The sentiment of “Never judge a book by it’s cover” is truthful, wise and applicable to all areas of life, which is why most people completely ignore it.  I’m guilty of it too.  I’ve refused to even test drive cars because they look angry.  So when it comes to restaurants, I can be a quick judge based on appearance but I always shape my final opinion solely upon the food.  This is why I will eat just about anywhere from “mortgage your house if you want dessert” to “I pray there’s enough alcohol in this beverage to kill whatever’s growing on this glass”.  It’s all good.  Unless it’s not, but I’m getting away from the point here.

Oceanside’s Teri Cafe serves up Japanese/Hawaiian inspired dishes in a cute surrounding with an almost fast food-like method of serving.  You order at a counter, they give you a number for your table, they bring you food.  The place was mobbed (always a good sign).  Luckily we had a smaller group this week consisting of myself & some of the leading ladies of BW8SD:

Aimee–Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Suzanne-My Italian soul sista, Can throw down in the kitchen, the cultured one who pronounces everything correctly.

Contrary to what this picture suggests, we didn’t eat dinner at Trader Joe’s.

Amy was immediately thrilled to see Teri Cafe offers Lilikoi Passion Fruit Drink; a favorite of hers from her time in Hawaii.   With so many Hawaiian inspired choices on the menu, we were surprised to see not a single item on the menu with Spam.  Not that I was sad about this because I’m only just okay with actual ham and don’t do pink, potted, gelatinous food-type items used as props on Monty Python.

Suzanne, the only person in our group who had been here before, had the Beef and Chicken Teriyaki and a shrimp plate served with Miso Soup, green salad and potato salad.   She said the rice was done perfectly and she loved the fact that additional teriyaki sauce is available on the table in a squeeze bottle.  Her beef and chicken were perfectly cooked and well textured with huge portions for a great value.  The potato salad at Teri Cafe has pasta in it.  Yeah, pasta.   While this combining of my two least favorite types of cold salads would be a toasty romp through Satan’s nether regions for yours truly, Suzanne said it was strange but really delicious.  Amy had the Vegetable Yakisoba.  She claimed the Yakisoba is the best she’s had.  The noodles were delicious and the vegetables were not soggy.  The grated ginger on top was a great touch with a pleasing, slightly sweet, sauce.

Aimee ordered the Teriyaki Chicken and Shrimp Tempura, an Aloha Roll, Unagi and Fried Gyoza.  Her tempura was great and the chicken was really good.  The fried gyoza was tasty but she (and I) prefer a softer pan seared style gyoza to the fried crispy kind served here.  Her Aloha Roll (Shrimp Tempura Roll with Tuna & Spicy Mayo) was pretty basic but good.  She praised the lack of “filler” in her sushi.  Good fish with a “no frills” approach.  Not so successful for Aimee was the Unagi (Eel roll).  She felt the dish looked and tasted pre-made.  In comparison to the fresh -tasting Aloha, it was a swing and a miss during what was, otherwise, a very successful meal for her.  I had the Spicy Tuna Roll, which was delicious.  The Tuna was super fresh, which I’m embarrassed to say was a surprise given the fast food-y vibe of this place.  I’m always glad to be proved wrong like this.

I will never doubt you again, food.

The Shrimp Yakisoba wasn’t quite as successful for me.  I found there to be a lot less shrimp and a lot more vegetables.  Plus, some of the shrimp on my plate weren’t properly cleaned.  Granted, these were by no means a deal breaker.  The noodles were tasty and the shrimp were well cooked.  I would be curious to explore more of the menu as it’s affordable and, as Amy pointed out, the portions are generous.

Just use the fork. Don’t be a hero.

Overall, my experience at Teri Cafe was a positive one and I would certainly come back for lunch or take out.  The menu is pretty extensive and there’s way more stuff to try in future visits (Suzanne highly recommends the Bonzai Ramen Bowl).  So if you’re up in Oceanside and are craving Japanese style take out without spending a fortune, go to this place.

Further reading: http://www.tericafe.com/

You can also see pictures of all the dishes we ordered by following theboywhoatesandiego on Instagram!!