julio gasson
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Yaki's has always held a special place in my heart. Their location in Monrovia was a popular pre football game meal stop (when it really should have been a post game meal stop). The Monrovia location has since closed, and now the corner of Alameda and Main is the spot. The menu and all its familiar flavors are the same and never disappoint. Yeah, you can go for the bowls, which range in size from small to 20-pound plates, but my order always stays the same, a yako cheeseburger, a bulldog, and a yakissito.
The yako is your standard teriyaki cheeseburger but with a grilled chicken filet married into the melted cheese and topped off with onion, 1000 island and teriyaki sauces. To this day i've never had a burger quite like this anywhere else. Bougie that is I, I'll pay for a side of cabbage to add to the sandwich, it add texture and a bit of acidity that cuts through the melty burger/ chicken combination.
In between bites, feel free to nibble on the bulldog. Now the bulldog is especially unique. It is a hot dog wrapped in american cheese and nestled inside a mustard coated spring roll. Accompanying the bulldog is a side of a 1/2 1000 island/ 1/2 teriyaki combination called 'froggy sauce'. One dip and you're hooked.
You have to finish off your meal with a deliciously fresh yakissito. The yakissito is a spring roll filled with a homemade pudding and deep fried. Definitely a once in a blue moon treat but worth every calorie. It comes out piping hot and satisfies like few desserts can.
The vibe on the corner is lively and a great place to sit and watch the people and cars go by. Come hungry, leave satisfied seems to be the motto here no matter what you try, whether is a bowl, plate, or burger. The owner is always nice and usually either behind the grill or at the register hard at work. I always told them they'd make millions if they bottled both their teriyaki and 'froggy' sauces. Let's hope that Yaki's is still around in 50 years or as long as I can make it to Burbank. Looking forward to my next visit!