Teriyaki is a terrible excuse for a meal. But sometimes, like when you can’t bear to walk more than a block from your apartment, you make compromises with your beleaguered digestive system and settle for less. Fortunately, I happen to live next to one of the better places to get a quick meal, Teriyaki Madness.
The key to their success is in the sauce, which isn’t runny like most places. Their sauce is a thick glaze that sticks like glue to both the rice and the chicken, coating every bite with a balanced combination of salty and sweet. The pieces of chicken they use aren’t too thin and aren’t too thick, and are never, never cooked dry. It still tastes like meat! Also, the salad, a generous portion of brine-sweetened sliced cucumbers, is much more satisfying than the normal iceberg lettuce with nominal dressing provided at most teriyaki places. They have other offerings which are all acceptable, including fish and chips strangely enough. But the real star of the show is the Chicken Teriyaki.
Teriyaki Madness gives you a large portion of chicken for a good price ($6.50 for the house special), doesn’t skimp on the sauce, meat or rice, and comes out of the kitchen incredibly fast. It’s the bar where I set my teriyaki expectations, and so far no other place I’ve been has come close.
