I think one of the things that has surprised me the most about living in WA is how many teriyaki joints there are, especially out here in Snohomish County. I’m not sure I remember seeing quite so many when I lived in Tacoma, but up here… I think there are more teriyaki places in my area than Starbucks! It’s almost like there’s some rule that there has to be one in every strip mall.

Oddly enough, it took me a long time to actually eat any teriyaki. There were so many options that I just couldn’t choose one, and so instead I ate everything but teriyaki. Then Chris moved up here with me and they were obsessed with the plethora of teriyaki, but also suffered decision paralysis. Should we try the one that said “Voted best in Snohomish County”? Or one closer to our apartment?

Ultimately, Google decided for us. My friend Lisa was coming over and we all decided we should have teriyaki for dinner, so I started looking at reviews of the nine hundred teriyaki places within a few miles of home, and found that the one just a block or two away had 4.8 stars on Google.

Thus began our love affair with Ashiya.

Ashiya is a really humble place. It has a handful of small tables, there’s a drink cooler, no fountain, and there’s complimentary tea in a thermos, which you drink out of Styrofoam cups. It’s not fancy, but it’s delicious, affordable, and the people are nice. Seriously, one time Chris ran out to get takeout and had left their credit card at home, and the kitchen cooked our order while they ran home, so that it was ready and waiting.

Lisa and I returned recently on a cold and rainy day that just begged for ramen.

The ramen here doesn’t come in super huge bowls, but it is jam-packed with ingredients. The broth is rich and flavorful, with just enough fat. For $11, you get enough for two meals, or one if you have a big appetite.

In our numerous visits, we’ve tried a lot of things from the menu… Teriyaki, of course, gyoza, ramen, fried rice, udon noodles, and it’s all been delicious and served in generous portions.

This is just the sort of casual, local place that I love to know about. The sort of place where you can grab a quick bite when you just don’t feel like cooking, or where you can go with a couple of friends and eat on a budget.

I suspect that teriyaki joints are the PNW equivalent of Tucson’s taco shops, and that everyone has their favorite. Let me know about yours!