Copycats and rogue former franchises sprung up, as the Seattle Times put it, like mushrooms in a damp meadow. There was Toshios, Toshis Teriyaki the Original, Yoshis, Yoshino, Yasukos, and so on. The Yasuko's Teriyaki menu items have been provided by Menuism users or third party data sources. A dining patron from Kent, WA tried it, didn't like it, and rated it Definitely a Taste of Seattle! Your sauce is ready! Chances are the food is decent but not mind-blowing. A lot of Korean people come here in 1980, 81, because they dont have jobs, says Chung Sook Hwang, who opened Yaks Deli in Fremont in 1983 and now runs University Teriyaki on the Ave. Boeing is closed down, so Korean people go to work in Japanese [i.e., teriyaki] restaurants.. Some Images and Data provided by Citysearch. They always give us too much rice, so we ask for half-and-half rice and cabbage, then I like to add the Thai hot sauce to the cabbage to give it a Kimchi like quality. Teriyakis dominance over the local grab-n-go market seems to validate the notion that Seattleites are famously indifferent-to-hostile toward fast-food chains, preferring instead to patronize little mom-and-pop operations that charge the same prices for less fatty foods. Toshi Kasahara, a wrestler from a rural farming town in Japan, immigrated to Seattle and opened the city's first teriyaki shop on March 2, 1976. To Seattles latest Amazon and Microsoft recruits -- living here as Seattle earned (and is still earning) acclaim for its culinary scene -- the city was built on Copper River salmon and Taylor Shellfish oysters. This strategy worked for a few years, but soon his customers began neglecting their payments or asking him if they could pay him a lump sum and forgo the royalties. Then ginger and green onion was added, and sometimes garlic as well. In A Night at Seattle Harbor, his narrator spends an evening wandering around Nihonmachi, stopping in at a sooty basement restaurant whose proprietor offers him tempura, soba noodles in soup, and sake. The problem is also that in Korean restaurants, you have so many free side dishes that it takes a lot of money and people to make. Thicken: In a small bowl whisk together the water and cornstarch. They say, Its pretty good, but not as good as yours. I think they were just trying to flatter me.. In 2010, John T. Edge wrote an ode to Seattle teriyaki forTheNew York Times. On low heat, simmer and reduce it to a thicker consistency, about 10 minutes. And he's right. So easy, quick and delicious youll make it much more often going forward. 2 TL Sesamsamen, gerstet. Eat! Menuism intends to provide the most accurate information possible. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. Add the sesame oil and stir. Yasuko Conner, the first employee of Toshis Teriyaki Two, as the restaurant was known, recalls, One day for lunch we would do 40 orders at best. But new Seattle -- with the locals priced out of the area, those that remain forgetting teriyaki exists, and newcomers ignoring it -- risks losing those real shops for good. Call Menu Info. Id rather eat sushi out of a vending machine. Owen R. said: I don't think I exaggerate when I say, this is one of the best, modern, Anthony's Seafood Grill is a contemporary casual, high energy restaurant, serving, Visit Brown's Stockyard Exchange for the happy hour specials in Redmond, WA. When I get frustrated trying "other" Teriyaki restaurants here and elsewhere, I am often times, reminded of the bar that this place has set. There are still shops that marinate their chicken and make that perfect teriyaki rice, that use fresh ingredients behind the closed doors of their sauce-stained kitchens. Same with a 1936 Japantown directory, though Japanese chop suey houses were apparently all the rage. Eleven menu items soon grew into 37. I threw three tablespoons of olive oil, three tablespoons of soy sauce, one-and-a-half . Well send you our daily roundup of all our favorite stories from across the site, from travel to food to shopping to entertainment. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. Open another Yasuko's, please!!! Similar outfits sprung up in Auburn and Bellingham, and began spreading across Oregon, too. Japanese restaurants re-established themselves in the late 1940s and 1950s, and they were almost exclusively for the Japanese returnees from camps, reflects Harrison. For the newly arrived inhabitants taking over, teriyaki holds none of the worldly authenticity of ph nor the trendy uber-local appeal of foraged mushrooms. Remove chicken from marinade and place on grill. Today, there are nationwide teriyaki chains: both Teriyaki Madness and Glaze Teriyaki operate around the country. It doesnt have to do with teriyaki. (YES I LIVE IN SEATTLE TOO! If youre looking for the roots of the teriyaki shop in Seattles Nihonmachi, a 12-block Japanese neighborhood (spanning Alaskan Way to the west to 14th Avenue South to the east, and north-south from Yesler to Jackson) that thrived from the late 1880s to World War II, youre essentially out of luck. The key, he says, was that he made the marinade fresh each day, and then patiently . The two shops I will seek out again? Like what you see? Its not all that healthy., I think teriyakis foul, says Interbay resident Chris Chantler, an ICU nurse (normal order: never). I had my lifetime great opportunity. Yasuko's Teriyaki Seattle, Queen Anne: Upper; View reviews, menu, contact, location, and more for Yasuko's Teriyaki Restaurant. a All of my friends had restaurants, says Kasahara, so he figured why not follow suit. CLOSED NOW. Transfer the mixture to a small saucepan and simmer for about 4 minutes until thickened. And thats far from the extent of the dishs omnipresence. Chang couldnt be reached for comment, but according to Hyung Chung, whose parents bought the Aurora store from Chang in 1989 and still run it, in the late 1980s, Chang rapidly opened five or six Toshis Teriyakis, taking the same restaurant-flipping tack as Kasahara had. Add salmon with skin-side facing down. Teriyaki sauce is easily bought at the store, but it tastes SO much better homemade. Teriyaki is applied usually to fish. Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. Super simple menu and fast service. Cuisine: Japanese, Asian. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. The bare walls (blank except for the haphazardly posted and amended menu) hid the vibrancy of the flavors served. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, honey, sesame oil, mirin and water mixed with cornstarch together in a bowl. Garma was driving around the desert city, looking at the storefronts, when he thought, Hey, there are no teriyakis here. So the three approached the former owner of their hometown store, who agreed to sell them his recipes and show them how his operation worked. In a small bowl, combine teriyaki sauce mix and water until dissolved; set aside. Kasahara cant say what inspired him to use sugar instead of the traditional sweet rice wine in his teriyaki sauceit could have been a Hawaiian inspiration, but more likely it was costbut the ur-teriyaki, the teriyaki from which a thousand restaurants have sprung, was a blend of soy, sugar, and chicken juices brushed onto yakitori, or grilled chicken on a stick. students only to be closed for their housing expansion. Pour marinade over chicken. Slowly whisk into the saucepan. Yasuko's Teriyaki is a Japanese, Asian, and Chinese restaurant where most Menuism users came for a meal on the go, paid less than $10, and tipped less than 15%. Butterfly chicken thigh fillets to make the fillet an even thickness (photo above). Of the 15 teriyaki shops we rounded up as the best in town in 2014, two have closed (Yasuko's and Setsuna), one changed hands (Katsu Burger), and another is slated to close later this year (King Donuts, as the owners have decided to retire and have no one to take it over). I know I can always get my fix if I just go back to Yasuko's, yea the price has gone up from when I first started going here on a regular basis, they had a restaurant that I could get to during my lunch hour at work, so I am guessing that I probably ate . Agreed, the place is not shiny more like a taco truck, but at least I can see what theyre doing in the kitchen which is a lot more than you can say for Dennys and a lot of other restaurants. Find the location nearest you: But for all the seafood and all the awards, former Seattle Times food writer Nancy Leson admits of Seattle's iconic foods, When people talk about ingredients, I would go with the salmon and oysters, and thats fine but when it comes to definitive dishes, teriyaki is on top of the list." Whisk it continually over medium high heat. more. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Teriyaki Madness, which stemmed from a local shop partnering with two former customers, now operates an impressive 31 outlets in 14 states, with 18 more opening this year. Their biggest surprise, though, was the returning Caucasian servicemen, who had developed a taste for sukiyaki and whatever in Japan. See restaurant menus, reviews, ratings, phone number, address, hours, photos and maps. Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness. Toshi cooks here. When I opened the first store, I pretty much cooked to order. Place the chicken in a baking dish and brush with the remaining teriyaki sauce. And while new Seattleites might dismiss the dish, elsewhere people are just discovering its allure. Theyre American interpretations, says Shimbo. When your budget gets tight, you can get a half-chicken with rice and cabbage for $6 $14 for two with tax; that not a bad deal, and the chicken weve had has always been fall-off-the-bone tender and flavorful. Cookie Notice Place chicken in a heavy-duty sealable plastic bag. 3200 15th Ave W Seattle, WA 98119 Uber. Stir and let it come to a boil. Mmm, making it tonight! In 2015, Yasuko Conner closed her namesake teriyaki shop on Broadway after more than twenty years. He confesses that the idea of authenticity never occurred to him. Rachel Laudan, author of The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaiis Culinary Heritage, claims that it originated in Hawaiis Japanese community sometime in the 1920s and 30s. Website. The whole family enjoys this entree. Paleo, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free. For new transplants, the simple dish doesn't fit the narrative of the shiny, new city. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. In, Charlize G. said: came here for galentines day with three of my good friends, two of. In a large skillet, brown pork on both sides in oil until juices run clear. Includes the menu, 1 review, photos, and 1 dish from Yasuko's Teriyaki. Our members have the best ideas for food gifts. It is a delicious and comforting dish that is perfect for meal prep! Heat: In a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and ginger. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts Step 3. 3200 15th Ave W Seattle WA 98119. so hopefully it turns out great! In 1976, Toshihiro Kasahara, a young man with a wiry wrestlers build and a demure tricksters smile, arrived in Seattle, nine years after emigrating from Ashikaga City, Japan, to study business at Portland State University. Recipe | Courtesy of Ree Drummond. And Joan Seko, who ran Bush Gardens in the International District with her late husband, Roy, for 40 years, remembers serving teriyaki steak from day one. The food is all prepared early and stuck in warmers. The Lower Queen Anne store was sold to a former manager. Then let it cool completely because we're going to use it to marinate our chicken. Mix all ingredients except the cornstarch and 1/4 cup of water in a sauce pan and begin heating over medium heat. This recipe follows four easy steps: Make the Marinade: Place all the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside. I didnt really have the management skills. Add teriyaki sauce. To wit, the Washington Restaurant Association recently generated a list of all the restaurants in its master database with teriyaki in the name, listed by date of entry. Use paper towels to pat the chicken dry. But thats not the only point of origin. Cook and stir sauce until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Rated 4 / 5 from 117 reviews. In July 1976, Seattle Times restaurant critic John Hinterberger wrote a review of Toshis, in which he stated, It has a limited menu and limited space but no limits on quality or, for that matter, on the size of the servings, which range from abundant to gluttonous. The review made the business. Heat the oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. 4) In a Teflon sauce pan, add Japanese Sake, sweetener, Soy Sauce and bring to boil. The meaning of teriyaki is that teri means glaze and yaki, to cook or grill,' says Hiroko Shimbo, a Japanese cookbook author and cooking instructor based in New York. Website View Menu (206) 283-0116. 27 Reviews. See 4 photos and 3 tips from 135 visitors to Yasuko's Teriyaki. These days, Amazon workers living in new high-rises get whisked by the buildings corner aboard the streetcar. Add the Teriyaki Sauce to the pan and cook until the sauce thickens. 2) Shred the cabbage using a shredder and transfer to a serving plate. Seattle yuppies love the idea of going to some obscure Chinese place for dim sum, but they wont dare tell you that they eat chicken teriyaki.. For those who grew up in Seattle, teriyaki was a way of life. soy sauce. That one flopped, too. Teriyaki shops -- dirty and run-down -- aren't listed on any hot lists of where to eat in Seattle. In fact, teriyakis pedigree can be best described as a mutt of Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and European cuisines. And Kasahara, like Seattle teriyaki itself, isnt ready to be counted out quite yet: Im not quitting. Chicken Teriyaki Recipe. Download Foursquare for your smart phone and start exploring the world around you! Yasukos Teriyaki Restaurant. (206) 283-0116. 4 Prawns, citrus marinated then dusted with sweet coconut flake & fried. Pour in soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar. The fish can be marinated in the teriyaki sauce, which is a mixture of sake, mirin (sweet rice wine), and shoyu (soy sauce). 3) Take chicken fillets, pat dry with paper towels, sprinkle with salt & pepper and set aside.