Let me be clear with you. I am not a huge fan of “world” food. I’m a bit of a food xenophobe, I’m afraid to say. So it was with great trepidation that I approached Ichi Teryaki Roll. I had been “convinced” to go there by my “friends” who “asked politely” if I wanted to go. I had “a choice” whether or not to go there.

Ichi Teryaki Roll is really more of a sushi joint. This is unfortunate because I do not like sushi at all. Yes, I know. Boo me off the stage if you want but it’s true. There is an expansive menu of sushi, with the other dishes listed on the side almost as if an afterthought. I am that afterthought.

There were many kinds of bowls listed, including both the Chicken and the Chicken Katsu bowl. I inquired about the difference and was told that the Katsu bowl was deep fried. Somehow, I couldn’t resist that and I got the Katsu Bowl.

All of the different bowls come with miso soup and a salad, although somehow I did not receive the salad. That was unfortunate. The miso soup, though, was delicious. Pretty standard, but I really like miso soup.

Then the bowl came. When they say deep fried, they mean deep fried. This shit is crispy. The chicken is not just crispy, though, it’s also dry and caked with a somewhat frightening sauce.

The structure of the dish begins with a bowl. Into the bowl is poured white rice, and then on top of that is poured some deep fried chicken. That’s pretty much it. Not that beauty cannot be found in simplicity, but in the case of the Chicken Katsu Bowl there is not much to distract you from the fact that the chicken tastes like glorified charcoal briquets.