Little Tokyo Hibachi and Bento Box shares Indonesian food, culture with Spokane

When you walk into Little Tokyo Hibachi and Bento Box, it’s easy to forget you’re in a strip mall on busy North Sullivan Road.
Japanese lanterns and cherry blossoms hang from a string of lights above. Warm pine paneling surrounds sturdy wooden tables topped with woven place mats.
It’s like walking into a noodle house in Los Angeles’ Little Tokyo District.
That’s exactly what owner Ryan Suharyanto and his wife, Yonne Fitriastiti, aimed for, and they hope their menu matches that exotic yet comfortable vibe.
“I’ve always wanted to open a restaurant,” Suharyanto said noting
he’s worked in almost every aspect of the industry. “I’ve been a chef, a server, a manager.”
While living in Indiana in 2015, he opened Hibachi Express only to see the dream fizzle.
“There were too many people with the same type of restaurant, so it didn’t work,” he said.
He returned to Spokane and worked at Fujiyama Japanese Steakhouse in Liberty Lake, where he became head chef.
“I learned so much, including how to cook Kobe beef and make sauces.”
Last year, he began looking for a place to launch his eatery and found a cozy spot between Little Caesars and GameStop in Spokane Valley.
“It used to be a ramen place, so it had the hood I needed to cook hibachi,” Suharyanto said. “It’s an open kitchen, so everyone can see us.”
That was crucial because he wanted to offer his take on the traditional Japanese-style grilled offerings.
“I looked for more affordable hibachi and couldn’t find anything,” he said.
Little Tokyo Hibachi and Bento Box opened on Nov. 12.
Fitriastiti works the front with three other employees, “and my brother joined me in the kitchen,” Suharyanto said.
His wife also makes all the sauces, including Yum Yum sauce, a spicy sauce and their salad dressing. Eventually they hope to bottle and sell them at the restaurant.
The sauces accompany a variety of appetizers, as well as Hibachi dishes and bento boxes. Bento is a traditional Japanese portable meal. At Little Tokyo, it includes a choice of protein, plus steamed rice, Kani salad, onigiri and Gyoza (Japanese dumpling).
“My brother makes 500 dumplings a week,” Suharyanto said.
Hibachi meals include a choice of protein, including filet mignon or lobster tail, steamed or chicken fried rice and vegetables.
However, the chef is most excited about introducing Indonesian food to the area.
“I’m from Indonesia,” he said. “A cart would be pushed through the neighborhood, and you could get freshly cooked food.”
The menu includes staples like the famous rendang, (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices) and nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice). But the most popular item is mie tek tek, a noodle dish often sold by the street peddlers Suharyanto remembers.
In Indonesia, most foods include a hefty dose of spice. Mindful of American palates, Suharyanto serves the spice on the side, so diners can customize their heat level.
On a recent visit, we sampled a variety of appetizers including Japanese takoyaki, little balls of batter filled with octopus, green onions, bonito (smoked tuna) flakes and mayo.
My husband’s eyes glazed after his first bite.
“This is the best thing ever!” he said.
But it was the Indonesian egg martabak that made me swoon. Martabak is often described as a stuffed pancake, but I found the dough much lighter. It’s folded around a filling of ground beef, green onions and tofu. Dipping the crispy, flaky snack in the accompanying tempura sauce offered a fabulous flavor profile.
The hibachi menu offers a “pick two” option, and Derek enjoyed New York steak and shrimp with chicken fried rice and veggies. The generously portioned dish highlighted the smoky grilled favor hibachi is famous for. The shrimp was tender, and the steak perfectly cooked. The rice wasn’t just an afterthought – it brimmed with vegetables and chicken.
One bite revealed why the mie tek tek is a bestseller. Yakisoba noodles are topped with chicken, shrimp and steak and drenched with a sweet soy sauce. Crunchy green onions and cilantro sprigs added zest.
The portion proved too big for me to finish, but it made for a fabulous breakfast the next day.
Boba tea and sodas are available and in a couple of months, wine, beer, and sake will be added.
Suharyanto said he’s pleased with the welcome Little Tokyo has received and dreams of someday expanding to North Spokane.
“We want to introduce what we can do and serve the community,” he said. “We have the first Indonesian food in Spokane. For now, nobody can do what I do.”
Contact Cindy Hval at dchval@juno.com.