Teriyaki is everywhere, but in a burrito? Try these Korean-inspired rolls at new Tacoma restaurant
Tacoma unfortunately does not foster a thriving food-truck scene like our southern sister, Portland, does. The reasons why I won’t get into here, but I will say we should be grateful that one of those trucks decided to set up a brick-and-mortar shop in Tacoma — in the city’s South End no less, which could use more local restaurants.
Rolls House opened March 8 on the corner of South 64th Street and Yakima Avenue. Co-owners Susie Song and her brother Sandy Jang repurposed an old teriyaki restaurant, refreshing the space but keeping the counter-service setup.
The exterior hasn’t much changed, save for the colorful new sign that has already beckoned neighbors (myself included) to check out Song’s menu of burritos and bowls brimming with beef bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken teriyaki or tofu.
It’s inspired by the food truck Song ran with her sister in Portland. Since opening in 2020 in a pod in the Eliot neighborhood, Ko Sisters Seoul Food snagged spots on Eater Portland lists for great Korean food and affordable dining options. Favorites, according to the food-focused outlet, include snacks like the cheesy-crunchy corn dogs, tteokbokki, kimbap (seaweed rice rolls) and the sweet cinnamon pancakes called hotteok.
Many of those dishes have made their way to the Tacoma restaurant.
The burritos pack a punch for around $13 and could easily make two meals. An appropriately thin tortilla wraps around a layer of white rice, lettuce, carrots and cabbage, a special sauce and your choice of protein. Song and her team marinate beef and pork as they would bulgogi — the thinly shaved slices are well-suited to the roll — but the chicken teriyaki is the most popular, she said. Try it in standard form or spicy, the latter of which was neither over-the-top nor overwhelming. Shrimp and tofu are options, too.
Each protein can be had in bowl form, joined by two potstickers.
Other dishes include kimchi fried rice, bibimbap and dukbokki, kimchi dumplings and Korean-style fried chicken.
In a nod to Song’s family that happens to live in Atlanta, you can also order lemon pepper wet wings, a style that falls somewhere between sauced and dry-rubbed. Rolls fries up a hearty pound of wings boxed with crinkle-cut fries.
Definitely get the kimbap, which Song makes in-house with cucumber, carrot, radish, ham, pickle, fish cake and egg. Song noted the recent attention on this traditional Korean snack after food blogger and Cooks Illustrated staffer Sarah Ahn shared a video of her mom trying Trader Joe’s frozen version. They pop it into the microwave expecting mediocrity only to be surprised — and their reaction led the grocer to sell out of this made-in-Korea product weeks later.
That moment of virality for the humble kimbap put Korean grocers on the radar of many consumers who might not have otherwise shopped there. We have a lot of those around here, too — largely in Lakewood — also home to a couple dozen Korean restaurants, including one of my favorite openings of last year.
Yet the number of modern interpretations of Korean American food remain somewhat limited in the greater Tacoma area. Burger Seoul (currently closed as the owner navigates city headaches and fundraises to open a brick-and-mortar) and T-Town Cafe are two worthy exceptions.
Jang, Song’s brother, works at H-Mart in Bellevue, and his quest for a restaurant space brought him to Tacoma. It was affordable with room to grow, said Song.
Let’s hope Rolls House is just the beginning of a bigger wave.
ROLLS HOUSE - TACOMA
▪ 759 S. 64th St., Tacoma, 253-449-0700, rollstacoma.com
▪ Thursday-Tuesday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. (closed Wednesday)
▪ Details: fast-casual Korean from owner of successful Portland food truck
▪ Recommended: beef bulgogi and spicy chicken teriyaki in a burrito or bowl, kimbap and more
▪ How to order: in-person, by phone or online (pickup-only for now)
This story was originally published April 11, 2024 at 5:30 AM.