Basho Express

Tired a bowl and sushi. Both horrible. Tasteless. People there don’t even know what they’re serving. Bowls are the smallest portions ever.

I had been anxiously waiting to try Basho Express, as it opened up across the street from my building at BU. I came by here for dinner after class one night. The line moved fast and the food came out quick and fresh!
I decided to try the crunch shrimp wrap: shrimp tempura, avocado, rice, cucumber salad, tabiko, and spicy mayo (I think I’m missing an ingredient). It was jam packed full of ingredients and flavor! The wrap was the perfect size and didn’t fall apart as I ate it. I loved the balance of cool cucumber salad with spicy mayo and crunchy shrimp.
They have tons of options for wraps or bowls plus create-​your-​own choices too! Can’t wait to come back and try some of the other items! Finally a fresh, quick, and tasty food option in East Campus!

I was quite pleased by the quality of the food. Quite tasty. I thought it was just a sushi place, but I ventured in to try it and was thrilled they had beef BBQ and other cooked meats. I’m bummed they don’t take the BU convenience plan. It is indeed quite expensive– $ 11 for a bowl everyday for lunch is too much. But, it certainly makes a nice change from Subway and CampCo. I’m generally not a fan of wrap sandwiches, but I may try their wraps tomorrow. The bowl is quite large– too much for me to finish. And it is really packed with rice. I’d rather be able to order a half-​bowl or have a choice between small bowl and their large/​regular bowl.

Having been in school for quite a while now, I’ve learned to not expect much when it comes to on-​campus eateries. That being said, the bar was set pretty low when a friend and I decided to pop into Basho in between classes for a quick meal. Modeled after Chipotle, the premise is quite simple: choose bowl or roll, and then add protein, veggies, and other toppings. You would think it wouldn’t be too difficult right? Wrong.
First off, they only have one menu and it is inconveniently hung at an awkward angle right at the entrance of the food assembly line. So, if you’re in the middle of an order and don’t know what to put next — because none of the trays are labeled — you’re going to have to move away from the counter and either squint your eyes to see what veggies they have for your salad or walk to the end of the line and back. Secondly, the price really doesn’t justify the quality of the food. I know we’re eating on campus so everything will be a little more expensive than elsewhere, but $ 11 for a dinky little salad that had slimy raw salmon, wilted spring mix greens, and bland kimchi is ridiculous.
Since they just opened, I’m giving Basho the benefit of the doubt, and adding an extra star in hopes that they’ll smooth out the kinks after a month or two. But even when that happens, I highly doubt I’ll be coming back.

ok this is a conspiracy. First you get us all excited about opening up and once you do, you backstab me and don’t even take my dining points. Thanks a lot government.

Basho Express opened up recently at Boston University’s Warren Towers residence hall in the space that was vacated by Subway. It’s an «express» outpost of the main Basho location in the George Sherman Union and the main restaurant in Fenway.
The premise there is simple — sushi wraps and sushi bowls. The line can get a little long at times, but it’s worth it. You can either pick one of the menu options or make your own. My friend and I settled on the Backdraft Tuna bowl, and it was great. It was pretty much like eating a deconstructed sushi roll. Basho Express also features side dishes like edemame, gyoza, and shumai, as well as a selection of pre-​packaged Basho sushi.
My only overall complaint is that it’s a little on the pricey side, but the food is definitely good and you get a pretty hefty portion. I’m sure I’ll be back to try more of the menu!