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    J BOX

    4.1 (124 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese, Korean
    Open 11:00 am - 7:30 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order J BOX Takeout or Delivery

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    J BOX ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - J BOX

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    Menu
    Susan D.

    Good take out place for sushi, ramen, bowls & bento boxes. This quaint place is located in the "Islands" in the middle of a business park. Geared more towards take out, there's no dine-in option but plenty of outdoor seating for this place and for the other eateries nestled here. The menu is small, but the food, delicious! We were helped by one employee who does the register and the cooking, and he was pleasant & efficient. We got the pork ramen and the beef (bulgogi) bento box. The flavors were great and the food tasted freshly made. This was a wonderful experience and glad we arrived before they close at 2:00pm (Saturday).

    Leaving the barbershop going to J box for curry

    Amazing food i love chicken katsu curry and the cold ramen is amazing !! I love that it is located next to my favorite barbershop too, Steez Fine Barbering!!

    Teriyaki Chicken Bowl
    Trevor T.

    I ordered the teriyaki chicken bowl which was very good. Packaged air tight so the was no spillage. Big pieces of chicken and a salad in the bowl along with an egg roll. The egg roll was probably my favorite part of the meal. They even included a soy sauce packet which I appreciated because I squirted a few drops on the last remaining bites of rice. J Box is great if you are trying to not overeat during lunch. Portion control is one of the hardest things about losing weight...also exercise.

    Fried chicken
    Megan S.

    I found this place on Door Dash and I can't believe I've never been. It was great! The sushi and tempura in the bento box were fresh and great! The beef was really good and it was a good sized portion. The friend chicken was delicious and the sauce it comes made it even better. It was well packaged and everything was fresh. I will definitely visit in person next time

    Bento box
    Cerena P.

    Wow so good! I wasn't expecting much but this was some of the best food I've ever had. I got the bento box which came with so much food and a drink!! The chicken was so tender and just melted in my mouth, it was incredible. Everything else that came with it was also great! Great portions and delicious food, definitely recommend if you're in the area.

    some of the best food i've ever had , and everyone here is super cool i am definitely coming back !

    Outside seating at jbox
    Alan B.

    This little place is located in The Island, a shopping plaza and very nice food court near my hotel. Though there are many choices for fast food here, inlcuing French, Tacos, Pizza, Bakery, Indian and Smoothies, I opted for the J BOX and was pleased with the result. I ordered: Ramen - Our signature ramen soup is made from a mixture of pork broth, a rich and healthy miso paste, and soy sauce. Served with cha-shu pork, bean sprout, egg, crab stick, and green onion. $9.45. And the outside dining venue for this food court is very pleasant, with seating under awnings available and a large fountain in the middle of the court. You've probably heard of the Good, Fast, Cheap Paradigm, where you can only get 2 out of three (Good and Fast, or Fast and Cheap for example). But the J BOX was Good, Fast and Inexpensive, a great choice for a fast lunch. A solid 4 stars for the J BOX.

    Bul-go-gi Bento
    Mike L.

    We came for lunch on a Friday afternoon and it was pretty popular in this place. Mostly looked like a business lunch crowd with folks that probably all work in the nearby office buildings. We were headed to Legoland (a few minutes away) and thought we'd stop by for a quick bite. Since it's part of a food court, my family all wanted different cuisines, so we split up and one person got a sandwich at Croutons, two people split Indian food at Punjabi Tandoor, and one person got a Bento box at J-box. The Bul-go-gi was a little bit on the dry side but flavored well. Portion size was good (see photo). There was plenty of rice, and the California Rolls were on par with typical grocery-store level Cali Rolls with imitation Krab meat in them. Avocado and cucumber in it were both fresh and the rice was not dry. The Tempura shrimp was also satisfactory. I thought the salad was a bit bland/plain, even though there was dressing tossed into it. The ingredients were fresh though. Food came out pretty fast. --------TL;DR-------- PROS: location is convenient, service was fast. In the Food Court with plenty of outdoor seating. Portion sizes were good. CONS: prices a bit on the higher end for a lunch ($14.45 for the Bul-go-gi Bento box). Salad could use more dressing. BOTTOM LINE: If you want fairly quick takeout Japanese food, this place has it. Since it's in a Food Court, you have other selections to look into as well (Croutons, a sandwich/salad place nearby was our winner of the 3 places we went, btw).

    Paradise roll without the spicy sauce + cream cheese! :D comes with a side of house salad too. Yummm
    Beverly E.

    Ahh! Its SO NICE to know there's a Japanese place around the corner from work :-) There are 7 rolls to choose from.. which all come with a house salad as well.. there are also 3 salads entrees too! They few have a few korean dishes "korean beef" aka bulgogi, and you can get it as is, or as a bowl too. The family that owns this place is really sweet. They even carry a few Japanese drinks too like Calpico and Green/Oolong tea in a can. The salad dressing amazing and the paradise roll was yummy too! For the sushi and salad it was roughly $9 or a little less. The sushi is SUPER FRESH! Two thumbs up in my book! i'll be back again soon!

    J Box spicy tuna roll and comes with a side salad! $7.45
    Victoria R.

    This restaurant is in a great location! My coworkers and I met up here for lunch and I decided to try JBox. I got the j box spicy tuna roll that came with a house salad for only $7.45. I also got a miso soup that was under $2. My meal came out to around $10, you can't beat that price! My meal was yummy and fresh. They brought out the food quickly too! So if you work in the area and might be worried about the wait, don't be!! They were friendly, helpful, and fast. I will definitely be back to have lunch here. During the week parking can be hectic and finding a place to sit outside might be tough during the lunch rush. But my friends and I found couch seats under the shade that were great. And don't forget to ask for a side of spicy mayo or soy sauce, there's no extra cost! They did have a bento box option but only with chicken and beef, I really wished they had a vegetarian option or pescatarian option (especially for people like myself who don't eat red meat/or who only eat fish/vegan/vegetarians). I hope they can change that in the future!!

    #7: poke, Cali roll under poke, and salad.
    Ryan-Sum Dum Gai- S.

    Not sure what the hype is about. I am guessing the high ratings are from people that work in the area and are relegated to the food court for variable options. I had the #7, spicy tuna poke and choice of a Cali or spicy tuna roll. It came with a small salad of romaine ribs mostly (see pic). With a soda it came to about $14 for about 8 pieces of poke (mostly spices and sesame seeds), a weak roll (think small step up from grocery store quality), and a soda. I won't be back unless I get a job across the street and had to eat nearby.

    Philadelphia roll comes with a salad!
    Denisse R.

    Tried them out for a light lunch last week. It was delicious! I was not expecting to get a salad with my Philadelphia roll but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The place is super clean and the staff is very friendly. I can't wait to go back and try their bulgogi bowls and ramen!

    No tables inside
    Doris W.

    I only have a 30 minute lunch break, so I like calling ahead and placing my order over the phone so when I get there, my food will be ready to go. Well, today, the day I decide to try J BOX for the first time, their phone was accidentally off the hook for the first 30 min after they opened! But I still took a chance, risking me running over my lunch break, and was the first customer of the day it looked like, score! Food came out decently fast, and I made it back to the office within 30 min. Located across from Thermo Fischer, in the food court area. Plenty of parking! I ordered: - Poke tuna over a spicy tuna roll (comes with a side salad) - SAMM (bulgogi on top of rice and sauce, wrapped in seaweed) - $15.00 Ok, so a bit pricey for lunch on a weekday. But the sushi was delicious! Pretty spicy I thought! I'll come back here on paycheck days haha.

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    Ask the Community - J BOX

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    CHIKO

    CHIKO

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    (746 reviews)
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    for nearly two years, Scout, my orange, husky-looking mut and I have been driving by their…read morenow-shuttered Encinitas location four times a week after playdates at Power Lines Dog Park. every time we do, I think "we gotta back there for another visit." pretty sure CHIKO has aged out of my draft queue. now that I've finally gotten around to finishing the review, they've been closed for months. in the draft, I suggested CHIKO might not be a destination restaurant, but if you happen to be in the neighborhood, it's definitely a place worth stopping by for eats. if you wait long enough, like I did, the nearest ones are in the DC area and probably not worth a cross-country trip. sad.

    Post-mortem... I was sad to hear that CHIKO permanently closed their doors at the end of last year…read more It's rare for an East Coast based Asian chain restaurant to migrate to California, but that was what CHIKO did. As noted by its name, this place served a fusion of Chinese and Korean cuisines. Their Encinitas location took over what used to be a roadside diner along N Coast Hwy 101. The seating capacity was less than 40 people which included a few high-top counter spots. At my last visit, I came for a late dinner before their closing time. A large menu was posted on the wall behind the service counter that listed about two dozen food offerings. The items seemed to be comfort food like pot stickers, spring rolls, fried rice, and chicken wings but flavored with unique combinations of seasonings and spices. I started my meal with the Marinated Beef Tri-Tip Skewers which came as a set of three and a Chinese mustard for dipping. The meat was very tender and well-seasoned. I also ordered the Cumin Lamb Stir Fry which the cashier said was medium spicy. After tasting a couple of bites of the noodles from the serving bowl, I agreed that the heat level was moderate, even for my palate. I thought the portion size should have been more for the price. That was my main criticism for both items, otherwise the food was solid for an Asian fusion eatery.

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    Tabu Shabu - Carlsbad

    Tabu Shabu - Carlsbad

    4.5
    (431 reviews)
    2.0 mi
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    I wholeheartedly agree with a lot of the yelpers on here. I got to take the team out for a great…read morelunch here today. It was absolutely amazing. For $25 you get a starter (think edamame, marinated cucumbers, dumplings, etc.), a choice of Chicken, Pork or Beef, and a soft drink. It also includes all the dipping sauces, broth, rice and vegetables. Everyone loved that you could customize it to their own liking and it was just a fun experience cooking together with everyone. Definitely will come back and it was an awesome value at only $25 a person.

    I want to start by saying that I very much enjoyed eating at Tabu Shabu. It's very fair to state…read morethat my three star experience is mostly my own doing more so than the restaurant itself. Our server was fantastic, the setup clean, and the menu was fairly easy to navigate. Where it fell apart for me all came after that. This is not my style of cooking. So many places I've been to, where you cook your own food on a grill or hot plate at your table, you're mainly dealing with thin cuts of meat, salt and pepper, and possibly a dipping sauce. This makes the cooking simple, a quick sear, a light crust on the beef or pork, and the finished product is basic and delicious. Shabu, though ... it's boiled meat. That's not to say that Tabu Shabu isn't good, but unless you're really adept at making soups, it's easy to be completely out of your element. And I can safely say I was a bit over my head at this restaurant. You start with your broth, where I am ashamed to admit that instead of opting for the Tonkostu with its deep and rich fatty flavor, I chose the basic umami of the White Miso. Because of that, I spent most of my meal mistakenly chasing flavors I would normally find in a Ramen Shop. They give you a plate of chopped herbs to add and some basic instructions ... I like garlic, so I added the whole thing, radish sound alright, so add in the whole ball, what was the last thing I put in? They give you a few squeeze bottles of oils with paper labels ... this one makes it more sour, this one makes it more spicy, this one has sesame, and I'm too timid to add enough of any to truly add to the flavor of the broth, so it just keeps that basic umami flavor without being as salty as it should be. Then you have a plate of vegetables to steep in your creation. Cabbage, broccoli, spinach, bok choy, tofu ... all of it serves as a way of soaking up that broth you've made. Other options, like the carrots, mushrooms, and squash, become sweet and tender after taking their turns in the pot. And they're nice as they offer a different flavor other than that umami. And then there's the meat. A wide variety of options ranging from salmon, to chicken, to pork, all the way down to multiple versions of beef. But, all of the meats we ordered seem to differ only in texture after spending some time in that broth. Some fell apart on the tongue, some still had a nice chew, but all shared that umami from the pot, with an aftertaste of beefy flavor before swallowing. After a few initial pieces, I found myself thankful for the dipping sauces to distract me from how boring I had made my broth to be. You also get a choice of rice, which I don't think you really need. You get a choice of noodles, which they give you a good amount where it doesn't fill you up with carbs. And anything left over is readily bagged up to eat at home after the flavors mix together and mature. In the end, it's a very filling and fairly healthy meal. I think it's difficult to not compare this to eating a bowl of Pho or Ramen. All the ingredients are there, just instead of eating it with a spoon, you pull out the individual bits with some chop sticks and pretend you're not eating boiled beef and spinach. If I were a better cook, or had another ten visits worth of practice, Tabu Shabu could easily be 4-5 stars. As it is, though, I think I would rather just go to GONZO and get another chef's creation to be sure of the flavors I want. Regardless, I want to come back here and try again one day. The variety of options and the wait staff alone are enough for me to learn more and expand my Shabu options, as well as recommend this place to others.

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    Spicy Miso broth and condiments
    Spicy Miso broth and condiments
    Free mochi with Yelp Check in
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    Guahan Grill

    Guahan Grill

    4.4
    (1.1k reviews)
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    Cute little place in Oceanside, right past CVS, by Flying Pig. We never really walk out that far…read morefrom the pier area (and it's not really THAT far), but decided to go out a bit just to check it out. Scanned the QR code on the big banner from the outside and checked out their menu. Saw lumpia and thought it was a Filipino spot). Saw they had a happy hour menu and decided to check it out before our movie. The vibe we really cute and played reggae music. It was a relaxing, chill atmosphere with lots of tvs. The server, Jaz was really nice, friendly and very hospitable. She spoke of their Guamanian food, heritage and community. They've been in the current spot for the last 7 or 8 months, so fairly new, but were down the street for many years before that. We ordered 2 different kinds of BBQ chicken wings. Two orders of the sweet chili glazed (Pine Doni) and one of the other which was like a honey bbq glazed style. All were supposed to have 6 wings, but the honey BBQ one had 5 (?). The sweet chili was our fave of the two. Their chicken empanadas were huge, and served 3 per dish, were delicious and crispy, with an aioli like sauce with a wonderful kick. The spam roll was a masubi-like and was good (husband said it was the best he's ever had). The side of mac salad had great flavor! Jaz brought us some red rice to try on the house and it was really good! It reminded me of Vietnamese chicken rice, with chicken broth infused into the rice, making it really tasty and savory. First time having Guamanian food and we're stoked we tried it! All in all, great food and awesome service! If you've never tried it before...put it on your list! You won't regret it!

    I'm always so so happy to visit this restaurant! We were…read moregreeted & seated right away. I've always loved the Blue color of the walls and the island decorations throughout. We started off with the chicken kelaguen which had the perfect amount of flavor and tanginess with the red rice staple. I do wish I got more rice in the chicken to rice ratio, but it was good regardless. Shortly after we got our empanadas (the whole reason I wanted to go here). I had been craving them for weeks and it didn't disappoint. The filling was the delicious and the crust was perfectly crunchy. We then shared the Guam bomb which was a pretty decently sized plate. I appreciated how crunchy the fries were, especially since the amount of sauce on top could have easily made them soggy very quickly. I do wish there was a little more meat but it tasted yummy nonetheless. Our absolute favorite part of the meal was desert. The banana donuts! It came with 4 which was perfectly paired with strawberry ice cream. Overall, super duper happy with another visit to this amazing spot! Hopefully we'll catch them at PIFA San Diego this year

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    J BOX - japanese - Updated July 2026

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