Asian Fusion Restaurant Ekiben Opening Second Location In Hampden
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Asian Fusion restaurant Ekiben has become a staple in Fells Point and now they're opening a second location in Hampden.
The restaurant has been delighting patrons with their take on Asian fusion since 2014, including staples like their now-famous neighborhood bird, a Taiwanese curry fried chicken with pickled cucumbers, sambal mayo and fresh herbs on a freshly-steamed bao bun.
Their culinary philosophy is simple: "We just serve food that we personally enjoy eating," Chef Steve Chu said.
"We think food is like art," he said. "It's a lot of fun and don't take it too seriously, just make tasty food that people enjoy."
After one bite, it's clear how they went from a hotdog cart in a farmers market to earning national praise.
"It's really wild," Chu said. "It's a great honor to be able to do Baltimore proud."
Now, they're expanding to a new location: 911 West 36th Street, Unit 3.
Don't expect their new digs to be an exact replica of their Fells Point restaurant, though: the menu will feature Ekiben favorites with a few new additions.
"You can expect really big bold flavors, great customer service and we're trying to expand the menu a little bit so we will be rolling out some new items bit by bit," Chu said.
While the new interior is being kept under wraps, the walls are decorated with an Ekiben Hampden mural and photos of the city that made them.
"We really never thought that this would happen," he said. "We just have to thank Baltimore City for all of our success and hopefully we can make them proud the second time."
