Whenever I am in Baltimore and hungry, I always check to see how far Ekiban is from me. I noticed that three of them came up this time and I was unsure if I had been to this other location. It was a little bit closer on my route home so I decided to go there. To my surprise it had just opened! How awesome is that. Remembering the last time I ordered, a few weeks ago, I made sure to ask for extra seasoning and my shrimp to be crispy. They obliged me and I was delighted! read more

Ekiben - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I've been around this area so much and for some reason never been in here. I've heard of Ekiben so much and didn't realize it was so close. This was unexpectedly a lot of food for the price. The chicken was so good. Service was quick, but the space is pretty small. There's not really any seating. read more

Ekiben - Neighborhood bird - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

WOW that was the most amazingly perfect/unique chicken sandwich I have ever had. The chicken was perfectly cooked and extremely juicy. I am also a big fan of the steamed bun. I really wish I lived closer cause I would be treating myself every week service was good and the people were kind. Absolutely LOVED. read more

Ekiben - Neighborhood bird - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Ekiben is my favorite restaurant in Baltimore. This is the third location that I have been to, and everything as fantastic. The staff is friendly and engaging. The food is always phenomenal at any Ekiben location. I recommend ordering the tofu bun. The bun itself is as soft as a pillow, and the tofu is fried to perfection. While Ekiben is mostly takeaway, there are a few chairs for dine-in patrons to eat. read more

Delicious. The fried shrimp were crispy and popping; highly recommend any of the buns. Service slightly slow so recommend ordering ahead and the ambiance wasn't great to stay - lots of commotion from online orders and not a lot of people room - so we walked across to the park to enjoy. read more

I've come here a couple of times to this location, and each time has been a nice experience. I've gotten the shrimp snacks, neighborhood bird sandwich, beeeeef sandwich, and fried broccoli. Everything tasted delicious! You order at the counter and you can eat it at one of the small tables, or high bar area or take out. I like all the Ekiben locations. I hope that they will come to Howard County soon. Meanwhile, I'll be back to their Baltimore locations, they are all good! read more

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ORIGIN: This location marks Ekiben's third storefront site, the first opening in 2016 after years of success selling from a hot dog cart. Ekiben was founded by three recent University of Maryland - Baltimore graduates, two of whom, Steve Chu and Ephrem Abebe, continue to strategically navigate its growth. CONCEPT: Ekiben is the Japanese word for lunch box. Steve Chu, who was raised by Taiwanese immigrants/restaurant entrepreneurs, saw opportunity for an Asian take on established fast quality food restaurants, such as Chipotle. Taiwanese cuisine is by nature a fusion of many Asian culinary traditions. Ekiben brings this tradition to Baltimore. ACCOLADES: Chu has shared that his father was initially disappointed that he didn't pursue a career associated with his university program of study, but his strategic accumulation of culinary and restaurant business knowledge through apprenticeship has resulted in the delight of many. Ekiben has received recognition through not only from customers, but also food writers (e.g. Travel & Leisure, Eater, Vogue) and award programs (e.g. 2023 James Beard Foundation Best Chef in Mid-Atlantic Semi-Finalist, Yelp Top 100 Restaurants, Yelp Top State Sandwich). It was the 2022 Yelp best state sandwich recognition that drew me to visit Ekiben in the residential area of Fell's Point. I experienced the acclaimed Neighborhood Bird sandwich, as well as a side of Tempura Broccoli -- a combination that had been showcased during a recent Baltimore-YES event at the new location. (Thanks Anna!) LOCATION: Like the two previously established locations, the Fell's Point branch is mainly designed to support pick up and go in a residential area. However, there are a few counter stools inside, as well as two tables outside. A wall is decorated with community - contributed art and photos -- something for customers to enjoy as they wait to place their orders. A water cooler and cups are positioned for customers' use. SERVICE: Orders are placed online or at the counter. Seating is so limited that prepared orders are brought to you on a tray with no need for number signs. Service was very helpful and super friendly. Phoenix, who took my order, spoke enthusiastically about the dishes and beverages, provoking me to try the one of the house-made drinks. I sat outside, and after delivering my tray Phoenix told me to knock on the glass window if I needed anything else! EXPERIENCE: The Neighborhood Bird sandwich is composed of Taiwanese-style fried chicken thigh topped with a variety of fragrant chopped herbs, crisp pickle slices, and drizzled with Sambal seasoned mayonnaise. This is encased in a pillowy steamed bun that is based on Chu's family recipe. The colors are vibrant, as are the flavor and texture contrasts. For example, curry is added to the chicken coating, allowing not only an extra kick of flavor, but a warm yellow hue to the crust. The Tempura Broccoli is very lightly battered, allowing slight crunch and an attractive veil of tempura crust, while positioning the vegetal flavor at the forefront. This dish is topped with chopped aromatic herbs and red onion, and seasoned with vinegar. (Phoenix reported that it is vinegar from pickle jar). Per recommendation, I ordered the house-made "Yuzuade" to accompany the meal, which, as promised was refreshing in the hot, humid summer afternoon. This combination was perfect, and satisfying in so many ways. Despite the plethora of great dining options in Baltimore, I returned the next day to pick up lunch and a meal for the five hour train ride home. If this isn't enough of a testament to my experience, I shamelessly spent $20 round trip for an Uber ride due to periodic thunderstorms and little time and energy to try navigate the Baltimore public transportation system! I immediately enjoyed the Original sandwich, which is composed of Thai chicken meatballs topped with herbs, slaw, and crisp julienned "aromatics" (?), and drizzled with coconut black pepper sauce. For the train ride back it was suggested I choose a "tackle box", a lunch box of sorts, because the texture of the components will be better preserved. This allowed me to enjoy the Neighborhood Chicken again, this time topped on a bed of rice with pickled vegetables on the side. TIPS: The Neighborhood Chicken can be seasoned with spicy or mild sauces. I would describe the spicy sauce as "New England spicy", but if unsure I suggest requesting containers of each type in the side. As with any fried or steamed food it is best to eat soon after it has been prepared to experience the textures. If you don't plan on eating soon, a "tackle box" option with sauces on the side is recommended. If you anticipate only being able to visit once, I recommend the combination I chose on my first visit. All locations are closed between 3:30-4:30 PM and Sundays. read more

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1 of my favorite chicken spots in the DMV. Their shrimp snacks, pork ribs, and their neighborhood chicken bowl are all to die for.

Hot and fresh, consistently delicious food. Tofu brah bowl, tempura broccoli, and a new addition garlic chili oil noodles. All amazing. My go to takeout spot. read more

Really glad to be apart of this experience! The place was very clean. Customer service was excellent! This was not my first time experiencing Ekiben. Food is very delicious, and flavorful. I am a return customer, this makes my second location. The only bad thing is the parking, but don't let that stop you. They have other locations, but this location is very cute. You can eat outside, and enjoy! Go check them out. read more

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We did take out for 18 people here (2 separate orders because we aren't crazy). It was for a joint bachelor/bachelorette that decided we needed food last minute. Every single person loved their food. Not a complaint in the house! The food was hot and crispy. Most people had never had it before, and they were so impressed by the impeccable balance of flavors. Many of us ate our leftovers late at night because we couldn't stop ourselves! A unique eatery that knows exactly what it's doing. Find your favorite dish and order it over and over again! (Mine's the crispy catfish) In general I prefer the bowls to the buns. Side note, there are 3 locations, with Riverside being the newest. I have found that all are perfectly consistent with each other. If you are closer to one than the other, go to that one. read more

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Worth every penny! Delicious and a stand out! It isa take-out place - very little sitting!

Ekiben is one of my favorite go-to places in Baltimore! I've tried their spicy neighborhood bird bun, tofu brah, Chile pork, and the tackle box (tried it today). This place hands down is a 5 star review for me, however, I would say the tackle box was a little disappointing as the skin was pretty hard to bite into. I ended up having to take the 'crispy skin' out and just eat the meat, although this could be because I got it for take out and it had been 20 minutes since I picked up. Would not order the tackle box again BUT I will still be a regular customer! Service is great, as always. read more

Ekiben - Tackle Box - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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All of our food was tasty. Lentils and rice was flavorful. Chicken sandwich with mild was delightful. The bun was so fluffy. I want to go back and try more things. read more

Full disclosure, I downloaded yelp just so I could write this review because the people need to know. . . Tonight I went to my local South Baltimore Ekiben specifically to try the crisp potatoes they've been hyping on IG. When I got there, they told me it was going be a little bit of a wait for the potatoes. I didn't care I was prepared to wait any amount of time for those delicious looking crispies. So, I order them. After a little wait, the Manager apologized and told me the potatoes just weren't turning out right and said I could order any other side I wanted on them. I appreciated the honesty and randomly picked the Pho Spiced Cheesesteak Egg Roll to try something new. Oh. My. God. It was Devine intervention that I ended up with the egg roll. It changed my life, i almost cried. I also got the Ancho Chile Pork Bowl. It was like eating the most beautiful art. Every taste and texture was in perfect harmony. The most exquisite symphony of flavors. To top off this experience, the manager also threw in a free Lychee Black Tea, which was the perfect amount of sweet and refreshing! Everything at Ekiben is delicious there are no bad choices. So get whatever you want but also get the Pho Spiced Cheesesteak Egg Roll. *whispers* you need it. read more

Ekiben - Left to right: Pho Spiced Cheesesteak Egg Roll, Lychee Black tea, Ancho Chile Pork Bowl - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Read about this spot a couple years ago but are usually in town to see in laws in Glen Burnie so even a trip downtown is sometimes hard to squeeze in. This location only had about 5 counter seats so unless you can come at a weird time, a perfect takeout meal. Kia gave us amazing service from the moment we walked in...it was 11:04am and they already had a to go order for 50 lined up...if that tells you anything. But seriously I loved Kia and his positive energy. Every the cooks came over to say hello. We got the tempura broccoli (of course). This is a plug for them to make a Tshirt they says "I came for the broccoli." My fav was how even the stalk was shaved and fried up. My husband got a chipotle beef bun and I tried the yardbird. My brother in law said this spot was originally a food truck known for meatballs. We'll have to try next time. Yuzu lemonade and Thai tea were both great and made in house. The yardbird was huge and you'll either go through a million napkins or have to just commit to being covered in sauce till the end. Do you. But do Ekiben. read more

Ekiben - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Genius at frying chicken. Their sandwiches are very popular, crisp and flavorful chicken

First time guest...will be more. Awesome experience. While the menu is short, it packs a lot of variety. The theme is simple: bao buns or rice bowls. But thru know their strength & they run with it. Tofu bun, fried chicken bun and adobe pork for us on this trip. It is a lot of food. The tofu bao bun was at least twice the size I normally would have expected. Big enough that I could not eat it by hand especially with the juiciness. The spicy peanut sauce was not overly spicy but packs a good punch at the end. We also grabbed some crispy shrimp. Tails already removed. So good. read more

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Good was amazing, best I've had in a while. Broccoli was a bit soggy and over sweet but still good

The best broccoli appetizer I've ever had! Their food here never disappoints and the chicken bowls are a great portion size!

I was super excited when I found out that a third Ekiben will be across the street from me ! I watched the building get renovated and could not wait until they opened. Of course I was out of town on opening day but I heard the lines were so long. This place isn't big. It's not big enough to have tables. It's mostly a place where you call in and pick up your order and eat somewhere else. They do have side tables along the wall but you can't stay there long in case someone wants to sit and eat their delicious chicken or whatever they ordered. My first time trying the Taiwanese chicken on a bowl was in Fells Point a few years ago and I fell in love! Every time I saw the food truck, I always ordered something off of the menu. It's hard eating the chicken bowl when you are in an outdoor event with no tables. I try not to eat here a lot so I don't get sick of the place. If you have never had anything in Ekiben, their chicken either on a bun or a bowl, you are missing out on the great flavors. read more

If you're an NYC or bustling city transplant, you'll love the music, the fun wallpaper, pics, and staff of that fast-paced, good-feeling atmosphere. This tiny spot is definitely a vibe and I can't wait for a bigger location! Walk down a not-so-sketchy alley and you'll find the sign. Get ready for memorable tastes, fresh everything, and quick service. My fave items to order: Tofu Nuggets! read more

This place is a foodies dream. The food is so amazingly different. From the spices to the pickled vegetables was so worth the wait. I ve been waiting to come to this place for about a year. read more

woooooow super inconsiderate of this business to not offer a number on google i drive 45 minutes just for them to tell me there sold out and all the cashier could do was laugh like it's funny i wouldn't recommend this type of customer service to a pack of wild dogs read more

I placed an online pickup order for the tofu brau. 20 minutes later as I was on my way over, I got a text my food was ready. I took it home and smashed the whole thing in one sitting. Enough said. read more

So happy they're open here now! I'm a happy customer from their 2 other locations. My first order at this new location was placed online. About a 25 minute wait which is average. I got a text message when my order was ready. When I went in to pick up, they were friendly and read off my order to me before handing it over to me. Clean and sleek store interior, but not a lot of space to hang out, so it's similar to the other locations. I got the shrimp snacks and neighborhood bird bowl with some modifications. My order was prepared just as requested and tasted fresh and delicious! A total success! read more

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A little disappointed with this most recent visit. Usually it's great taste, good portions, but this time the beef was a smaller portion than usual and a good 1/3 of it was fat. I've had this happen only once before so it isn't a common occurrence, but it's disappointing nonetheless. Still the staff is friendly and efficient, and it's only ever been the beef bun where there was an issue. The experience will probably extend my time between visits but I will be back. read more

This fast casual food is amazing. I haven't tried everything on the menu, but the consistently incredible Neighborhood Bird is what culinary dreams are made of. And try to save room for one of their delicious sides. The broccoli is incredible, and the tofu is also fantastic read more

The food was VERY good! We tried the spicy walnut shrimp bowl and the crispy shrimp bowl - both of which were garnished with cilantro which I HATE and it was not called out in the description, but we were able to pick most of it off. I would recommend the walnut shrimp over the crispy shrimp. Both came with a lot of shrimp and we had significant leftovers that also tasted good later. The music in there is very very loud, but since they have very limited seating you're not going to stay there long. The service was fine, nothing to write home about but no problems. read more

The best fusion (ish) spot in the Bmore area! Not kidding or exaggerating. My go to is the broccoli appetizer and the Tofu Brah bowl. Always ends up being enough food for leftovers! Note, while the decor is fun and on point for a vibe, this isn't really a spot where you sit down and eat. Especially not with a group. Think hole in the wall, and you're imagining the correct feel. That said, what I'm guessing they save on rent goes right into the quality of the food. Dang it, now I'm hungry again. See you there! read more

We love the food, but the wait time was ridiculous. We placed an online order. We arrived when the order was supposed to be ready. They said they needed "a few minutes," but then it ended taking an extra 35 minutes past when the order was supposed to be ready, and no apology was given for the long wait. read more

Amazing customer service and even better food. I held out to try Ekiben until it came to my neighborhood and I wish I would've tried it sooner! When you enter the restaurant to order or pickup they have great music playing with high energy vibes. We were greeted as if we were long time friends and got a free lychee tea because my friend was visiting from out of town. There doesn't look like there are any seating options there but is a great takeaway option. We got the neighborhood bird, spicy tofu brah, tempura broccoli, and cheesesteak egg roll. They were absolutely phenomenal. All of them. The flavors were complex and ingredients were very fresh. This is a 10/10 must try!! I will be back, probably tomorrow read more

Ekiben - Neighborhood bird bun, tofu brah bun, cheesesteak egg roll, tempura broccoli - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Amazing! Must try the Philly cheesesteak egg roll! The usually neighborhood bird bowl and sandwich were great along with the tempura broccoli! read more

I'm obsessed with the delicious offerings of Ekiben. I usually visit them at the farmers market but I've been to their store too and the service is always top notch. They always know how to organize themselves when dealing with large crowds so they can get orders out in a timely manner. There is a wait because everything is made to order, but it's so worth it. The sandwiches are so juicy, flavorful, and hands down the yummiest. Highly recommend giving them a visit read more

Epic. Amazing. Flavorful. Fast. Homey. Ekiben hits everything you need in food that's good for you and is delicious. The flavors are so poignant and unique you can taste them even when you're sick. 12/10 would recommend. The owners have hit a sweet spot and are killing it! read more

Ekiben - Broccoli - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This is the only place I have found that can do tempura tofo well! Have never been disappointed by anything we have gotten. Small and quaint location with good service. Love that there is one near our home!! read more

A 5 star for everything! This is more of a carryout but the food that we tried were all superb! A shout out to Joe who catered to us excellently! That tempura broccoli was in the house and highly recommended, soooo delicious!!! We also had the beighborhood chicken and ancho chile pork, and shrimp snacks, boy all were fabulous! Don't forget their in house bottled thai ice tea! read more

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I ordered the new beef menu item. It was solid the beef could have had a little more flavor, but good and healthy overall. The music at the Fed hill location was WAAAAY to loud. read more

Ekiben - Beeef bowl - new menu item. - Asian Fusion Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

WOW is the best way to describe Ekiben. I decided to come here for lunch after reading the reviews and the menu. This is apparently their latest location to open, and I can understand why they opened another one. It is a small place with seating for a few people inside and picnic tables outside. But who cares when the food is this good. I had the Neighborhood Bird sandwich, taiwanese curry fried dar meat chicken with spicy sambal mayo, pickles, and fresh herbs. I got mine spicy, but you can get mild. It was fantastic. The meat was perfectly cook, still moist, the seasoning excellent, and the spice level just hot enough to let you know it, but not make you cry. The staff is polite but as everything is made to order, you do need to be willing to be patient for your order. This is definitely on my I'll be back list. read more

Woah! This is some seriously good fried chicken! I think this is one of their smaller locations so there's not a lot of seating. The hot honey sauce they put on the chicken is literally perfect. I have tiny little itty-bitty critique which is that the buns are way too small so you'll end up with most of the hot honey all over your hands. I recommend opting the bowl over the bun to avoid the mess. read more