It was a dreary Saturday afternoon. The rain poured like sorrow with no place to go, but luckily, it was time for my long-awaited visit to Ekiben: a staple of the Baltimore food scene. The expectations were high, and they only elevated with Anton Grib’s ‘26 cousin Max joining the review. Max, a Swiss college student at USC, was familiar with the delicacies in Switzerland and Los Angeles, so his standards were very lofty.

Following an average Hampden parking experience, which consisted of four laps around Ekiben and three missed parking spots (Anton was driving), Anton, Max, and I finally entered the restaurant. As soon as we entered the restaurant, our expectations for the space immediately dropped, which actually centered our thoughts on the food. I would attribute most of this negativity about the atmosphere to the small space and the lack of creativity within it. The atmosphere was, as I described it, “If Naruto met Biggie.” At the time we visited, there was, in Anton’s words, “an eclectic Hampden crowd.” Max commented, “There was good music. It was a pretty small space, and the chairs are somewhat uncomfortable, so I would prefer takeout, but I expect the food will be spectacular nevertheless.” He was not wrong. 

Anton and Max both ordered Ekiben’s fried chicken bao bun, with Max opting for the spicy version (the better choice, as Anton has no culinary knowledge). Anton thought that the “chicken was so juicy and tender, and the sandwich [had] a sweet sauce that [paired] very well with the saltiness of the chicken.” As for the spicy sandwich, Max said, “Spicy is very spicy, but for Baltimore, this is a slam dunk.” He also talked about how salivating the pickles were. I ordered Ekiben’s pork bao bun, which was especially good, considering the closest dish to it I've had is FLIK’s pork bao bun. The pork was very tender but not overpowering, given its volume compared to the rest of the sandwich. The pickled cabbage, bean sprouts, and herbs added a great citrus flavor to the sandwich, and the homemade bun was very fluffy. 

Ultimately, Ekiben has very delightful bao buns, and I will absolutely make the short trip again. The restaurant also offers noodle bowls that I’m sure are just as scrumptious. Ekiben proves that even on the dreariest of afternoons, just one bao bun can offset the downpour, but it still cannot fix Hampden parking.