One of Japan’s most beloved street foods has made its way into JSEC in the form of Terri-Tori. The stall boasts a fun twist on the classic yakitori, with variants such as beef and pork yakitori taking the stage. Paired with savory gyoza and a simple miso soup, Terri-Tori’s grilled creations are sure to spur students into a buzz.
Taste
Terri-Tori’s chicken yakitori is tender and juicy. The meat slides right off the barbecue stick and mixes well with the strong, tangy flavor of the teriyaki sauce. One bite unleashes a pleasant, subtle taste, which is complemented by an abundance of rice topped with bits of nori (i.e. seaweed). However, the rice-to-viand ratio is not proportionate. If the meal is without sides, you might find yourself with an extra plateful of rice by the end of lunchtime.
Another variant to the original chicken yakitori is the stall’s pork yakitori, a meal that’s short of remarkable. Bland flavoring and an indistinct taste failed to make the dish a standout. However, its averageness does manage to get drowned out by the teriyaki sauce, which offered a salty and tangy twist to the meal. This was coupled with a side of miso soup that tasted almost as if it came from a Japanese restaurant. The warm and aromatic broth did wonders to the taste buds and lifted the whole meal.
However, there is a lot of room for improvement with the beef yakitori dish. Aside from being tough and hard to chew, the beef also lacked flavor. Its only redeeming quality was, again, the trusty teriyaki sauce, which helped give the dish an extra dash of zest. A side of mouthwatering gyoza, served in a set of three, balanced out the rest of the yakitori meal. It was rich in flavor and arguably the best thing the stall offered.
Concept
Terri-Tori was envisioned as the Japanese alternative to ihaw-ihaw or grilled barbecued street food. Its menu retains the Japanese theme, pairing three different kinds of yakitori meats with sides such as roasted sesame salad, gyoza, and miso soup. The stall also offers mango and dragonfruit-mango popsicles that keep in line with their mission to serve only fresh and authentic ingredients, without the use of any flavorings or monosodium glutamate (MSG).
Value for Money
The chicken and pork solo meals are priced reasonably at Php 90 for their quality, but would do best with a side. A full meal with sides are sold at Php 120. Perhaps the stall’s most sulit meal is the 6-piece gyoza with rice priced at Php 60, with the to-go option at Php 50.
Final Verdict
All in all, Terri-Tori’s main dishes did not fail to bring the tastes of Japan, but it was their sides and signature teriyaki sauce that bolstered the grilled meat experience. With the option of takeaway meals and dessert, the stall evens out and provides a pretty wide variety of food for JSEC goers looking for more than just a simple dish.
Rating: 3/5
