Asian Box

Yummies!
I love love love Asian Box. I go to the PA location a lot. I mean the employees know my name… So that’s a lot.
The Food: I love the choices, the simplicity, the just done right veggies, the shrimp (big ones) and it’s a Gluten Free environment! It’s so exciting to find a place that’s good, fast and healthy. I love the peanut sauce — I add a little sriracha! It’s my go to. Also try the «work out» it’s very good.
The service: Usually excellent. Like I said I eat here a lot, so I can tell you they really try to get it right. Food is usually out in 5 min or less. The few (maybe 2?) times out of maybe 100+ when they messed up my order they made it right. Silly things– like no sauce!
So making it all good = Gold star. I’d say the people are nicer in PA but I go there more.
The price: yes! $ 9 – 13 with tax depending on if I get a drink. So I like that too!
So why now 5 stars? Well, I would give 4.5 really if I could. The stools are uncomfortable (all they have inside PA). The A/​C is often up to high and cools down my food. Tables are sometimes dirty. More than once some oven alarm (?) is going off (bang head here) and is driving me insane, and the cook lets the rice cooker lid slam over and over and over and over.
I’m not a huge fan of the employees screaming «WELCOME TO THE BOX!!!» for every person who comes in the door… But yes I’m noise sensitive.
But hey no one is perfect and I keep coming back (with my headphones) so there u go.

Create your own combo in an easy 4 — step process:
1) Grain 2) protein 3) toppings 4) sauce
My favorite is the shrimp with tamarind vinaigrette sauce, goes very well together.
SIMPLE. FRESH. HEALTHY. SATISFYING. DELICIOUS!

Fresh and tasty food. And prompt and friendly staff… Favorite go-​to place for those times when I can’t decide.

I LOVE ASIAN BOX! I often find myself craving Asian Box. I’ve been going ever since this location opened and it’s always great.
I’m still giving 4 stars because maybe this was just a bad day. Also, I feel it’s unfair to only write (and give low stars) when something is bad as opposed to the many other times my experience was great but never bothered to say anything.
I’m giving 4 stars because almost every other time I’ve been there it’s been fantastic. However, today I was very disappointed. I took my order to go and once I sat down to eat it was fine, until I took a bite of the vegetables. They were so mushy and over cooked. Some were so over cooked they were becoming transparent.
The egg was weird. I always get the egg and it has never been like this. The texture was very rubbery and tough. I couldn’t eat it.
Everything else about the box was great.
Their customer service has always been phenomenal.
I’ll update my review next time.

From my experiences of a all the various things I’ve had, I gotta say… Asian Box is in my top 5
I was taking a stroll in downtown mountain view and I noticed this Asian Box that seemed fresh, quick, and I was feelin the exterior.
But you know we can’t just judge a book by its cover so I went in to check out the goods.
Instructions on how to get your own Asian Box were pretty straight forward. Lots of varieties and you even get to top it off with a sauce.
I got a Vietnamese coffee with my Asian Box cause I figured I might be tired after I finished eating it.
The flavor was perfectly balance and satisfying.
I would definitely come back here for some good, healthy Asian box.
Maybe next time I come here, I’ll actually buy food. jk/​but seriously…

My go-​to for days when I’m working from home. They have an easy to order online system that has my food ready by the time I get there and they never fail to deliver. I usually get the brown rice with tofu or shrimp with Asian street dust. The shrimp is a little blander than tofu (which comes with coconut curry). It’s loaded with flavor and allows you to add a bunch of toppings. Easy convenient and fast!

I was craving something on the healthier side, and my friend recommended Asian Box. She described is as Asian Chipotle. Looking at their menu was a little intimidating at first, because they have a few options under each step, which makes for a zillion different combinations.
The cashier was really patient with me as I seriously stood there for a solid three minutes deciding what to get. Good thing there wasn’t a line of people behind me! She explained what their most popular options are, and also some of her personal favorites. After hearing those, I went for the brown rice with beef, topped with everything except jalapenos, extra bean sprouts, and tamarind vinaigrette and peanut sauce, with extra lime. She was so friendly and even offered me a discount for being a first-​timer! Wish I had gotten her name so I could thank her more personally.
Everything tasted healthy, in a very good way. The veggies were fresh, the meat was abundant but not overly so, and the rice was the perfect consistently. Add in the fact that the staff there were friendly and extremely patient with me, and this looks like it’ll be a regular spot for me!

Pleasantly surprised!
I wasn’t too sure what I was gonna get with this layout, but it was very good!
My only complaint was food temperature and sauce. I would’ve like chicken to be a little on the warmer side and the peanut sauce wasn’t «nutty» enough… or maybe there wasn’t enough.
Regardless, I finished the entire yummy thing! :)

Big flavor for a small price.
Asian Box is the perfect lunch place for something properly portioned and healthy. Asian Box offers a variety of veggies, meats, and sauces all in a easy to go box, with options for vegan and gluten free customers. I experimented and tried both the coconut curry style tofu and the pork with their «no-​fish» sauce. Both meals pile high the toppings and fill me up without making me feel bloated. The veggies were very fresh. The tofu was firm and cut in perfect bite size chunks, and the pork was a well balance of juicy and crispy.
I must mention their Vietnamese ice coffee. This is one of the best ice coffee’s I’ve had. Flavorful, high in caffeine, and not a trace of bitterness. Even if I don’t plan on grabbing lunch at Asian Box, I’ll gladly stop by for an ice coffee to go and enjoy it’s wonderful flavors.
If you want something Asian and healthy without breaking your wallet, you can’t go wrong with Asian Box.

One of my favorite places to eat on Castro! Similar to a chipotle style restaurant, you pick your protein, starch, sides, sauces, etc. with a more modern look to the traditional Vietnamese bun thit nuong. The ingredients are really fresh and the service is so fast. I usually get the noodles with beef, all the sides (plus a caramelized egg, $ 1 extra), and the spicy sauce! You can also mix the sauces as well. I think the fresh ingredients mix really well. I’ve never had a complaint about the food here and I find myself craving it on the weekends.
The line can be pretty crazy during lunch hours on the weekday, but I think it moves pretty fast. Also, obviously, this place cannot replace your bun thit nuong, but if you’re looking for asian fusion, you’ve come to the right place.

I didn’t really know what all the toppings were so I ended up ordering the rice noodles, chicken, steamed vegetables (extra), bean sprouts, and lime with the peanut sauce. I suggest you either order one of their boxes from the menu or order all the toppings because my box was pretty plain. They gave me about 65% rice noodles, 15% chicken, 10% steamed vegetables, and 10% toppings. I asked for extra vegetables and they gave me a really small amount. Everything was pretty tasty, they just didn’t give enough of it. I paid about $ 9 for a meal that was mainly cold rice noodles… disappointing.

I built my meal based on the Vietnamese dish «bun thit nuong.» So I got rice noodles, lemongrass pork, veggies and whatnots, tamarind sauce.
I shouldn’t have expected much but I did because of the Unilocal ratings. Lemongrass pork was so disappointing – lemongrass wasn’t there and pieces were like scraps; a bit dry but not too noticeable. Sauce was pretty decent and adds a nice flavor to everything. Other than that, the meal was fresh but didn’t really tie together lol if that makes sense.
Bottom line: I would get it again if there were nothing around that’s available. Would rather be at chipotle. Or VN Grill on brokaw.

The disappointing love child between Chipotle-​style and Asian fusion restaurants.
As a customer, you get to build your own lunch box by choosing a base (rice or noodle), protein (meats or tofu), and sauce. Unfortunately, the sauces are way too overpowering and they add far too much of it. For example, they added curry powder as a garnish on top of my already curried sauce, which covered my curried tofu, which sat on top of curry-​soaked rice. I could barely get through my meal.
I do not recommend.

If you’ve never been here, think asian chipotle but made to order (food isn’t sitting behind the glass rather its in the back). I come here every other week for lunch. Their employees are always friendly and helpful. They’ll walk you through the ordering process if you have never been there before. I usually get white rice, double chicken, all the toppings except peanuts (just a preference), and a mix of sriracha and the tamarind sauce. The beef option is decent but the pork is much better if you ask me.
I’ve never been there any other time but is always a solid lunch option if you’re near by. One thing to note is that castro street gets busy around lunch time. Its quite difficult to find parking if you arrive anytime after 11:50am. If you want to eat in the area, you’ll definitely want to get here earlier rather than later.
Most of the time, there isn’t much of a line at Asian box at lunch. I highly recommend this place if you’re looking for a good, delicious, and somewhat quick lunch option.

I come to Asian Box pretty frequently and only ever order the shrimp these days. Unfortunately they’ve switched to a different type of shrimp that is *so* not as good as it used to be. I definitely preferred the big plump prawns they used before to the tiny (I think) bay shrimp they are using now.
Everything else is still pretty solid but when your go-​to at a place changes its definitely disappointing.

As you have read, basically the Asian version of chipotle. Fresh ingredients and you choose what you want to put in your box.
|| First, rule of thumb as in starcraft, build your base:
White rice
Brown rice
Vermicelli
Salad
|| Second, select the type of non living organism ya crave:
Shrimp (lime basil tossed)
Pork (lemongrass marinade)
Chicken (six spice blend)
Beef (garlic and soy glazed)
Tofu (coconut curry)
|| Third, bring out the inner Asian u know u got, cuz FREE UNLTD TOPPINGS:
Fresh lime squeeze Fresh herb
Bean sprouts Fresh jalapeños
Crispy shallots Pickled vegetables
Peanut Scallion oil
Caramelized egg (add extra .95)
|| Fourth, MAKE IT SAUCYYYY :
Tamarind vinaigrette (tangy and sweet)
Miss Jone’s Sriracha (blend of spicy and sweet)
No oil fish sauce (the OHH to your MAMI. Umami splash on ur buds)
Asian street dust/​/​additional cost (dirtayy blend of sweet, salty, and spicy)
Hot box it/​/​additional cost (Fireeeee)
Peanut sauce /​/​additional cost (creamy blend with lime and coconut)
My box:
Lemongrass pork + crispy shallots, peanuts, fresh lime squeeze + no oil fish sauce (8.65 tax included) /​/​I wouldn’t say it was AH-​MAYZING. But it was alright. It’s like telling someone who is Mexican that chipotle is authentic. ITS NOT. Asian box is definitely not authentic but gets the job done. I wish they gave more vermicelli since I had hella meat left over, but I’m not complaining! Quality was a bit Americanized, but I wasn’t expecting it to be super authentic to begin with.
You got dine in or outside patio.
Employees were alright! The guy taking my order spaced out like 70% of the time I was ordering but I ain’t mad, bruhski had a lot on his mind.
Anyway. quickie American influenced Asian «fast food» Chipotle ordeal.

My boss ordered lunch for us on Monday. He handed over his iPhone, wherein I made my way through ordering my lunch in the app. The app was super user friendly and there were a lot of options for what I could add to my «box». There were even chef recommendations, which you don’t usually see in an app.
When I went to pick up our order, the line was almost out the door. Mountain Viewers must love this place! But I didn’t have to wait in line. My bag of goods was handed to me by a smiling energetic employee, and I was out the door in no time.
My box was an array of jasmine rice, firm tofu battered in yellow curry, crunchy onions, broccoli (that wasn’t over-​cooked!), and a couple other veggies. It was pretty delicious and I was full before eating half of it.
Good stuff.
PS: parking can be tough on Castro. Turn right just after passing the shop and there’s a parking lot hidden back there.

One of the best gluten-​free options in Mountain View.
Lunch without the guilt. I love that my team at work can order here without feeling like we are comprising for a gluten free meal. Doesn’t matter what you order, food is always fresh and flavorful. I love the shrimp but every option is great. I’m excited to make Asian box a lunch staple.

I wish there was an Asian Box down in the South Bay… you know, like San Jose or Campbell. Punny name, great lunch spot.
I’m rarely in Mountain View, but I was there for a quick lunch last month and really enjoyed it. It’s quick and tasty; upon ordering it took about 10 minutes for food to come out. Let’s be honest, it took longer to find parking…
I ordered HALF SALAD/​HALF CHILLED NOODLES, lemongrass marinated PORK, steamed VEGETABLES, all of the toppers (although the caramel egg didn’t come with it), FISH SAUCE + their SRIRACHA. SOOOOOO good. I would definitely do this combination again.
must try.

Anybody whose my friend on Unilocal knows I come here way to often not to add another star to my review! While I still don’t like that basically the only meat I can get in well-​done beef. I love that they are basically the safest option for me in the Bay Area. 100% gluten free and for this celiac that’s perfect and then they are almost 100% dairy free except for the iced coffee. Having a severe dairy allergy this is just perfect! So basically I get to order anything off the menu I want without worry!
I’ve tried all the sauces now except the no oil fish sauce and enjoy them all. I usually get 2 – 3 of them each time I get a box since I just can never decide on just one! I always though get the asian street dust and then 99% of the time I get the siracha. All their sauces are made in house which is awesome! The peanut sauce is super yummy and does not make your box taste just like peanuts. I was worried about this at first since peanuts are so strong, but they make this sauce perfectly. Definitely one to try even if it is .75 cents extra. It’s a bummer that this is in a relatively hard to get to location. I have come here on a weekday night not able to find parking at all!