This is sweet news (literally!) Seattle-style Asian chain to open first Idaho restaurant
A Denver-based chain with roots in Las Vegas, cuisine from Japan and recipes from Seattle is coming to the Boise area.
Teriyaki Madness, a fast-casual restaurant with 77 stores nationwide, plans to open at 1653 W. Island Green Drive in Meridian. The 1,950-square-foot space is on track to debut its menu of chicken bowls and other Asian-inspired dishes before the end of the year. The tentative opening date is November.
Founded in Las Vegas in 2003 before franchising in 2012, Teriyaki Madness specializes in Seattle-style teriyaki.
What exactly does “Seattle-style teriyaki” mean, Idaho diners?
The New York Times once argued that Seattle teriyaki was “the closest this city comes to a Chicago dog.” Although the number of teriyaki restaurants in the Emerald City has faded since that article was published, the thrust of the piece still rings true.
“Teriyaki is derived from the Japanese root words teri, to shine, and yaki, to broil or grill, “ the Times wrote. “That’s the way traditional teriyaki looks: shiny and incised with grill marks. In Japan, teriyaki is a mix of soy sauce, sake and the rice wine mirin, which imparts a subtle sweetness.
“In Seattle, subtlety gets short shrift. Cooks sweeten with white sugar and pineapple juice. They thicken with cornstarch and peanut butter. Ginger and garlic go into the mix, because of the Korean ancestry of many cooks.”
Teriyaki Madness advertises its version as “real food, made to order, with fresh, high-quality ingredients, that makes you feel like a million bucks and satisfies your craving.” The approach is straightforward; you pick your protein, type of rice or noodles and which vegetables you want. Most bowls are anchored by chicken, but steak, salmon and spicy tofu are other options. And even if you do wind up feeling like a million bucks, you won’t spend anywhere close to that. At the recently opened corporate Denver restaurant, the popular Chicken Teriyaki Bowl costs $7.29 for junior size, $8.49 regular and $10.49 large.
Located near Chinden Boulevard and Linder Road, the Meridian store will have room for 47 customers inside (during normal conditions), plus more patio seating outside. Dine-in, takeout and delivery will be available — which brings up an interesting point.
Teriyaki Madness seemed uniquely prepared for the coronavirus pandemic. A 2019 press release said that “business has shifted away from dine-in over the past few years to the point where takeout and delivery accounts for 65 to 80 percent of its traffic.”
The layouts of new stores “reflect this evolution. As delivery is poised to become an even more integral part of the restaurant landscape in 2020 and beyond, Teriyaki Madness plans to ... implement these updates systemwide to ensure its franchisees are keeping pace with changing customer preferences.”
Store hours in Meridian won’t be finalized until a few weeks prior to opening. However, Teriyaki Madness restaurants typically operate from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Online: teryiyakimadness.com.