Ekiben Japanese Kitchen — Restaurant in Lake View Township

I want to start by saying that my first visit here was absolutely perfect. The young man who served us three weeks ago was kind, attentive, and made us feel truly welcome. The drunk noodles were delicious—so good they made me want to come back and share the experience with my family. 5/5 experience

Unfortunately, today’s visit 9/20/25 at 2:30 pm was a stark contrast.

My family arrived ahead of me and was seated in a corner booth, but my boyfriend is 6’2” and couldn’t fit comfortably. They asked to be moved to a different table, and from that moment on, the tone of service shifted noticeably.

When I arrived with my service dog, two women immediately approached me to say dogs weren’t allowed in which I’m sure the lady with light brown hair is the owner. I explained she’s a service animal, and they backed off—but the interaction felt abrupt and unwelcoming.

We placed our order—lunch specials with drinks—but our food arrived before our beverages, while another table that came in after us received their Thai teas promptly. I had to remind our waitress about our drinks. I also asked if the fan above us could be turned down, and was told it couldn’t be adjusted. We were offered another table, but had to move everything ourselves—soups, waters, the works—while staff watched without offering help.

Throughout the meal, no one checked on us or refilled our waters unless we asked. This was disappointing, especially compared to our first visit where the server was proactive and thoughtful.

One staff member even told me to make sure my service dog was under the table because “there’s other customers in the restaurant.” That comment felt unnecessary and dismissive.

Before my mom and aunt had finished eating, we were handed the check without being asked if we wanted dessert or anything else. It felt rushed, like they wanted us out. We stayed to chat, but each time a waitress passed by, she glanced at the check to see if we’d paid. When I asked for a to-go box, the waitress would walk away as soon as I spoke, not giving me time to also ask for napkins and a straw. I had to wait for her to come back again just to finish the request.

When it came time to pay, I was handed the machine to tap my card—unlike last time when the server handled it and gave us a paper to write in the tip. Given the uncomfortable experience, I left $0 on the machine. Then the woman with short hair came over with the paper and hovered while my mom filled it out. She even commented, “Just $2 for service?” I explained that the service had made us feel unwelcome, and mentioned the comment about my dog. Her response? “Sorry you feel that way.”

We had just picked up my aunt from the airport and wanted to treat her to a place we had loved. Instead, we left feeling uncomfortable and...

My cousin and I went to have lunch at Ekiben - Japanese Kitchen yesterday, it's our first time there and we enjoyed our foods so much and we plan to go back there again soon.

The specialty of this restaurant that I never found in any other Japanese restaurants is their Onigiri, Japanese Rice ball in triangular shape wrapped in seaweed.

We tried their Spicy Tuna Onigiri, and Salmon Onigiri which were good.

We also had Gyoza (Chicken pot stickers), Takoyaki (Fried octopus ball with sauce) - quite tasty, hot & soft on the outside and filled with mayo & octopus on the inside, Salmon Zaap (Spicy) salmon sashimi with spicy 3 flavors Thai sauce, it's quite delicious with unique flavors. We ended our lunch with Spaghetti Spicy Basil with tofu which was very flavorful.

They have lunch specials with very reasonabl price.

We ordered lunch special 3 Onigiris with miso soup to go for $12.50+ tax.

There is also lunch specials starting from $15.50 that you can choose one noodles dish + appetizer+ drink.

Everything was so good, fresh, and delicious. The place had a nice relaxing ambient with great service.

I will go back to have more Onigiri and try Spaghetti Cream Mentaiko that other review...

My friends & I have dined here three times, and the food has always been very good. And the restaurant is clean & pretty. Just one problem …. We’ve had the same server the last two times, and she’s not friendly. It would do her well to smile every now and then & make people feel welcome My friends and I agree that her attitude is on the curt, cold, & unfriendly side. Don’t get me wrong, she wasn’t mean, but she doesn’t have a “welcoming” personality. For me , when I go to a restaurant, part of the experience is to feel like I’m welcome. For example, when you have guests at your home, the host normally greets them with a smile and is glad to see them. The same thing should apply at restaurants in my opinion. For this reason, and because this is so important to me, I’m debating whether to return here or not. There are many other good restaurants out there.

I’m writing this letter in the hopes that the owner talks to his staff and tells them to be friendly & welcoming to customers. Having worked in the catering business most of my life, I’m aware that a little smile goes a long way and a lack of this can...