The Gaslamp does not stop at Market Street. In fact, some of the most exciting restaurants are south of Market Street. So, when cruising up and down Fourth and Fifth avenues (and now Third and Sixth avenues as well) looking for a good restaurant, it pays to continue on down a few more blocks towards the Convention Center.
One of the most delightful places to visit is just south of Blue Point on Fifth Avenue. It is called Taka, a Japanese restaurant with outstanding cuisine. The dining room is relatively narrow and long, with very high ceilings and a small patio in front for dining. The interior is typically minimalist, with few decorations or wall coverings. A large sushi bar takes up about half the restaurant. The other half has tables for two or more that are covered with white tablecloths. A banner with the name "Taka" hangs above the door.
Rolls -- small bits of fish surrounded by a ring of sticky rice -- are the best way for the uninitiated to experiment with sushi.  |
The restaurant is highly acclaimed for its sushi and sashimi creations, many of which change monthly. The place is often crowded and diners may have to wait a bit for a table or seat at the bar. A dozen or more diners can sit at the sushi bar at one time and the four sushi chefs are kept busy filling orders. The room is filled with the sounds of diners who are enjoying their food.
For the uninitiated into the delights of sushi, the best way to start is often with one of the rolls. These are small bite-sized bits of fish that are surrounded by a ring of sticky rice. When the rolls are dipped into a solution of wasabi (a horseradish) and soy sauce, the flavors are mouthwatering. One of my companions suggested a dish that I did not see on the menu (it may have been there or it may have been made specially for us) of tempura shrimp roll. The shrimp was dipped into a tempura batter, deep fried, then cut into small pieces and rolled. The crispy, oily texture of the tempura was made sparkling to the taste by the wasabi mixture. Other types of rolls offered include scallop, spicy tuna, softshell crab and eel.
The skilled chefs working behind the bar turn out a pleasing variety of sushi. The process is creative, and actually artistic. We sampled a tuna tartare sushi that was visually exciting and delightful to eat. A patty of raw tuna was topped with avocado chunks. The avocado was topped, in turn, with roe, caviar and a quail egg. The tuna was tart, almost sharp, but was calmed by the soft subtle flavor of the avocado. Then, when the caviar bubbles burst in my mouth, flavor flooded in. It was wonderful. There are some exquisite dishes created at Taka that feature king crab, octopus, snapper, yellowtail, shrimp, squid and other fish.
The extensive menu also features hot and cold appetizers, salads and soups. The soft shell crab, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, is well worth sampling. The hamachi kama, yellowtail with ponzu sauce, was wonderful. I prefer the version with the teriyaki flavor. Traditional miso soup can be ordered with crab meat or clams. Other appetizers include a spicy pancake topped with saut?ed tiger prawns and scallops in a hot sauce.
If sushi is not your thing, there are several tempting entrees to consider. These include a seafood linguini: noodles al dente generously mixed with clam, scallop, mussel and shrimp in a tempting tomato sauce. The salmon teriyaki was high quality salmon with a tasty teriyaki coating that was grilled but had a fresh, almost sashimi texture. Chicken, pork and filet mignon are also available.
Taka's dessert menu is limited but interesting. I selected green tea cr?me brulee which had a thin sugar topping and a thick, green-tea flavored custard center. It was not too sweet but perfectly timed to smooth the palate after an evening of unusual and very satisfying culinary experiences.
Taka is open for dinner nightly. Reservations are strongly recommended. The restaurant is located at 555 5th Ave. Call (619) 338-0555 for information and directions.
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