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Teriyaki Park By NIKA HANCOCK


Hong Soon Park, owner of the new Teriyaki Park, is in a far different field than he intended when he first came to America ten years ago. After graduating from high school, Park served in the Korean Army as required by law and discovered an interest in avionics. He came to the United States to further his education, learned English, and studied at TSTC in Waco. Despite the fact that he became accomplished in aircraft electronics, his hobby was cooking but it soon turned into his occupation.

The first Teriyaki Park opened in Waco in 2005. The restaurant’s name references the owner’s secret teriyaki sauce recipe, plus his last name. Park was approached by a businessman about opening another restaurant in a developing strip center, North Park Plaza in Bryan. Park explained that he did not know anything about Bryan/College Station, but he and his wife checked things out, saw that “this was a nice place” and decided to expand the business opening the Bryan location in December 2007. Park designed the restaurant in the new building and boasts about his open kitchen with nothing to hide.

Park is of Korean descent, but sushi is actually a Japanese style of food. At one time, the owner worked in a Japanese restaurant and was taught how to prepare sushi, but only after he proved himself worthy of such an honor. Park says, “You have to be good and nice and then they will teach . . . but I was lucky.” Some sushi served at Teriyaki Park is prepared in a traditional way, called Nigiri and Maki, while other sushi dishes are Americanized. According to Park, “You cannot find this in Japan.” Obtained from Japanese wholesalers, all fish is of sushi grade, meaning that it is frozen and stored at a specified temperature and time period to ensure a parasite destruction guarantee. He uses all natural, simple ingredients and no MSG. They also serve a Japanese beer, Kirin Ichiban, and sake.

Park recommends that anyone trying sushi for the first time begin with some of the cooked sushi. Not all sushi is raw; his New Style Cali Roll is deep-fried. The Americanized rolls, like his Temptation Roll and California Roll, are also good choices for first-timers. Slightly more experienced sushi-lovers may try the Salmon Nigiri, his Crazy Salmon Roll, or the Aggie’s Roll, which has shrimp tempura and avocado wrapped in salmon. Real connoisseurs should venture to try the Spider Roll, the Spicy Rainbow Roll, or Park’s Special Roll. The lunch and dinner specials are designed to give someone a good sampling of different sushi styles and include Miso soup.