Getting bored with the menu items at my hotel and having returned the rental car. I found myself wandering hotel row next to the airport in Seattle. Around this area you do have a few fine choices such as the much touted 13 coins restaurant. But tonight I craved Asian cuisine. I missed the spices and textures of really good Asian cooking. Didn't really matter to me if it was Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean or Japanese. I was jonesing and needed a fix. As I strolled down hotel row I spotted a sign that advertised the Happy Hut Teriyaki Sushi. Japanese restaurant. It was in a rather odd place called the Jet Motel. a rather run down looking establishment that had a lot of American made trucks of various sizes and colors in the parking lot and most of them had Nascar number 8 stickers on them. I had already walked at least 3/4 of a mile or more from my hotel and it was going to be dark soon, So I decided to fake like I was chewing tobacco and stroll on in. Happy Teryiaki Sushi was the actual name of the restaurant, I guess they never thought anyone would notice the different names, or maybe just surmised that the clientele at the Jet Motel just wouldn't be able to put two and two together here. I would have bet on the later myself. Just outside of the place is the proverbial wall of photo's of the plates served here. Really nice looking stuff I might add.
The place is located in the middle of the Motel and is definitely an island unto itself. Like walking into another world. I love to stroll off the beaten path and try places that no one would go into on a bet. This place was different that is for sure. As I scanned over the mugshots of food outside the door I just couldn't help but think that I believe I saw just about every character from the film Deliverance walk by and think that classic line from the film while looking at me, I won't repeat it here. but you know the one. Poor Ned Beatty. 
Opening the door to the restaurant was like Dorothy opening the door of her just fallen from the sky house and opening it into startling Technicolor. The place was spotless and beautiful. Decorated like a place that shouldn't be here in this establishment. There was just one other couple eating and they were Asian. Good sign. I was greeted by a very lovely young Japanese woman with eyes that seemed to say. "Please, when you go. Take me with you". Like being in a void with zombies all around you or some odd place from the Twilight Zone. I half expected to see Rod Serling sitting at the Sushi counter smoking a cigarette and telling me that I had just crossed over into the Twilight Zone. I wondered if I could ever leave.
I sat Italian style with my back to a wall and the front door in full view. She handed me a menu and asked if I wanted a drink. "Sapporo, long, cold and tall please" was my response. I read through the menu. Mostly familiar stuff and some really nice choices. She returned with my cold Sapporo and I started to order from the Happy Sushi side of the menu, where they had quite an extensive menu. But it didn't take me long to find out that the clientele had quickly gringoized it.
" I will have the Toro" No have, she said. Ok, Ikura, Nope, Hamachi? Nope, Ika? Masago? Uni? No, No and No. The only things that they had available were the dreaded Big Macs of the Sushi world. California rolls and the like. Now I felt her pain and understood the look in her eyes. She knew that I understood that if she stayed here any longer she would be forced to either get a Dale Earnhardt tattoo or forced to start wearing khaki Bermuda shorts, black socks and Jesus sandals with a World Wrestling T-shirt. But wait! Unagi!, They had Unagi. Ok, I love Eel and quickly ordered a batch up. But first out came the obligatory bowl of Miso soup. The Japanese equivalent to a good Kosher Matzo or chicken soup. It looked wonderful and had a heady and yeasty aroma to it. A bit more pizazz in this soup than I am used to. It worked very nice. I was served a lovely little 
ice cold shrimp on a bed of cabbage with a spritz of rice wine vinegar on it as well.
ice cold shrimp on a bed of cabbage with a spritz of rice wine vinegar on it as well.
A great starter. Next came the Unagi ($3.95) and an order of Maguro ($3.50) It looked wonderful and artsy. One of the reasons why I love Japanese cuisine, just beautiful edible pieces of art. I nodded approvingly to the Sushi chef. An older gentleman of at least 70 years old.The Eel was nicely smoked and had just enough Teriyaki on it as not to overpower and the Maguro was surprisingly very fresh and creamy.
Then came out a side salad containing what I was told to be a Japanese Ranch Dressing? And indeed it did taste like Ranch Dressing but with maybe some Miso mixed in it? I asked the girl and all she could tell me was that some guy comes in and makes it. What guy? she didn't know. Oh well. it was very good. a sort of creamy miso ranch mayonnaise concoction. it worked for me.
Next up is an all time favorite of mine. A Japanese curry. The Japanese are the masters of taking that spicing curry mixture and tempering it out to make a light and dreamy curry all their own. I ordered the Chicken Curry ($6.59) This dish satiated my hunger for Asian food it was a great balance of hot and mild. The veggies were not overcooked and had a nice firm bite to them and as with the chicken had been simmered in the curry for just the right amount of time. Solid gold this dish was.
With my meal finished and the sun slowly going down outside. I paid my bill and left. Leaving behind the doe eyed waitress and lowly sushi chef to continue on plying their trade to an audience that would rather watch cars turn left for 8 hours straight than appreciate the valiant culinary fight that this place brings to the table everyday. Looking back now I wondered if this place was there at all or did I really trespass over into to Twilight Zone? After all I had just been to Portland and had a few brownies at the street fair?Happy Teriyaki Sushi
Seattle
Open 10:30 to 9:00pm
Chow
Michael
The product, I mean the food product didn't look all that special either. Very old fashioned stuff and not much innovation for a place with a look and culture like this place touts. This is what happens when kids in Portland smoke to much weed and start giggling uncontrollably as they stick pretzels into dry and tasteless mashed together voodoo donuts. And then chase each other around grandpa's house spewing Oreo's out of there mouths as they laugh themselves silly. But then reality hits and the joke wears off pretty quickly. The product is definitely dry and tasteless as this place. As always, there is that very fine line between camp and comedy. this place misses by a long shot. 
These were the only donuts on display. We grabbed our stuff and tried to avoid eye contact with anyone and slipped out the door. The soiled lady doorman was still on dooty, literally. I love Portland. It is definitely the last vestige of hippydome left in the country. But the mojo has definitely left Voodoodoo donuts.
A basket of very light and flaky 
Also (13.25) was the Pasta Ala 
This was one of those rare 
Like a great Asian eatery this exhibited spice Nirvana. An incredible balance of spices. sweet with heat. The Link was a little 
The beans were of the same quality. You can tell that someone here is passionate about what they make and serve. Nice and tender with chili peppers and onions and bacon bits. Oh My!
Love it when there is a true culinary artist behind an eatery. We sat there an ate our miraculous lunch and started to notice that huge lines began to form. And as we looked around at the other tables there must have been 30 people now eating and at least 25 in line.
And they kept on coming. By the time we left it was a virtual feeding frenzy of the Washington State few and privileged who knew of this place.
So remember if you ever find yourself in the Seattle area, this place is tucked right behind 
Pecos Pit BBQ
We ordered appetizers. First up Tod Mun ($5.95) This is deep fried fish paste mixed with curry paste and green beans served with sweet chili cucumber sauce with chopped peanuts. It had a very delicate fish flavor and not overpowering. the curry influence was light, but had a very deep flavor to it. The chili sauce that came with it I was surprised to see that it was more sweet than hot. But it all worked together. a nice balancing act of various tastes and textures. One of the reasons why I just love Asian cuisine is that time honored and learned spice balancing act that makes or breaks a good restaurant.
We also ordered up a batch of the Thai Spring Rolls ($5.45). Deep fried rice paper stuffed with shredded cabbage,glass noodles, wood ear mushrooms, Ground shrimp and chicken served with a plum sauce.These came out just scorching hot and we had to wait a few minutes for them to cool off a bit. And when they did they were excellent and again well balanced with the sweetness of the plum sauce.
Nice and crunchy on the outside and filled with ground shrimp and chicken. So far the evening was progressing culinarily awesome. Especially having gone to what seemed to be 100 bad places to eat. I was happy again. I really hate giving bad reviews and thought very hard on not doing them at all. But in the end I figured that I had paid good money at these places and had a fair expectation of receiving good product and experience in return. I am a passionate eater. And we as consumers should expect the same from an independent food establishment.
It had loads of crunchy extra large cashews and chunks of fresh pineapple. All stir fried together with Thai Jasmine rice, onions both green and white, curry powder, peas and carrots. This had such a wonderful smoky curry mild heat to it and once again the balancing came through with the Sweetness of the slightly caramelized pineapple melding with the heat of the yellow curry.
You can see all of the little pieces of spice and ground rice and herbs in this close up.
The one that really had the flavor balancing act together was the Peanut Sauce with Steamed Veggies ($8.50) We added the grilled chicken to this dish as you have a choice of Beef, Chicken, Pork, Calamari, Shrimp or Duck as addons. The peanut sauce was very well done. Not to sweet and not to thick. It went together so well with this dish. It covered the veggies and chicken perfectly. had a slight kick of heat to it that just made it a little mysterious in a foody kind of way. Very nice. We had finally found a decent meal in East County! 
The sauce melded nicely with the crispness of the broccoli and carrots, Green beans and onions.
The meal was a great success. The quality of the food and service here is very good. The only thing is, I believe that the place is a bit on the pricey side. Better can be had for less. But not in the East County. Overall We will return again and again. The only dish we had that seemed to be not on a par with the rest of the meal was dessert. we ordered the Fried Banana ($4.95)
It didn't work to well. Although it was covered in a orange spiced honey, it just was a mushy and tasteless slab of fried stuff. The menu said it was rolled in coconut and then fried. Definitely not coconut but what seemed to be some sort of thick tempura batter.
The chicken was grilled and then the mole poured over the top. I like it when the chicken is actually simmered in Mole for a while to let the flavors and textures mingle. The Mole was thick and looked really nice. But like everything else at Sabor Latino it really lacked any depth of flavors and that is what you look for in a good curry or mole, is the depth of flavors usually brought together in the case of Mole with the heat of Ancho and other hotter type peppers, mixed with cinnamon and Allspice and of course Mexican Chocolate. Done right it can be heaven as the velvety sweetness en robes the inside of your mouth and then the slow heat builds. Oh my! Sounds like a 
the Chicken Mole came with Spanish rice and Beans. The rice had a nice flavor to them. OK, The rice had Sabor! Light and fluffy with a nice tomatoee creamy texture. A hint of garlic and possibly some Saffron going on here. Each grain of rice was an individual grain and not mushed together.
To sum it up. the owner / Chef wore an Applebees baseball cap. It all made sense to me now.