BENTOFUL Salad: A Fusion of Asian Flavors and Fresh Ingredients

Fresh, clean, and full of flavor! I loved being able to pick exactly what I wanted, so there was no waste. The Korean owner was very welcoming, and seeing nearby office workers lining up made it clear that this spot is popular in the area.

I happened to come across this place when I was doing some work at Mr. West. At first I poked my head in to see what it was all about and had to come back to try it. And I'm glad I did. Bentoful is kinda like the hot/salad bar at Whole Foods. You grab a plate or a container, grab whatever you want, and then at the end, they weight it and you pay by weight. As of today (4.25.23), they charge $9.99/lbs. Anyone who's been to a place like this knows the potential chaos that could ensue from "Oh I'll try a little bit of this... ooh one piece of that... couple scoops of this." Before you know it, you're plate is the weight of a small watermelon and you're laying $30 for lunch. But that's nothing wrong with the way they do business. But the food is so good. It feels fresh and tasty. I think clean taste, even the fried stuff, is how I'd describe it. So many different selections, from the salad bar with everything you could imagine for that 2000 calorie salad because you're "watching your weight" to freshly cut fruit to some classic Asian foods. My favorite is the fried shrimp and the Korean fried chicken. Then there is the easy to overlook dishes. There is this steamed cold tofu with dressing and a Korean style thinly sliced eggplant. They have such a class Korean taste that's comforting and refreshing. I'd definitely hit those up. Best part? The sweet couple that runs it are so nice. The lady at the register is so sweet. I came today at about 1:40pm (they close at 2pm) and so a lot of the offerings were running low. Given the business model here, it's tricky timing things and when you should cook more. But she came by and saw that some of the things had run out and brought fresh food out from the kitchen. I feel good eating this food. I feel good supporting this small business. And as long as you're smart and don't go overboard, this can easily be an affordable lunch in a otherwise increasingly unaffordable city--something "bentoful" in the heart of SLU.

This place is great and fresh! Lots of options, convenient location from Amazon and Nordstrom. Tasty and worth it!

Fresh, clean, and full of flavor! I loved being able to pick exactly what I wanted, so there was no waste. The Korean owner was very welcoming, and seeing nearby office workers lining up made it clear that this spot is popular in the area.

Wow, what a great place! It’s a little hard to find, but follow the signs into the building and head toward the back. It was fresh, healthy, and sooo yummy.

This is an awesome place to get variety of food for lunch including some Asian dishes. You fill your plate and pay by weight ($11.95/pound). I paid $15 for my plate, it wa quite filling. Food was mostly delicious but a bit salty to my taste. Note that it is open only for lunch time from 1030am to 230pm. It is located in the corner of the inner lobby. Enter the building through the main entrance, pass the cafe and elevators and it is to the left of the second lobby.

I happened to come across this place when I was doing some work at Mr. West. At first I poked my head in to see what it was all about and had to come back to try it. And I'm glad I did. Bentoful is kinda like the hot/salad bar at Whole Foods. You grab a plate or a container, grab whatever you want, and then at the end, they weight it and you pay by weight. As of today (4.25.23), they charge $9.99/lbs. Anyone who's been to a place like this knows the potential chaos that could ensue from "Oh I'll try a little bit of this... ooh one piece of that... couple scoops of this." Before you know it, you're plate is the weight of a small watermelon and you're laying $30 for lunch. But that's nothing wrong with the way they do business. But the food is so good. It feels fresh and tasty. I think clean taste, even the fried stuff, is how I'd describe it. So many different selections, from the salad bar with everything you could imagine for that 2000 calorie salad because you're "watching your weight" to freshly cut fruit to some classic Asian foods. My favorite is the fried shrimp and the Korean fried chicken. Then there is the easy to overlook dishes. There is this steamed cold tofu with dressing and a Korean style thinly sliced eggplant. They have such a class Korean taste that's comforting and refreshing. I'd definitely hit those up. Best part? The sweet couple that runs it are so nice. The lady at the register is so sweet. I came today at about 1:40pm (they close at 2pm) and so a lot of the offerings were running low. Given the business model here, it's tricky timing things and when you should cook more. But she came by and saw that some of the things had run out and brought fresh food out from the kitchen. I feel good eating this food. I feel good supporting this small business. And as long as you're smart and don't go overboard, this can easily be an affordable lunch in a otherwise increasingly unaffordable city--something "bentoful" in the heart of SLU.

great little spot to make nice salads. I wish they had more hour and were open on the weekends though.

Nowadays you would have to spend $15 and up for a good meal. I spent $11 on an awesome meal here! The charge is by the weight. I am eating more salad nowadays but I was able to shove more than enough meat in my plate and some noodles and still paid a reasonable price. Food is fresh and delicious! Lots of variety! My new go to for lunch when in downtown.

Nowadays you would have to spend $15 and up for a good meal. I spent $11 on an awesome meal here! The charge is by the weight. I am eating more salad nowadays but I was able to shove more than enough meat in my plate and some noodles and still paid a reasonable price. Food is fresh and delicious! Lots of variety! My new go to for lunch when in downtown.