Baltimore Spotlight: Ekiben

Ekiben is a highly regarded Baltimore restaurant known for its unique take on Asian-inspired street food, specializing in steamed bun sandwiches and rice bowls.¹

🌟 What Makes Ekiben Unique

Ekiben distinguishes itself through its creative Asian and Ethiopian-inspired cuisine, offering a distinct culinary experience that fuses different flavors.² Its name is inspired by the Japanese bento box style of boxed meals often served on trains.³

• Humble Beginnings: The restaurant was born in 2014 when college friends Ephrem Abebe, Steve Chu, and Nikhil Yesupriya (who left the restaurant industry in 2019) began selling their food out of a hotdog cart at the Fells Point Farmers Market.⁴

   

• Community Focus: The co-owners, who are UMBC alumni, emphasize their dedication to building up the community and have benefited from the supportive community in Baltimore.⁵

   

• Atmosphere: The vibe is casual and laid-back, featuring a counter-style, grab-and-go setup, focusing on the quality of the food.⁶

   

📜 History and Significant Events

• 2014: Ekiben is founded by Ephrem Abebe, Steve Chu, and Nikhil Yesupriya, starting with a hotdog cart at the Fells Point Farmers Market.⁷

   

• Expansion: It has grown from its original stand to three brick-and-mortar locations in Baltimore (Fells Point, Hampden, and South Baltimore) and a thriving catering operation.⁸

   

• Hampden Location Opening: The second location in Hampden opened in February 2020, just weeks before the pandemic, but the take-out-friendly nature of the business helped keep it steady.⁹

   

• Catering Impact: In 2020, their sizeable events business took a hit, with about 172 catering gigs being canceled.¹⁰

   

• Ekiben Night Market: A significant event is the annual Ekiben Night Market, which aims to shine a light on Baltimore and bring the community together.¹¹ In one year, the market moved to a new waterfront location at 1500 Thames St. in Fells Point, marking a “homecoming” to the neighborhood where they started.¹²

   

• Acts of Kindness: The owners have been noted for their genuine positive attitudes, including one widely shared instance where they went on a six-hour trip to make a special dish for a customer who was dying of cancer.
• Recognition: Ekiben has received several accolades, including:
  • James Beard Semifinalist // Best Chef Midatlantic (Steve Chu).¹³

     

  • Yelp Top 100 Restaurant in the U.S. (2022, 2023, 2024).¹⁴

     

  • Recognition from Baltimore Magazine, Thrillist, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, and Eater.

🍽️ Highlight Menu Items

Ekiben focuses on a concise menu of steamed bun sandwiches and rice bowls.¹⁵

🗣️ Customer Feedback

Customer reviews are largely positive, often praising the food’s incredible flavor, consistency, and generous portion sizes.¹⁶

• High Praise: The food is frequently described as “orgasmic,” “the best food in the city,” and “life-changing.”¹⁷

   

• Favorite Dishes: The Neighborhood Bird (the original fried chicken sandwich) and the Tofu Brah bowl are consistently highlighted as favorites, even by non-vegans.¹⁸ The Tempura Broccoli is also a standout, though some note it doesn’t travel well unless the sauce/vinegar is requested on the side.¹⁹

   

• Vegan Options: The restaurant is well-regarded for its thoughtful vegan options, including the Tofu Brah bowl/bun, Tempura Broccoli, and Red Beans & Rice.²⁰

   

• Service: The staff is often described as friendly and providing great customer service.²¹

   

• Space: A common mention is that the physical restaurant space is very small with limited seating.²²

   

• Menu Changes: Some customers express sadness over the removal of popular limited-time or rotated items like the pho braised beef or “What The Bird Eats.”

📞 Contact and Locations

Ekiben has three locations in Baltimore.²³

• Website: https://ekibenbaltimore.com/
• General Email: [email protected]²⁴

   

• Catering/Events Email: [email protected]²⁵

   

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