Ask a foodie: If I must be mad, then let it be drowned in teriyaki

Teriyaki Madness took me by surprise. Its social media presence in our area was undeniable, however, and I knew that one was opening in Cape Girardeau.

I can’t talk about Teriyaki Madness, 3320 Campster Drive, without briefly mentioning the residential house nestled behind White Castle in Cape Girardeau. For decades, this modest white residence stood in defiance of all of the commercial buildings popping up around it, a stalwart boulder in the face of a river of change. I wondered who lived here, and respected their choice of forgoing what was probably a princely sum of money for their choice property, choosing instead to live in their familiar, beloved house. I saw that space empty not too long ago, that house now bulldozed and cleared, and I watched the inevitable finally happen as a small strip mall took its place. We exist in a world of change, and we must live in it, but this change struck me as particularly poignant. Although I don’t know its inhabitants’ stories, I’ll remember the little house between White Castle and Interstate 55. Progress marches on.

On Dec. 20, the first business to open in this space was Teriyaki Madness, a Japanese inspired chain that is opening franchises like crazy. I visited in mid-January, at that particularly dead time of day that I always seem to eat lunch/supper, 2:30 p.m. Teriyaki Madness was also in a lull at that time, so there was no line and only one couple seated and eating, just how I like it. I had every intention of ordering the chicken teriyaki, because, well, Madness, but when I saw the menu, that flew right out the window.

The menu features several bowls. Once you pick your protein (several kinds of chicken, beef, salmon, even tofu), you can pick your base (white rice, brown rice, fried rice, or noodles), and then you decide if you want the veggies.

I immediately honed in on the chicken katsu. Now, I don’t profess to be a Japanese expert, but I do have a tiny smattering of knowledge, and I know that katsu means cutlet, and not just a cutlet of meat, but a breaded and fried one. Much like a German schnitzel or a southern fritter or country fried steak, this particular katsu was formed from chicken thigh, pounded flat, breaded and fried. In Japan, this would be called torikatsu. I told them to serve my chicken katsu over fried rice, and this, I think, was my first blunder. I also ordered a regular sized bowl, my second mistake. Read on to avoid my mistakes when you visit.

Seth ordered steak teriyaki, also with fried rice, large sized, and we sat down to wait. It didn’t take long, and we had our food in front of us. This was a ton of food. I picked up my bowl and tried to guess at its weight. Two pounds? I wasn’t sure, but wished I had brought a scale. This was a serious amount of sustenance, and I had no doubts there would be leftovers. Seth, who had said earlier that he was starving, also eyed his bowl and said the regular probably would’ve done the trick. Next time I go, it’ll be the junior size for me, and I will still have leftovers.

My chicken katsu was lovely, fried golden brown and crispy. I added the offered katsu sauce to the top of the cutlet and took some pictures for you. Then, I tasted: a piece of chicken, a scoop of rice and a stab of veggies, in the mouth. Good. Heavy, but good. The fried chicken was crispy, the katsu sauce was sweet and a little salty, the veggies were soft but not falling apart, with a nice bite of texture.

The fried rice/fried chicken combo is not something I would order again, however. I should have considered that when I placed my order, and this is personal preference and no fault of Teriyaki Madness. If, like me, this bowl sounds a little bit heavy to you, take this advice from other people that I was given after my first visit. Order the noodles. They are flavorful and delicious, I heard from multiple sources. Just ask for Yaki style, and the kitchen will toss your chosen protein, noodles and veggies all up in a wok before serving it to you. We’ll try it together on the next visit.

Rebecca LaClair travels to a new place every week to try food from a trendy restaurant or one she hasn’t been to yet.