If books and teriyaki joints were to be judged solely by their covers then Pamela Anderson in Pictures might be the best book ever and Bento World the best teriyaki. But alas, to dazzle merely with a stunning dust jacket or a breath taking dining room is not necessarily to win the hearts of the masses with the substance beneath the facade. This case of what you see is not necessarily what you get best describes the teriyaki situation at Bento World.

Tucked away at the south end of Belltown is the charming Bento World. When I entered on this crisp Thursday afternoon, the joint was busy yet the patrons subdued as they happily scarfed down an array of generously portioned Bi Bim Bap bowls. Gadzooks! So enamored was I with the Bi Bim Bap appearance and price (about $7.50) I nearly abandoned my chicken teriyaki ordering duty and went with a bowl, myself. But alas, it was teriyaki I was here to review and teriyaki it would be that I was to evaluate on this day.

Within moments of placing my teriyaki order the goods were in hand and I was on my way back to the office. When I I opened the lid I was pleased to discover plentiful portions, an interesting cabbage/coleslaw/brocolli salad, and a sprinkling of sesame seeds covering the main chicken entry (a first in my teriyaki experience). Like Bento World's pretty interior, the teriyaki presentation was very well done. A few forkfuls in, however, and I realized the dissapointing truth: despite its glorious appearance, this was indeed average teriyaki.

A mixture of light and dark meat, the chicken was coated in an untypical teriyaki sesame sauce (thin and a bit too tangy) and lacked the familiar and appreciated grilled taste. I'm not implying that Bento World was pushing horrible boiled chicken on me, as the worst of the worst do, but the chicken texture did border on that worst of teriyaki faux pas. The upside of the lackluster chicken taste was the perfect proportioning of the rice, always a bonus.

The accompanying salad, which entailed the aforementioned odd pairing of veggies and cole slaw, was likewise just OK. Though I can appreciate this step outside the norm, the taste never reached the expectation.

In all, my Bento World teriyaki meal was fine for what it was yet not nearly as good as its risk taking potential. AS I came to this conclusion a horrible thought dawned on me: could this average taste also be the case with Bento World's other tasty looking menu options? Whatever the case, one thing was certain: I would have to return another time to find out!

Editor's Note: I returned a month later and dined on Bento World's Beef Bi Bim Bap bowl. Unlike the teriyaki, it lived up to its appearances. With tasty marinated beef and a variety of pickled vegetables and extraordinarily delicious shitake mushrooms, the Bi Bim Bap is a strong 3.5 / 4 and highly recommended for a quick and tasty lunchtime treat.