Bento Express

Not a bad little place, I came in on Memorial Day, I wanted to see a movie or two after Animé Boston. So in between Star Trek and Gatsby, I came here for some sushi and daifuku. Not bad, perfect portions, pretty clean, not a bad place. Not a bad location either, I love the theater district.

Have you ever really looked at the beef tendons that come in the Spicy Beef Tendon Udon Soup?
Don’t do it.
They’re delicious when you don’t look at them but once you start looking at the pieces of beef in the soup, it starts looking alien and its slightly terrifying.
That said, Bento Express is basically tasty fast food. You get an inexpensive, quality bento box and you get it fast. It won’t be the best sushi you’ve ever had, but its certainly tasty.
Just trust when I say that the Spicy Beef Tendon Udon Soup is spicy. The soup is «Clear your sinuses» spicy and hella tasty (can I bring hella back?). Just don’t look at the tendons. You’ll freak yourself out.

This is my friend’s favorite restaurant in the area, so we come here quite a bit. Can’t say it’s anything spectacular, but it’s great for a casual meal — you order at the register and then pick up the food at another counter when your number is called. They also have grab-​and-​go items, but I haven’t tried any of those. The location is pretty convenient — it’s situated a few doors down from the Starbucks near the green line Boylston stop.
My favorite items here are the veggie ramen soup (don’t forget to specify «soup» — they’ll give you the yaki ramen otherwise) and salmon don. Their rolls are tiny, but still good. Prices are a little high for what it is, but hey, it’s not going to get much cheaper in this area. So, if you’re in the area and looking for some decent quality Japanese food, come here!

The bad reviews I think come from ppl who got something other than noodles. I got the spicy beef tendon ramen and I was thoroughly impressed. I also got a salad for $ 3 and it was so huge.
It’s right off the corner when you get of the green line at boylston so you won’t get lost trying to find it in Chinatown
Someone commented about bad service but its not that kind of place, it’s more like fast food. You pay first, no tip, and you pick up your food when they call your name. It’s cheap, no frills like «Asian fusion»
Service was fast. The ramen was really tasty. It came in a big bowl with a lot of beef. My friend got Spicy ramen with tofu and it looked so good. I’m looking forward to going back. I’ve had a lot of noodles, being asian and such, and this place was top 5 in Boston. Maybe even 3. Definitely top 3. Now I really want ramen

I like the kimchi ramen, though it’s weird to get to go (comes in two packages — noodles separate from broth). I also really liked the yaki udon and the fried rice isn’t bad either.

I’m working my way through Anthony Bourdain’s «Kitchen Confidential» and just finished the chapter about some of his food rules. I realize that you can’t get amazeballs sushi for $ 9. I was trying to spend my hard-​earned expense account at somewhere good and not available elsewhere like Troquet or Moo, but I didn’t realize how hard it was to walk in on a Saturday night and try to grab a seat for one. I didn’t feel like waiting indefinitely and my feet were hurting in my heels so I broke down and grabbed dinner here because I didn’t feel like trekking all the way to Chinatown (In my HEELS, mkay? On your precious brick sidewalks!) for meh Vietnamese when I could get it better back home.
It was steadily busy, probably full of Emerson students? I got the sushi bento box which came with 2 wontons, 2 pieces of maki, 4 pieces of nigiri, a salad, bowl of miso, and some honeydew and grapes. The miso came with minimal tofu cubes and greens. The sushi was ok. Best thing about it is that it seemed like a pretty balanced meal with a serving of veggies, a serving of fruit, a serving of protein, and carbs and that it is inexpensive.
Décor is contemporary. Small, with a decent capacity for seating, whether you need a small table for 2, a 4 top, or need a bite alone along a couple of barstool-​height seating areas. They were busy, but efficient. Takeaway definitely an option. Accepts credit cards.

I think I found my «after the movies» snack place. Conveniently located near the Boston Commons theater is Bento Express. The design reminded me a lot like Wagamama. I ordered the beef tendon ramen. It was good and spicy. There’s nothing authentic about it though, more like fusion. I didn’t care since I enjoyed my dinner. My friend ordered the seafood ramen and dragon maki. She complained «not enough» seafood in her ramen. Later she got the green tea mochi and packaged tuna maki. She regretted ordering the tuna maki. I would def go back for the eel fried rice and the bento box

Given the name and location, I was expecting this place to sort of suck. Man was I wrong! Although they are not handicap accessible with their little stairway inside the front door, they are plenty hospitable. The menu was expansive and easy to understand, the food was ready quickly, and it all tasted pretty great. When you factor in how reasonably priced it is, it makes for a pretty awesome place to grab lunch every week. The only thing that turned me off was the loud pop music. Nobody eats bento in the disco.

Eh, not a huge fan of this place. I just got back from having a lunch date with a friend. I’m surprised at how much the food cost in total — about $ 30 for a bento box and two different sushi rolls, some calamari, and two bottled drinks. The calamari had a weird texture. As a calamari enthusiast I found it weirdly rubbery. As for the sushi the tempura flakes were weirdly staleish and made for a unflatteringly soft crunchy experience. Being so close to Chinatown, you would think they’d have good fish too… mediocre. I rarely ever give 2 stars but this one was worth it. I almost never waste food and I definitely had left overs that didn’t go home with me in a doggy bag.
The staff is pretty nice and patient, but that doesn’t make up for the food. Based on the number of times I used the word weird in some context, I’d say skip this one and head some place else.

I came here since I wanted to try a new spot out instead of the same-​o Irashai. bad choice! got the salmon rice bowl (Sake-​don). Usually, its salmon with some nice garnish like rice seasoning and/​or pickled veggies… But this was literally 6 pieces of sad salmon atop of a heap sushi rice… Salmon was mushy, prob was in the freezer for too long? Sushi rice was soft and fluffy as far as texture but too much vinegar imo, the taste was strong.
I came here with two friends, one had the veggie roll (i know. why waste your money on that any where! Lol… Unless maybe it was a bomb sweet potato roll) and the other got a salmon sushi bento box, looked ok at best. The money wasn’t worth it. But the cashier workers– 3 in a not so busy and small restaurant– were really nice, although they didn’t really know their menu. What do you expect, they’re probably high school or early college aged students trying to make a buck. It’s cool.
They do have a side fridge display with ready made items, so it’d be good for on the go people. I still thought the prices could be better on those too. Oh well. I hope I won’t be coming back, but I might give it another try… If I’m dragged here. (Try Irashai if you want something in the immediate area.)

A BENTO BOX for ONLY $ 9…in Boston!
Box includes a LOT of food too:
4 pieces of sushi, miso, side salad, fruit, two gyoza, california roll.
THE DEAL: They’re centrally located at the edge of Chinatown,
close to the theater district and the Boston Common… TRY ONE.

I love their selection of 90’s music in the background: P My Everything by 98 degrees FTW!
I had the Tempura bento while the boyfriend had Mapo Tofu.
Tempura bento set comes in small portions of salad, assortment of fruits (melon+grapes), miso soup, 2 pieces of cucumber/​avocado maki, fried dumplings, and assortment of tempura (sweet potato, broccoli, 2 shrimps). The shrimp tempura was overloaded with bread crumbs so it was really crunchy as opposed to just crisp. Tempura sauce was too mild.
The serving size for the mapo tofu is large. Sufficient enough for dinner. Not spicy enough, but I’d say the generous servings of tofu make up for it.
Not fantastic Japanese food, but I’d say it’s a good bargain regarding the variety of things they are able to put into their bento set just for $ 9. Nice change to have a low-​key Japanese restaurant that features bento sets… something you don’t see a lot in Boston.
Overall, Bento Express is very clean, including their bathroom. Runs like a school cafeteria where you place your order at the cashier and then pick it up at another counter. Convenient location and budget friendly for Japanese food.

I tried this due to the positive reviews on Unilocal.Got the kimchi & tofu ramen for $ 8, and unfortunately, I’ve had better out of a box… It was edible, but the kimchi was kind of fishy tasting. Also, the tofu I got was cold out the fridge, not even warm, and it all just seemed sloppily thrown together. My sister got the shrimp ramen for $ 9, and there were very few vegetables, and 2 pieces of shrimp. I know the price isn’t bad at all, but in comparison with a lot of other places in Chinatown or elsewhere (I’m thinking Phở Pasteur), it’s not great at all.
On the other hand, the service is fast– it’s kind of like a McDonald’s type restaurant for Japanese food (you order at the counter and go pick it up yourself).
I would only come here again if I were very hungry, and this was the only place close by.

PORK BELLY!!! PORK BELLY!!! PORK BELLY!!!
If I was muslim and accidentally got a nibble of this… that’d be it…“Sorry Allah.“
PORK BELLY!!!
Both the Bun and the Ramen.
Will be back to try out the Bentos

I saw the sign up for a while and patiently waited for them to open and I’m glad to report, it was worth the wait! I’m a fan!!! There is ZERO resemblance to Beijing On The Common, which is a good thing for so many reasons. The place is modern and comfortable. There is even an entrance from 62 that leads you right into the restaurant! Nothing on the menu is over $ 10. Very affordable and great quality. I like that you can grab and go or order at the counter. Open from 11a-​11p, I can completely see this place becoming extremely popular fast. I went for lunch and the sushi combo was yummy with 4 generous nigiri and a California roll and a miso soup. The service was fairly quick. People who ate there received their food beautifully presented. We took ours to go. My friends had the kimchi soup and rice plate and it all looked great. I will definitely be back!

I do love a nice bento for lunch. The thing I love most about Bento Express is that I can also have bento for dinner. I’ve been eyeing this place the last couple of months and am pleasantly satisfied with it’s food and service. They offer a decent menu various sushi and regular entrees. All items under $ 10 dollars.
The bento meals are of the usual variety that they serve at other notable Japanese restaurants like Fin’s. You get an portion sized entrée with rice, salad, two piece gyoza, two piece california sushi, some miso soup and fruit. I’ve tried a couple of their bentos. My favorite being the beef and onion. I have to note that if you get the hamburger teriyaki bento they do not use teriyaki sauce they used ketchup on mine when I ordered it but otherwise it was alright. I wouldn’t order it again but I like to try anything at least once.
The place hasn’t isn’t exceptionally busy during lunch time, though I bet once the school year starts up they’ll be busy. The seating is pretty organized but I think it’s slightly larger than I thought it’d be. Like someone already pointed out it’s a little dimly lit for my taste but it’s a nice contemporary atmosphere. They have top 40 music in the background so it’s pleasant to dine in. In all a cool little spot that offers good, cheap Japanese food. Something that the Boston Common area is lacking.

My wife and ordered bento boxes for $ 9. I got the sushi one she got shrimp tempura.
My sushi box was 4 pieces of nigiri plus miso, plus a side salad, plus fruit, plus two gyoza plus two pieces of a california roll. Everything was delicious. The only slight problem was the shrimp nigiri was the sweet kind which I just dont like. For $ 9 and being that close to the theater district and the Common, it is a very good deal.
Wife enjoyed the shrimp tempura but the vegetable tempura that came with it was just ok. Oh, the dressing on the salad is awesome too.
You will not get stuffed from this, but that’s how sushi is supposed to be in my book. It should be a well-​balanced, light meal. If you expect that, you won’t be disappointed.

This might be my new favorite place in Chinatown. Not that it’s really *in* Chinatown per se – it’s more like right on the edge, diagonally across from the Boylston T station — or that I have eaten at a lot of Chinatown restaurants, but still.
I have visited it twice this week alone. On Tuesday, I ordered the Spicy Beef Tendons Ramen Soup. Now, I am not an Asian food connoisseur (not yet anyways lol), but I thought this soup was excellent. Spicy as advertised (and I can take some real professional level heat), visually appealing, really good noodles, very filling, and authentically made. I will most certainly get it again. Today, I got the Teriyaki Chicken Bento Box, and not surprisingly I am beyond pleased. There was a lot of food on the plate… miso soup, two gyoza, an entire chicken breast with the teriyaki sauce, a scoop of rice, salad with an awesome dressing, two pieces of California roll, plus fruit (melon and purple grapes)…that’s 7 different dishes! I personally thought the fruit was a nice touch and refreshing eaten as dessert.
Prices are reasonable, I think, especially for the hearty amount of food you will be getting. On each occasion, I paid between $ 10 – 12 for my meal, and that included a bottle of Saratoga spring water.
I have seen some other reviewers comment that the atmosphere leaves something to be desired. I disagree. I like the space and the décor — very modern and clean lines, with some fun thrown in (red flower appliqués all over, for example). There’s tables, a sushi bar (near the register, though, not actually where the sushi is being made in front of the kitchen), and a counter facing the street window. While the music was a bit loud on Tuesday, and some have said that this makes it difficult to hear your number being called (you order at the register and then pick up at the kitchen window), today it was at a better level and I had no problem hearing them call out my number. It’s self-​serve seating, and you bus your own dishes. Fine by me.
I definitely give this place two thumbs up, and plan on eventually working my way through the entire menu. :)

Went around 4pm on a Saturday– the place was empty, probably because it was that dead time between lunch and dinner. So this review might not be accurate when it’s busy. Nonetheless, it was clean and neat, and the staff was friendly.
I had the ramen with beef tendons. Very well made: the noodles were not overcooked (they still had texture and, if it were pasta, would have been called al dente, I think), the broth was not excessively salty (maybe a little bland), and the beef tendons were a good cut: they were an authentic cut that is commonly used in Asian home-​cooking.
The one big drawback was that the music was way too loud. It was sort of standard soft hip-​hop. Innocuous enough, but set at such a volume that was just short of painful. Much too small a space for that. NOT a good place to sit and eat, to say nothing of talk to someone.

Bento Express has replaced the Bejing on the Common. The newly renovated space is much more stylish and modern decked out in red, black and white, though a little dimly lit for my tastes. There’s a fair amount of table seating (about 10 or 12 tables for 2 or 4) and another dozen or so counter seats.
Upon entering to your right is the counter where you order and a case of mostly imported drinks (various iced teas, coffees, and waters), while all the way in the back is the kitchen and open sushi counter. Everything feels spacious in the small restaurant.
The menu is focused on Japanese food items, including snacks ($ 2 – 7) like edamame, pork belly buns, and shumai; a variety of bento boxes ($ 8 – 9) with things like tempura, teriyaki, or curry; simple and fancy sushi options; noodle and rice dishes ($ 7 – 9) and ramen and udon soups ($ 8 – 9).
Chinatown has a number of soup options, but ramen and udon are an area it’s lacking; in fact it’s missing a lot of Japanese fare. My first top in was for lunch today. The staff was friendly, the restaurant was clean, and my spicy kimche ramen soup with tofu came out pretty quickly.
The soup itself was great. It was chock full of kimchi, tofu, and noodles all soaking in a tasty broth. It wasn’t exactly spicy to my palate as the name suggested but the soup was infused with the flavors of kimchi. And for $ 8 it was a filling lunch, and probably large enough to be a dinner.
If you’re in a hurry, they’ve got some already prepared sushi in the drink case at the front which I think will serve them well once word gets out that Bento Express is inexpensive and delicious.