Rainier Teriyaki
3330 Rainier Ave S
Seattle, WA 98118
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.
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