Ekiben Japanese Kitchen
Chicago Bae Reviews · 300 Google reviewsEkiben Japanese Kitchen — one of North Center's strongest japanese spots. Order the Onigiri. Feels current without overdoing it, and well-priced. "The sushi was super fresh and full of flavor — you can tell they use top-quality ingredients" — Mixx Santigul [$$]
What 411 diners keep saying
What 411 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“Good spot for sunday lunch. Food came out fast and delish! It was a lovely lunch for me - highly recommend 💘”
“If you love comfort Japanese food, you must go to this place!! The masago creamy pasta was incredible. Felt like a warm hug on a rainy day. The pink ranger was unique! A flavor bust of umami. And the monster roll (we ordered the Dune Devil) was massive and delicious too. We didn't realize they closed at 10p and they didn't kick us out, they were too kind.”
“I ordered a poke bowl and was really impressed by the quality of the fish and the rice. I couldn't identify one of the fish in my bowl, but I really loved it. When I asked the waitress, she happily informed me that it was yellow fin. I was glad that she was knowledgeable about the food. Not to mention, she was also super nice! I also had the hot green tea and I loved the pretty cup that it was in! The entire meal was aesthetic and delicious. I usually don't even take that many pictures of my food, if any at all... But this place was just too cute! The prices are average for sushi, maybe a little more expensive? But I feel like the quality really shined. The sushi rice they served was also divine! If you are looking for non-sushi, they have an onigiri special that was only like 12$. Their lunch menu is super reasonable. Their miso soup is the best I've ever had. I can see myself coming in just for that and some rice honestly. For transiters, this place is like less than 20ft from a brown line station. I forget which one... But it's super accessible with a nice crosswalk that has signals so it's safe to cross the busy street. I know I will certainly be back when I want to enjoy a delicious meal in an aesthetic and comfortable environment.”
“I’ve been here three times this week — that’s how much I love this place. The food is delicious, everything is so cute, and it just has its own soul and character. Even the music matches the vibe of the place perfectly. You can tell the owner has great taste. Highly recommend!”
“Excellent food at fair prices. Service was solid. Everything everyone ordered was well portioned and high quality. Will be comeing back soon!”
“Delicious food and beautiful playing. Will definitely be back!”
“The interior is cozy with lots of wooden detailing and furniture, reminiscent of a food stall in Japan. Delicious fried roll with creaminess from the avocado and refreshing pink ranger roll with the torched fish. Will definitely be back to try out the other ranger rolls next time.”
“Definitely coming back to try more dishes! Service was welcoming and genuine. Food quality was 10/10 and reasonably priced.”
“Had a great meal here for Valentine’s Day! Loved the tofu katsu don. There were many great options on the menu for vegetarians. The ambience is so relaxing with the soft light of the lanterns. They have a lot of alcohol and NA drink options but you can BYOB as well!”
“The food was great, I got a table immediately, and the wait for my food was only about 10 minutes or less. The katsudon (chicken and rice bowl with soft egg) was so filling I had to take some home. :)”
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