Ekiben — Restaurant in Baltimore

The vibe is Urban. Pretty loud hip hop music. Tupac, Kenrick Lamar, and Outcast were some of the artists played. There are only about 8 bar stools for dinning in. We've been here about 3 times, and all 3 times were amazing. They have some new stuff on the menu, including "Ramen Broccoli" and "What the Bird Eats". We ordered "Tofu Brah" for the second time, "Garlic Chil Oil Noodles" (new menue item), and "Pho Spiced Cheesstake Eggroll" (also new). The Tofu Brah is my favorite. It has a peanut sauce that is not gluten-free, but the rest of it is. Most of the menu is actually gluten-free except the peanut sauce, egg rolls, and buns. The Tofu is hands down the best tofu I've ever had! I suggest saying no to onions if they aren't your thing, even if they are not on the menu, chances are they will be on the dish. My husband said the "Neighborhood Bird" is still his favorite. He gives the "Neighborhood Bird" a 10/10. Today, he gave the eggroll a 7/10 because the cheesstake and Pho seasoning didn't quite vibe. He couldn't really taste the Pho, but thought something was kind of off. He also liked the chili noodles. The chilli noodles also got a 7/10. But he thought the braised pork in that dish was great, and gave it a 9/10. He went on to say the seasoning in the gluten-free breading on the chicken, and Tofu really stood out as a favorite. We noticed the catfish was off the menu, and that was one of our favorites. Another fav that we didn't order this time is the "Tempura Broccoli," which is also gluten-free free. All in all, this place is up there and one of our favorite places to go when we ditch the kids. One time we brought our adult kid with us. He devoured the Neighborhood Bird yet swears he doesn't like dark meat. So even if you don't like dark meat, give this one a try. Prices may seem high, but most dishes are enough to feed 2 people. You could order an extra bun with the "Neighborhood Bird" and feed...

Was looking forward to trying out Ekiben from reading the glowing reviews and being recommended by some friends, but definitely was let down. Spent $80 for dinner and would have rathered go to Popeyes or Chick Fil A.

Food: Spicy Walnut Shrimp tasted extra fishy, almost like shrimp get when they are old/coming up on expired. The Chicken sandwich was decent, not amazing. If you are going to get anything on a bun, eat it fresh. The bun absorbs juices and gets extremely soggy extremely fast. The cheesesteak egg rolls were the redeeming factor for the food... they were delicious.

Service: Got home to see I was given an incorrect order (entrees were wrong). Ordered chicken sandwiches and they gave us a pork entree dish. I could definitely see how this could be a major slip up for people with religious preferences for food. For me, it was just an inconvenience as I like 15 minutes away. Since they don't have a phone, had to drive back to the restaurant. They did remake the food, so that's good, but when they gave me the food back again, it again was wrong, as they made one of the sandwiches without the special instructions on the receipt. Had to have them remake one of the sandwiches again. While I was there, I did see more than just my order returned for incorrect/missing items. If you get a takeout order, BE SURE TO VERIFY YOUR ENTIRE ORDER BEFORE YOU LEAVE!

Atmosphere: Maybe it is because it is a weekend, but the space is small, and mostly used as a waiting area for people waiting for their takeout orders. It...

I want to begin by saying that I have always enjoyed this establishment and have been a loyal customer for some time, ordering at least a couple of times a month. However, my experience today was extremely disappointing.

I placed an order for tofu, requesting it to be well done, and promptly arrived to pick up my order as soon as I received the notification. While at the counter, I politely asked for a small side of the spicy seasoning used for the spicy shrimp, which I request every time I place an order, regardless of whether I order tofu or shrimp. Until today, I have never encountered an issue with this request.

However, the gentleman, who introduced himself as the assistant manager, informed me that it was not possible to provide the seasoning because I did not order the shrimp. I was quite taken aback, as I would have gladly paid for the seasoning had that been the issue. Rather than offering a solution or asking for a small charge, he simply insisted that it could not be provided.

At this point, I asked for a refund on my order. It was only then that he went to the back and brought out the small side of seasoning I had originally requested. Unfortunately, upon arriving home, I discovered that the tofu was not well done as I had requested, but instead lukewarm. By this point, I was too frustrated to return it.

This entire experience has caused me to reconsider whether I will continue to patronize this establishment...