Cost: $6.95
Location: Ichiban Japanese Restaurant (2488 E Tudor Road)
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, noon to 11 p.m. Saturday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Options: Dine-in, takeout.
Phone: 563-6333
Japanese gyoza is often compared to Korean mandu, Slavic pierogi or a European dumpling. It's a little nugget of perfection, a tasty morsel of meat and vegetables wrapped up in thinly rolled dough and lightly fried, boiled or both.
In Anchorage there are more than a dozen sushi restaurants that serve gyoza, but a good one is not easy to find. Located in a crowded strip mall near the corner of Lake Otis and Tudor, Ichiban has the best gyoza in Anchorage. Filled with beef, carrots, ginger and spices, the gyoza are lightly fried on one side to heat the flavors, then simmered in water for an excellent texture. The final touch of palatial perfection is the dipping sauce: A delightful combination of soy sauce, vinegar and sesame and spicy oils. If you're lucky, you might spot owner Sam Kim's friends and family members at a table in the corner, rolling out and drying the perfect gyoza.
-- Teeka A. Ballas Daily News food reviewer
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