Tokyo Teriyaki
Bento Box at Tokyo Teriyaki
Tokyo Teriyaki is a favorite of ours. We’re not even huge fans of teriyaki necessarily. But the food is so good – and the customer service even better – that we find ourselves craving Tokyo Teriyaki frequently.
Spicy Chicken Yakisoba
While we’ve tried several things on the menu, today we went with our usual favorites. I like a variety of flavors and textures in a meal, so I like the Bento Box with Spicy Chicken Teriyaki and California Rolls. They have several combinations of Bento Boxes, but this is the one I like the most. I’m also a bit of a wimp when it comes to heat, and when requested, they tone it down for me – it’s perfect. This Bento Box comes with rice, spicy chicken, gyoza, 8 california rolls (with wasabi and pickled ginger), and a cucumber salad. The cucumber salad is simple and refreshing, and helps balance the heat between bites of chicken. It tastes like it has a sweetened rice vinegar dressing on it, and is so good! The chicken is thick, long strips of clean chicken – not full of fat and leftover bits you sometimes see at other teriyaki joints. It’s really good. The gyoza are crisp and flaky and full of seasoned meat filling. They’re a favorite, and we usually have to get an extra side dish of them to share!
Gyoza
Josh also ordered his favorite, Spicy Chicken Yakisoba (the same moderate heat as mine!) It’s your usual dish of seasoned chicken, vegetables, and noodles sautéed together and the result is always satisfying.
Gyoza and Kiwi Bubble Tea:We decided to be proactive about the inevitable sweet tooth that would come after the meal, and ordered a Bubble Tea to share. Joo Yeon told us that the kiwi has real kiwi fruit in it, so we went with her suggestion. Now, I don’t know a ton about Bubble Tea (or Boba Tea), but I get the impression there are two categories (please correct me if I’m wrong!). There is the Bubble Tea that is more like a milkshake or smoothie, that has fruit in it, and then there is a more authentic version of it that is tea based, with milk and sweetener and other optional flavors. Both have “bubbles” – those little addicting tapioca pearls in the bottom of the cup, and sometimes there are other jellies that can be added to it. I have to admit, the first time I tried Bubble/Boba Tea, I wasn’t a fan. The texture of the pearls really turned me off. But after a few more tries, I found myself actually craving those things one afternoon, and now I love it. I’m a newbie, but we’re planning on reviewing more Boba Tea shops in the future. At any rate, we did enjoy the Kiwi Bubble Tea quite a bit!
Lunch
Overall, Tokyo Teriyaki is a place we would highly recommend to anyone. The food is great, and the customer service is amazing. If I could give them more than 5 stars in this area, I would. It’s family owned and run, and the daughter, Joo Yeon, is such a delight. She treats everyone like they’re old friends, and is very engaging and entertaining. Her mother usually brings the food out to us, and is always kind and has such a sweet smile. We love supporting this family business whenever we can, and encourage everyone we know to do the same.
Addendum (December 4th, 2008): Our beloved Joo Yeon and family sold the restaurant some months ago. Josh and I gave the new owners a couple of months to get into the swing of things, and have since tried it a few times. It’s very different. The owners are nice, and the food is okay. (Bonus – they offer brown rice, but at $1.50 extra per serving) Overall it’s alright, but not the same. You decide.
Tags: Everett Restaurants, Teriyaki
