Seattle's University District is littered with teriyaki restaurants. How, then is one to choose? A modest facade with a bold declaration, Teriyaki 1st is a good place to start.

Teriyaki 1st's #1 chicken teriyaki doesn't do anything fancy, but what it does, it does well. For $6 plus tax, Teriyaki 1st delivers a hearty, tasty teriyaki meal that rivals some of our teriyaki favorites.

The meal's bread and butter, the chicken was plentiful, nicely grilled yet had an additional sauteed tastiness that reminded of spicy chicken's texture while maintaining teriyaki tenderness. The white rice was light, fluffy, and in great abundance. The iceberg salad, which arrived in its own container, was standard and featured a creamy, tasty honey mustard dressing. The cherry on top was the almond flavored fortune cookie which happily rounded out the meal.

Again, nothing in Teriyaki 1st's #1 chicken teriyaki was over-the-top groundbreaking, though the grilled/sauteed cooking combo was a slight deviation from the norm, yet the meal came together as a large portioned, extremely satisfying experience. Their menu showed a white meat version of the chicken teriyaki for a buck more but with the standard satisfying so sweetly, I see no reason to "upgrade."

Three cheers for Teriyaki 1st. You're a U-District treat!