BY NICOLE WANG
January 17, 2017
Maki Yaki is like a little Asian food court, dishing up sushi rolls, noodle/rice dishes, Korean soup, and much more. With an emphasis on freshness and originality, much of the food is prepared in house using fresh meat and veggies that have been hand cut by the kitchen staff. Even their main sauces are made from scratch. The recipes are closely guarded, but that doesn’t stop customers from trying to figure out the secret of the house special teriyaki sauce, a key component of one of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, the Chicken Teriyaki Rice Bowl.
In addition to Japanese and Korean cuisine like traditional bento boxes and a variety of spicy stews, Maki Yaki has a number of Americanized offerings like the Seattle Teriyaki Roll. It is made with grilled chicken, cucumber with specialized teriyaki sauce. There was even a customer hailing from Seattle who mentioned to the owners that it was the closest to “Seattle teriyaki” that they could find.
The owners, Mike and Myro, purchased the restaurant in 2014. While neither one had a background in food service – Mike double majored in Biology and Biochemistry and Myro majored in psychology – they were really passionate about the opportunity to build a more diverse eating and gathering spot for students and locals. As they look to the future, Mike and Myro hope to be more connected with Penn State and the local community.
Maki Yaki serves lunch and dinner daily, along with late night offerings Thursday through Sunday. To learn more about what Maki Yaki offers, stop by 407 E. Beaver Avenue, State College, PA 16801.
Seattle Teriyaki Roll
