Wrap It Healthy

As I wedged my minivan into the last parking spot, I thought the small, overflowing parking lot in front of SAMURAI SAM’S TERIYAKI GRILL didn’t bode well for the new South Hill restaurant. But the narrow storefront is deceiving: The rear of the restaurant has another entrance, accessed by a larger parking lot. Once inside, a reasonable-sized seating area combined with an outside patio shared with neighboring Press coffee bar provide adequate spaces to dine.

Samurai Sam’s aims to provide a tasty, fast, healthy dining option — the Spokane restaurant is the newest of nearly 90 franchisees across the country. The Japanese-inspired theme is carried out in the restaurant’s interior, with a whimsical mural with instructions for making an origami giraffe and tips on chopstick etiquette. The menu highlights the healthy theme with playful slogans like “It is no coincidence that noodles are thin” and “Chopsticks cannot pick up a hamburger for a reason.”

The menu is a “design your own” concept offering rice and noodle bowls, wraps and salads, where you pick the combination of grilled proteins (chicken, steak, salmon or shrimp), veggies and sauces. Or choose one of the “Local Favorites” like the Sweet & Sour or Low-Carb bowls. Owner Marianne Guenther thinks diners will embrace the restaurant’s creed to “walk the healthy path,” as long as the food tastes good.

I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki Wrap with Japanese mixed vegetables ($6.29), which tasted healthy, satisfying and delicious. The vegetables were so crisp and fresh-tasting, they actually tasted like — well, vegetables. (Imagine that.) Wrapped up in a whole-wheat tortilla with grilled chicken, brown rice and spicy sauce, the wrap was definitely a cut above traditional fast food (and for about the same price).

The Chicken Yaki Soba Bowl ($7) was a hit with my son, who proclaimed, “This chicken is yummy” — and sent me back for seconds on the orange-peel sauce. It is indeed a breath of fresh air to find an affordable, healthy option for a quick meal out that the whole family can enjoy. Maybe next time we’ll bring our origami paper.

Samurai Sam’s Teriyaki Grill, 909 S. Grand Blvd., is open daily 10 am-10 pm. Call 624-5444.