Taka

We’re in the mood for sushi and planning to be in Asbury Park to volunteer at the Fourth Wave Fest, so we make reservations for dinner at Taka, a popular upscale-casual Japanese restaurant on popular Cookman Avenue. Owner Takahiro Hirai was born on Japan’s Southern-most island Kyushu, and is a descendant of a samurai family whose crest of three swords between three ginko leaves adorns Taka’s dining room. The restaurant has been open since 2000, but only in its current location since 2014.

The restaurant is decorated beautifully, with a huge landscape mural featuring Japanese geisha and kabuki archetypes, located on a far wall under a running line of banquette and tables. In front of it in the main room is a large oval bar. It’s flanked by tables in the front and booths behind; there is also a discrete dining room with booth seating in the back.

Between the two rooms, a wall of boxed shelving features sake jars and other Asian ephemera. On the ceiling, giant bubble lights hang at varying heights. Near the hostess stand dividing the two rooms, smaller sake jars hang from the ceiling, also at varying heights. The lighting is perfect, and the vibes are immaculate.

We’ve been here before and sat in the back room, but this evening we’re seated at a two-top adjacent to the bustling bar. I’ve got an enjoyable buzz on thanks to our hours long stint at House of Independents, so I ramp up the party and order a Sapporo on draft, which arrives tall and frosty.

We start with a couple of apps: a dish of edamame to keep our beers company while we wait for the shrimp and vegetable tempura appetizer. The edamame is bright green, salty and savory as I pop the beans out between my teeth. Ten minutes later, the fried tempura arrives, a box of crispy goodness. I give my boo an onion ring, a shrimp skewer, a sweet potato, and then we get into it. It’s delicious. I won’t realize until later that I’ve gotten tempura grease on my second-favorite Fleetwood Mac T-shirt. Shout!

“It’s pretty busy for a Sunday,” says my wife, and to wit, there is only the odd seat free at the huge bar. And the bartender is busy working through orders from their catalog of specialty cocktails.

The waitress returns and we order a 10-piece nigiri combo, your choice of one roll plus six nigiri including tuna, salmon, yellowtail, unagi, shrimp, and mackerel. For our roll we pick Yuzu Lobster—avocado and cucumber topped with yuzu lobster salad. Then for good measure, we order two additional rolls off the basic bitch menu: eel avocado and shrimp cucumber.

Taka has five different sushi entrée selections, as well as sashimi a la carte. There’s a huge selection of specialty rolls (even the Cooked on Cookman cooked salmon and avocado roll) and all the usual basic rolls, as well. They also have a bona fide selection of salads not usually seen at Japanese restaurants (think Asian Pistachio or Caesar Yuzu). We’ve only ever tried the tasty Hiyashi Wakame seaweed salad with sesame vinaigrette, but it was very good.

Their appetizer game is very strong: in past visits, we have sampled their tasty miso, which features shiitake mushroom along with the usual seaweed, tofu, and scallions. We’ve had their lemony blistered shishito peppers and the pan-fried pork gyoza dumplings.  

Their entrees are next-level as well, including not only grilled salmon, grilled tofu, teriyaki, chicken katsu, and the like, but also meatloaf, curry, fish ‘n chips, braised short ribs, a burger, and even a 14 oz. Prime Rib steak with miso butter. There’s something for everyone.

Our waitress brings our two platters of sushi, and when I ask what would make it better, subtly steers us toward a side of their spicy mayo. It was so amazeballs! Thank you, Alexis!

We begin grabbing fishes. J nabs a salmon nigiri. I devour the eel. J gets the shrimp. I take tuna. We both try the featured Yuzu Lobster roll. The citrus taste isn’t inside, only on the lobster on top. It’s still pretty good. The eel avocado roll is a bit dry, but smoky, and good dipped in the tempura sauce. Likewise, the salmon cuke roll is good with the spicy mayo, but a bit dry without.

Over at the bar, things are getting tense in the best way as a drunk cougar challenges a fifty-something man to shake her hand and agree to not fuck around when it comes to love. I am all here for this exchange! Still the vibes remain great.

We eat and drink our stupid faces off and there’s still plenty of sushi left for lunch tomorrow. I decide right then and there, I love this place! I don’t know if that would hold up over an extended period of time, but luckily, we’re in and out and on the road home within an hour. Anyone who know me knows I hate camping out at a table after the meal is finished.

We get our check, and it’s not too much more than a Benjamin for our sushi platter, two rolls, two apps and two drinks. For fresh fish, that’s pretty pretty good. Taka is a great spot to take a date. It’s often crowded, so be sure to make reservations, especially on weekends.

Taka Sushi
660 Cookman Ave.
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
732-775-1020
takaasbury.com

Sunday-Thursday 12-9 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday 12-10 p.m.

Save a Few Clams

Come to Taka midday and take advantage of their value-forward lunch specials like $12-18 assorted Bento Box or half curry orders. They also offer Asian sammies and homemade ramen. Taka is also known to have the occasional Happy Hour special. Check the restaurant’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/takaasbury/ for specials like the Winter Roll.