Review: Dinner at Glaze Teriyaki Grill
Wall art, condiments
Restaurant: Glaze Teriyaki Grill
Cuisine: Japanese
Location: 638 Lexington Ave. (between 54th & 55th Streets)
*All photos from this meal can be viewed on Flickr
Owner - and resident "hottie" - Paul Krug, a native of Seattle, realized that there was something was missing among NYC's culinary landscape: West Coast-style teriyaki. Krug was aware that The Big Apple did not have a shortage of fabulous Asian restaurants, but there really wasn't anything particularly dedicated to Seattle's favorite grilled street food. And that, my friends, is how the conceptual seeds behind Glaze Teriyaki Grill were planted.
Aside from the fact that all of the ingredients used in Glaze's menu items are of the freshest and highest quality, there is not a single dish that will cost you over $10. What's more, is that the operation is conveniently located on prime "lunch-hour" real estate: Lexington Avenue, between 54th and 55th Streets.
No frills, no fuss: the restaurant's interior space is small, clean, and modern. Diners order their food at the register and can either take-away, or grab one of the 15-20 (approximately) seats and eat-in.
*Please find descriptions located in the caption under each photo, below.
Interior space: diner, overhead menu, register
Le menu
To wash down my meal, I ordered this unique beverage containing bits of real chopped ginger and pomegranate juice. It made quite a lovely pairing with the dishes that we ordered.
Japanese Shishito Peppers with house seasoning: I am a sucker for these bite-size peppers which look much more intimidatingly-spicy than they actually are. Grilled until blistered, the shishito's are then tossed in oil and seasoning salt. I found this particular version a little heavy on the salty "house seasoning" but, otherwise, very tasty.
Crispy Vegetable Gyoza with tangy soy dipping sauce: a crisp, buttery exterior gave way to an interior laced with a delicately-steamed bouquet of carrots, scallions, and cabbage. What's not to love about a fried dumpling, anyways?
Charred Pork Ribs with Asian bbq sauce, over white sticky-rice: to be quite honest, these ribs were better than the 5x pricier version that I had, recently, at The Hurricane Club. The meat was much more moist and tender, and I loved the sweet and tangy Asian BBQ sauce. The sticky-rice was cooked perfectly, and I found it be a nice accompaniment to the ribs.
Vegetable Miso Soup with mushroom & bok choy: I *never* order miso soup at restaurants because, quite honestly, I hate it. Tofu makes my skin crawl and I'm never quite certain what kind of broth is used. Glaze's version, however, has completely converted me to a "miso believer." A rich, earthy vegetable broth was laced with a non-threatening amount of tofu, fresh slices of mushroom, and bok choy which, just so happens, is my new favorite vegetable. Warm, salty, bountiful, and texturally pleasing.
"Double choice" teriyaki combo (beef and pork) with white rice and green salad: thinly-sliced strips of teriyaki sauce-laden grilled pork loin and beef sirloin came atop a bed of sticky white rice. A mixed-greens salad, topped with a carrot-ginger dressing, accompanied. I loved the teriyaki combo, but found the carrot-ginger dressing, while flavorful, to be too thick.
"Double choice" teriyaki combo (beef and pork) with white rice and green salad
Our entire meal was conveniently served in environmentally-friendly/biodegradable take-away containers, thus making the decision to bring my leftovers home rather seamless.
I foresee that the corporate business-heavy neighborhood surrounding Glaze will lovingly embrace this new restaurant/concept. I, myself, cannot wait to return.
…
Until we eat again
Lindsay, The Lunch Belle