Tokyo: Shrimp Teriyaki – The Bite

Welcome back to The Bite, Sheepshead Bites’ weekly column where we explore the foodstuffs of Sheepshead Bay. Each week we check out a different offering from one of the many restaurants, delis, food carts, bakeries, butchers, fish mongers, or grocers in our neighborhood. If it’s edible, we’ll take a bite.

Toyko is the little sushi restaurant that could. Located at 3788 Nostrand Avenue, right next to the pan-Asian giant Chop Stix, Tokyo keeps churning out “Japanese-style sushi,” day after day. Is there any other kind of sushi? I wondered if they’d survive when Chop Stix expanded its menu to include sushi, but survive they have. It appears to have been a tough battle as the unfinished ceiling in the main dining seems to attest to the struggle.

Today’s Bite is the shrimp teriyaki platter ($6.95), served over white rice accompanied with a green salad. Between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Tokyo offers the platter as a lunch special that includes your choice of miso soup or a can of soda for no additional charge.

Teriyaki is a method of cooking where food is either boiled or grilled in a sweet sauce or marinade. According to livestrong.com, teriyaki came on the scene in 17th Century Japan. According to japan-guide.com, teriyaki is not popular in Japan, but is extremely popular in the rest of the world. Teriyaki can be a very assertive flavor and is a bit out of tune with much of the subtle flavors that is so treasured in much of Japanese cuisine.

At Tokyo, the medium shrimp appears to have been boiled and arranged on a bed of white rice before being doused with a light teriyaki sauce. The sweetness of the shrimp was not lost to the sauce, which is a good thing. I like the flavor of shrimp. Tokyo’s version of the teriyaki sauce is thinner and much less sweet than served in many of the neighboring restaurants. Topped with a smattering of sesame seeds, this dish satisfies but doesn’t overwhelm. I guess that’s why I was hungry again an hour later.

Tokyo, 3788 Nostrand Avenue, (718) 934-8080.