• Why: After years of designing and building restaurants for other people, Michael Choe decided he knew just what type of atmosphere would make diners most comfortable, so he set his sights on opening KC Teriyaki in Vancouver. He turned to his brother, Sung Choi, for help with his restaurant’s menu. Choi has 40 years of food know-how and a collection of his own secret recipes.
Choe opened KC Teriyaki on March 10, offering a family-friendly atmosphere that blends fast-food-style ordering with table delivery. The menu is similar to other teriyaki restaurants with categories of popular dishes such as teriyaki, yakisoba, bowls, sides and combinations. A specialty is the Hot & Spicy Chicken.
• Atmosphere: Large, appetizing photos of the restaurant’s dishes are prominently displayed on the windows to entice customers inside where a large, tidy kitchen is easily viewed from the ordering counter.
The restaurant’s spacious dining area is set up with attractive dark-colored tables and chairs contrasted by golden walls that are accented with a chair rail and bamboo wainscot. Pendant lights are symmetrically placed to give the restaurant a warm glow. A mural creates a focal point on one wall.
• What I tried: I had the Hot & Spicy Chicken and my dining companion tried the Mongolian Beef. We also sampled an order of egg rolls.
Both entrees came with two large scoops of rice and a salad. The salad consisted mostly of fresh iceberg lettuce with a bit of shredded red cabbage and was topped off with a light dressing that was very similar to what I’ve had at other teriyaki restaurants, except that it was slightly thicker in consistency.
I found the Hot & Spicy Chicken to be considerably less spicy than the name suggested. Minced red chili didn’t bring significant heat to the dish’s bamboo, bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms and onions in addition to the chicken. In fact, the dish was relatively bland. The chicken still had some chewy parts which had not been trimmed from the pieces mixed into the dish. The vegetables were fresh except for the mushrooms and bamboo. Choe says these ingredients are provided by a restaurant supplier.
The rice was semi-sticky — enough so that it wasn’t too difficult to eat with chopsticks.
The Mongolian Beef was made with a similar mix of vegetables as the Hot & Spicy Chicken including the petite dried red chilies. The beef was tender and flavorful. It was cut into thin slices and coated with a sauce that tastes similar to teriyaki only sweeter. Choe admits he’s not certain what his brother includes in the secret sauce or if the coating is made with flour or cornstarch.
The egg rolls came with a candy-sweet dipping sauce. They were a tad greasy on the outside and somewhat wet inside. Choe says the egg rolls as well as the gyoza are supplied through a restaurant provider.
For those who want to adjust the flavoring of their meals, there’s a selection of table condiments including salt and pepper, teriyaki sauce, gyoza sauce and Sriracha sauce, which is also known as rooster sauce.
• Other menu highlights beyond what I tried: Choe recommends diners try his restaurant’s Short Ribs. For families, he suggests the Happy Family, which is a larger portion. He said if a family of five orders three entrees including Happy Family, the group will not only have enough food but they’ll have a wide variety of flavors to sample.
• Other observations: Choe has created a somewhat upscale feeling while maintaining a casual atmosphere. The people I interacted with were friendly and attentive to see that we had a good dining experience. Meals are served on large rectangular plates which provide adequate room for hearty portions.
• Cost: All menu items cost less than $10. Fountain drinks are $1.70 and refills are free. Brown rice may be substituted for white for an additional 50 cents.
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
• Telephone: 360-573-4261.
• Where: 800 N.E. Tenney Road, Building B, Suite 207, Vancouver.
• Health score: KC Teriyaki received a score of 46 on March 24. Zero is a perfect score, and Clark County Public Health closes restaurants that score 100 or higher. For information, call 360-397-8428.
