HAHA’S TERIYAKI GRILL

Haha’s Teriyaki Grill is one of a kind Japanese/ Korean Fusion with a hint of Hawaiian flair on Spokane’s North Side. They have been in business at this north side location for two years now and they recently renovated their space to provide more seating and tables. There are only 3-4 tables inside so they do a lot of take-out orders for dinner and lunch. The owner and creator of Haha’s, John, is also the chef. He is a jack-of-all-trades. He uses family recipes, research, and testing to create his specialty entrees. His mom, dad, and wife can all be found helping make the restaurant a success. They make everything in house, from scratch, including all of their infamous sauces.

John was born and raised in Spokane and went to school at Gonzaga. He started Haha’s because he wanted to bring fresh, home-cooking to Spokane. He lived in Seattle for a bit after college and found his passion for good food while living in the city. He still drives to Seattle every month to buy his high-quality ingredients. He gets all of his meats from a Korean Butcher in Seattle because he feels there is a better variety and the ingredients are more fresh and authentic.

My favorite dish was the Korean Garlic Chicken. Talk about flavor, this dish had all of it. This dish is Haha’s introduction to Korean food. He calls it their “transition” entree. It is served smoking hot with sauteed onions and mushrooms on a bed of white rice. You can substitute brown rice for an additional fee. Dan’s favorite dish was the Fire Beef Bulgogi. This comes with thinly sliced rib eye and mixed veggies on a bed of rice and it has a nice smokey flavor. Both dishes were fresh off the grill (as in be patient eating them or you will scald your mouth). I was really impressed at how they kept their heat for a long time. Usually once I finish taking my pictures, the food has cooled off a lot and it is totally safe to eat but these were still SO hot.

We also got to try their bibimbap bowl. Bibim means “to mix” and bap means “rice”. For the bibimbap bowl, John tries to use all seasonal ingredients purchased at local farmers markets. He blanches the fresh veggies to give them their crispy texture. You can add your choice of meat to the bowl, it is topped with a fried egg then add your spicy sauce and mix it up. He wants this dish to be similar to the chipotle concept where you customize the ingredients and create your bowl.

Haha’s Teriyaki rotates additional specials each month like their salmon and spicy tuna poke bowls. They will also be playing with some new concepts and recipes in the coming weeks/months. Haha’s Teriyaki is a great spot to grab lunch, dinner, or take-out on the north side if you want super fresh food with lots of flavor and flare. I love supporting local families who are trying to bring culture and new flavors to Spokane, so I approve of Haha’s Teriyaki Grill.

Keep eating, Spokane.

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XOXO

Haha’s Teriyaki Grill (9331 N Division St, Spokane, WA // 509.340.9098)