On this week's episode of Dueling Dishes, we pit two fast-food teriyaki
bowls chains against each other. In one corner, hailing from
Japan at 110-years-old: Yoshinoya. In the other, originally from Fullerton and at 14-years-old is the young upstart called Flame Broiler.
The dish under contention: the chicken bowl.
First, Yoshinoya lands a wallop with a deal designed to beat other competitors senseless and seeing red: 2 chicken bowls for $5! Flame Broiler flounders with prices that hover around $5 for just one bowl of comparable size.
But what's this? Flame Broiler's
bowl seems deeper and it dispenses with veggies in favor of green
onions as garnish. Essentially the bowl is topped with nothing
but chopped chunks of white meat chicken, though the meat is slightly
dry.
bowl seems deeper and it dispenses with veggies in favor of green
onions as garnish. Essentially the bowl is topped with nothing
but chopped chunks of white meat chicken, though the meat is slightly
dry.
Yoshinoya
counters with a smaller amount of chicken thigh, but it's moist.
Too bad that gloppy veggie side dish bogs it down. Still,
it revels in the bowl's strongest attribute: the flavor of its crispy
rendered skin.
counters with a smaller amount of chicken thigh, but it's moist.
Too bad that gloppy veggie side dish bogs it down. Still,
it revels in the bowl's strongest attribute: the flavor of its crispy
rendered skin.
In an expected move, Flame Broiler actually touts the fact that their chicken does not have skin — a health attribute that endears it to half the audience.
So far a tie.
Next the saucing. Flame Broiler
gives users the option to douse as little or as much of their “Magic
Sauce” as they like. The sauce is dispensed via pump-activated
spigot. Yoshinoya's sauce is pre-poured. Both are sticky sweet, delicious.
gives users the option to douse as little or as much of their “Magic
Sauce” as they like. The sauce is dispensed via pump-activated
spigot. Yoshinoya's sauce is pre-poured. Both are sticky sweet, delicious.
For spice and hotness, Yoshinoya pulls out the togarashi, Japanese pepper flakes provided in shakers. In response, Flame Broiler lets
out a surprise punch of Sriracha bottles and a house-made hot sauce
that tastes a lot like Frank's RedHot. The edge goes to Flame Broiler.
out a surprise punch of Sriracha bottles and a house-made hot sauce
that tastes a lot like Frank's RedHot. The edge goes to Flame Broiler.
The winner this week? Flame Broiler. Knock out by Sriracha!
Before becoming an award-winning restaurant critic for OC Weekly in 2007, Edwin Goei went by the alias “elmomonster” on his blog Monster Munching, in which he once wrote a whole review in haiku.