Grilled Teriyaki Chicken Temaki — Hand Rolls for the Father Who Already Has Everything

Father's Day and I FaceTimed Ken. He was in his garden, showing me the shiso, which is knee-high and magnificent. "Yours?" he asked, meaning my balcony shiso. "Six inches," I said. He nodded. The nod contained multitudes: satisfaction at his superiority, gentle disappointment at mine, and the faint suggestion that if I watered more consistently, my shiso might achieve adequacy. This is fatherhood, Nakamura-style. The critique is the love.

I made hand rolls for dinner — temaki sushi, the cone-shaped rolls that are casual and fun and perfect for a family meal because everyone assembles their own. Nori sheets, sushi rice, and a spread of fillings: salmon, avocado, cucumber, pickled daikon, shiso, spicy mayo. Brian made his with too much spicy mayo and not enough rice, which is structurally unsound but I held my tongue because it is Father's Day and unsolicited sushi criticism is not an appropriate gift. Miya made hers by grabbing a sheet of nori and stuffing it in her mouth, which is technically a hand roll with a filling of enthusiasm.

Brian was happy today. I noticed this specifically because his happiness felt different from his usual good cheer — quieter, more genuine, the happiness of a man who is sitting at a table with his wife and daughter and eating food with his hands and not needing anything else. He said, "This is a perfect Father's Day." He meant it. I could tell because he did not reach for a beer. He reached for more rice. The rice was enough. I wish the rice were always enough.

I called Mom in Ashland. She and Gerald are doing a home renovation that has consumed her entire personality. She talked about bathroom tiles for fifteen minutes. Gerald's input, as always, was nodding. Barbara asked about Brian and I said he is fine, which is the truth and a lie at the same time, and Barbara heard both and chose to hear the truth, which is what mothers do when the lie is too heavy to address over the phone.

The summer solstice is Thursday and I am planning to make a meal that celebrates the longest day: cold soba, summer vegetables, something light and bright and appropriate for a day that does not end until almost ten PM. The longest day of the year deserves the longest meal — not heavy, just lingering. A meal you eat slowly. A day you hold onto.

The hand roll spread I put together that evening — rice, nori, teriyaki chicken, avocado, cucumber, shiso, spicy mayo — is less a recipe than an invitation: everyone at the table gets to make their own version, which means nobody’s doing it wrong, which means I can hold my tongue about structural integrity. If you want to replicate the meal, the teriyaki chicken is where to start. It anchors the whole spread, and it’s forgiving in the way that Father’s Day meals should be — quick to pull together, easy to love, and good enough that someone might reach for more rice instead of a beer.

Teriyaki Chicken Temaki (Hand Rolls)

Prep Time: 25 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 40 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• For the teriyaki chicken:
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon sake (or dry sherry)
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• For the sushi rice:
• 2 cups short-grain sushi rice
• 2 1/4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• For the spicy mayo:
• 1/3 cup Japanese mayonnaise (such as Kewpie)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sriracha
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• For assembly:
• 10–12 sheets toasted nori, halved
• 1 avocado, thinly sliced
• 1 Persian cucumber, cut into matchsticks
• 1/4 cup pickled daikon, drained
• Fresh shiso leaves (or baby perilla), torn
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
• Soy sauce and pickled ginger, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the rice. Rinse sushi rice in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, about 3–4 rinses. Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and salt until dissolved. Turn rice out into a wide bowl, drizzle with the vinegar mixture, and fold gently with a wooden spoon or rice paddle until seasoned and glossy. Fan to cool slightly. Cover loosely with a damp towel until ready to serve.
2. Marinate the chicken. Whisk together soy sauce, mirin, sake, honey, sesame oil, and garlic in a shallow dish. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (or refrigerated up to 2 hours).
3. Cook the chicken. Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and lightly oil. Remove chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and cook 5–6 minutes per side until cooked through and deeply caramelized. In the last minute, pour the reserved marinade into the pan and let it bubble and reduce into a sticky glaze. Transfer to a cutting board, rest 5 minutes, then slice into thin strips.
4. Make the spicy mayo. Stir together Japanese mayo, sriracha, and soy sauce in a small bowl until smooth. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or a small bowl with a spoon for the table.
5. Set up the spread. Arrange all fillings on a large board or separate plates: sliced teriyaki chicken, avocado, cucumber, pickled daikon, shiso leaves, spicy mayo, sesame seeds, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Place the sushi rice in its bowl and the nori halves in a small basket or stacked on a plate.
6. Assemble the hand rolls. Hold a half-sheet of nori, shiny side down, in one hand. Spoon a small amount of rice onto the left side of the nori, pressing gently. Layer on a few pieces of chicken and your choice of fillings. Fold the bottom-left corner of the nori up and over the rice, then continue rolling into a cone. Eat immediately — nori stays crisp for only a few minutes after assembly.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 540 | Protein: 36g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 58g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 890mg