I have always had a soft spot (or an entirely soft stomach) for all kinds of Asian cuisines, so when I was introduced to the concept of Glaze, I was excited to try it for myself. Glaze isn’t your average teriyaki hole in the wall you’d find in the mall food court; its signature style came about in the 1970’s during which a large Korean population immigrated and settled in Seattle. Glaze is more like a “share-iyaki” that brings Japanese and Korean style cooking together, creating an end result that is fresh, filling, affordable, and nutritious. The food is cooked to order, and you’re right in the middle in the open kitchen set-up. There’s no Hibachi chef doing fancy tricks, but each shop (Glaze operates in 4 states) uses local ingredients to ensure freshness and quality.

Glaze offers either a rice or salad plate with choice of protein, rice, and dressing, or you can do a combo for an extra couple of dollars. Additionally, you can also opt for one (or two) of the sides as an appetizer. I opted for a combo of steak and sautéed veggies over brown rice with Carrot Ginger dressing. I also ordered a side of edamame, which comes to you with such a lovely smoky Paprika flavor! The Spicy-Yaki Chicken Wings are awesome for sharing as well. I would suggest the Cucumber Salad for someone in need of something light and refreshing.

I found Glaze to be a wonderful value both in quality of the food you get, as well as the generosity of the portion size. I quickly learned that many others shared my opinion, as the restaurant was filled within 30 minutes after I arrived, and the line was out the door as loyal customers waited to order. Try it by yourself or with your favorite foodie friends, either way, just get there and #getglazed.

 

Glaze Teriyaki has locations in San Francisco, NYC, Chicago and Madison. Check out their site for locations.