Ekiben has a wonderful cool and relaxed vibe, making it a great spot for a date or even a hangout with a friend. We stopped by one evening for dinner and loved the place as soon as we walked in. I grabbed the Harajuku cocktail, which is a special going on during the spring sakura season. I'm not much of a vodka girl so I didn't like it too much but I loved the chunks of lychee for the garnish. I ended up ordering the salmon mango poke, which was delicious and perfectly filling. read more

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This spot has been on my radar for a while thanks to all the ads I kept seeing, and during a solo parenting day, we finally stopped by for dinner before our library date. Overall, it was just okay. The biggest downside was the portion sizes, they were surprisingly small. I ended up ordering two entrées for myself because one definitely wasn't enough. My daughter had the onigiri, which was packed with rice as it didn't have much protein filling. It was okay, but nothing memorable. I'm glad I finally got to check it off my list, but not sure if I'd rush to come back again. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My friend and I grabbed a quick lunch at Ekiben last Tuesday afternoon. The interior is pretty spacious and chill, pretty empty since it was a weekday. The menu had mostly Japanese options, but there were also popular Thai entrees like pad see ew, too. TOKYO DON - 17 Aesthetic and decently large, this rice bowl was topped with small square chunks of salmon, tunna, and yellowtail along with some ikura, pickled radish and cucumber. Despite not liking cucumber very much, it was pretty refreshing every few bites or so. However, the pickled radish was really sweet which I didn't like. The rice texture was good, not too sticky or acidic. Overall, chill lunch spot. The food was satisfactory, but nothing to rave about. My friend ordered a katsu bento box which she seemed to enjoy. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Tokyo Don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A cozy, casual Japanese spot in the city that punches well above its price point and makes for a genuinely lovely catch up with friends. The space is small and snug in the best way. Not romantic, more like the warmth of being close to people you like in a room that feels considered and clean. Perfect for an intimate group outing, especially on a cold rainy Chicago day which is exactly when we visited. The food delivered. My pad see ew with chicken was fresh, sweet, smoky, and deeply satisfying. The broccoli was slightly undercooked but honestly the texture against the soft noodles worked in the dish's favor. My partner's Godzilla roll was solid and fresh, not the best version he's had but not a disappointment either. Our friend's miso soup was light, salty, and exactly what a cold day calls for. Her spicy salmon onigiri was a standout, generous portion, great rice to fish ratio, and a beautiful sesame seed exterior that added a lovely nuttiness. Now here is where I get a little constructive. Ekiben has real potential to elevate the full experience and it is leaving some of it on the table. The plating on several dishes is genuinely gorgeous, but the disposable wooden chopsticks and mismatched glassware do not meet that same standard. Small upgrade, big difference. Also the television mounted in the corner is working against the intimate cozy energy the space naturally creates. Turn it off. Trust the room. Pricing is a genuine steal for the city. Quick attentive service seals the deal. We will be back, and so should you. read more

Popped in for lunch for the first time. Good menu and lots of choices including some lunch specials. I had 3 basic rolls and asked for less rice - salmon avocado, hamachi wasabi, and spicy salmon. Service was good - in fact, Eve served me the night before at a sister restaurant? Amore. How funny. Good value, clean, speedy, and plenty of options. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Oops. Already ate most of it... tasty rolls! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Ordered orange chicken and salmon zaap for delivery. Food arrived warm and was plated nicely. Salmon zaap was fresh and sauce was a lime/fish sauce combination that paired well. Orange chicken was fine, pretty standard and wish broccoli had been seasoned. Rice was a little bit mushy but understandable given the transportation to me. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I got takeout. Everything was packaged very well. The specialty sushi rolls were delicious! The textures and sauces were very tasty. Poke bowl was okay--fish was fine but it was more filler and avocado than fish. I would come back for more sushi rolls! Also I noticed that their menu in store is not the same as their takeout, with good options, so will likely come back to try them! read more

Came here for northern Chicago restaurant week and it was a lot of food! They got very busy around dinner time so make sure to have a reservation. There was so much food but not all of it was quality in terms of flavors. I really loved the specialty roll and the takoyaki but some of the other dishes lacked a bit of flavor and depth. I would love to come back and try some other dishes read more

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I got take-out here last night for a quick an easy NYE meal. I ordered and within 15 minutes it was ready. The website to order from is super easy to use and tells you when they are preparing and the order is ready. It was very efficient. The business itself is small and quaint but had a fun vibe inside. The woman who helped me was very nice and had my order packaged and ready to go when I got there. I ordered fried gyoza, 6pc spicy salmon roll, and a side of jasmine rice. Everything was nice and warm. The gyoza was perfectly crunchy and came with a very good garlicky sauce. They were very flavorful too. My roll was packed full of super fresh salmon that tasted amazing, and they were large rolls too. I always love when they pack them with a ton of ginger on the side! They weren't super spicy but still very flavorful. The jasmine rice was plain but cooked perfectly and there was a lot of it! It was a nice side to go with the rest of what I got. Everything was packaged great and super easy to grab-and-go! read more

Service 100%. Ambiance 100%. Food 100%. The chicken katsu bowl is out of this world good (asked for spicy mayo on the side lol). The yuzu lemonade drink is sooooooo perfect. Highly recommend read more

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Very nice lunches were had. Bento Box well appointed and fish was fresh. Very nice service. Friendly and fast. The setting is basic but clean. I'll go again. read more

I loveeeee the Onigiri! The spicy Kani and the Sweet Potato tempura! Highly recommend

This spot is so good! I went here with my boyfriend for lunch and there's plenty of seating to choose from. The server was fast and sweet and took our order right away. The salmon onigiri is a must try! The flavors and the freshness of the onigiri is insanely divine. The salmon teriyaki bento box was perfectly portioned with a tasty salmon, salad, white rice, and sauce. My boyfriend thoroughly enjoyed the katsu with noodles entree. Price is fairly expensive, but the quality of food is definitely worth it! read more

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I came twice today, and I appreciated the service and food quality. I left my wallet here, and they called me to get it back. The onigiri was really good! I only had pre-prepared onigiri in the past, and I definitely noticed a difference. I recommend the great deal for lunch (2 for $9.50, 3 for $12.50). I got the spicy tuna and spicy salmon onigiri--wasn't spicy at all, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. I also came back for dinner and got the Spaghetti cream mentaiko and the tuna creamy onigiri. Among the 4 onigiri I tried, I liked the tuna creamy the most. Most interesting mix of textures and flavors. The spaghetti was solid, although a bit too rich for me with the onigiri. I'd rather have gotten a roll next time! read more

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We came for onigiri which were quite filling. I enjoyed the creamy, slightly spicy sweet shrimp onigiri more than the spicy salmon which was pretty one dimensional. My friend liked the hamachi wasabi onigir which was recommended by our server. Only one server was present during the weekday lunch hour. Luckily groups were leaving while we dined so we did not have much wait time. The rolls have a ton of pieces but are not quite as polished or fresh as neighboring sushi spots (like Raisu). However I did enjoy the pink ranger roll (pepper was a nice touch but with a bit of a fishy aftertaste). My friend's Godzilla roll was a little sweet for my taste. With so many good sushi spots within a mile radius, I may not be back for rolls but perhaps it's worth a return visit to try the bentos. read more

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Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy great food, service and ambiance

I was excited to see a new restaurant in north center! I thought it was going to be only Japanese dishes, but the menu had several Thai as well. I wanted to try something new and went with Remen which are cold noodles. It was definitely different type of noodles. You should mix the ingredients well. The flavor comes mainly from the toppings especially the little orange balls (I think they're fish eggs). So try to get a little of everything in each bite for the best flavor. It wasn't my type of noodles I like, but I'm glad I tried it. Felt like a nice, light noodle dish perfect for the summer. Finished the whole bowl! I originally wanted to try the onigiri options, but I was enticed by the idea of trying something different. I'd come back to try them out! read more

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Ekiben, a unique spot. Let me get into it! The food here was great. My friend and I really like the crispiness of the mixed tempura. The sake toro really is worth a try as well. The sushi was pretty good and I highly liked each one that we got. The service was good initially but, as more people same it the service wasn't as good. This wasn't too bad as my friend and I really enjoyed the food. The atmosphere or ambiance like I call it was pleasant. Really clean and everything looked new since. The lighting inside the shop was very modern at least to me. Overall, I would say give the fried tempura and the fatty salmon a try! read more

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Food was sub-par, like the "hope it's not rotten" hamachi special and the sushi "station" meal, after which I had to order a roll because I was still hungry. But the real kicker was the waitress. When I said that I wasn't expecting the fluorescent seaweed substitute when I ordered the wakame cucumber salad, she replied, with a gas-lighting tone, "no, that's the wakame salad" and proceeded for the rest of the meal to decline to serve us with any degree of kindness. Jesus Christ girl. Don't recommend. read more

Ekiben is a solid pit stop or take out spot if you're craving some onigiri. A few years ago, it was one of the few places you could get onigiri on the north side. That has since changed a bit. Service is always solid overall when you dine in as well. The ambiance has improved as well over time from the earlier reviews if you care about that. I would have previously given Ekiben a 5/5, but on a most recent visit I'd say there are some things changing here. Firstly, the onigiri are less generous on filling now than they used to be; the rice ratio is much higher than it was before where it's more rice than filling; in the past it might have been closer to a 50/50 split. Second, the lunch special has changed - it used to be three onigiri along with the salad and miso soup. Now, it's two and the salad and miso. I get it though - running a restaurant is hard. It's just tough to see as a long-time customer these specific corners being cut when one of their core value propositions for some time was the onigiri. I'll still be a patron, but not nearly as often after my latest visit. read more

Quality for the price is aligned. Fortunately, each Onigiri was only $5.90, so the price was cheap enough they didn't disappoint. We didn't have high expectations, so they were decent. We were hoping the Spicy Tuna would be good, so we each got two, but the Spicy Shrimp actually was better. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Spicy Shrimp Onigiri, Spicy Tuna Onigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Absolutely LOVE this place! The food was wonderful - I had the Tuna Creamy, the Salmon Teriyaki, and the Sweet Potato Tempura onigiri - and everything was great! They were careful to take my allergies into account, and even showed me labels on some of their ingredients so I could be sure for myself. The yuzu lemon soda was also perfect. The staff was amazing, and they could not have been nicer or more accommodating. I love the decor, and it was a nice and quiet place to have a late afternoon meal. I will 100% be back! read more

Ekiben is our go-to place whenever my husband and I want good Japanese food. The place is very clean, the ambiance is quiet, and it's easy to relax and enjoy your meal. The food is always yummy, but their onigiri is seriously the best--no joke! We keep coming back just for it. Highly recommend if you're looking for a cozy spot with great Japanese food. read more

Cute little place near the El station. My partner and I stopped in for lunch and they had a couple of specials running. We got the 3 onigiri set and the pad see ew bento set. The onigiri was sizeable and tasty. We had the salmon teriyaki, spicy tuna and tempura shrimp ones. The noodle set was also tasty, but instead of the takoyaki we had asked for, we received gyoza. Minor detail but we went with it and those were tasty as well. Overall super cute place. Service seemed to be on the slower side but it was also a small team running it during the lunch hour. Overall we liked it and will coming back! read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Pick 3 Onigiri, Salmon Teriyaki Onigiri, Spicy Tuna Onigiri, Ebi Tempura Onigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Ekiben is named after the bento you get at train stations in Japan to eat on your journey. It has a broader menu than the average train bento, and an occasional Thai twist. My most recent trip to Japan was this past November, and I was stunned as always by what Japan manages to make work as pre-made bento. Ekiben prepares your food fresh and has a full kitchen and even then, sadly, it wasn't as good as Japan's train food. It was fine. The udon noodles were perfectly chewy, in a mild and unassuming broth with some seaweed and green onions. Pleasant on a cold day. The mixed tempura was a massive portion (I couldn't finish it) of shrimp, broccoli, sweet potato, red pepper, and mushrooms. While the batter was crispy on the outside, it was a little heavy and spongy because of its thickness, and was undersalted, especially since it didn't come with any tempura dipping sauce or shichimi togarashi. It also grates to spend $17 on a dish that costs $4 in Japan, which people think is such an expensive country (it isn't, at least not for food) but I suppose that can't really be helped with inflation here being what it is. read more

A very cozy place with great service. The food is delicious. I had the pink ranger and found it to be a very unique delicious flavor. I certainly will come back. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Pink Ranger Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped in and had the 3 onigri set that comes with miso soup. Everything was amazing and extremely fresh. The Miso soup had very good flavor and the spicy tuna (raw) onigiri is top tier for $13 it's more than worth it! The People working there are very sweet as well! read more

I had their rice balls two times and they were amazing. Id def recommend the spam Musubi and the california rice ball. The spicy tuna rice ball is good two just get overwhelming after 4 bites. read more

Best Onigiri I can find in Chicago!!! Very best customer service very friendly service too. My favorite is the spicy shrimp and their Japanese coffee!!! read more

I'm obsessed with the Tokyo Don and onigiris from here. I usually do take out. I dined in once and was not a fan of the ambiance. It felt really shabby with their flooring falling apart. They're always friendly. Great addition to the neighborhood. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Tokyo Don - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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found new place in the neighborhood . Cozy and yummy. highly recommend their O-nigiri which I finish right away before taking a picture Lol. Server is nice and helpful. Good place for quick lunch read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Pink ranger - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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This is my favorite place to eat in the neighborhood hands down. It is so easy to pick up on a whim, the prices are great, and the food is amazing. I love the Kani Onigiri best but they are all spectacular. Spicy Tuna is also a favorite. I've tried a few of their regular dishes as well and they are good but the onigiri is the star of the show. read more

Ekiben Japanese Kitchen - Kani Mentaiko and Spicy Tuna Onigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My son and I tried Ekiben on a Friday evening and so enjoyed ourselves. The restaurant has a cozy atmosphere and the food was super tasty. We both enjoyed our spicy Onigiri (we tried the spicy salmon and the spicy octopus). Additionally, we loved the Red Ranger - the flavors were amazing and the presentation beautiful. Lastly, we ate the Spaghetti Spicy Basil with chicken. It was different than other noodle dishes I'm used to getting at Asian restaurants and the flavors were delicious. We will definitely go back. I can't wait to try more of the Ranger Rolls and also come for the lunch specials. read more

Delicious food, fantastic service and not expensive at all. Very clean and a few steps from Irving Park brown line.

Delicious sushi and miso soup. Good Service. Nice atmosphere. We saw the great reviews and we were pleased.

Ordered delivery. Waited until the max allowed time as stated on the delivery only to receive a phone call from the restaurant to inform that they were having trouble finding a driver. Ordered at 5pm, estimated delivery 6:10-6:25pm, received order at 6:45pm. Ordered udon and the noodles were already in the broth, common practice is to separate them for delivery or pick up, otherwise the noodles absorb too much broth and texture isn't ideal. Seaweed salad (served cold) was placed on top of warm foods and affected the temp. Should've been in a separate bag. Previous dine in experience there was good, but will probably not order delivery again. read more

Excellent and unique food, great staff, good prices. So happy to live just a short walk away.

Great food, extremely reasonable $, fast pickup service and really nice staff. I've been picking up food on my breaks and it's always ready and really consistently delicious! read more

So good! Got the California onigiri and the creamy tuna onigiri and it was heavenly!!!

Above average sushi near my place!!! I very much enjoy eating their food, but it will cost you, prices are very high, it's VERY easy to drop $100 for two people. I like to eat here as a treat, I can't afford it regularly. read more