After a tip earlier in the week from Lunch’er Daniel, I walked west to investigate the changing of the guard at 885 9th Avenue between 57th and 58th Street. And I was surprised to see Terakawa  Ramen up and running already. Looks like they’ve been open since Monday and have a few lunch items under $10, including the namesake tonkotsu ramen, Sho Yu, and Miso Ramens. $2 extra will also snag you a side of pork dumplings, fried rice, or chicken curry.

This isn’t the first time this particular company has taken over a former Teriyaki Boy location. We’re still not sure what’s happening to the Teriyaki Boy on 7th Ave. that closed two months ago, but a Terakawa replaced a Teriyaki Boy in Grammercy back in 2009. I hope to try the ramen some time next week, but if anybody has already been to this tiny location (or the one on Lexington btw. 23+24th), please weigh in with some comments.

When it rains it pours, eh?! Sad news from the forums courtesy of Lunch’er whiskeyfrisky: “Teriyaki Boy on 7th bet 48th and 49th is closing its doors for good due to high rent. I’m sure going to miss their chicken curry soba.” And I will miss their $3.99 lunch special. Big loss for Lunchers in the notoriously overpriced greater Times Square area. Most importantly what is Stanley T. going to do? The closest other Teriyaki Boy is their just out of bounds location on 9th btw 57th and 58th.

Towards the end of last year Zach reported that Teriyaki Boy was doing a $3.99 lunch special in honor of their 20th anniversary for the entire month of December. Well, December has come and gone, but the $3.99 lunch special remains. Here’s what you get for less than a Lincoln…

For $4.34 (tax inclusive) you get a side salad, an ample serving of white rice and several pieces of moist chicken in a sweet and not too salty teriyaki sauce. A few of the chicken pieces were a little charred–nothing more than what you might have on piece of chicken from your uncle’s backyard barbecue, but if blackened chicken bits bother you this should probably be a pass. Chicken char aside, $3.99 is a good deal especially by midtown standards and this makes for a solid lunch choice when your wallet is feeling a little on the light side.

Teriyaki Boy 732 7th Ave (btw 48 + 49th), (212) 265-8181

Thanks to Lunch’er Harry for passing along this new deal… to celebrate their 20th Anniversary (!?) Teriyaki Boy (on 7th Ave. btw. 48+49th) is selling their chicken teriyaki platter for $3.99 all December long. That’s about as cheap a lunch as you can get in that area…

Related:
Stanley T. Earns Title of Teriyaki Boy Champion

The Teriyaki Boy location on 46th btw. Lex+3rd has closed, and the owners are converting it into a Japanese restaurant and noodle shop. Not sure if it will be more Cafe Zaiya or Menchanko Tei, but either way it will be at least 3-4 months before it reopens. Teriyaki Boy super fans can still get their fill of cheap (in every sense of the word) teriyaki chicken over rice at the West side location (on 7th Ave. btw. 48+49th), but a quick warning… if you’re used to the much cleaner 46th street location, you may not be so down with the 7th Avenue spot.

There’s alot of people in my office that fall into that trap, but the one that stands out to me is this guy named Stanley T.  I pay attention to what everybody eats in my office (big surprise… I clearly have a problem), and it didn’t take me long to realize that every time I saw Stanley T. eating lunch at his desk, it was the same exact thing, from the same exact place.  But here’s the crazy thing- I didn’t look down on him for it.  I actually thought it was awesome.  Even started joking around with him about it.  Why?  Because his every day lunch, was the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl from Teriyaki Boy.  And then it dawned on me.  I’m prejudiced against delis and fast food chains.  Get a salad from Variety Cafe every single day, and I’m going to think you’re lunch challenged.  Eat at Teriyaki Boy every single day, and you are my new hero.

Stanley T’s obsession with Teriyaki Boy, a Japanese fast food chain with two locations in Midtown, made me think maybe I’m missing out on something.  I mean look at that guy.  If it’s good enough for him to eat it every day, it must be good enough for me.  So one day, I decided to head down- and do as Stanley T. does (every single day of the week).

What I got, pics and a +/- after the jump…

There are two locations of Teriykai Boy in Midtown that seem very different on the outside.  The one on 7th Ave. btw. 48th & 49th is pretty dingy, while the one on 46th (btw. Lex+3rd) actually seems newer and a little more inviting.  Depending on which locations you visit, you might feel differently about how clean or dirty the place is.  That being said, I’m pretty sure the food they serve is identical.

I went to the 7th Ave. location, and had every intention of ordering the Teriyaki Bowl (just like Stanley T. does), but when I got there, I saw they had a Lunch Special.  For $6.50 you could get Chicken Teriyaki over rice, with choice of Shumai or California Roll, plus salad and a free miso soup or soda.  Always one to go for variety, I opted for the combo, choosing shumai and miso soup.  They have sushi at Teriyaki Boy but if Stanley T. doesn’t eat it, then I’m staying away.  (That combined with the fact that it just doesn’t look too appealing.)

If you like cheap Chinese and Japanese food then you should like Teriyaki Boy.  The chicken was good enough, with a thick and sweet teriyaki sauce poured over the top.  (Stanley T. always asks for extra sauce, but I wasn’t that brave.)  The quality of the chicken was not as great as it could be, but certainly better than I expected.  If you are not into chicken teriyaki, they also have katsu (fried cutlets), BBQ’d eel, curry and a bunch of noodle soups.  One of my co-workers had the Curry Udon, and seemed pretty pleased with it- but I’m guessing it’s just good for the price, and nothing out of this world special.

All in all, Teriyaki Boy is not bad- and I can certainly see how someone could eat there every single day (especially more than I can see eating at a generic deli every day).  I guess there are some things we can learn from co-workers.  Stanley had one other piece of advice.  Don’t be fooled by the variety.  The $5.50 Chicken Teriyaki Bowl (with a free salad) gives you a lot more food than the $6.50 lunch special.

Thanks Stanley.  You’re a man after my own heart.  And my new hero.

THE + (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• Cheap and super fast Japanese food
• You get a lot of variety in the combos, like shumai or california roll
• I prefer quantity over quality
• I don’t mind dark meat chicken
• I love thick and sweet Teriyaki Sauce

THE – (What somebody who likes this place would say)

• It seems dirty
• I need my chicken to be of the best quality and all white meat
• I don’t like thick and sweet sauces
• There are better places in Midtown

Teriyaki Boy, Multiple Locations

• 732 7th Ave. (btw. 48+49th), 212-265-8181
• 150 E. 46th St. (btw. Lex+3rd), 212-867-5771 **Now Closed**

and just outside Midtown

• 885 9th Ave. (btw. 58+59th), 212-307-7202