Casual Japanese restaurant opens in Tavares

Following in Mount Dora’s footsteps, Tavares is also seeing more ethnic eateries being added to its growing list of dining options.  One of the latest Asian restaurants to open is Tokyo Teriyaki, an unusual hybrid of old-school American diner and no-frills Japanese restaurant, located in the Joann’s shopping center on U.S. Highway 441.  

Diner-style breakfasts are served in the morning to accommodate the patrons of the former restaurant in that location.  Menu items range from a variety of pancakes ($6-$7), three-egg omelets ($9-$12), as well as biscuits and gravy.  During lunch and dinner, diners can start off with Crab Rangoon ($6), pork egg rolls ($5), dumplings ($6.50),edamame, salads ($4-$7) or soups ($3), including a flavorful miso soup.  Tokyo Teriyaki also offers nine varieties of basic sushi rolls which don’t include raw seafood for patrons that aren’t too adventurous.

Main courses include the restaurant’s namesake teriyaki dishes ($13-$16), basic Japanese favorites like fish or chicken Katsu ($12-$13), fried rice with a choice of protein ($11-$15), plus various rice and noodle bowls ($12-$15).  To mix it up, there is also Korean-style ramen ($13-$15), bulgogi beef and Korean barbecue chicken ($13). Loyal customers of the former diner may like the seven traditional sandwich offerings, including a BLT ($7), grilled cheese ($6) or a tuna melt ($8). For anyone with a sweet tooth, the restaurant offers tempura cheesecake ($7) and a handful of boba teas ($7).  

On a recent visit, the chicken teriyaki was cooked perfectly with nice flavor, while the bulgogi beef lacked flavor. Both were served with a tasty serving of grilled peppers and onions, along with traditional sticky rice. It’s advisable to allow plenty of time for your meal because service was very slow with just three other customers in the restaurant at the time. ’They are currently hiring for kitchen help and servers, so the wait time could decrease soon. 

Tokyo Teriyaki is located at 359 E. Burleigh Avenue in Tavares.  They open at 7:00, six days a week, and close on Tuesdays.

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