Takaya – A Nice Place to Take Out of Town Guests

Date Dined: August 9, 2014

Overall Rating: 3.5 Stars

It’s no secret I’m picky about my sushi. I'll eat pretty much anyplace, but it's usually just to fill my stomach. A lot of places can’t quite nail the rice quality and consistency, you find more and more deep fried rolls filled with cream cheese, and finding quality fish in a landlocked state is difficult. Takaya does an excellent job for Missouri with a few exceptions, plus if you’re looking to take some out of towners some place not overly crowded and nicely decorated it’s a nice choice.

Décor Rating: 4 Stars

One of the things I like most about Takaya is the décor. The booths are large and each gives the maximum amount of privacy available in a restaurant. Everything is spaced out enough so that you’ll never feel crowded. The entire thing reminds you of being in a posh metropolitan restaurant and the large glass walls help let in enough natural sunlight to make you feel like you’re not closed off from the world.

Service Rating: 2.5 Stars

Very average. For one thing even during a slow lunch hour you’ll be waiting some time to place an order. There were only two other tables in there, even with one server they should be able to handle that. It was probably five minutes before we were greeted by our server, another five to bring us out our waters and then ten minutes after that before our order was taken. It took them at least twenty-five minutes to get our food out after that. I know that doesn’t sound like a long time, but if we were on a timed lunch break then we’d be cutting it close. It’s a consistent problem with this place, everytime I go the servers seem to take their time.

Price Rating: 3 Stars

Pretty average. Most speciality rolls and entrees will cost you $12.00 or more, and most normal rolls range from $4.00 to $7.00. Don’t go here when you’re starving. Go down the street to Sushi Ai for some all you can eat, but if you’re craving one or two pretty decent rolls then stop by this joint.

Food Rating: 3.5 Stars

Most things here are either average or above average, but they do have one or two things that you definitely should try. The sushi in general is not going to disappoint, but I’d recommend getting the chirashi or just some sashimi some time. Again, the quality of the fish is going to be better than many other sushi restaurants in Saint Louis. It’s going to be firm, supple, and…. I apologize for the way this sentence is shaping up…

Let’s start out with the roll you get to impress. Although it’s a little over-sauced the Oh My God Roll is pretty damn good. Shrimp tempura, crab, shrimp, avocado, spicy sauce, and eel sauce all served on fire. I recommend asking to trade the shrimp tempura out with some tuna, it’s a nice addition. Biting into this thing is a treat, it’s got just a little bit of char without drying out the roll. If it’s your first time in just go ahead and grab one, you won't regret it. That being said, it's novelty does wear off after a few times getting it.

For the life of me I can’t remember the other roll pictured above, but the biggest issue was that it suffered again from a little bit of oversaucing. Another minor complaint is that the sushi rice lacks that nice tang you get from using the right ratio of rice-vinegar. But the positives you’ll find are again the grade of the fish and the melding of the flavors.

Jess’s  brother, not a fan of actual sushi ordered the rock shrimp and the kalbi. The rock shrimp can definitely be skipped. Think popcorn shrimp with a tempura batter and a generic spicy cream sauce. The kalbi is wonderfully seasoned, I just wish that the servings were a little larger and the cut of meat a little better. Kalbi is not supposed to be this delicately laid out dish, it’s  supposed to be a hearty meal with a substantial pile of meat.

Jess also got a seaweed salad. Not extraordinary about the thing, but it was okay. Most seaweed salads you order at restaurants come out of giant tubs, but something always tastes a little off about this stuff. It’s just a little too crunchy, and the flavoring tastes somewhat artificial. Now that’s not going to stop me from eating it, it’s just not my favorite. As you can see from the picture at least they give you a pretty substantial portion, so no complaints there.

In Conclusion

An above average place, good fish quality, and nice décor make this a place to take out of towners. I’ve never been a fan of wasabi or drunken fish just because they remind me too much of a TGI Fridays. Go for the sushi, order a few rolls, and enjoy.