I remember when Teriyaki boy opened years ago, it was a great alternative to the high-priced Japanese restaurants.  The price was reasonable, the quality of their food was excellent and the service was acceptable.

Today, it is disappointing to see the decline of this establishment.

My husband was hesitant and adamant on not eating at Teriyaki Boy but I had to insist.  My craving for Japanese food was too great and I know I’ll be cranky if I don’t get some.  A competitor was unfortunately closed and I had to choose between Tokyo Tokyo and Teriyaki Boy.  I decided the latter.

As we entered the establishment, I had to think twice before I sat down.  The couch was very dirty.  My husband’s favorite meal was the Chirashi Don but had to ask the waitress whether the rice was indeed sushi rice.  She answered (in Tagalog), “To my knowledge, it is served with Japanese rice.”  My hubby was hesitant and insisted that she asks the kitchen.

A manager arrived and told us that it was “semi-Japanese” rice.  There was no such thing as “semi-Japanese”.  It’s either it was or it wasn’t.  The manager continues to explain, “We’ve been trying to look for a vendor that will provide us 100% Japanese sushi rice, but haven’t found one.”

Wow! What an explanation.  Would you have believed it? I did not.  What mattered to us both was that the menu still stated that it was served with sushi rice, not “semi” or “mixed”.  I wonder what else in the menu has been compromised?

As consumers, we need to know so that we are informed of what we are purchasing.  If a restaurant needs to cut back on expenses and decide to compromise the food quality, then I say, “Come clean!” Don’t forget to inform your staff as well, to alleviate any misunderstanding.

Lastly, we expect our food to be handled within an expected level of sanitation.  To our horror, the person at the Sushi bar greeted and held one of the staff’s hand (who just arrived and obviously haven’t cleaned their hands) and continued to prepare the sushi with bear hands.  No washing was involved.  We decided not to order our favorite Sashimi dish.

If you still love eating at this establishment, I suggest you ask the staff how your food is prepared and you get exactly what you are ordering.  I recommend that management check their branches for cleanliness and be consistent with what you have to offer.  If you need to keep your bottom line, either you raise your prices and offer the expected food quality or change your menu.