1.11.2010

the teriyaki capital of america

Did you know that Seattle, of all places, is the teriyaki capital of the United States? I had no idea. But according to this New York Times article, in Seattle, "teriyaki is omnipresent, the closest this city comes to a Chicago dog": A City's Specialty, Japanese in Name Only.

The Washington State Restaurant Association has identified 83 Seattle restaurants with teriyaki in their name, including I Love Teriyaki and I Luv Teriyaki. And while teriyaki has its roots in Asian immigration, the dish/flavor is now embraced by a variety of ethnic cuisines.

To be honest, if you tell me a restaurant specializes in chicken teriyaki, or something similar, I'm probably not going to be lining up to order. But when a dish like this becomes a ubiquitous part of a city's food culture, it fascinates me. So... what is the best teriyaki joint in Seattle?

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