Find great value, great katsu at new-ish teriyaki restaurant just outside Tacoma
Chicken and jo’s might be the regional fried-chicken delicacy that first comes to mind for Pacific Northwesterners, but the influence of Japanese culture and cuisine perseveres on our street corners.
I’ve been exploring some of the city’s teriyaki restaurants, and a new one in Fife sprung to the top of my list with crunchy katsu.
For more ideas on what got me thinking about the region’s fried-poultry scene, here’s a pick for chicken and jo’s.
Katsu Plate at Big Boi Teriyaki
Ah, Fife. If you don’t live there or aren’t already passing through, there might not be many reasons to go out of your way to eat in this small city. But Big Boi Teriyaki N Sushi is one of them.
Last summer, during a visit to the newish Fife Antique Mall (I’m also a vintage fiend), I noticed the banner hanging on the side of the shopping plaza behind The Poodle Dog. The restaurant opened in September; it’s counter-service, but the dining room is tidy and modern, so much so that I felt a bit bad leaving with my food in takeout containers.
The flagship Big Boi’s Bento Box #1 ($26) is large enough to share. The moist chicken teriyaki boasted a nice and gingery sauce, a heap of white rice in another compartment. The others held a house macaroni salad (no iceberg lettuce here), two fried pork gyoza, shrimp and veggie tempura, and four spicy tuna rolls (simple but above-average for a teriyaki joint). I was impressed enough that, on my next trip to Fife a few weeks later, I skipped a meal at my beloved Emish Market and went here instead.
The golden-brown chicken katsu stayed crunchy on its 20-minute drive to my Tacoma kitchen, where my partner and I took chopsticks straight to the containers. The kitchen thoughtfully does not sauce to-go orders. Instead of a curried gravy, Big Boi opts for the sweet’n’tangy tonkatsu sauce, spiked with Worcestershire, ginger and garlic. Again, the portion will provide at least two meals for under $20 — but you should consider adding a spicy tuna roll combo for another $20, with four pieces of nigiri.
Big Boi Teriyaki N Sushi
- 1406 54th Ave. E., Fife, 253-392-2121, instagram.com/bigboiteriyaki
- Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
- Details: modern teriyaki restaurant with great-value combos and bento boxes; order ahead by phone
This story was originally published April 4, 2026 at 5:00 AM.