Bowl was so basic honestly, could've made it better at home. But the peanut sauce was really good, gave life to the bowl.

Lady was by no means thrilled to take our order. Also, personally i like veggies on my salad and the salad has no veggies and dried ramen and is drenched in sauce. Salmon was ok but dry but since it was covered in sauce couldn't tell as much. Maybe opt for normal bento if you want any veggies and not dried ramen. Felt rushed to order even though there was no one behind us in line. Did not want to answer questions suggestion of ginger sauce is good but shouldn't be called a salad. 30 bux for 2 entrees kiddo had veggies at least. read more

Zen Bento - Salmon "salad" - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I love the location here with the big windows facing the hustle & bustle of downtown. It was my first time here (I'm doing a "tour of places downtown Boise. I had the Salmon Bento Bowl - fresh, fantastic, way more salmon than I expected! Amazing service from friendly, helpful staff. It was really clean, fun to sit in a stool at the window. read more

The salmon bento with brown rice has been one of my favorite meals for decades. I wish we lived closer these days.

This is my go to spot for fresh, healthy and fast takeout in downtown boise. The portions are sizable but not too much and I always enjoy mixing up the sauce options. The proteins are grilled fresh and I love all the veggies. Price is great for what you get. Easy to park and run in to grab if you order ahead. read more

I enjoy rice bowls alot but it really could be better. The rice taste super sticky and the vegetables are straight from the ground; there is nothing done to them. The meat is very tasteless too. Luckily, I still like the convivence and all the combinations you can make. read more

Great lunch spot for downtowners! I enjoy Zen Bento mostly for its convenience. It's easy to get to (even being in the middle of downtown), the food is tasty, options are wholesome, and the service is prompt/speedy. Perfect for a quick lunch break! FOOD: I usually order either the chicken or salmon bento with ginger soy & z-nut sauce. (Pro-tip: if you're not too hungry, you can order a mini-bento. Same concept as their normal bentos, but a smaller portion and a few dollars cheaper. SCORE!) Out of the salmon and chicken bentos, I'd say I gravitate more towards the salmon. It has a flakey texture, does not have a fishy flavor (praise hands), and pairs wonderfully with the veggies and rice that these bentos come with. SERVICE: This place is pretty straight-forward. You walk in, order, pay, wait, get your food, and go on your merry way. I'd say (depending on how busy a day they are having) from the time you order to the time you get your food, it is about 5-10 minutes. PRICE: The range for a meal without drinks or any of the bells and whistles is about $8-$12. I'd say it's a fair price for the amount and quality of food you get. Maybe not realistic for a frequent lunch spot, but ideal for a here and there treat yourself kinda-thang! read more

Zen Bento - Salmon Bento! - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

The people who work here are the worst. Act like they are doing you a favor by serving you. No manners, politeness just nothing. It's fairly annoying. read more

I knew the food scene in Boise was going to be bad when people said to hit this place. It's like eating rubber, between the rice and meat. Only reason it's okay is there's not a place like it downtown, quick easy rice bowls. Mid Bento read more

Stopped in here for lunch the other day. Based on the menu, I was expecting something way different than what I got. Tasted worse than a expired microwave meal from winco. I'll definitely avoid this place in the future. read more

Stumbled upon this place and thought its a nice place to quickly grab some food. I had the Chicken Bento ($8) with kamikaze sauce which turned out just to be sriracha. The lady warned me it would be a bit dry so I got a ginger and soy sauce on the side and I'm glad she recommended it to me. I also swapped out for the brown rice option for 80 cents. I liked how the veggies seemed fresh and not overcooked and frozen, but besides that pretty plain bento bowl. read more

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My wife and I just stopped in for lunch, I've got to say we both agreed it was terrible. Have had better meals from the freezer section. Rice was so mushy, must've been in a pot for days. Salmon was falling apart. Tofu and vegetables were very hard. Definitely will not be returning, small drink and two bowls $22 which is isn't that bad. Food was not good. read more

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Stopped in for a quick lunch. I decided to go vegetarian despite myself and ordered the golden curry. For about $5.50 I got an enormous bowl of rice topped with thick yellow curry embedded with potatoes. Though a little one-note, it really stick to my ribs and I had just a bit under half left to take home. Idk why this is billed as bento though, it was definitely just a rice bowl. read more

Zen Bento - Golden curry with sriracha - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

It's a simple menu - you select you choice of meats, which comes with steamed vegetables on top a mound of either white rice, brown rice, or yaki soba noodles. Then there's an array of sauces you can choose to put on top. This is definitely a lunch joint, and for that purpose it serves you well. The meal was flavorful and filling. The only things which were kind of a turn off was the relatively high price (around $14 for my salmon bowl and drink) and the puddle of oil which was left at the bottom of the bowl. read more

Zen Bento - Salmon bowl and miso soup! - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

I go to school at Boise High, luckily just around the block from this place! I've been coming here ever since I was little and throughout all the years I still haven't had a bad experience. They food is always so perfect and fresh, and the employees have always been kind. I one hundred percent recommend this place if your looking for a quick healthy meal! read more

Fav place for fast healthy meal! Wish they were open more days out of the week or later during the night

I love these bowls and the bonzai sauce. Wish you'd open up a location in Seattle, where I live. Such a convenient healthy filling meal!

I have been eating at Zen Bento since 1997 when they were just a small street vendor. Their bento bowels have never once failed to be fresh and delicious. The staff is helpful and kind, and it's been a joy to see them expand over the years. I cannot express how excited I am to see them coming to South East Boise later this year!!! read more

I dream of Zen Bento. Seriously. One would think in a city like Portland, with all of its bento places, that there would be one as good as Zen Bento. One would be wrong. Zen Bento gets it right. Their meat is perfectly marinated and grilled (the salmon is my favorite - only on certain days, and it goes fast). The brown rice is cooked just right. The things that differentiate it from other bento places I have tried are the sauces and the steamed veggies. Most other places only give you meat and rice. If you want the veggies, you have to pay extra for a couple pieces of overcooked broccoli and shaved carrot. Not at ZB. They give you a generous amount of yellow squash, zucchini, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots. And the Bonzai sauce... words can't describe how good the whole dish is when drizzled with that honey-balsamic deliciousness. Way better than the usual teriyaki and sweet chili at every other bento place. They recently expanded so there's more seating, though I think most people get it to-go to take back to the office. It's a tad on the spendy side for lunch (I think the salmon bento with brown rice is around $9) but it's healthy and so good that I would not hesitate to eat here again and again. And I do, every time I'm in Boise. read more

Emily S. is dead-on in her review. How the other reviews sit where they are is truly beyond me. The sushi may not be good, but it's not really a sushi place. From their site - " our sushi is prepared with smoked salmon, baked eel and imitation crab". That is, it's not a sushi place - it's a bento place. Anyway, onto the bento boxes... Amazing meat - never fatty or grisly, always marinated and cooked perfectly. I love the beef and have heard many a rave review about the salmon. The veggies are fresh, cooked to perfection (not mushy, not raw), and plentiful. And the sauces are also splendid. Truly, you will not go wrong by eating here. Beef bento with the just-right spicy z-nut sauce is to die for. In fact, I'll see you there today for lunch. read more

Located in trendy downtown Boise! It offers hipsters and cool kids a great place to hang out and eat some healthy food! Yay! Seriously though, the girl who was working the front counter when my daughter and I came in on September 21 around 3pm-ish was a complete idiot! The place was ridiculously slow yet she couldn't be bothered to help my daughter and I. We waited at the counter near the menu, no help! We moved to the cash register and waited there, no help! A hip young fellow walked in and she practically yells across the restaurant, "CAN I HELP YOU?!?". Finally, I asked her (in a very sarcastic tone) if I needed to be male to have my order taken??? Her response: "No" (apparently, all sarcasm is lost on her). She finally took our order. When our order was ready she couldn't remember what sauces we asked for...this restaurant does not have a complicated menu so it shouldn't be difficult to get an order correct. Also, while we were eating our food she managed to completely mess up another order, SHOCKER!!! The food was so-so, not the best I have had, a quick healthy alternative to any fast food in town. The entire experience would have been improved with better customer service. P.S. - The owners should know that while I was there this awesome employee of yours gave away free food to some of her uber cool friends...they looked homeless...so I guess this counts as community service??? read more

FOOD: First time I tried eating at Zen Bento was a year ago and I had the beef bento. The beef was tough and the sauce combination didn't work out (forgot what it was). So I never came back until very recently. Now I've had their ahi tuna, salmon, and hawaiian bento. For both ahi tuna and salmon I combined z-nut (peanut sauce) and zen (sweet&spicy). That's the best combination that works really well for me (disclaimer: once I like something, I'll pretty much stick to it for the rest of my life.. Until I find something better). But today I had the hawaiian bento and they gave me teriyaki sauce, which is not bad at all! But my personal favorite is still their ahi. I'd like to try out their chicken and tofu next time, but I'll stay away from the beef.. PLACE/AMBIANCE: Since it's downtown, during lunch hours, parking can be a hassle sometimes. I also don't prefer to dine in since it can get packed with people standing around waiting for their take out orders. So I usually opt for taking my food to go! SERVICE: The people are friendly. It's a walk up-order-pay-eat/take out type of deal, so I also don't expect a table service. As long as I get what I ordered correct&quickly, I'm pretty satisfied :) read more

I absolutely LOVE the food here! I honestly am kind of grateful they do not have a location in Meridian, as it would make it way too easy to eat here more often than I already do. This is pretty much my go to spot, whenever I am in the downtown area around lunch time. Pick a rice: white or brown. Pick a protein: chicken, tofu, salmon, beef, ahi (YES, ahi can you believe it?!?) or veggie if you wish. Comes with veggies and your choice of sauce. They have lots of great one's to choose from. And you are more than welcome to have more than one if you choose. Always so good. Fresh, hot, filling and reasonably priced. Their downtown location is kind of small, so it is better to eat in if it isn't during the downtown lunch rush. They also have a location in Eagle, which I have not been to yet. Give them a try! So worth it. read more

The idea behind Zen Bento is a good one--fast and healthy Japanese food for decent prices. There wasn't a lot of room inside to sit, which wasn't a big deal because the place wasn't crowded, but the taste of the food seemed entirely on the taste of the sauce. That is, the meat is just plain cooked meat (chicken, beef or salmon) doused in high-fructose-corn-syrupy sauces. On the plus side--the rice is very high quality rice and was prepared perfectly. Some of you might think rice is just rice--and for you Uncle Ben's was created. But those who know Japanese food know that all rice is not created equally. There's a fine art to preparing it and whatever rice / rice cooker combination Zen Bento uses results in some very fluffy, moist and tasty rice that is the foundation to their meals in a box. read more

I used to work at a restaurant across the street and I would go out of my way to eat here on my lunch break. Simple, fresh, fast and delicious. read more

Not sure what the other reviewers were expecting, but I need to clear something up first. Zen Bento is not a sushi restaurant. True they do have some pre-prepared rolls in the cooler, but people only come here for one reason: the best rice bowls in Boise. The place has kind of faded in the last few years. This isn't gourmet food, but if you are looking for a good rice bowl for a reasonable price (and a Boise original) this is the place. One tip is to mix and match the sauces to your own tastes rather than what is on the menu. You can get these as hot or a mild as you want. read more

Zen Bento is my favorite place whenever i need to eat something delicious and I don't have a lot of time. The Beef and Salmon bentos are my favorite. The rice, vegetable, and meat combinations with the different sauces available are great for lunches or after work dinner. I love this place. read more

Zen Bento - Delicious beef bento - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

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My policy is, and has been for years and years, if there is parking space anywhere near Zen Bento, I stop and order take out. When Im not feeling well, ZB is what I want, NOW. The people are so nice and friendly and know my name. Service is always quick, even over noon rush hour. The ZB salad is delicious, every time. The brown rice Salmon Bento bowl is devine . Sorry- this sounds like a paid endorsement - it is not. I LOVE ZEN BENTO Allyn K. BOISE read more

I've eaten here twice now. The food was so-so the first time I had the veggie bowl and Zen sauce. The veggies looked and tasted like they had been sitting out for a few days. For some reason I gave them another try, this time going for the chicken bowl. Again, not too good. The chicken was a mishmash of brown and white meat, nicely seasoned but a little tough. But the veggies. Totally old. Again. They tasted and looked like World War II. You're better off going to Costco, buying some frozen veggies, chicken and rice and making yourself a bento bowl. At least it will be fresh'ish. read more

Best fast food in town! The grilled chicken is amazing and fresh veggies are always good. Love the sauces too. Service with a smile always and usually very fast. A staple in Boise. Parking is tough but if you are on foot or bike it is easy in and out. read more

A little speedy but totally worth it! I come down here for a quick, healthy lunch fix whenever I can. read more

Zen Bento - Japanese Near Me - Boise, Idaho

Wasn't sure what to expect, so I ordered safe. Chicken Bento Bowl with Zen sauce. Ordered extra veggies, but if I got extra, I feel bad for the normal portion. At least 2/3 of the bowl is rice, which was disappointing, but the veggies were fresh, the food was tasty and I was full even without finishing the rice. Not a bad stop and I'd eat here again. read more

Always good. I get the same dish each time ... curry over noodles, with peanuts and green onions. Never disappointed, except for the parking when I'm on the go, but that's part of being a downtown location so I can't complain. read more

Always look forward to eating here. The tuna is always very good as well as the vegetables. Certainly not the easiest place to park. Downtown is busy right now as well due to lots and lots of traffic. it is hard not to recommend to he food overall. So all in all a solid lunch spot. read more

My wife and I both liked our bowls but the value of what you get for what you pay is not very good relative to other places with the same fare. read more

Another new sushi joint in downtown Boise that's more interested in looks than taste. The sushi was bland and not good at all. Skip this place at all costs! read more

If only the food was as good as the service :( The lady behind the counter was nice and she gave some helpful tips. Those tips did not save the food. I have heard a number of great things about this place, but the experience left a lot to be desired. I ordered the Hawaiian Bento with teriyaki. The chicken was dry and it's a smallish portion. The teriyaki, now dubbed "teriyucky" forever more, was okay. It wasn't perhaps as bad as our nickname, but it wasn't great either. The macaroni salad, it's the same stuff they serve at Albertson's deli. No thanks! It was a cheap knock-off of Hawaiian teriyaki and all in all, I was kind of sad that I wasted my money. The only good thing was the rice, perfect stickiness. My boyfriend ordered the Znut sauce, which was good for the first few bites. Then it got over powering. Kind of like a spicy peanut butter. His veggies were good, rice was still good and chicken looked more appetizing than mine, which isn't saying much. Oh and the "Kamikaze sauce" is basically siracha... So disappointing. Not the worst ever... but I don't see us going back. Over priced grocery store fare at best. read more

Yummy food--try the Salmon--in downtown Boise. Can get a bit crowded at lunch time for a sardine can feeling, but it doesn't affect the food. The other irritation is how fast they run of my precious salmon, but the other bento meats are passable alternatives. The sushi's standard supermarket fare, to be avoided. read more

In my opinion, Zen Bento is just a glorified Panda Express. While the food tastes good, it is nothing exceptional. I was expecting waiter service (maybe that's why I wasn't impressed). Instead you order at the front counter, seat yourself, and then wait for your name to be called to pick up your food. Everything is made to order and comes out hot and fresh, but then when you look at the portion size compared to the price it doesn't add up. I'd go there again if someone asked me to, but I think it's safe to say I won't go out of my way to eat there again. read more

Simply my favorite restaurant in Boise. Flavorful food cooked excellent every time. Brown rice zen salad is my usual. I even bought the dressing to attempt to duplicate it at home. read more