Tokyo Express

Ms Sue and Ms Minako are so fabulous! They have a very loyal customer base, and make every experience so enjoyable, with their fun loving witty personalities.
I have been coming here for years for their delicious sushi rolls and quick lunch take out service.
Once you get to know these ladies, and experience their genuine loving outgoing personalities and sushi cuisine, you will understand why this place is such a success, without the need for fancy décor or advertising.

My favorite is the huge inside out spicey roll. Delicious and always made fresh. They also cater sushi daily so you can always count on their sushi being fresh. Sometimes I call in an order in advance and pick up the sushi within 15 minutes of placing the order. The service is always friendly and fast. Love the food and the great people who work there!;)

The food is decent and affordable. The interior isn’t much, so I usually only get take out. They could work on the time of service, sometimes the service seems slow.

I’m not really sure what other business they are in but there is no way they survive off lunch business and they aren’t open for dinner or Friday through
noon there was one other table with customers. The inside of the restaurant seems more like a staging area for large deliveries… like to a grocery store.
Let me continue to say that I am a fan of a good whole in the wall restaurant. When the food is at least very good. This was very average, maybe even a little below average and the décor felt very cramped and dirty. I had the teriyaki beef lunch special. miso soup in a really old coffee cup is served first, no spoon. Really tough beef drenched in sauce next. I couldn’t finish it. Had to resort to a filet o fish on the way back to work. Won’t be going back.

Awesome Japanese food with a little Chinese fusion. I personally love the House Udon Soup. It’s definitely a hidden gem here in Escondido. The service was awesome. Minako and Sue are the best. Best bang for your buck especially for lunch. Their open Monday through Thursday. They are cash only but well worth the inconvenience. They also cater one of the casinos here in Escondido. I will definitely be coming back…

Far from authentic, yet far from bad, Tokyo Express is a reasonable option for cheap, satisfying lunch.
On my first visit there, I ordered the bento box being advertised at the front of the restaurant to acquire a better feel for the overall food. The vegetable tempura was a pleasant surprise, but to be honest, the batter was reminiscent of sweet and sour chicken before the application of sauce – truly far from the typical tempura batter. Nevertheless, it still passed as flavorful deep-​fried vegetables.
Though I’m not huge on California Rolls, they were included in the bento box. Just to clarify before you order them, you c-​roll fans, the imitation crab isn’t quite like other places. If you order a spicy variation of a Cali Roll, the imitation crab you know and love will be present, with the exception of (obviously) being spicy. Regarding the quality of sushi here, it’s actually quite disappointing. The rolls are huge, no doubt, but for the freshness, none of the three different rolls I got to try were up to par. If you’re looking for exceptionally large portions of sushi for standard prices with a more «homemade» feel (you’ll know what I mean if you order them), this definitely wouldn’t be a bad place to eat at.
The best food here, by far, was the chicken teriyaki, and I really wish I had more of that in my bento box (don’t worry, the portion of chicken was still completely reasonable). It’s not like most teriyaki from other Japanese joints, but it’s sweet, thick, and definitely hits the spot; truly an addicting dish that I would keep coming back to. Give it a try if you don’t mind the Chinese-​American approach to Japanese food, amongst other available dishes.
I also had the yakisoba, which, for me, fell short of just being «good,», but the friend who ate with me thoroughly enjoyed them; likely to be a hit-​or-​miss type of dish.
The worst part about this restaurant is the fact that they’re really open for dine-​in only about four to five hours a day, four days a week, which makes their menu confusing with «special» dinner items when they’re never open at those times anyway. Catching this place open is, in retrospect, highly inconvenient if you don’t have a lunch break in the area. From the outside, Tokyo Express really looks like it’s always closed, but don’t be fooled, the interior is actually quite lively with the attentive, friendly staff who will take their time to get to know you if you allow them to.
With the amount to pay for a meal here and for its taste, this place is highly underrated. Give it a chance if you’re in the area at the right time. If the food won’t do it for you, I’m positive the staff will keep you amused for the time being.

If you are looking for ambiance, go somewhere else. This is a Japanese sushi/​teriyaki diner — with diner chairs and diner tables and diner napkin holders — but no decorative diner frills. Tables, chairs, utensils. Not even anything on the walls.
That said, the vegetable tempura plate I had was delicious and included the tempura and sauce, a cup of sticky white rice, cucumber salad, and miso soup. Everything was delicious. Getting out of their for a total sum (including diet soda) for $ 6.43 — even better. Nice portion… some folks may want a box. Nicely hot. Plated nicely.
My only real complaint was that the tempura sauce was too cold when it first arrived, and the stark cold to the hot tempura was rather jolting. The drink options are limited to water or canned soda.
The menu has several sushi and teriyaki options. Good options for vegetarians (like me), too.
The place is only open for lunch (11am — 3pm), Monday through Thursday. Most importantly: It is CASH ONLY!!! No debit/​credit cards or checks only. Luckily, I had some cash on me because did not see the sign until I was almost finished eating.
Parking is good. Probably not good for groups over six or seven — ten at the most.
I’ll be back for lunch here.