I'm not a foodie, but I know what I like, and what I like for lunch around these parts is usually Teriyaki.

There must be fifty or more Teriyaki joints between Des Moines and Milton, and I've tried quite a few of them.

In particular, Chicken Teriyaki is the lunch I favor.

There is something about the combination of the sauce and the charbroiled texture that keeps drawing me back. That, and the fact that you can usually get a generous portion of food for less than eight dollars, with a glass of Coke.

One place in particular, (the name escapes) located in a strip mall on the corner of Hwy 99 and Des Moines Way was outstanding, and after my meal, I waited at the counter to thank the cook and the owner.

It's next to the Dept. of Licensing, you'll find it.

In Milton there is Yoko Teriyaki, and it is one of my favorites because it's so fast, very fresh and you get your salad in a neat little bowl before the main course.

If you go there, say "Hi" to Kim. She's the harried, but super nice person who brings you your food.

Another place, called Yoko's Teriyaki is located in the Round Table Pizza Mall on 324th and 14th.

Slower service, but the chicken was fresh and super spicy and there are a mess of happy clients' photos on the wall.

On another outing, I tried the new joint, L&L Hawaiian Barbeque around the corner on Hwy 99. It was OK, but I didn't think I needed macaroni salad as well as white rice.

Teriyaki usually does the job for me, but a couple of months ago I decided to try something different.

Up at the Gateway Center is a Pho restaurant that I had heard good things about.

The place, Pho Huang, looked bright inside and had neat pictures of the dishes they served right in the windows so passersby can see them.

I sat near the door and soon there was a very large steaming bowl in front of me with a clear broth surrounding a big dollop of rice noodles, chunks of chicken, and a side of white rice.

It's good, not too salty and I can taste the individual ingredients, carrots, green and white onions, and basil.

Though the bowl was big and though this was my first introduction to Pho, (which I am told is pronounced in a questioning tone, like the word, duh?, but with an F), I didn't have enough of it to form my own opinion of that sort of popular Vietnamese lunch staple.

Last week I reckoned I'd try another place, and this one was recommended by friend, John The Wine Guru at Trader Joe's.

John got animated when I told him I might write something about lunch places in town and he immediately described his favorite, Pho Bach, which he said was right up the street on 312th.

I headed up there, and didn't realize until I was almost in the parking lot that this place was in the same building that the Federal Way News was located in back in the 70s and 80s.

As I parked in back, a flood of memories came to me from when I was just a young kid looking for work. Along with a school chum, I had actually painted the building's exterior a ghastly yellow and purple scheme that the editor, at the time, let us pick out.

Fortunately, the new owners had chosen a more tasteful color palate. Inside, though the remodeling was extensive, I could still see where the darkroom used to be. Dining tables now occupied the old composing room, and the bosses offices were somewhere in the kitchen. I stopped to visit the restroom and I realized that I was washing my hands where the old negative storage racks used to be.

At my table, I flipped through the menu. The food item names were mostly in Vietnamese, so I looked up at the wall and saw a special, Coconut Chicken in Curry Sauce, $7.95.

According to the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia, Pho can be eaten at any time of day and restaurants usually retain the cultural practice of not delivering the bill to a customer's tables because it is considered rude and is seen as a way of trying to rush the customer out the door.

Tables in Pho restaurants usually have chopsticks, spoons and condiment dispensers and it is customary to take a napkin and wipe off the chopsticks and spoon before you use them.

If the establishment is not trusted for cleanliness, then the napkins should be first dipped in hot tea.

My Coconut curry chicken arrived in a big stone tureen. It was enough food to feed four people. (Why is there always so much?)

In place of a clear broth was a thicker soup, with large pieces of chicken still on the bone and some peeled potatoes and carrots.

The coconut flavor was pretty well balanced with the curry and the chicken was very tender.

John at Trader Joes had told me that the owners were diligent about the preparation of stocks and it made sense because the flavors were complex but still individual.

Would I recommend Pho Bach? Sure, especially if you prefer your Pho with beef, as the majority of the menu was beef-laden.

But also, if you want a bit more variety you can try PhoTai, across the street, by Blockbuster and next to Blimpie. I had lunch there yesterday and it was excellent.

Watch out for the Sriracha sauce in the big squeeze bottle though...HOT! (pronounced "HAWT!").