Sure, the main dish is the focal point of the plate, but sometimes the side dishes can be the main attraction. Case and point is Seattle Teriyaki Restaurant Coleslaw. This coleslaw is a great recipe to have on standby and it’s a great variation on your classic summer side dish. It doesn‘t have you cutting up a million different vegetables, and the dressing is a no fuss delight packed with complex savory flavors.

When you order chicken teriyaki in Seattle, it comes with the usual suspect rice, but it also comes with this side salad. Packed into a clamshell box, the salad usually gets slightly steamed and slightly warmed by the other foods, but it is a required companion to chicken teriyaki nonetheless. Luckily this homemade version is crisp with a toothsome bite. This recipe for Seattle Teriyaki Restaurant Coleslaw is the creamy crunchy companion to a sticky sweet saucy chicken and a bed of steamed rice. It’s cool creamy dressing has a bit of sweet, sour, and umami flavors, creating a coleslaw that’s a bit different from your classic recipe.

The dressing ingredients are surprisingly simple, no crazy prep. Sweetness from the sugar is countered by the creaminess of the mayonnaise and the earthiness of the soy sauce and rice vinegar.

A touch of sesame oil adds a tiny bit of savory nuttiness as well.

After whisking all of the dressing’s ingredients, pour it on top of the thinly sliced cabbage.

Toss the cabbage well, making sure all of the cabbage is coated by the dressing.

This is a great make ahead side dish for the summertime. You can prep it before, let it rest, and then focus on the other parts of the meal.

Served next to chicken teriyaki and a mountainous pile of white rice, and you have yourself a taste of a regional classic.

The cabbage is sturdy, meaning you can make this side dish ahead of time, wrap it, set it in the fridge, and the texture won’t be compromised. In fact, this Seattle Teriyaki Restaurant Coleslaw tastes better the next day, as the dressing has more time to seep into the cabbage.

This cool creamy vegetable bite will have you going back to it again and again. It’s almost like a palate cleanser, contrasted against rich meats and heavy carb-y sides.

Try it once and you won’t go back to a standard version of coleslaw again!