Zenwich

I was quite sad with the passing of Burrito Buggy. Where else was I going to get Indian-​Greek-​Jamaican-​Mexican fusion? Well, Zenwich rolled in with a pretty strong reputation so I was interested to check it out.
The sandwiches are overall amazing. When a friend of mine asked me what to get here, I just replied «any sandwich», which I think is an appropriate response. Of note for me is the spicy garlic shrimp sandwich (with perfect lightly fried pieces of shrimp) and the Korean cheese steak (reminds of me of bopNGrill’s famous bulgogi cheesesteak eggrolls).
Couple downsides — like many über-​popular places in the Loop, expect a decent wait for your food. Also, it’s kind of pricy. The sandwiches do come with a pickle and some below-​average chips at least (the chips are sweetly seasoned and lack a good crisp or crunch).
But looking past that, these Asian-​American sandwiches are the real deal. Worth the wait and the trek from whichever downtown office you work at.

Yummi … Been to the Elmhurst location before. This is absolutely up to par with that other location. Had the Korean beef sandwich, strongly recommend it… Will be back for some more. The potato chips are outstanding too … A little bit pricey but it comes with the location

In the name of whatever you call to satiate your hunger, this is the place.
I think they only have few branch.
I went to Villa park and the one in the City.
You never go wrong, its like, Asian but not asian, american but not american, your palate will get so flabbergasted you cant wait for the next bite.
If sandwich you want with an asian flair but deserves the american diet conscious outcome with satisfaction you cant wait for the next meal– this will explode your brain.

This is a fantastic place to get a quick bite on a work day. I came in at around 12 40 and there wasn’t a line here. Food came out as fast as it could. The shrimp sandwiches tasted amazing and I got a soup that was good as well. I am not sure if «Asian Fusion» is a good way to describe the food here but it sure has good food.

Nothing bad to say about Zenwich. Nate and his wife are great and the food is great! The two sandwiches we always get are the crab cake and the spicy shrimp. We def recommend those two. Their chips are made in house, and are very delicious. We also love the cucumber salad.

We ordered zenwich for a company meeting recently in an attempt to switch up our normal pizza orders. We ordered the large trays of assorted sandwiches which came with trays of chips and pickles. The chips were different and had a great flavor. As for the sandwiches some were a hit and some didn’t get touched. In the future I would not order any of the shrimp or vegetarian sandwiches, as no one was really interested in them. The most popular seemed to be the steak sandwiches. I thought my food was just ok but it seemed to be a hit to the others!

My wife and I have eaten at the suburb location, but it is not convenient for us to trek out to it. I was sooo excited when I found out they had opened a location downtown, just blocks from my office. Zenwich is on my weekly lunch rotation, and every person I take there loves it, and for good reason. The ingredients are fresh and the sandwiches have such a unique blend of flavors and textures — my personal favorite is the Mu Ping, but all of the sandwiches are good. I have been told that the salads are good too, but I don’t eat salad because it is not real food — in the words of the late, great John Pinette, «Salad is not food, it is the promise of food to come.» But I digress. I would recommend the egg drop and the hot and sour soup, but for hot and sour soup aficionados, this is not what I would call «traditional» — something about the flavor is just a little off, not bad, just different.
P. S. If you are looking to indulge your inner fatty, try the fries — nicely seasoned and great dipping sauces.

I went to this place when they first opened and I was pretty pissed off from my experience. I ordered the shrimp sandwich and it took more than 30 mins to get my meal to go. I believe there were 2 – 3 other people waiting so the line wasn’t crazy long or anything. I don’t like to give reviews just off of my first experience especially when its opening week.
So finally going back after a couple of months it turned out much better. The quality and type of food combinations I am a fan of. I went back this week and it definitely seems like they got their act together now. I ordered the pork katsu sandwich and literally got it within a couple minutes.
Would go back and try other things on the menu. When getting a sandwich, it also comes with a side of chips and pickle too! Prices are pretty fair since it is located in the loop.

I met two of my good friends for lunch during a slow holiday week.
Service was prompt, efficient, and courteous. I got the spicy garlic shrimp sandwich. I quite enjoyed it! It was fresh, the shrimp was spicy and crunchy, and the side of chips were amazing! They’re simply seasoned potato chips but there was something about them that made them special. They were crispy and seasoned to perfection.
This was a really nice lunch spot and I’ll certainly come back again!

Great sandwich place with a lot of Asian flavors!
I got the grilled pork sandwich (with an Asian name I can’t remember) and it was divine. The vegetables were well marinated and meshed really well with the flavors of the pork, lightening up the rather heavy meat. The bread was also very good.
This place reminds me of Vietnamese BahnMi shops with a American twist — jumbo portions of everything. Bahn Mi sandwiches are much more slender while Zenwich has the same flavors but with double the portion.
The only thing was the side salad was TINY but I guess fifty cents for a side salad meant a small portion. Now I know :)

Accomplishing the art of Asian fusion is, in my opinion, difficult. I’ve tried out many local spots that create some random fusion-​styles, yet many of them didn’t make the passing grade. «Zenwich» was another trial, with the help of Groupon deal ($ 10 worth of food and beverages that could be purchased on the menu). I hardly remembered how much the Groupon cost at that time.
This Zenwich location has limited business hours, from 1000 to 1430, Mondays through Fridays. It’s located near the Lasalle Metra station (Lasalle/​Van Buren). It makes a perfect sense to focus on the office lunch crowds because that area appears to be fairly empty on the weekends.
Prices listed on the menu were steep. Thank you, Groupon, for assisting the bill. With two (2) entrees we would have to pay almost $ 20.
Fortunately, both entrees came with generous portions. The Aioli sauce on the spicy garlic shrimp sandwich wasn’t unreasonably sweet. The use of arugula was a nice touch to provide a «kick» on the savory-​tasting shrimps and Aioli sauce combo.
Daddy J., on the other hand, did enjoy his wasabi shrimp salad. He commented on how fresh all the ingredients were.
Since I’m no longer a downtown commuting regular, visiting «Zenwich,» honestly, wouldn’t be the first choice on my mind. Nevertheless, their «Asian fusion» concept was acceptable to my standard.

Zenwich is a little off of the beaten path but that in no way means it will not be packed. I was meeting a former co-​worker and she suggested this place. After looking at the Unilocal reviews I know I was having their version of the Philly.
We got there towards the end of the lunch rush and we were able to secure a table. The place is not big so that was a plus. We both had the Philly and it came with chips. I enjoyed the sandwich and it was very filling, we both were so stuffed that we should have bought one and split it. The chips were ok, those type of homemade chips are really only good when they come right out of the oil.
The owner was there and he was making the rounds checking in on all of us that dined in. He seemed genuinely interested in the feedback.
They have a location in Elmhurst as well and I suggest merely due to its downtown locations size that you go early or later in the lunch period.

I came here for lunch w/​co-​workers and had a very tasty time.
Décor: It’s a small place, with a handful of tables of varying sizes, and a rather small line of people waiting to grab-​and-​go. The people that choose to stay and eat there, as we did, wait at tables and the food is delivered to you (which is nice). The place is clean and just a typical restaurant feel to it — I don’t want to say «fast food» because that has a bad connotation…
Bathroom: I did not use it while I was there.
Staff: The cashier was friendly and quick and our food was delivered shortly after we found a table and sat down. Everyone was polite as well.
Food: The sandwich I had, a Spicy Shrimp one, was fantastic! I was a decent size and came with chips — a solid lunch amount. I added a lot of Sriracha but it really didn’t need it to be honest. In fact, I don’t know why I kept adding it haha the sandwich is SO GOOD by itself.
Value: The sandwich + chips came in at under $ 10, perfect! A great lunch, that was delicious, and under budget!
I am now a big fan of this place and will certainly return in the future; as well as add it to my lunch rotation.

High quality and tasty sandwiches can be had here. But prices are on high side to go with them. We tried their Mu Ping carmelized pork ($ 8.50), spicy garlic shrimp ($ 8.95), and Korean cheese steak ($ 8.75) sandwiches. All were fresh and delicious and came with their addictive homemade chips. Prices look to have drifted up since we visited their flagship Elmhurst store back in January. This south downtown location also looks like it is geared to local foot traffic as there is not much available in the way of parking, and what metered street parking there is goes for $ 6.50 per hour.

I had the Korean Philly cheesesteak. it was just okay. I was expecting a more robust flavor but it was a’ight. Bread was soft and fresh but the sandwich was a little soggy with meat jus… not necessarily a bad thing but just an fyi. I didn’t care for the pickles or the homemade chips.
I am certainly going back to try other items. I really want to try the healthy versions they offer. This still seems like a good addition for lunch options in the Loop.

Best shrimp sandwich I have ever eaten, hands down!!. Fries are good as well. Like the fact that they have a separate veggie menu.
Update: Tried few other options and liked none. Still in love with the Shrimp sandwich :).

Oh Zenwich, how I love you so. And now I can give double the love for your tasty and unique sandwiches in the burbs and the city. Yay for another location!
Zenwich puts a spin on the classic sammy that I’ve never seen. These Asian inspired creations between bread are ridiculously good. It’s really hard to choose a favorite, but if I had to it would have to be the crab cake sandwich!
The sides are total amaze too. They have these home made chips that are out of this world. The cucumber salad is a fan favorite as well. Definitely give those a try!
I have yet to actually visit this location, but they deliver which is ideal for a day at the office. Service is fast and the food shows up in top notch condition.
Don’t lunch on a boring old sandwich, give Zenwich a try!

So here’s the deal. Everyone at my company loves Zenwich. They are 5+++ stars in love with everything on the menu. And, I don’t blame them. I mean who doesn’t love a crab cake or garlic shrimp sandwich or a chicken tofu salad? How about those raved about chips and sides?
I wish I could say me, but I can’t. I feel guilty, oh-​so-​guilty every time my team places an order, because I have a soy allergy and can’t really digest garlic. The menu here is probably one of the most unique menus I’ve seen. We all know lunch can get pretty boring day in and day out, and here foodies can truly rejoice… but not me.
Yep, they make exceptions for those with gluten allergies, but for someone with a soy allergy you’ll have to get a little crafty. Mind you, I think I finally figured out how to order the Zen salad, but it’s unfortunate that I can’t fully enjoy the great flavor combos that make up the menu here. The Zen salad comes with crispy chicken, baby arugula, baby spinach, frisee, sliced asian pears and almonds with honey balsamic dressing. Instead of honey balsamic, just ask them to substitute for a simple olive oil and you’ll be all set! Still a great salad with super crispy chicken and a fresh leafy bite.
Sorry I have to give Zenwich 3 stars. But, a lot of people are allergic to soy and not just gluten sensitive. Maybe my review will help them consider more simple salads and sandwiches for those who are food challenged. After all, they claim to cater to picky eaters, but I’m frustrated :-(
Sorry to my colleagues who always have to make exceptions when we order from here. The good thing is that Zenwich is pretty flexible and will substitute if they can.

This place is super close to my office, and it’s one of our new go-​to spots for lunch. I’ve had two sandwiches here… the spicy garlic shrimp sandwich, and the Korean cheese steak sandwich. I found the Korean cheese steak sandwich to be a bit on the under seasoned side, and the spicy garlic shrimp zenwich a bit too heavy handed with the aioli sauce. Both were still tasty, but could be improved by correcting those two issues. The sandwiches come with seasoned potato chips, so no need to get a side… unless you have major hunger pains. The interior has a bunch of high top tables with a trendy look. It gets crowded at lunch time, so you may want to take your lunch back to the office to eat.
Overall, Zenwich is a solid choice for lunch in the Loop.

When a business makes Unilocal’s «top 100 places to eat» list* you know it’s going to be good, but Zenwich even surpassed my expectations.
I recently called Zenwich one evening and asked if they could cater lunch for 150 people the following day. I could hear the slight panic in Katie’s (the lovely owner) voice, but she was up for the challenge. And she was up for an even bigger challenge when I called her the next morning to let her know it would actually be 180 (not 150) people. They didn’t have enough bread on hand, but managed to get some just in time. How’s that for amazing customer service?
There were so many different kinds of delicious sounding sandwiches to choose from. I decided to take half a spicy garlic shrimp sandwich & half a chicken katsu. I figured I’d take a few bites and choose a sandwich because there’s really no need for more than a half a sandwich this size. Well, there is when it’s a Zenwich. Both were so delicious that I couldn’t help, but eat every last bite. I was quite full after that or I may have even gone for the crab cake sandwich and some of the other options. Next time!
My colleagues seemed to enjoy the sandwiches as much as I did. In fact, I’ve never received so many comments on how good a work lunch was, which means we may have to have more zenwich lunches in our future.
Zenwich truly puts every other sandwich I’ve had to shame. Their original Elmhurst location has quite the fan club and I have no doubt they’ll be just as popular (if not more) with this new city location. Annnd if they would like to put their 3^rd location in the North Shore I wouldn’t object.
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