Teriyaki House sign at former DooWee & Rice (former former East Asia)

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

A cartoon-ish logo sign for a restaurant called Teriyaki House is now up in the location where DooWee & Rice was located this year,
on Broadway in Powderhouse.

The internet says it is not related to another restaurant chain called Teriyaki House (which I have not heard of)
http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/2013/11/doowee-and-rice-in-somerville-has-closed.html

and the internet also says that the new place will have some baos with some of Doowee's sauces:
http://boston.eater.com/archives/2013/11/15/doowee-rice-will-close-in-somerville-tomorrow.phpl

No other hints as to whether it's going to be Asian fusion or something else.

I liked Doowee, though have to say I'm a bit confused.. the food was great, but the place always seemed a bit slow to me, yet he closed after a year, to focus on...a venture in London? A restaurant downtown? commercializing a line of sauces? I guess he is counting on the location being why business never picked up in this location?

And I still miss East Asia.

Comments

[teko.livejournal.com]

Business definitely wasn't slow. If their Facebook, website, and Twitter feeds are to be believed, they sold out of food nearly every night and usually closed early due to running out of food to serve. I often saw lines out the door and had long waits for my food.

From what Duy's said, he decided to focus on opening his new place in London and going back to the place he got his start -- Wonder Bar in Allston -- and said he couldn't find anyone to run the Somerville location up to his standards, so he closed it. Which, if it was doing the kind of crazy business he claimed it was, doesn't make much sense to me, either, and seems like a strange career move. But then again, halfway through last year, he posted about considering closing the restaurant in order to compete in the Great Food Truck Race (despite never having run a food truck), so maybe he's just sort of throwing things against the wall to see what sticks.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Must have been fast at times I wasn't walking or driving by, like past 8pm? I never saw a line and rarely saw more than one other table occupied at times that we went there for dinner or takeout (generally weeknights in the 5-7pm range, or occasionally lunch.) We never had a wait or a problem sitting at a table, probably ate there once a month or thereabouts. We went away during the summer and I'm not sure we happened to eat there between September and the time they closed.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Duy posted many times about having to close the shop around 8 due to running out of food, but of course, the other possibility is that he simply didn't keep the place stocked with much food, so they ran out easily.

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Anyway, as someone who liked Doowee's food, liked East Asia's even more, and dislikes dark places in Powderhouse that could otherwise give me lunch or dinner, I am looking forward to seeing what Teriyaki House has to offer and when they open. :)

[teko.livejournal.com]

Very much agreed. I still mourn the loss of the handmade tofu from East Asia.

[axedmoon.livejournal.com]

I thought business was slow too - mixed reports though. He seems like an odd fella. Guess we'll see what Teriyaki House will be like.

[somerfriend.livejournal.com]

The baos were amazing!! The place was popular for takeout with my coworkers and my wife and I.