‘Top Chef’ star Shota Nakajima is opening a new teriyaki spot outside Seattle

Are you up for a drive? If so, you’ll probably want to make the 100-mile drive over to Cle Elum. Surspingly, it’s not for nature but rather for ‘Top Chef’ star Shota Nakajima’s new restaurant. It’s a teriyaki dive bar and restaurant called Banzai Teriyaki. Let’s check it out.

Seattle is considered to be the birthplace of teriyaki and is a beloved food for many locals. Nakajima also happens to be a huge fan of the food and that’s why he decided to highlight it in his new restaurant. Diners will also be able to get their hands on other tasty Japanese snacks.

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According to a recent Instagram post by Nakajima, Banzai will have “an indoor bar/restaurant that seats close to 40, a rooftop bar that fits over 100, and a little side alley seating area coming soon.”  Not many details are available on the interior but the same post states that the restaurant’s murals are by Shogo Ota and from limited images, it looks pretty dang cool.

From a comment on Nakajima’s post, it looks like Banzai Teriyaki will be open in about a month or two. Until then you can visit Taku in Seattle and get ready to enjoy all of the new and delicious eats that the Cle Elum spot will serve up. Happy eating, folks!