Courtesy of Glaze

Paul Krug wanted to open a Seattle-style teriyaki joint in the East Village, where he had lived for most of his ten years in New York. But the Emerald City native couldn’t find the perfect lease, so he settled in midtown instead. Two years later, he’s finally giving it a go just below 14th Street.

The second outpost of Glaze Teriyaki Grill opened today at 139 Fourth Avenue – right next to another narrow takeout joint, Dos Toros – in a building where Mr. Krug once lived (he’s now a couple of minutes away).

“We never intended to go to midtown first. We always wanted to go down here,” said the restaurateur. 

Courtesy of Glaze

Among other things, the East Village location is a chance to put a spicy Asian barbecue pork rib back on the menu. It didn’t work out in midtown, said Mr. Krug, because it was too messy for the office crowd. In the East Village, he expects to have more of a seven-day-a-week clientele.

But won’t Glaze face stiff competition from Little Tokyo, just blocks away? Not really, said Mr. Krug, because as The Times has pointed out, Seattle-style teriyaki is it’s own thing. “We get that char like off the backyard grill, and we have a thicker, sweeter sauce compared to Japanese sushi restaurants,” he said, citing a lower price-point as well. (Plates ranges from $7.50 to $9.50, including rice and salad.)

Glaze Teriyaki will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Delivery will come in the fall.

Glaze Teriyaki, 139 Fourth Avenue (between 14th and 13th Streets), (212) 420-9400