OK food but I am definitely a fan of the BOGO FREE sushi after 2:30pm ish (i believe). So starting around 2:30, you would see me wandering around the Mart food court pretending that I am weighing my options but really I am about to pretend that I happen to want sushi when they roll out the BOGO deal. That's how you do it - cheap in a classy way.
Prices are reasonable given it's in river north and that the surrounding options are mall food court food. I loved their chef special - fried shrimp something. It almost tastes like soft shell crab. The salmon with brown rice rolls are also great for its price - fish is actually decent quality. Edamame on the other hand is expensive at $1.99 for like 15 of them, unless you are lucky and you will get a free one along with your BOGOF sushi at 3pm :)
Also greatly appreciate the plastic lil trays for mixing soy sauce and wasabi. So thoughtful!
I miss the fresh ginger dressing on the salads here! I moved away so I can't enjoy the food here like I once did.. Â I would do anything for the ginger dressing recipe! Like..give you five stars and recommend you guys to all my Chicago friends! :)
What a great deal for a quick meal. Love your udong noodle soup.. and those salads!!
This was my second time eating here. Â The first time was okay, but this time was not good at all. Â I special ordered (meaning it wasn't pre-made in the cooler) a spicy salmon roll with brown rice. Â There was barely any fish in my rolls and the fish that was there was in really tiny pieces and it was super slimy -- it was terrible. Â I also got a cucumber salad, which was good, but I will not be back. .
Review Source:TLB is not the greatest, most gourmet sushi you'll ever have but it certainly is better than the stuff at the supermarket. I am generally at the Mart for big shows and TLB is my main stop for lunch. The udon is outstanding, full of fresh veggies and the sushi is pretty good. I'd skip the pre made gyozas though, they have probably been sitting and are greasy. It's by far the best option in the food court.
Review Source:Great for fast sushi. Â I used to frequent Tokyo Lunch Box when I worked across the river. Â They have your basic rolls and the more elaborate rolls (i.e. Sunshine Roll, Chef's Special, etc.). Â They even have Edamame Shumai, which was very tasty and not overly soggy (a concern of mine, when I saw the shu mai was prepackaged and waiting to be bought.
One thing I do still wonder about: Â The Chef Special is the same as it was last year. Â Isn't the purpose of a "special" to feature a special dish? Â The Chef's Special is a roll with Deep Fried Jumbo Shrimp, BBQ Spicy Tuna, Japanese Caviar, 3kind Sauce, and "Crunch" (panko crumbs?) and they would torch the top of the sushi roll to add extra crunch. Â It's a really good and tasty roll. Â They even offer sample bites of the Chef Special roll before you buy it. Â This was great (and for the record, the roll still tastes great), but why is the "special" the same? Â Doesn't that make it NOT special anymore? Also, the Chef's Special features a higher price tag in comparison to the other rolls. Â For a Special that has been the Special for over a year, it hardly seems worth it to buy into its "specialness." Â While I love the crunch and flavors of the roll, I've tried their others and you aren't missing out by skipping on the Chef's Special. Â Tokyo Lunch Box's other sushi rolls are yum-tastic and convenient. Â My picks aside from Chef Special would include their eel nigiri, Honey Moon Roll, and Dragon Roll. Â
So far, Tokyo Lunch Box has been good to me. Â Aside from my question about specials, I do enjoy their food. Â Great that they can bring variety to the Merchandise Mart food court. Â Thank you Tokyo Lunch Box for providing quick and convenient sushi.
I'm from California and I was craving solid affordable lunch sushi. Â I thought I had left such a concept behind in LA. Â Turns out I was wrong. Â Just as good as any decent sushi place anywhere and none of the bs of 15-dollar rolls at some fancy sitdown place that isn't necessarily even as tasty as this. Â Go after 3 pm for the 2 for 1 roll specials. Â Seriously.
Review Source:This place is just great! Â Smiling faces great you and will make your maki rolls in front of your eyes! Â I get 12 HUGE maki rolls for about 1/2 of whole foods price.
The food is always really fresh, they have brown rice upon request,
Lily is always so sweet over at the cash register. Â
They even use a special soy sauce that's naturally brewed with no added sodium (I will always remember the day they switched soy sauces.)
They use to have a buy one get one free for the packaged sushi after 3 before they closed, how nice and thoughtful... it was great to take home for dinner and reassuring they were making fresh sushi the next morning, but they stopped this :(
If you're in the Mart and want Sushi this is your only option, but it's a great one!
I thought they had a lot of really great selections and everything that I have ordered was very fresh. I also loved that they offer brown rice sushi. The price was a little high, but defiantly not a rip off for good sushi. This is a nice option if you're by Merchandise Mart and craving some quick sushi.
Review Source:I'm not a fan of the prepackaged meals, but I really like their daily special which is a shrimp roll that is made to order. I get the 1/2 roll for $5.99 and it fills me up. I only wish the daily special varied, but I'm a huge fan of this one and go here for it several times per month. Fresh, great value, and high quality.
Review Source:I love Tokyo Lunch Box!  For the price of  a cheap sandwich, I can get an order of California Rolls WITH Masago!!
Today ... I got TWO orders for that price! Â (one order California Rolls & one order of Spicy Shrimp Rolls)
I wandered to Merchandise Mart, because I had to ship a package at the conveniently located post office there. Â I decided to take the EL home and noticed TLBC was open, and saw a brightly colored sign that said FREE! Â Free? Â free -- eezz goood! Â I hit the jackpot! Â Buy one get one FREE!! WEW HEW & THANK YEW!!
with my purchase in hand, I toddled off to catch the train home, all the while thinking about how WONDERFUL my dinner tonight was going to be!!
A word of warning though. Â They're not kidding when they say SPICY on any of their rolls. Â The 'spicy shrimp rolls' Â was a little too spicy for me, but it was STILL good. Â (even though I don't normally eat spicy *anything*)
I'll be back of course, though, now that I know about the special? Â HAH! I'm going - more often!
I don't know why this place gets all the rave reviews. Â I certainly don't think that just because a place is located on the food court necessarily means that it has to serve subpar food, but this place does. Â Their rolls were okay. Â Not great, just okay. Â Their miso, however... Â How can you mess up miso like that?!?! Â I don't get it! Â The wakame was mushy, the mushrooms were undercooked, and it was salty. Â Yes, I know, it's $1.60 but I can get the same kind of deal for FRESH sushi, awesome miso, and soy sauce not from a packet elsewhere. Â Namely Takumi in Presidential Towers. Â They have the best sushi deal for lunch in the city. Â Call me spoiled, but I won't be going here again.
Review Source:The udon soup here is fantastic-- and gigantic. Â I bought the "sampler platter" of udon soup, as 'twere-- with shrimp, pork, and beef included. Â Absolutely delicious but beware-- this is a really big bowl of soup. Â You don't need anything else.
Except a hug after. Â And a nap. Â Cause you'll be so full you'll need snuggles and sleepies.
When I worked in the Merchandise Mart a few years ago, I never took advantage of this little gem! Looking at the place I just never thought it would be good, but what a surprise, it was pretty delicious!
Sometimes there is a line during lunch, but it moves pretty steadily. They have packaged sushi, ready to go and they also have a freshly made chef's special, which for a half meal will run you $5.99 and a whole will run you $9.99. One of the few decent places in the disappointing food court in the Mart (That building is too big to have only a  few places in the food court).
I must admit there is no such thing, at least in my book, of gourmet sushi. Â Though I must admit I do like sushi very much and hadn't experiences it until later in life and now having at least once a week is a pleasure. So when I was doing some work in the Merchandise Mart recently, I had stumbled upon this eatery....rather take out eatery in the food court.
Now, now.....I realize the stigma with ANY eatery associated with the words "food court" means bad food that is probably bad for you. Â It also makes me remember back to my college days which back then meant bad food available all the time. Â And I'll admit that the food selections in Merchandise Marts food court are not anything to rave about....in fact much of it is just some version of fast food.
But Tokyo Lunch Box was a nice surprise and an even bigger surprise was the pricing. Â You can buy a roll there....consisting of 9 pieces for $4.99, which in these tough economic times gets you both a nice cheap meal and a nice cheap meal that is better for you than say the Beef and Cheddar down the row at the Arby's food stand. Â But it gets better. Â If you stand around long enough looking, they'll offer you 1 or 2 pieces of rolls they are preparing........that would make 10+ pieces....for your lunch if you buy. Â They have a good selection of rolls and soups all at or below a $7 to $8 range.
You've heard the good, now the bad. Â They scrimp on the pickled ginger and wasabi and you get very little soy sauce so be sure to ask for more at the register. Â In addition, the rolls are not "tight" and tend to fall apart a bit, though they do make rolls with brown rice which is healthier. Â So all in all I'd say 5 for great pricing, but 3 for food quality, so they get a 4 to balance it all out.
Now for the kicker.....................Monday through Friday from 3:30pm to 4:00pm you can buy any sushi item and get another one free..........in other words, you could have sushi for dinner or with a friend for the total cost of $2.50 per roll?!?!?!!? Â Wow, I know this isn't top of the line sushi, but THAT has to be the cheapest deal in town period! Â Its off the Brownline stop, so possibly a stop off on the way home for some good cheap sushi.
Went here for lunch on a weekday and opted for the spicy beef udon. It wasn't the best I've had, but definitely hit the spot. Â They served it with plenty of beef and the noodles were very good. Â The chef even gave me a taste of the new crispy shrimp roll while I waited. Â The udon was $6.99 and you can add a 4 piece roll for only $1.00. Since ramen and udon options are VERY limited in the loop, Tokyo Lunch Box is probably the best you're going to get.
Review Source:Tokyo lunch box is not gourmet sushi but it's a good choice for a quick sushi fix if you are downtown and don't have the time / money for a sit down meal. The Udon soups are phenominal and reasonably priced. The sushi itself while not the best I have ever had is fresh and tasty. I typically get the rolls and soups. The staff are friendly and will even make a custom roll if the line isn't out the door. I agree with Beth G that they could be a little more generous with the soy sauce and wasabi. There is a new location in the Thompson Center which I frequent which mirrors the quality of the others reviewed here.
Review Source:It was here that a sushi virgin was deflowered and became an addict. I discovered that I truly love sushi. And while not the best that I've eaten, I'll never forget the place that made it possible... a dozen pre-made fresh maki rolls and I was stuffed without feeling guilty.
You can always ask for extra ginger and wasabi at no charge. You'll need it, as chintzy as they are with them. I'm sure those plastic containers cost more than what they put inside, so could ya be a little more generous, fellas?
The sushi is fine, good even. The new-ish Sempio brand soy sauce is horrible. My tongue seizes up and literally hurts after putting the tiniest bit on my sushi, sometimes for a day or two afterward. Am I crazy? Is anyone else having this problem? Please bring back the kikkoman, or at least a low-sodium option!
Review Source:Referring to all Tokyo Lunch boxes restaurants it is by far the best fast food ghetto sushi in the city! Â I've been going to the thompson center restaurant and they always seem to have the same lunch special - and i get it each time. Â and although their miso soup is delicious (again, for korean owned wanna be japanese sushi), it always seems to have only one small piece of tofu. Â nevertheless, they are very nice and it is served fresh and quick. Â well, as fresh as you can get it for the midwest.
Review Source:As my dad always used to say my eyes were bigger than my stomach.
I read a sushi list the other day and was jonesing for a fix. Since a few of my errands took me near the Mart I decided to hit this place. Â I was impressed for a take out place in a food court they had quite a few roll selections. I read some other reviews that mentioned the spicy combo and was bummed that I didn't see any while I was there; I came just after the lunch peak, which probably explains it. I settled on the spicy tuna and the tekka roll. I did notice that they seemed to skimp on the salmon in the spicy salmon rolls, those were the only ones I noticed that didn't seem up to par.
I was so excited by the prospect of sushi for lunch I didn't pay attention to the number of pieces I was buying. Lets just say I spent under $15 and had over 20 pieces, which I couldn't finish. I really tried, but I was afraid that if I stuffed myself and hit the gym, my next stop, it wouldn't be pretty.
My only complaint is why do they have to scrimp on the pickled ginger. They may as well leave it off the plate all together, the pieces I got were super tiny and only covered about 3 pieces. They were very nice and gave me more ginger for free, but this portion too was so small it was almost invisible.
Tokyo lunchbox isn't my favorite sushi place, but it's a tasty, affordable option in the loop. I'd go back again.
In any 12-step addiction treatment program, you learn that the first step to conquering your addiction is admitting you have one. Â Usually, there is some triggering event that makes the addict sit up and realize, woah, this has gone beyond the occasional over indulgence.
For the coke-head, maybe its the time he cuts his stuff with baby laxative just to make it through the night. Â For the booze hound, maybe it's the day he wakes up sans wallet, sans keys in the vestibule of his building, not knowing how he got there.
My sushi habit -- and corresponding descent into poverty -- has been well chronicled in the annals of Yelp. Â But today, I had that line-crossing experience. Â You _know_ you've got it bad when you're literally looking for change in the couch cushions and forgotten desk drawers to get lunch. Â
If you are a sad, sorry addict like me, and all you can turn up is $7.75, here's your answer: Tokyo Lunchbox -- Â the McDonald's' of sushi.
Today, for less than $8 (tax included), I got the "Ninja" combination -- 6-pieces of California roll and 3 pieces of nigiri. Â In some ways, you get what you pay for: Â The California rolls are a little loose; the rice is a bit hard; the fish is sliced so super thin you barely know it's there. Â But in other ways, you're still getting a pretty incredible deal: a satisfying sushi meal for about the same price as a crappy sandwich! Â
I will be back, Tokyo Lunchbox. Â I will probably lie to my friends and colleagues about where I'm going; I will sneak to you at odd hours, waiting to have lunch until 3p.m. to reduce my chances of being apprehended. Â It will be an unsatisfying, surreptitious affair. I won't tell my friends about you. Â But I'll be back.
A great little place for sushi take-out in the Merchandise Mart. Â I used to go here often when I worked downtown, especially after trying the other places in that food court. Â The staff is very friendly, and they do remember their customers. Â I usually don't comment on customer service, but they are just awesome. Â I've had most of their sushi rolls and they were all very tasty.
Review Source:This one is about 200 times better than the one in Illinois Center. Â It's honestly the same thing, but I'm not sure how the other one can be so bad and this one can be so good. Â I mean, it's to go sushi, so know that going in. Â Don't expect gourmet quality fish and rolls - but it'll do for that sushi craving on a Wednesday lunch.
Review Source:This is definitely one of my guilty pleasures. I try to stop myself from eating here so often.. and to be a good girl and bring my lunch to work. But at least once a week (if not more) the rolls call to me.
I usually stick to the non-raw varieties.. because I am just not completely sure how I feel about fast-food raw sushi. I did try it.. I didn't die. But yeah. I also try to head over on the early side to ensure a wide selection.
This place has definitely put a bright spot on some otherwise damper work days!
For some reason I have been craving rice lately so I thought it would be a wise decision to head to Tokyo Lunch Box today. Â Since I am such a nerd, I first went to Menu Pages to check out the scoop online. Â I was excited to try the Mixed Vegetable Maki Roll (raw fish in the land-locked-land of Chicago skeeves me out a bit unless it is flown in daily. Â I'm not saying it's not here but I don't take chances that may upset my middle). Â I was also excited to get brown rice sushi because you don't see that option too often.
I guess I didn't realize how the whole Tokyo Lunch Box process works. Â Emphasis on the LUNCH BOX there are pre-made maki rolls for you to snatch up in line. Â Made-to-order? Â Who was I kidding. Â I waited in line thinking, "C'mon brown rice vegetable maki roll, big money, big money." Â To my dismay, they were out. Â Did they have more in the back? Â I was too much of an amateur wuss to ask. Â In a panic I snatched up a teriyaki bowl and spicy tofu soup. Â Plan = foiled. Â
The teriyaki bowl was pretty good - it looked like there wasn't enough sauce but there was just the right amount. Â I actually LOVED the spicy tofu soup and for $1.99 thought I scored a sweet deal. Â In the future, I think I'll come back pre-rush to get a better sushi selection.
I used to eat here at least three times a week because I went to school right across the street.
Their udon is really good and their sushi is high quality and very fresh for a carry out place. Â Awesome dumplings and a nice selection of side dishes to go with your lunch. Â Pickled ginger. Â Yum.
The staff is friendly! Â Very sweet and personable. Â They're so kind to returning customers. Â Thank you TLBC for all the free dumplings, miso and rice.
And really.... Â Ermmmm, you people do know you can request your rolls made on the spot if they're out of something.... Â right?
I hit TLBC about once a week and the freshness of the sushi really depends on whether or not you show up at a time when the sushi is being refreshed often (12-noon). Â If you come earlier or later, it's more likely that the packs have been sitting longer.
I really enjoy the shrimp tempura sushi and I especially love their brown-rice sushi options. Â You also cannot beat the speed with these guys!
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