3 Must-Try Teriyaki Spots In Seattle | On the Road
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ต.ค. 2024
- Travel alongside Cook's Country's Editorial Director Bryan Roof as he explores the communities and cuisines that make up the great American dinner table. In this episode, he travels to Washington and stops by Toshi's Teriyaki Grill, Grillbird with J. Kenji López-Alt and Ta Joia Bothell to try teriyaki chicken.
Get our Seattle Chicken Teriyaki recipe: cooks.io/3vkRtR2
Learn more about our visit: cooks.io/4cESKTZ
Follow Toshi's Grill on Instagram: / toshisgrill
Follow Ta Joia Bothell on Instagram: / tajoiabothell
Follow J. Kenji Lopez-Alt on Instagram: / kenjilopezalt
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Note that the Toshi's they're at is in Mill Creek. That's the only one Toshi owns and runs with his wife. The others are all franchises with different ingredients and menus. The one in Mill Creek is by far the best Teriyaki in the region.
I was going to point this out too. The Toshi's in Renton closed about a year ago, and it wasn't very good. One secret is that since the vast majority of Seattle area Teriyaki joints are run by Koreans, the teriyaki beef on their menu often gets cooked more like Bulgogi, which i could eat every day.
Agreed. All the other ones are not good. Toshi’s own shop is at an entire different level.
@@blockwood316 You're spot on with the bulgogi style beef. The chicken/beef combo is a go-to order, for sure.
Great to see Ta Joia getting the recognition. The food is amazing and the family that runs it makes it even better.
One of my favorite spots
They’re outstanding
Ta Joia is great. We used to go to their old place across the street 15 years ago and love the new incarnation. The family vibe is awesome.
Wow! We’re 40 minutes away but it is now high my list to go try. Looks amazing.
the daughter is HOT!!!
As a Seattle native, I honestly had no idea how much teriyaki was a Seattle/PNW thing until I moved to LA, then Nashville. This made me yearn for thin, umami teriyaki sauce with charred chicken and a side of slightly crispy gyoza. Time to make some at home.
Do you have any favorite places in Nashville? I’m up in Madison.
@@CalebPerez I don't know of any that serve anything like what we're used to in Seattle. I've checked ramen and sushi joints and there really just isn't anything.
@@CalebPerez Hey there! To be honest, I am struggling to find favorites in Nashville. Every time I visit an “amazing” recommendation, I find myself perplexed. Naturally, I am spoiled by all of the great hole in the wall ethnic and American food option in LA and I miss deep, rich espresso pulls, PNW halibut and chips, teriyaki, and the tangy frozen yogurt spots of my youth (what happened to those places?). After talking with fellow transplants here to Nashville, seasoning and flavorful produce (except tomatoes-they are nirvana here) seem to be the thing we’re missing. And great coffee. Only one place in Spring Hill has coffee I will drive a full hour to enjoy.
To be absolutely fair, there are “meh” food operations in Seattle and LA and plenty of them. But I was hoping to find 5-10 places to love and cheer on here in Nashville. I haven’t given up hope, I know I will find them, but it’s proven far more difficult than I imagined.
There is, however, I have found two gems. Maiz de La Vida in East Nashville. They own a food truck, a handmade tortilla store, and are about to open a brick and mortar. My other favorite is in White Bluff, TN called Fat Tiger. It is Korean - I LOVE Asian food - and most certainly not lacking in flavor or seasoning. I love their spicy pork, hangover stew, shrimp burger, Fat Tiger sauce, and so on. It’s good, satisfying food that makes me feel happy and at home and it’s served by really good people.
How about you, Caleb? Any recommendations that I must check out? I could use some help!
Did not know it was a thing until a moved to Seattle. I have since left, and I miss the teriyaki there so much. Any corner joint will have better teriyaki than any place outside of Seattle/PNW
@@cynthiajeske5710 nothing for teriyaki, but Humphreys Street is my go-to for coffee.
Toshi is king, and really set up the culture in the state to ensure great teriyaki everywhere. As a local you really get spoiled that teriyaki is everywhere and man is it good pretty much everywhere. Never realize how teriyaki is outside of WA. Really hit the nail on the head the best Teriyaki is anyone making it next door. Every corner resturant place usually has teriyaki on the menu in seattle. Shout out to all the SE asians and South asians randomly making teriyaki in their delis
@dannytv12 rainer food tends to always have surprise ringers. Yeah Toshios on rainer is undebateable prob the best.
Im a west seattle kid so nikkos has been my go to.
I've been following Kenji's teriyaki tour, this is amazing as well
Me, too.
Ditto!
He said a while ago that he would be on one of these episodes, I have been waiting not so patiently.
Same
And he wasn't a fan of Toshi's at all
I’ve lived in WA my whole life, and I never knew that teriyaki was so specific to us until a few years ago. Kenji is right about your favorite being what is closest to. My favorite ever spot was Tri Teriyaki in West Richland WA, and I could walk there from my house as a kid. It closed down ten or so years ago, and I will miss it forever.
its NOT don't believe someone you don't know.
@@tj-kv6vr It def is, I found that out when I moved out of the area and tried finding a seattle style teriyaki spot in California and Texas.
@@tj-kv6vr Where does it come from?
Ta Joia is the best hands down. Their katsu is phenomenal too. With the cilantro jalepeno sauce.....man. 🔥
Seriously underrated place. Too bad they are an hour away :(
@@BR-wc7nh Ahh dang. :/ I'm lucky, I'm 15 minutes away from them.
wow i just passed by this place tonight--whodathunkit?
Ta Joia is awesome
Do you enjoy working with your daughters? No.😂🤣Classic Korean mom response.
Came for the food, but got bowled over by the story of the family behind Ta Joia. More power to them!
The food scene in Seattle is one of the hidden culinary gems of America. We have such a diverse population that you get a bit of everything depending on the part of town you're in, with African and Asian being the two standouts. I love this city and it's food scene
Best place was scaryaki at 2nd and pike. Homicides out front, selling stolen electronics on the side, closed for health code violations, $5 for the best yaki you could ask for. Plus the "secret menu item" of getting white sauce on the chicken was chefs kiss. If you know, you know.
Their chicken had a good char flavor 100% of the time. Good portion size too; good bed of rice, and an iceberg and white sauce salad. That place ran on volume.
Osaka Teriyaki!
Miss that place so much. The ladies were always arguing w each other and put extra ranch on everything
Tan Vihn is an amazingly great food writer; it's awesome to see him helping highlight our insane love of teriyaki around here.
Vinh*
One of the best in the business. Seattle is so lucky to have him.
He doesn't know anything. Why do you think he's good? He looks like Asian but I'm pretty sure he doesn't know anything about Asia
I grew up in Seattle. When I moved to Madison Wisconsin in 2000, I discovered that there are zero teriyaki restaurants in this part of the world.
Seattle has as many teriyaki places as there are Starbucks, possibly more!
When I visit home every year, I try to make it a priority to have at least a couple times to eat at a different location every time.
The best teriyaki sauce available at every grocery store, simply can’t be found in the Midwest!
Yoshis. I finally had to learn to make it myself.
I grew up near Seattle and teriyaki is my comfort food. I love how this showed how teriyaki can really mix up and incorporate different influences. One of my favorite spots growing up was Toshi's in downtown Redmond. It was run by the Bhagas, who added some South Asian influences. Seriously, it was one of the best spicy chicken teriyakis I have ever had. It was definitely different but fit perfectly with teriyaki sauce. You could also get kheema and samosas there. The place they were located in is now an apartment building. So many good meals out there, and the couple were always so friendly.
My wife and I are going to be visiting Seattle for a few days later this summer and I had no idea that teriyaki was such a big part of the city's food scene, so we'll be sure to check these places out.
It's something that people growing up here really do take for granted, because like he said, there's multiple in every neighborhood/suburb no matter how small. There's literally like a dozen w/in 2-3 miles of me and I live 20 miles north of the downtown Toshi's.
It's kind of under the radar. You see teriyaki shops in lots of neighborhoods but it's more a comfort food than avant garde at this point so you aren't going to see foodie blog post about teriyaki etc. It's just a thing that locals do.
@@BrotherCheng So true, ha. 'Teriyaki night' is just a normal thing here
Is the Ta Joia family's biggest secret their teriyaki recipe or their anti aging??
I'm a regular at Grillbird. it's only a block away from home, and I can smell the grill smoke at my place. ❤Love the chicken teriyaki!!!
Yep - we live about 5 blocks away and get their food at least once a month
I want to try the Brazilian teriyaki. I lived in Brazil for 4 years. People have no idea how good their food is. More power to them … best of luck to them …
It's literally the best.
John Hinterberger was a Seattle institution. He went everywhere in this town and found the best places to eat.
I’ve been here for almost 30 years and have tried LOTS of Teriyaki, but I still go back to Toshi’s. The original and the best.
I live just North of Seattle so we have eaten Toshi's since about 1979 LOL! I and am so excited to try these other places! Bryan your road trips are my absolute favorite, thanks a million and thanks to coming to the PNW our home town!!!
❤🌸💕
I can't wait for Kenji's tour to get to Ta Joia
I have lived in Seattle since 2010 and I used to live a block from this place. It is legit is one of the best Teriyaki places in town.
My parents opened a teriyaki (and tempura) shop in Orange County in... the late 1980s? They converted what was a hoagie shop that likely served cheesesteak sandwiches because there was a big ol' carbon steel griddle, which was perfect for cooking big batches of teriyaki. Different flavor than a grill, but it still served up tasty food. My dad had experience working for a sushi restaurant in Japan, he had crazy good knife skills. I remember their chicken being so popular among the Latino worker community, they "donated" bottles of Tapatio and Sriracha sauce to give the sweet teriyaki a kick.
My dad's teriyaki marinade for chicken is soy sauce and rice wine. Also works great for _kara-age,_ although they never chose to offer it at the restaurant. I'm sure they would have had a lot of customers for that, but they also only had 1 deep fryer and 1 pot of oil for frying tempura, and managing the spent oil for chicken would be... yeah that's probably why.
I was born and raised in Washington and had no idea Chicken Teriyaki was so unique to the area, until I moved away. I sure miss a good plate of teriyaki from Toshi’s, and that great side salad!
I absolutely love Bryan's On the Road series!
Buck's Teriyaki in Kent, my hands down favorite. Great food and value, with friendly, smiling folks behind the counter.
Yes! They do make some pretty amazing Teriyaki!
Toshio's is classic, a staple in Seattle. I grew up going there all the time with my mom.
Here b/c of Kenji's teriyaki tour. Teriyaki is simple, but that's why there is so much variation in quality. People assume that "simple" means they can cheap out in ingredients or take shortcuts w/ technique. Nope. When u do that w/ a simple dish, u REALLY notice, as there's not much to cover those things up.
Seattle is a beautiful city.
Cf. the perfect baguette, the perfect blonde omelette, the perfect roast chicken, the perfect tamago nigiri. So many cultures use conceptually simple but technically demanding dishes as the yardstick of a restaurant's quality.
The food at Ta Joia is our favorite! The sauces too 🤤🥰
Perfect timing. I'll be in Seattle soon and I'm going to stuff myself with teriyaki chicken and try the different flavor profiles to learn.
I've lived in Western WA all my life and there definitely is a teriyaki joint in every town. Never really had a "bad" order of your standard teriyaki chicken meal. The best parts are the speed of service and the price. It takes about the same amount of time as a fast food joint to get your food, but it's healthier than your typical fast food meal imo (chicken, rice and salad vs ground meat, fries and soda). I'll usually eat about half one day, then half the next day because it's usually a ridiculous amount of chicken and rice. Always been a good deal!
Toshi used to work with one of best friends at Miyako restaurant. He would always talk about the restaurant he was going to open. He quit and opened his first shop and never looked back.
The reason his teriyaki sauce is so good is because he is from Japan and the flavor is how Japanese people make teriyaki sauce. Balanced, not overly sweet or salty.
The majority of the teriyaki restaurants in the Seattle are owned by Koreans, which is their version of the sauce.
I prefer Toshi's since it tastes like my mother's recipe.
I didn’t go to Seattle often, but when I was stationed at Fort Lewis we had House of Teriyaki and Teriyaki House just outside the gate in Tillicum. If I was in the mood for chicken, then I’d hit the former. Pork or beef from the latter. Either way, I would get a large to go plate with white rice and a salad, and it would be overflowing with food. I could get one of those for around $6, and it would be lunch and dinner for the whole weekend. Breakfast was beer, typically. Barracks life was wild.
I was born in the mid 60's just north of Seattle and toshi's is the best teriyaki I have ever had. I have been living in Phoenix for over 20 years and nothing compares to the teriyaki in Seattle area. Can't wait to get back up there.
I grew up on Toshis❤ it was a treat for my dad to bring it home for dinner❤
Great 👍🏿 video, born and raised west Seattleite and I used to live right across the street from GrillBird. Used to be a Pizza Hut in High Point. Teriyaki is definitely Seattle’s signature dish that non locals don’t know
One of many, many reasons I miss Seattle.
I saw a driver on the freeway eating teriyaki while driving. She had the container in her lap and looked down just to scoop up get next bite. That was about 20 years ago when I had just moved to Seattle and realized that Teriyaki was the #1 fast food in the area! 😂😂😂
We love Ta Joiaaaaaaaaa!!!
I love all these teriyaki videos. There’s also a great video on the Thrillist channel about the history of Seattle teriyaki and it’s cultural impact. Now I have two videos to watch while I eat teriyaki lol
have i been under a rock these past half year? saw two of this guys videos and its a banger! keep up the good work my man
Happy Teriyaki off of 288th and Military Rd in Federal Way was the closest. This mom and pop shop was always a go to for my family for 20+ years.
Ta Joia is the best! Spicy Chicken with Pico + Cilantro sauce is my go-to lunch! The staff is awesome and extremely friendly. Can't recommend it more!
Their pico is so good that rice with pico is delicious without anything else. But yeah, their spicy chicken is my go-to as well.
Chicken and rice is such a simple idea but there are so many amazing variations on it. I love a good teriyaki, where the sauce is not so sweet it might as well just be syrup.
One I wish was more common in the US is Hainanese chicken and rice, which goes by a bunch of different names based in the various other countries where it has been adopted.
I love Hainanese chicken rice so much! I think the only part that westerners aren’t comfortable with is the soft skin, they find it slimy and an odd texture to them.
@@kelvin3103 It's not my favorite part TBH. Depending on precisely how it is I sometimes leave it. But the rice, sauce and soup make up for it.
Toshio’s with skin on chicken is my favorite Seattle chicken teriyaki.
Man who ever was cooking on 2nd and pike during the 2000's -2012 was the best $5-6 bucks you could spend.
I loved them too!!! That was Osaka Teriyaki at Second & Pike! They cooked SO much every day you were guaranteed to get fresh chicken. And the char was just perfect. Sauce was not too sweet or overly salty. Yum! 😋
I grew up in a small town about an hour from Seattle, in the 90's. Even our small town had 3 or 4 teriyaki restaurants. I had no idea they were so specialized to the area. You could barely get serviceable Italian, but you could get killer yakisoba. They were especially important for young people because it was the first "real restaurant" we could afford to eat at and exposed you to a lot of "foreign" flavors, which was a flex. Remember, it was a small town in the 90's.
I'm lucky that 2 out of the 3 are in my neck of the woods. Ta Joia is a 10 minute walk, and Toshi's is a 10 minute drive. Yum!
Toshi's has a been a fave for a long time! I'm glad he's not in Seattle but in Mill Creek. A bit closer to me. lol
Everyone that was born and raised in Seattle like me - know Toshi's!!! One great place was "Mom's Terriyaki" on 3rd, the good ole day! They had the line out the door and was close in everything to Toshi's!
Ta Joia is the best!
I MISS Seattle Teriyaki SO bad! Having lived there for 15 years, it's one thing I crave over and over. My favorite was the joint down on 2nd and Pine lovingly dubbed "Scaryaki" because of the less than desirable location. However, it was THE best Teriyaki in the whole city!
I love that spot. They'd drizzle ranch on it if you wanted which sounds crazy but was good 😂
Nice to see Seattle teriyaki getting the attention it deserves. It really is a local thing and I would definitely equate it to someone's favorite taco truck
Yasuko's hands down best teriyaki in Seattle!
Kenji 10% understands the area, simply the fact that he knows "Your favorite teriyaki place is the one closest to you" As someone who grew up here, I've always said, you can tell where someone grew up based on their favorite teriyaki spot.
Thank you Brian, what a great vid, and i loved the collab with JKLA! I know I need to book a trip to Seattle soon 😁 and also New Mexico!
Yasuko’s is my childhood. It deserves its own video.
Grillbird is more or less down the street from me, but I still haven't eaten there. I need to try it. And Toshi's is an institution.
I miss Scary Teriyaki (Osaka) on 2nd & Pike and Int'l Teriyaki on Stewart near 6th. Both shut down. Both great and big portions. And the I Luv Teriyaki on 4th Ave S that burnt down last year. Said they were going to rebuild but haven't heard anything from them since.
The problem with Toshi’s is that he franchised it without enforcing standards. Each one is so different from the next.
Agreed! I had it at a farmers market in Walnut Creek, CA. I was so excited as a Seattle kid, but was so disappointed.
Some are unauthorized... For example the one in West Seattle
I had no idea teriyaki was brought up largely by and in Seattle. Really interesting. Now I have the urge to start experimenting and figuring out my own teriyaki marinade/recipe for some chicken thighs.
Thanks for this overview. I live in North Seattle. I just went to Toshi's near U Village for lunch on a whim. To me the chicken ($13) was too charred -- that became the overly predominant flavor, even when I added quite a bit more Teriyaki sauce to try to balance it out. And then today I was in the Bothell neighborhood so stopped by Ta Joia. Outstanding! Balanced flavors of tender chicken ($15). They serve it with options of their signature pico di gallo and a creamy cilantro sauce. Yes please! The fusion was great.
Living in Seattle I didn't know Teriyaki started in Seattle! I have to check out Toshi's Teriyaki
More episodes like this, please!
Thanks for blowing up our favorite restaurant, Ta Joia. 😂
Hey ATK, we NEED more Kenji. ❤
Okinawa on Western Ave is great!
I miss ubiquitous teriyaki so much. Used to go to Toshi’s mill creek spot all the time.
for the first time ever, I would really like to visit Seattle
Grillbird is so freaking good!!!
Going to check out some of these restaurants when I go to Seattle this summer
those all looked soooo good! it's gonna be the next few places to try when we visit Seattle some time later this year!
We were just in Seattle this last weekend. I wish I saw this video before we went.
My favorite place is teriyaki first on 85th and 8th in Ballard. Can't beat it but I I'll give Toshi's a try :) and can't argue with the relation to NY Pizza
I love Yoo-Mi so much 🥺
Oh Bryan, I miss seeing your handsome face. I'm glad you have a new video.
Go Dawgs!!!! Great video! Wish we had a U district spot here.
There was an article in the Seattle Times many years ago about how there are more Teriyaki restaurants in Washington State than all other fast food restaurants. I don't know if that is still true, but every day on my way to and from work, I pass about a dozen of them.
I had the best Yakitori ever in Seattle, I'll have to do the teriyaki tour next time.
Did Kenji say "cheap"?? Lord have mercy! 😱
Thanks for a positive story about Seattle. So many reports are dire and it's good to see that good food and good people are abundant, too.
I wish Ichiban was still open on 6th and Main. Beef Teriyaki is unpopular but they had the best I've ever had and their starters were amazing.😢
Yasuko's Teriyaki in interbay is my favorite, it's been around since at least the 80s
And they still do the half chicken that I remember all the Teriyaki joints used to do back in the day!
Solid choice. Janky yet great with that cabbage and very fluid teriyaki sauce.
Yep. I was sad when the location by Seattle U closed. ❤
@@markmalcolm8512Yes! and the bit of rice just under the chicken that kinda steams and soaks up the sauce and drippings from the chicken on the drive home. Perfection.
Nikko’s Teriyaki in West Seattle is the best.
Only one of these places were actually in seattle: grill bird. Yes there are toshis all over the region, they went to Mill Creek for this one. I go to the one in Rainer. Ta joia is in bothell, which is northwest of seattle
Bothell, yes. Northwest, no. Try northeast.
Here in Seattle, there is a Sarbuck's on every corner. And on every other corner is a teriyake place! Toshi's has multiple locations, but most are mom n' pop places.
The food is what I miss about the Seattle area the most.
The place opposite the library in Snoqualmie Ridge makes the best beef teriyaki.
Ta Joia is THE TRUTH
Tower deli spicy chicken was my Thursday go to for the 2000's. Yasukos has always been good as well.
I live in the PNW and noticed the teriyaki chicken here is pretty damn good. Was just looking for some recipes!
Yall are not the nicest at Ta Joia, but man does your food slap! Im there every week and that Faijoada is something I dream about....
Kenji looks more Kenji again with his longer hair again it’s more Kenji if you know what I mean he should keep it like that 😊
This teriyaki has me drooling!!
Funny how in Japan chicken thighs are expensive and breast is the cheap cut.
My local spot Sunny Teriyaki (Magnolia, not Ballard) is the best I've had in my 30 years in Seattle. It's been the same couple running it since I was a kid and the wife works the counter while the husband works the grill. They had to raise their prices to stay afloat in a gentrified neighborhood which hurts their business. If you want super authentic teriyaki, I guarantee there is nowhere better and no one who deserves your business more!
Teriyaki town on Bainbridge island is the best teriyaki hands down
Thanks Brian! ❤
Kenji still needs to scoot across 90 to Teriyaki Time in Factoria. I've been going there since they opened 20 years ago.
It does sting a little now that terriaki is usually $18 a plate, when it was $10 not so long ago.
I'm not against these higher end teriyaki places that they profiled, but I feel that's not really what teriyaki is about. My recommendation if you're not from the area and want to try Seattle's unofficial official food? Go to I Love Teriyaki in Fremont or Teriyaki Madness in Wallingford.