of the box was increased. Secondly, I believe I built the box with better ingredients this time. The Five-Spice Steak was surprisingly tender and flavourful - I've never had steak from a fast-food joint this good. Also, I got the Sweet Chili Lime as a sauce this time, and it had the right amount of spice and zing to it. Lastly, I was arguably the most impressed by the Mango Ginger Ale. Lately, I've been fairly health conscious (Limiting my intake of refined sugars and caffeine), and so this Mango Ginger Ale was a God-send. According to Pete, it's made with all-natural ingredients and cane sugar. It was super refreshing! Simply put, I've become a fan of Basil Box. The price of the box is justified by all of the quality, fresh ingredients they put into it. I know of nowhere else where you can get such an efficiently-made, fresh, high quality Asian-inspired meal. Bonus: After the meal, I was pretty stuffed, yet no food-coma. This is a testament to all of the fresh, gluten-free ingredients they use. Perfect meal if you need to study/do some work after. The world needs more places like Basil Box; there's way too many pseudo-healthy restaurants that cut corners in favour of higher profit margins. Kudos to Pete for listening to reviewers' feedback, working closely with his team, and continually striving to provide the best experience possible. read more

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Ok girl I see you. This isn't your average assembly line restaurant. No it kind of is, the only difference is the fact that they have Thai options. This is a good alternative for chipotle, prices and quality of food are very alike. Honestly 5 stars goes out to their bomb aesthetic. Very welcoming and clearly student oriented. read more

Basil Box - Aesthetic study goals. - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

They fill the bowls up with rice and are not generous with the toppings and protein. For $13, I expect more. I wish I had taken a picture of my bowl compared to the photos on the menu.... read more

I love basil box! Definitely my go-to lunch spot in Toronto and Mississauga. I love how customizable everything is there and you can have a different box every time by changing the combinations and sauces which makes it exciting. I generally get the lemongrass chicken over brown rice with the tamarind sauce and I absolutely love it. I generally get extra tamarind sauce because I like it quite saucy. I could stretch this to two meals as well if I wanted to. I would definitely recommend this spot to anyone who wants a good, healthy, delicious lunch. read more

Fast, friendly service. I didn't realize that you can do half/half of things (example: half chicken, half tofu!) so definitely do that because then your "box" will be full of various flavours. The Thai Iced Tea was AMAZING (and I've had this style before, at authentic places like Pai) and a great accompaniment to the meal. I got the chilled noodles, peanut sauce, and steak, and would get all three again. Comfortable seating with large sunny windows. read more

Basil Box - Rice noodles w steak, Thai Iced Tea - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Wow! I just had to give an updated review for multiple reasons: 1. After my first review, Pete had replied to my message so soon after. I like the care he shows towards the business and customers. 2. My boyfriend had ordered from the Basil Box and couldn't finish his food. So he offered it to me. From what I saw, he got jasmine rice with peppers, corn, steak, tamarind sauce and loads of fun toppings. I was amazed by how well seasoned the steak was, how flavourful the entire bowl was. And hurray, the portions size definitely did a big upgrade. 3. To make sure it wasn't a fluke, I got myself a meal. Today I decided to try jasmine rice with peppers, corn, coconut curry tofu, penang curry (just a warning if you can't eat spicy, it's got a nice medium spicy kick so might wanna avoid that), and the fun top your box stuff. Again, full of flavour and great portions. 4. The people here are very very friendly and enthusiastic to serve you. It's really rare to see all staff come up to approach with such positive manner and be really genuine about it. 5. Got the Thai iced tea again. It's bomb. I should really try the other drinks because they sound really great and unique :) Voila! Basil Box you get 5/5 :D read more

This is the second Basil Box location and it's soo gorgeous! The food is non-dairy and gluten free, so it's perfect for me. If you are used to lighter meals, definitely do half greens, you'll thank me later. You can also mix the sauces- I did half peanut sauce / half tamarind. The Thai tea and lime ginger macarons are full of fresh flavours, I could eat 10+ in one sitting. The cold brew coffee hit me pretty hard, I'm usually so used to caffeine that it has no effect on me but I was pleasantly surprised. This location is central Toronto - right by the Eaton centre and Ryerson, it's worth checking out. read more

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I love love love this place :) The decor is just amazing: modern, bright and instagram worthy. Lighting is just right for your obligatory pre-meal photos! The staff are quite literally the friendliest I've ever met; they were so helpful and energetic. Now onto the food, I noticed the price is a little steep for a student's budget, however I appreciate that the portion and quality of the food is worth the price tag. I personally could not finish my meal in one sitting; I had quite a bit of left over rice and noodles on the two occasions I've been there. The food is not what I'm used to - it's very healthy (lol my bad) compared to your typical Thai restaurant: no deep fried stuff, no heavy sauce. I definitely think the tangerine sauce could use some more flavour though (I did ask for extra sauce but it wasn't enough). The noodles are chilled and not my thing, but it's more of a personal preference. I enjoyed the hand crafted drink menu and have tried three out of four drinks. The pineapple rose soda is my favourite! Wish you guys had more sizes! The bottled drinks are amazing and it was definitely refreshing to have options other than the regular fast food Pepsi/Coke variety. I tried the White tea Blueberry bottle and loved it. I was a bit disappointed at the limited side selections - soup, summer rolls and salad. I was looking forward to try the Viet chicken salad I saw on your instagram but I guess you guys discontinued it! Anyway, there was no summer roll both times I visited, and hardly anything else to choose as a side (4 and 5pm). :( Hope there will be more options the next time I'm around in the area! Some desserts would be great too! (No parfait today either, and I had the last macaroons!) read more

Nice sitting area. this place has a healthier food option. you basically build your box with noodles/salad/ or rice, add sauce(s), choose meat or tofu (you can choose half half for 2 items), choose toppings such as nuts. You can get milk tea and other drinks or just tap water ^_^. Service was good, staff was friendly. Food was decent, pricing was decent. read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

This place was perfect for a relatively quick lunch. Everything tasted fresh and the spices had a good amount of heat to them. I've been twice and both times exceeded my expectations. read more

Came here for lunch and it's pretty nice. The food wasn't bad and not very salty like most fast food Thai places. Only issue I had was that the place is poorly ventilated, but it doesn't look that way! With the open space and vents running through the ceiling you would think it was. I left the place smelling like the grill itself! It's a nice environment, unfortunately ruined by the lack of a good exhaust system, but I would recommend grab and go. Update: I upgraded my review from 3 to 4 stars, since the business owner tells me they had a vent problem a couple of weeks ago. Should give them the benefit of the doubt, besides the food is pretty decent! read more

This is the second location after the square one. I was around down town Toronto when I pass by Ryerson and saw this restaurant. The menu mostly almost the same with the square one. It's only nice atmosphere (modern style but they have some traditional touch) and the people also friendly. As usual I order my favourite the noodle with lemongrass chicken and two other veggie. I like Thai sauce and also pickle radish. Didn't try the Thai fresh chili this time since i tried it last time and it was very spicy . The portion is big enough for me. To complete my meal I also order the Thai iced tea. The taste is different than regular iced tea since they use cane sugar. My favourite is the trail mix. Tried to try different trail mix from different brand, still can't beat this one. Will come back again to try different combination. Well done ! read more

Basil Box - Noodle, lemongrass chicken, veggie, pickle radish, Thai sauce and Thai iced tea. - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

I feel like it's almost a healthier alternative for Chipotle. Got the chilled noodle as main. Really liked it. read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Came here today for lunch and brought two friends along. My second time here this summer and really enjoyed my usual order: Fresh greens Roasted sweet potatoes and sautéed green beans Lemongrass chicken (good portion) Sweet chilli lime sauce All toppings + sriricha Unfortunately the server did not abide by my "half ladle" request and my greens were fully drenched in sauce. In comparison my friends' noodle bowl looked quite dry. I think they should have different sauce portions available instead of assuming everyone needs or wants the same amount, or at least pay more attention to requests for less (since you can't remove it once it's added). The chillis are seriously spicy so be warned. Paired with the sriracha, I was given a run for my money on the hottest day of the year! I've tried the Thai iced tea before but not today, I suggest getting it half sweet. They have free tap water available and the air-con is absolutely necessary and appreciated! For $10 it's a delicious and healthy lunch! read more

Second time here, with fantastic service! The staff greet you as you enter, and take the time to explain how their menu works. I got a salad/rice noodle mix for the base, which is great since I'm trying to go lighter on carbs! I had the 5-spice steak last time (which I loved!) and the lemongrass chicken this time. I can hardly believe it, but I like the chicken even more! At Pete's suggestion (check out the other reviews), I got the peanut sauce/Panang curry mix. So delicious, and not insanely spicy! I'm super sensitive to salt, so I liked that I could get less sauce and have the flavours of the food shine through. I also got the Thai iced tea, which was amazing on a hot day! However, I'm not the biggest fan of sweet foods so I brought it home for my brother, who reported that it was still full flavour even though all the ice had melted on the trip. Kudos! I will definitely be frequenting this spot during my long study sessions. read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Amazingly fresh vegetables and foods to mix all together. Not too many options but so worth it. Not too expensive and completely delicious. Have been many times already. read more

Basil Box - Beautifully fresh food with a drink to die for. - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Stopped in based on the concept and the yelp reviews. And it was really good! Think chipotle meets Asian. There are some interesting options for protein and some great sauces. I would definitely go back and would be delighted to have one close to home. read more

Extremely delicious. I ordered the shrimp one and I find it to be the most delicious protein, would strongly recommend it to other people. I also loooooooove their spicy level!!!!! Slightly overpriced at the moment I feel. read more

Ordered the sweet potato, corn, and tofu with peanut sauce. It was a good portion and along with the thai iced tea, was a filling and relatively healthy lunch. Good vegetarian option for those who always look for places to go with others who enjoy meat. I'm not a fan of spice so the panang curry was way too spicy for me. I tried a small spoonful (they always ask if you want to try the sauces) and couldn't handle it already. The panang curry is a popular choice amongst the party I usually go with though. The environment is also very relaxing and spacious. There is never a shortage of tables (though Im never there at prime times, so I can't speak for that). Overall, this is a 'go-to' place of mine and i highly recommend it. read more

Big, modern, clean space. I was hesitant about food quality, happily pleased. I like the design your own meal format. Chicken very good, interested in trying the steak would return. read more

Basil Box - I guess I liked it... - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

After passing by this place yesterday, I really wanted to try it out today. I don't really know. For the price of the bowls, they should be bigger. I was a little unimpressed with the food in particular, I had to ask for salt because my bowl tasted bland. It wasn't bad but like I said, for the price, it wasn't worth it. read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

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I had the coconut curry tofu with rice noodles and penang curry sauce. 'Twas incredible! I also really like that everything is gluten free!

I have walked past this place dozens of times, and have always enjoyed looking into the restaurant itself, but seeing as it is built into the Ryserson Student Learning Centre, and after years of enduring sub-mediocre food at my own alma mater, for better or for worse, I decided that I should avoid places that could invoke such memories all together. However, things changed on Canada Day when we were racing around downtown Toronto looking for a quick bite that wasn't McDonalds. The restaurant itself is bright and well lit, with an fairly large amount of find-your-own seating. After a quick perusal of the menu (which reads right to left), I ordered a brown rice bowl, topped with chicken, green beans and corn, a few pickled vegetables (carrots and radish), some classic peanut sauce, and a sprinkling of fried shallots and sesame seeds. The large portion of rice was cooked well enough, while the chicken was cooked a little beyond what I would have like. This, however, wasn't a deal breaker since the chicken was (what I believe to be) mostly (if not all) dark meat, so it was still juicy, and well marinated. I enjoyed eating this with a spoon, since it allowed for a varying amount of rice and topping with each bite. My other companions also got the cold noodles and beef and I do not recall hearing anything negative from their mouths. So, would I come here again? Sure. It's cheap, filling, and tasty. read more

Great place for a quick meal. Very customizable. Friendly staff that took initiative to explain the ordering process clearly. All in all quite awesome! read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

It's a good choice for health and calorie conscious bodies. Very fast and friendly service. Visit their website where they explain how to order your box so you don't have to spend more time inside the place. Love their Lemongrass chicken with rice noodles. It was more than what I normally eat. Take advantage of the no limit toppings to dress your box/bowl. Hopefully they will add more choices in future. read more

I went here the other day to work on some homework and also get a bite of something healthy to eat and drink at the same time. While I am usually not a big fan of these kind of eatery places, I was really impressed by BASIL BOX. Their decor is lovely and spacious. You don't feel unpleasantly cramped. It was my first time there and the staff was really helpful and attentive, they seemed cheerful and upbeat. The food itself was really good! I had a cold noodle base, with tofu for protein, and for my two vegetable choices I got sweet potato, which was sauteed and delicious, as well as some edamame. I topped it off with a peanut sauce and sesame seeds. I also ordered a Thai iced tea, which was very pleasant and creamy read more

Basil Box - Thai iced tea. Noodle, sweet potato, tofu, peanut sauce, sesame seed topped box. - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

The lemongrass chicken was good and seasoned well. The veggies were crisp and tasted fresh. Topped off with sesame seeds, pickled veggies and pumpkin seeds. Fresh and healthy lunch - decent portions - quick and friendly service. The Thai iced tea is amazing!! There's a special summer deal on the Thai iced tea at the moment!! Last time I came by for lunch, I believe the Thai iced tea is regularly priced at $3.75. Definitely check the place out if you are in the area. read more

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This is a flashy new restaurant in the Yonge/Dundas corridor. We checked it out for dinner on a Friday night. We got take out but it was extremely spacious with lots of seating. Totally agree with previous reviews that mention Basil Box is the Asian version of Chipotle. For my bowl, I started with the chilled rice noodles, added the beans and corn. For my protein, I selected the shrimps ($9.75) and the tamarind sauce. Loved the toppings bar - I added a bit of everything but the chilli peppers. Service was very helpful and friendly. Got the mango ginger ale ($3.25) as well. My friend got the Thai Ice Tea and that was definitely way better than the ginger ale. I'd go back for the ice tea alone! The bowl itself was just okay...my rice noodles were a bit hard and stuck together. I ended up just picking through and eating the shrimps and veggies. Not sure if I'd return, I really wasn't happy about the stuck together, starchy noodles and at $14 for the main and drink, I think it's a bit on the higher end of Asian take out. You could go next door to Ginger and get almost 2 entrees for that price. read more

My new favourite place to eat quickin Toronto. It's a similar idea to Chipotle but the food is Asian. You choose your base such as rice noodles, two veg, protein and toppings. It caters for vegans too. It's spacious and bright so pretty ideal for a that quick lunch. read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Graben 2 drinks here in this hot afternoon. Thai iced tea and passion fruit lychee soda. I don't like Thai tea, maybe too sweet for me. But it's a lovely place to relax. Love their bag hanger, very sweet read more

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I went to Basil Box for the first time, they space is stunning and I love the design. For my meal I choose steak and veggies and noodles. The steak was so flavourful and I loved the spicy sauce. It was the perfect level of spice. The veggies and the noodles were so fresh. I find most thai greasy but the meal here tasted fresh and healthy. I found the portions were huge and I could barely finish my meal but kept going since it was so tasty. I love that you can get a different meal every time. I can't wait to go back and try them all!! Also, highly recommend the Thai ice tea. read more

Decided to try this place for lunch today, located centrally right by yonge and Dundas and Eaton centre. Service and staff are friendly and allowed you to customize your order to half/half of 2 proteins or carb which was nice. This place is pretty much an Asian Chipotle in every way...you choose your base (rice noodles, rice, or salad), veggies (choose 2), protein (fivespice beef, lemongrass chicken, chilli lime shrimp or tofu), sauce and toppings (sesame, bird eyechillis, cilantro etc). The taste was good...light but packed with flavour compared to Chipotle bowls which are heavier and even to traditional Vietnamese meals where there's less customization. I enjoyed the food, only problem was I found a curly hair in my food midway through my meal :( notified the staff and they offered to replace my meal which I took to go. We also ordered a pineapple rose soda which is part of their handcrafted drinks at 3.75..I expected more out of it in terms of flavour but it was more like a watered down Italian soda..no rose taste and kind of pricey at that. I'd give this place a 3.5 star...priced at 9.45 per person. EDIT: so....2hrs later...I decided to open up my takeout box to eat on the way home..and...I FOUND ANOTHER HAIR in my food...I attached a photo this time :( I'm a little concerned with the hygiene of this place now..its as if someone shaved right over my food..sorry guys...2.5 stars for this experience. read more

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This place is very well decorated and nice. It has cute decor in the restaurant. I like how this Basil Box has soda's made with cane sugar that i haven't seen at other basil box's. Very cozy and clean. The food is good. I like how you're able to make your own combo. I had the chilled rice noodles with peppers and sweet potato with lemon grass chicken and the peanut sauce. I love how light the food was and does not make you feel overstuffed or bloated, just right! Staff was friendly and food was quick and prompt. The soda's were also good. I ordered the pineapple and passion fruit. I must say i prefer the pineapple one more since it had more flavour. The price is decent and it's a good place to grab a quick and healthier option for lunch or dinner. read more

Basil Box - Pineapple and passion fruit soda. Lemon grass chicken with chilled noodles - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

Just ate there tonight. Whoever reviewed this place and said it was bland is off their rocker. Amazing selection and array of tastes. The sauces add the flavor and mine was hot and spicy. I had noodles, rice, shrimp, steak, scallions, two sauces mixed together with a generous amount of heat. Then a few garnishes added at the end of your choices. Gluten and dairy free meals are no problem. I can't say one bad thing about this place. $6 for 3 meals and drinks. We are making this one of our staples when we visit Toronto. Try it and you'll love it too read more

This is a great place to come to grab a quick fresh food when I am near the Eaton centre. I really like the selection and there is plenty of seats for us to sit and enjoy our meal. The service is always friendly and quick and I know I can rely on this place when I need it. read more

My order: Vegetarian Bowl Chilled Rice Noodles Sautéed Peppers Coconut Curry Tofu Tangy Tamarind Pickled Vegetables I'm pretty picky when it comes to food (no meat, no overly processed foods/additives due to allergies) but this met all my requirements. Everything tasted fresh; from the noodles,to the vegetables and the sauce. I didn't try any of the meat, but for the vegetarians, the tofu is actually delicious (this is rarely the case). I love that it wasn't greasy at all either so you left feeling good. I'm surprised there is complaints about the serving size. I ordered one bowl and an iced tea and I couldn't finish either. Service and interior decor was great as well! Will be back! read more

Basil Box - Vietnamese Near Me - Toronto, Ontario