The Kung Pao Test: Rainier Teriyaki

Rainier Teriyaki

3330 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118

 

Kung Pao chicken $8.99

Came with rice

I did not ask for extra spicy

Total bill $9.84

 

Service: Fine.  Take out teriyaki style place with plenty of seating if you want to eat there.  They have free egg drop soup if you eat or wait there.  I got my dish to go.

 

Initial bite of Kung Pao was good.  A little sweet, and it seemed like the chicken was ever so slightly breaded.  Not enough for me to actually be certain though.  As expected (coming form a teriyaki place) this was a pretty saucy Kung Pao.  What was not as expected, is this was actually a pretty faithful rendition.  It has the basic veggies you find in a lot of Kung Pao, and surprisingly it tasted as if they actually used Sichuan pepper.  I don't even remember the last time I've had a Kung Pao that uses this ingredient, even though it is considered a distinct feature of Kung Pao.  Import of Sichuan pepper was banned for a long time in the US over fear of a specific plant bacteria.  The ban was lifted in 2005.  Because of this, I think it's safe to say the majority of Kung Pao recipes you'll taste in the US do not include Sichuan pepper.  I can't be certain that Rainier Teriyaki's did have Sichuan pepper in it (I may ask next time I go) but it sure tasted like it, and it was the first Kung Pao I've had on this "journey" that included it.  I am no expert, especially since I've probably only had it a few times in my life, but two things that indicate Sichuan pepper is a citrusy flavor/aroma and a numbing or slight tingling of the tongue/mouth when eating.  The citrus is really quite mild and nice.  It is possible they used an orange juice or something similar (which I typically do not like in a Kung Pao), but if they did I'm not sure how they could have achieved the numb.  I would like to believe...

 

Rainier Teriyaki is an above average Teriyaki joint.  Nothing fancy, but their stuff is good, and probably my favorite in the Seattle area, but I haven't tried many.  I recommend their "Spicy Chicken".  It is prettymuch a normal Teriyaki with vegetables included, instead of just chicken and rice.

 

Spice level: Medium-Low..

 

Ingredient quality: Alright. Chicken was ok.  The ingredients were nothing special, other than the possible Sichuan pepper inclusion I mentioned above.

 

Would I come again? Yes, I've been here multiple times, though this was the first time I've gotten their Kung Pao.