Both sushi and selection not as good as other Tokyo locations.
The sushi selection in terms of the nigiri is not great, most of the stuff is rolls. The quality of the rolls are okay meaning edible, but really not great. There are a few other Tokyo's within blocks. I would recommend walking a little father and getting better sushi.
Very small on the inside, only about 5-6 seats.
I really enjoy Tokyo Lunchbox because after 3pm it is buy one get one free. Being a college student on a budget this works out well for me, especially on Tuesday or Thursday after class. The last time I went, however, was on a Monday and it was NOT good. I tried to eat as much as I could of the California roll before admitting to myself it was not as fresh as the sticker said, (9am that morning.) My assumption was that it was left over from Friday or Saturday, and a new sticker was just put on top that Monday morning. I couldn't stomach it. I'd never had that experience with them before (again, having only gone midweek.)
I would have given 4 STARS based other experiences. but I was put off enough that I don't think I want to go there anymore. Which is too bad, because overall I really liked it.
The other locations (like the one on Van Buren seemed reliable) so I'm going to give it 3 STARS, but if it was solely based on the Jackson location, I'd give it 2 STARS Â because I really will not eat there again.
Decent place for a quick lunch. Try the udon noodles with tempura veggies, plus for an extra dollar you can get four pieces of California roll style sushi on the side. The offer buy-one-get-one on their make after 3pm. The food is good, though not stellar, and just right for the price.
Review Source:Since the dawn of human history, primitive man has been magnetically drawn to fire. Long before developing facility with dialing rotary telephones, writing their name on paper, and sending event invites on Facebook, humanity has taken great joy out of cooking food and huddling around fire to keep warm at night, though over the millennia our attention span for staring blankly and wordlessly into leaping flames has much diminished.
Some 400,000 years after humanity learned to control fire, Tokyo Lunch Box offers a sushi roll called "Fire Works." Like my primitive ancestors before me, I am very much drawn to the fire involved in preparing this dish. Immediately upon placing my order, a tall Latino man procures a blowtorch and (gently) burns the hell out of a crunchy roll containing shrimp, tuna, caviar, and three "special sauces." I can see by the crazed look in his eye and the excessive use of the blowtorch that he really enjoys playing with fire. Likewise I very much enjoy watching this.
Almost as much as I enjoy eating the finished product, which tastes light and fresh with a distinct carbon undertone.
Can't say I'm blown away by the other choices here- decent for take-out sushi, but not so great if you've been spoiled by some of Chicago's finer sushi restaurants. There's also a 2 for 1 deal after 3:30 PM, which makes sense. But there's really no need for these other options. Why not have fire, when you can have fire?
I come here every single week. If you're looking for fancy sit-down sushi, this isn't the place. But if you get a sushi craving around lunch time this is a quick and affordable option! The Chef's Special roll is always very good, and you can get a free sample of it!
My favorite thing about this place is the buy-one-tray-get-one-free deal from 3:30-4pm. You can get 24 pieces of sushi for only $6-8! It's fantastic!
This place is a great stop off for some quick sushi at a good price. Â If you go after 3pm they have a special for buy one roll get one free, YUMMM!! They are also super nice always offering a free sample. I love their side mixed greens salad with a ginger dressing. I highly reccommend.
Review Source:Tokyo lunch box is pretty great. Sometimes, when you're on the go (or stuck in the loop, like I often found myself for a couple years) you don't want something that tastes like you've compromised. Have you ever had sushi from a grocery store? It tastes like paste. This is not that sushi. Every roll I've had at Tokyo lunch box has been yummy, and more importantly, fresh. The greeter behind the counter always offers you samples of the chef special, too (it's a delicious cooked roll called "fireworks", or something). So even if you don't go with sushi, you still get a little bit.
Awesome, right?
While the menu is pretty sizeable for a lunch-counter/to-go style joint, the main attraction, for me, is their Udon. Namely the veggie tempura variety (with "spicy on the side'' - Â trust me on this one). $7 gets you a HUGE steaming bowl of the good stuff, and when you're a broke college kid, you really appreciate this sort of thing all the more. They also do this buy one get one half price sushi thing an hour before they close which is a great idea, but since they close so early (4 PM, I believe) I rarely partake in that odd too late for lunch, yet too early for dinner sort of deal.
Oh, and while temptingly cheap and ready to grab and go, skip the gyoza. They're greasy and kind of weirdly hard.
I'm not the most adventurous eater, so I always get the chicken teriyaki bowl with brown rice. But for six bucks it's a great meal! White meat chicken breast slices, fresh spinach, mushrooms and carrots and fried tofu. It's big enough to eat half for lunch and leave a bit for an afternoon snack. See the picture I added for proof!
The decor leaves something to be desired, but I always take it to-go. The staff is very friendly, especially the guy who takes orders. They always offer a piece of the "chef's special" for free (I think it's always the same special, a roll with shrimp tempura), which satisfies my roll carving without me having to buy a whole one.
Check out the menu online before you head in there. The layout isn't that of a typical restaurant. There are chefs putting out individual rolls on top of the first counter - those are free samples...ask for a piece! Then there are little boxes all lined up underneath the counter with all of their various food choices. Read the box, each is priced accordingly. If you want the u-dong noodle soup, you ask for it at the cashier.
Though a little confusing, the place accomplishes what it's supposed to do. Quick, reasonably priced, 'lunch boxes.' But, come for the soup (which comes in a HUGE container), not the sushi. I got ken's u-dong (which sounded kinda dirty to me, but whatever). It had beef, chicken, a shrimp tempura and vegetables. For an extra dollar I got 4 pieces of California roll. You have to order the noodle soup spicy, it gives it that extra kick it needs.
It was good, but unless I'm within a couple blocks and have an unscratchable itch for soup... I probably won't make it back anytime soon.
This is just around the corner from my office, and it's a nice place to go when it's too cold/rainy or I'm too lazy to go any farther. Â I love their veggie udon in the winter, even though I consistently burn my tongue on it. Â Their veggie gyoza are pretty decent too. Â I can take or leave the sushi, but the udon's great on a cold day or if you're feeling under the weather.
Review Source:I love coming to Tokyo Lunch Box for three reasons: it's tasty, quick, and budget-friendly. I highly recommend the Special w/Shrimp Roll, the Vegetable Rice Soup, and the Beef Gyoza. They are all sooo good. Another fun tip--buy one get one free box after 3:30pm. This is a great place to go in the Loop if you want a change in lunch routine :)
Review Source:I love that there is now a Sushi restaurant close to DePaul. Its a nice change from the drab sandwhich options and McDonalds. The sushi options here are great and I love the chef specials. The downside to this place really has to be the seating. Its not very comfortable nor is it inviting. That is typically true of Japanese architecture, but really, this is the US and you get a lunch hour rush and we just want to eat quickly and comfortably as possible.
Had their Salmon rice bowl today. It was good, just a shame that it was luke warm. I asked if I could have a hot one and I just got my rice bowl nuked in the micro. Blech.
I will most likely eat here again, but I will surely be much more selective of what I will eat.
There is nothing to eat in the Loop. Nothing. Unless you're feeling like a lacklustre pesto something panini or a boring sandwich, there is NOTHING.
I couldn't stomach the thought of eating at Corner Bakery or Cosi again and I reaaaally didn't want some mediocre Thai food. I knew what I wanted, and I knew it was a lot to ask.
I wanted a big hot bowl of GOOD tempura udon. Fat chance, right? It IS the Loop we're talking about here. Oh, but how wrong I was. And how happy I was to be wrong. Tokyo Lunch Boxes presented me with a tasty, steamy lot of thick slippery udon noodles in a bowl. Spicy hot broth (you HAVE to order it spicy!), and two pieces of tempura shrimp. The $2 spicy tofu soup is good as well.
No more lame salads/sandwiches for me!
Ike most fast food places, it has its pros's and it's cons.
*Very little customer to staff interaction, It's basically grab and go. I think you could get their attention if needed, but it's really not needed unless you are ordering Udon. (Which they weirdly spell as U-dong).So its really fast if you only have a short lunch break.
*The hot foods and cold foods are not kept hot nor cold, which sorta weirds me out, I am not sure why there are no heat lamps over the hot food and no refrigeration in the cases, but it seems they make it up really quick and it sells really quick so I guess that is how they get away with it? They throw things they don't sell out at the end of day? Who knows.
*The overall taste was good. The gyoza had a nice flavor to them and my Philly roll was nothing special but it was not bad either and a little better tasting than the ones you can find at Jewel.
*The prices seem reasonable, Lunch for me and my friend
including soda was just a little over twenty two bucks. Â
*As with most Japanese food the portions are on the small side, so I was still hungry enough to grab a slice of pizza afterward, I am normally a reasonable eater too (Not a heavy eater but not a light eater either).
I'd go back, but I would have to be in the general location of one and have a sushi or udon craving.
If you ever see me in here, it's safe to assume I'm having a bad day.
I hate to give this place a low rating, but the only thing actually going for it is the spicy tofu soup (and even this is debatable [it really is greasy, lukewarm, and oftentimes comes in a container already caked with spills]).
A bigger issue for me is that the sushi rolls aren't *actually* made to order. If you want something off the menu, the staff will point you to the fridge, which contains various dry items made at 9:30am. Then they will offer you a sample of their daily special, which is the the firecracker roll (yes, their daily special is the same single roll).
But really, the BIGGEST issue for me is that their lunch trays are always sticky. The last thing I want to do is pay to eat at a place that doesn't believe in the power of dish soap.
This place makes me feel dirty, and mostly in a bad way. With that said, it sometimes does fulfill a void for spicy and lukewarm chewables.
It's pretty much a Japanese McD's. Â Â First off, the sushi isn't as fresh and comes in a processed box. Â Secondly, you got a relatively cheap price for the food and third: some of the other warm entrees seem a bit dry. Â
With that in mind, you got a friendly staff who gives out free samples (though, i am not aware if thats only a weekend thing or not). Â Also, the Udon is fantastic. Â Make sure you order any Udon spicy. Â Much more delicious and its always manly to eat spicy things.
$2 spicy tofu soup. Â I totally got drawn in by the price.
Unfortunately, that's the pro. Â The con is that you take it out of a display case so it's been sitting there for a bit. Â By the time I got back to the office it was lukewarm at best, and since it was in a styrofoam container I wasn't exactly keen to zap it.
It was also a bit greasy. Â I might come back because my office is so nearby, but I'd probably try Nik K's suggestion for the vegetable rice soup instead next time.
Yep, not bad. Â Nope, not great. Â
Pros:
- Free samples
- Made-to-order sushi if wanted
- More sushi pieces for the price vs their nearest competition
- Ok shrimp and vegetable tempura
- Helpful staff (at least on Wednesday at 11:30, before the lunch crowd)
- Quick for lunch
Cons
- Gyoza was terribly dry (I should have been able to tell that)
- All the good boxed sushi seemed to be spicy, not much variety
- Had to ask lots of questions since the items did not list what was in the sushi
Yep, it's okay. Â Nope, not going everyday.
Maybe I'm being unfair, since I've only gotten boxed sushi here, and I've only gone twice. Â However, both times, the sushi was so weird and unappetizing that it's given me no incentive to go back to try again. Â If you enjoy the idea of sushi that looks like it was extruded from a machine--little, bland, uniformly square pieces of fish on top of compacted cubes of gummy rice--then this is the place for you. Â If you like your boxed sushi to have been constructed as heaven and nature intended, by actual human beings, go around the block to Osaka Express instead.
Review Source:First of all, you don't come here for the sushi. You come here because they serve something called "Vegetable Rice Soup." No, not the Udon. It comes with a super light broth, some carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, and rice.
You come here because they only charge you 1.99 for this soup.
I bought a pack of gum the other day: $2.29.
TWO DOLLAR SOUP PEOPLE!
This location is good for a yummy time. The maki is very straight-forward and the udon is good. The price isn't bad at all, and the staff seems pretty nice. The only thing that is remotely pricey here is the special roll, which I'm pretty sure never changes, but it's delicious and you get to see someone torch your maki roll. So why not pay the extra few bucks? Savory bbq sauce for the win.
If you want a sit-down restaurant with high-quality sushi, you should go somewhere else. But if you want a quick and simple lunch involving udon, sushi, or both, this place is perfect. It's especially fun with friends after a long day downtown.
2 stars for the sushi. Â It's basically the equivalent of grocery store sushi - not very fresh or inventive. Â The veggie maki isn't bad, but I'd avoid the real maki and sashimi. Â I just don't trust sushi that isn't made to order - you don't know how long it's *really* been in that case.....
4 stars for the udon soup. Â Order it spicy. Â It's yummy and slurpy and full of vegetables and great on a cold day.
Fast Japanese Food
Before Tokyo lunch came into catering, ordering sushi was associated with expensive dining. This establishment sort of Mac-Donaldized our exotic perception of Japanese food. The menu even carries brief information about how busy people in Tokyo line up during lunch break in mini sushi joints for bowl of udon or some rolls. Thus, if you are looking for alternative to subway or over-priced salad you can come and get decent tempura udon soup, rolls, terriyaki, even spicy tuna (whatever your Japanese palate craves) under 6-7 bucks. Very affordable and service is fast.
Wow ROTD and now my 200th review! Â What a lucky, lucky day for me. Â And what better way to wrap it all up than with a sushi review!
After setting out for some sushi one evening, I was disappointed to find that Tokyo Lunch Box actually closes at 5pm and not 6pm as my friend suggested. Â But oh well I thought, I know just how to remedy this situation! LUNCH!
So I went for lunch the other day and yummers! Â Who ever said Tokyo Lunch Box sushi is just like the sushi you can get a Jewel or Dominicks was wrong! Â This place is good. Â The rolls sometimes come apart easily but hey you don't have to use chopsticks and they stay together just fine. Â Also the fillings are fresh and the fish stays cool, so it all makes for a very enjoyable lunch experience.
Also their prices are phenomenal! Â For under $10.00 I can get a drink, 6 different types of nigri plus a California roll and a huge portion of miso soup! Â That's a ton of food just for little old me! Â And yes I ate it all!
Get here early if you plan on dining in though because seating is very limited. Â And since no one wants to sit by someone they don't know if you want prime seating you'd better get their early or be forced to sit by that smelly guy or the guy taking up three spots with his laptop and food.
So if you ever want to do lunch in the Loop with me let me tell you a secret. Â If you suggest this place I'll be your lunch date for sure!
Tokyo Lunch Box has a very special place in my heart. I came here almost every day for sushi. I've never really tried the teriyaki bowls becuase I couldn't part from the sushi. It's very good for the price and since they knew me, sometimes they gave my free stuff. The seaweed salad in the fridge is very good. The gyoza is okay, but go for the sushi. The crab is real, not krab, and they always offer free samples of the "chef's special" which is really the same roll every day. It's a clean, quick lunch spot with friendly staff.
Review Source:I work right across the street from Tokyo Lunchboxes, so it's convenient. The inside is very tiny, just enough room for a table or two. It's nice because you can sample the special of the day...which hasn't changed in over 3 weeks. The sushi that is prepared and stored in the fridge is mediocre at best. I got the Philadelphia roll and it just didn't taste right. Coworkers have ordered the spicy salmon roll and the dragon roll, both or which were better than my Philly roll. If you order the special roll be prepared to wait a while. A friend ordered it and had to wait more than 10 minutes during the lunch-hour rush. Call in and order ahead to save yourself the hassle. It's OK for a quick, relatively reasonable lunch in the loop.
Review Source:The sushi is unimpressive but very good for the money, the teriyaki bowls are pretty tasty and accessible for my food-fearing friends, and the $5 vegetable tempura soba soup represents, to me, the best lunch deal in the neighborhood [not anymore, see below]. I'm very happy that this place exists. They really need a better menu posted on the wall, though, because it's hard to figure out that they even sell soba noodle bowls unless you ask for the paper take-out menu.
Edit: The prices went up, and the food hasn't been quite on point the last couple times I've been. All good things must pass. Still pretty decent, though.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto ...
Okay that doesn't really explain Tokyo Lunch Boxes, but I wanted to say it, so there! *sticks out tongue*
I like this place to grab a bowl of udon (or noodles) on a cold day (order it spicy and add a packet or two of soy sauce -- I've had it both ways and the added flavoring is great). Â This is a meal of its own right (and pretty cheap at just over $6). Â Trust me when I say that if you get soup and a container of sushi, you'll have too much food. Â Trust me again when I say if you do get the sushi and buy their spicy rolls, you will sweat. Â Trust me once more when I say, this place is definitely worth your dime.
This was my first trek out to Tokyo Lunch Boxes. I currently have a super stuffy cold and just wanted some soup. After reading some posts from fellow yelpers, I decided to try U-dong soup from Tokyo Lunch Boxes.
I ordered Vegetable Tempura Soup...spicy. They gave me the spices on the side, as well as the tempura. The noodles are cooked to perfection, for some, though, they may be a little over cooked. The spices are great, not too spicy but add great flavor. You get 5 Tempura veggies, definitely enough. The bowl is big and it's definitely enough for lunch.
They have a ton of locations, some in suburbs. If I crave soup in the future, I think Tokyo Lunchboxes will be my go-to place.
There are not many fast food Japanese places in Chicago. Tokyo Lunch Boxes has to be the best out of all of them. The teriyaki is not that good but the udon, appetizers and salads are all very good. Their spicy tuna special maki is out-of-this-world! The best maki roll I have ever had so I highly recommend it. This place is fast, healthy, reasonably priced and open for breakfast! This is why my boyfriend and I eat here almost everyday.
Review Source:The menu was not very intuitive and there are no prices on it. Confusing to say the least. But I always get the sushi from the cooler. So, it didn't bother me as much but it would be great to have a more user friendly menu. The sushi was good but not great. Price for sushi is about $4-$8. Honestly, the box of sushi was not enough to fill me up. This is a good place for takeaways but not if you want authentic Japanese fares.
Review Source:This place caught my eye a couple of weeks ago, and I have been itching to go in for lunch one day. Today the day came.
I have to say, I almost walked in and walked back out; I was so confused by the menu, or lack thereof. As noted in another review, the menu has no prices on it, and is basically a list of Japanese food terms. Very strange. On one wall is a poster that actually does have pictures and prices for different types of udon(g). We actually had to ask the person behind the counter what the method of ordering food was. She pointed us toward a cooler where we picked out some sushi rolls and salad. Nothing was particularly good, and our bill on lunch for 2, was $18, which was far too exspensive for the amount and quality of food. The only way I would go back is to try the udon if I find myself in the mood.
Shrimps, how I love you so.
Yummy Yummy Shrimps, I eat you up.
Thank you Four Large shrimps, for appearing around the corner from me.
Dipped in Tempura Batter.
Served with Tempura Veggies.
And Some Rice.
For 6.60, including tax.
Yum Yum Shrimps, you appear so Quick.
I take you to the office, and eat you up.
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