Bento Zanmai

got the negi-​miso ramen (actually, the sweetie ordered it for me and was annoyed when the person behind the register couldn’t understand her. maybe because she was pronouncing it correctly and not saying nay-​geeh mee-​sow like non native Japanese speaking folks probably do) and it wasn’t bad. the broth was slightly spicy (which I liked), and i had a lot of pieces of pork (which made me happy) and a healthy amount of noodles and sliced green onions. overall not bad but not the best bowl of ramen I’ve ever had either. oh well, we’re in boulder, what can I say?

Went here last night wanting some japanese on the fly, and wanted sushi, but having never been here didn’t realize they don’t have sushi, but Sushi Spot does. Oh well, next time.
I got the teriyaki salmon bento. It is a ton of food for $ 7– mostly rice, but my salmon was very good. I got it with pork gyoza and I really liked them– they had a good crisp sear. I also liked the earthy, sweet carrot, sweet potato on the side.
However, the real reason I’m giving four stars is because of one, very hard to find thing:
Onigiri.
Since we got back from Japan, this is literally one of three or four things we have missed to the point of sadness. If you don’t know what Onigiri is, it is a rice ball. Sounds ridiculous and unappealing, but no. They are delicious. They are huge, made to order, and $ 2. Practically a meal unto themselves. You can get plain, as I did, unagi, which I also got, salmon, tofu, and something else I can’t remember. It comes wrapped in nori but you can take it off if you don’t want it. They were delicious– almost as good as the ones in Japanese am-pm’s. I wish I had discovered this when we had just come back from Japan, instead of two weeks before we return, but it will make the adjustment period much better.

I still go to Bento Zanmai all the time, because they’ve got me addicted to their agedashi, kabocha, and ponzu salmon, but I must admit through my rose-​colored glasses that this place is NOT consistent. There have been a few occasions where everything on my plate has sucked — dry, stale vegetables, tiny portions of fish, rock-​hard tonkatsu, brittle agedashi.
Usually this is not the case — I’d say 4 times out of 5 — but it bears mentioning. When it’s good, though, it’s good — and well worth its $ 7 price tag. The salmon can be so succulent and perfectly matched by the bonito flake stuffed dashi broth soaking the bottom half of the agedashi.
The ramen, though, IS consistent and is always a heaping bowl of extremely filling and oily goodness. I recommend the tonkotsu ramen above all else.

I have to say, I am a fan.
I had not been to this little food court up until a few days ago and I feel like I found Boulder’s «Chinatown» — ha.
Seriously though, this was really pretty good. I got a Chicken Noodle curry dish and it was pretty cheap and filling.
I also liked the décor and music playing, it was kind of hilarious in a way. I’m glad they’re trying to set some sort of atmosphere.
I’ll be coming back here often on my lunch break.

You must understand that I have been patronizing various eateries that have set up shop in this Hill food court for many many years. Other than the Middle Eastern place, they have rather rapidly appeared and disappeared. It is provident indeed that Bento Zanmai has appeared here! Affordable excellent Japanese food in the food court on the Hill is a five star phenomenon as far as I’m concerned.
So for 8 bucks I got the bento (they offer something called the sumo too, but I didn’t ask what that involved…) with teriyaki salmon, seaweed salad, pickled veggies, and squash & carrots. I also ordered miso soup. Food is prepared fresh for customers while they wait.
The guys working there seem happy and have fun while they are preparing people’s food. I like that. It is that way at Zanmai downtown too.
The portions seemed fine to me, although it would have been even more perfect with more teriyaki salmon and a bit less rice. What impressed me most was the quality & freshness of everything.
I must admit I also enjoy the ghost town-​like quietness of the Hill during spring break. Ah… luxury for your old-​time Boulder townsfolk!
I’m sure the businesses on the Hill prefer the busy buzz of student activity.
Another thing I like about Bento Zanmai is that they serve this same affordable menu at all times, including dinner…
So, whenever the Hill is uncrowded, I’ll be back. Probably during breaks and between semesters.

Pretty decent. I had their miso ramen and they gave me butter with it which was a nice change from Oshima in Denver where they gave me a strange look when I asked for butter. They put some spicy paste in there which gave it a nice kick. I also had their pork gyozas which were okay. The skin was thin and over steamed… but whatever. I’m just happy to have decent ramen in Boulder. FYI, their ramen isn’t on the menu so you need to ask for it. I think they have shoyu (soysauce) ramen too but not sure. The ramen comes in a styrofoam bowl, smaller than your average ramen bowl and you pay $ 8 for it. It seems a bit expensive for what you’re getting. You would probably get a little more for that price if you were on the west coast. but again. whatever. I’m just happy I got my bowl of ramen. at peace now… I’m going to go back and try their other stuff next time. They have everything from bento boxes with shogayaki (ginger grilled meat) and tonkatsu (cutlets) to kitsune and curry udon. They’ve covered quite a range of food. I find it ironic that the only place I can find decent ramen here is in a college food court. ha. Try it!

good-​value, authentic japanese food. I have been over to Japan a couple times and I have always wished that I could eat more like a Japanese person while at home in the states. Well, bento zanmai takes me a step in that direction. It has cheap ($ 7 for a bento box — price includes tax) meals that are, in my experience, authentic and for the price, delicious. In addition, they are now serving ramen after 3, which is great news. Good ramen is hard to come by in the mountains. In fact, I think Oshima ramen in denver is the only other place serving ramen in Colorado and unfortunately, it sucks. I just had Bento’s ramen last night and it was pretty good ($ 8 including tax). I totally agree with the owner who thought it was akin to a good, cheap ramen place in Japan. In other words, it is not the best ramen in the world but it is exactly what it should be for the price. By the way I had the tonkotsu (pork based ramen).
So definitely go partake in a good, cheap japanese restaurant.