Ichiro Teriyaki
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street, Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
21 Reviews for Ichiro Teriyaki
For me, if I want korean/teriyaki it's a choice between here and University Teriyaki. I actually didn't try this place for years, just being happy with UT but after trying it I actually prefer it more. The seating is sparse at lunch, but where isn't it in the UDistrict at that time. I think what I like about this place more than UT is it seems like the spicy chicken is a little spicier, the yakisoba a little saucier, etc etc.
Good for cheap Japanese or Korean food. I usually get the yakisoba or japchae, which comes with two scoops of rice and a miso soup. The portions can be big enough for two meals, but sometimes I finish it in one sitting if I'm feeling especially gluttonous.
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Most of the other reviewers seem to be terrible at choosing menu items. Why would you think the teriyaki here would be good? Even good teriyaki isn't good. Get the Korean spicy pork, it's delicious and the portion is nice and large.
I'm going to use the rest of this review to go on a mini-rant against teriyaki. People, stop ordering teriyaki. Anywhere. Okay, maybe there is some decent authentic version of teriyaki that you can only get in Japan, but teriyaki here is just chicken drowning in gooey ultrasweet gooey brown goo!
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This place gets three stars, because I remember having some OK meals here in the past. Yesterday's chicken teriyaki, however, was... unfortunate. It was a little rarer than I like it, and rather sweet. I realize that this stuff is supposed to contain a bit of sugar, but this was like they accidentally reached for the pancake syrup instead of the teriyaki sauce. (Damn; now I'm tempted to try teriyaki pancakes.)
If I don't get salmonella, I'll be back at some point to try some of the Korean dishes on the menu. I am a slow learner.
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It's standard fare teriyaki. It comes in big servings, and it has a parking lot on the Ave. These things put it at the top of my normal teriyaki lunch haunts. It's not great, but you get miso with lunch which is a nice perk.
+Grab the tempura & chicken combo, eat the tempura and salad, and save the rest for dinner. Works like a champ!
-Stay away from the Sukiyaki..they dont heat the pot hot enough to actually cook any of the veggies inside it leaving you with some overly pungent white onions.
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I used to go to this place a lot from 2002-2005. The owners have changed several times since then, and I feel the quality dropped a bit when that happened. Ichiro is now a pretty standard-fare "Teriyaki but oh-yeah also Korean" joint.
The teriyaki is unique and therefore polarizing; you like it or you hate it. I was always partial to a combination of katsu and gyoza. Ichiro has always given a generous portion of rice and salad with their very-reasonably sized entrees, so they score points for value.
The interior is definitely cramped and not the cleanest anyone has ever seen. They DO always have the TV blaring, which can be distracting, but at least the volume is generally kept muted or low.
It ain't great, but it ain't terrible. But if you're in the mood for it, it can definitely hit the spot.
Decent food.
Friendly family running the place.
Inexpensive.
I come here for one thing, and one thing only...the hoedeopbap. I've never had it anywhere else, so for all I know it could be relatively awful. But it is one of those things I get a craving for, and when traffic is bad on I-5, Ichiro has one free parking space that is often open. So if you are craving a big bowl of rice, with some salad bits, a mix of chunks of raw (and alas, a bit frozen) fish covered in chogochujang, this is a decent place to find it.
I just wish they would turn off the television.
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This place is awful.
Everyone and their aunt seems to think they can open up a teriyaki restaurant now. It's true, Seattle has a love affair with teriyaki. It's our unofficial dish. But now we have block after block of generic teriyaki joints. Why is it so hard to find good teriyaki in Seattle?
Places like these have made me disillusioned about the state of teriyaki in Seattle...
This place is pretty good as long as you play it safe and order the korean.
When they can't even spell the japanese stuff correctly, it's a good idea to not order it. Don Katsu? Italian mobster cutlets? No. I think not.
So instead I enjoyed some alright kimchee, good rice, and a huge skillet of pork and vegetables.
Cheap, enough to share, and pretty good.
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OMG.... This place....
There's so many "fake" Japanese food places in the US.
(First of all, there's no Teriyaki restaurant in Japan)
However, this place is the worst Japanese place I've ever been.
Their Teriyaki Chicken is just very ..... bad and raw sometimes.
Other Japanese food are just very ..... not real.
If you accidentally entered to this place, then eat their Korean food for your own protection.
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Extremely average in all respects. I ordered the shrimp tempura udon, which was okay. My husband ordered several other things, including the California rolls and an assortment of vegetable tempura. Very heavy on the batter, they were edible but by no means delectable. The California rolls were messy and didn't hold together well.
At first I was really annoyed to find a television on, blaring away with everyone in the joint watching it. However, I decided I didn't mind much because it was on the final scene of the movie Titanic, which, face it, is hard to tear your eyes away from.
I used to come to this place when it was called Orizuru, which also served Japanese and Korean food. I'm not sure when the ownership changed, but they still offer many of the same menu items. I had the nabeyaki (seafood) udon for $6.50. Orizuru made it better but Ichiro's was good too. They should just call it "shrimp tempura udon," since there is no other seafood in it. (Orizuru used to put in shrimp, clams, and fishcake-Yum!) The shrimp tempura was light, crispy, and delicious. But the most important thing about udon is really the broth and Ichiro didn't disappoint. Only thing I'd change about the dish is to add more veggies and lighten up on the onion. I did like the napa cabbage though.
I saw several Korean dishes come out for other patrons and they looked delicious. They're served on enormous plates and each dish would easily feed two people. I'd venture to say that while their teriyaki might suck (doesn't all teriyaki suck, really? shouldn't we call it "teriyucky"?), their Korean food is probably pretty good. There was a steady flow of Korean students coming in and out of this place, all ordering Korean food. Of course I won't know until I try for myself.
Instead of parking on the Ave., you can actually park in the little parking lot that the restaurant sits on.
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Ya'll are nuts. I eat here like at least once a week, if not more. That being said, I'm not married to the idea of American food either-I actually enjoy Asian cuisine and cook much of it myself (date a korean, and you make korean food, simply said).
The teriyaki here is darn good. I prefer the salmon teriyaki myself, but don't really eat chicken as a whole (it tastes like...everything, so why not eat everything else instead?)
Also, try the Korean food here. It's actually really good and I've been to Korea so I'd know ; ) . Dae ji bul go gi (super tasty & authentic) and dduk bbok ki are my faves for Korean. The miso soup is yummers, and so is their spider roll.
Lastly, the green tea fried ice cream makes me wanna cry it's so good. mmmmmm. yum!
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Dang, some harsh reviews here.
I honestly never tried teriyaki but ate many korean foods.
Their Korean foods are not bad at all. Try Korean foods here and you won't be disappointed.
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There are those who actually swear by the food here, but really, I'm not giving this place 4-stars because of the food quality. I agree with others' concerns about whether the chicken is actually made out of rubber or not.
But that said, Ichiro is awesome because it is so what all U-District is all about. There's U-Teriyaki right next to it, with $7 dishes and huge proportions and pretty good food. And then there is Ichiro, hiding in the back of a private lot and removed from the street, seedily serving $4 teriyaki dishes of mystery meat.
Any college student in Seattle who graduates (or drops out) without going to Ichiro is seriously missing something.
I didn't really like the teriyaki at this place. It wasn't awful but not what I expected.
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The teriyaki is not good and I was not a fan of their tempura. But, some of the Korean dishes are tasty and I used to really like their California rolls. So, I was really upset when one day I went for a quick bite to eat during an off-peak time. The wait-staff were sitting eating, reading newspapers, and talking to each other (an older woman and a younger girl). After a while my order was taken and I watched as the older woman sets down her newspaper and makes my California roll with her bare, unwashed hands (probably with newsprint still attached). This included reaching into some bins of crab meat, avocado, and rice to hand form the rolls, plus her thumb to scrape the Wasabi out and onto the plate. I didn't even know what to do. I also got some gyoza, which I saw were just frozen ones like you buy at Costco (not surprised), so I knew this was safe to eat from the deep frying action. I didn't even want to confront the woman about the unsanitary conditions of her sushi making. I just took it "to go" and tossed it in the nearest trash can. Now I feel sick thinking about eating there.
Do not attempt to eat the teriyaki chicken...it's not really edible....unless of course you like rubber chicken, and in that case, this place is for you. The cheap menu is tempting, but I assure you the price reflects the stomach cramps you'll have later.
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A small and quiet eatery, Ichiro's provides a retreat from the hustle and bustle of the busy cafs on the Ave. without displaying the symptoms of a restaurant going out of business. Ichiro's boasts a 3.99 Teriyaki, which is a pretty good price on the Ave., considering the portions of the dish. Unfortunately, the price matches the quality, for despite rumors otherwise; the teriyaki there isn't that great. A taste of sugar and pepper lingers after an Ichiro Teriyaki, and the beef and chicken may taste a bit raw. The spicy chicken is not too bad (typical Ave. quality) . Not that great, unless you're really broke.
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While some might think that it has rubbery chicken, they have not tried anything else on the menu. The Jop Chae, Glass noodles are outstanding. I know plenty of other places that sell half portions at twice the price which don't compare to Ichiro's standard fare. Ichiro always gives really large portions, sitting down on the patio on a hot summer's day can't be beat. My favorite item at Ichiro's is the fried green tea tempura ice cream.
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