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Takeda Sushi is a newly opened Sushi bar at 566 Amsterdam Avenue between 87th and 88th Street. It is a tiny restaurant with only 8 seats at the counter, specializing only in authentic Edo-style sushi. Edo-style sushi is characterized by serving sometimes marinated fish, a lighter than usual rice and a quick, brushed-on splash of soy sauce.
Sushi connoisseurs know that the best quality sushi in Japan is often found at a small place with less than 10 seats with obscure looks from outside in an ordinary neighborhood.
Takeda Sushi is exactly like that. Chef Takeda is an excellent “Itamae”, or a Japanese food craftsman with over 30 years of career. After 25 years in New York Takeda determines to open this restaurant to wield the skills of a top-notch Japanese cuisine for real sushi lovers.
Takeda does not use an assistant to operate his counter. Everything from the examination of the fish to the preparation, cooking, and final making of sushi is consistently performed all by himself .His enthusiasm and keen commitment unique to the Japanese craftsmen, which is rare to be found these days, is all reflected in the atmosphere of the store with a sleek and clean design.
Takeda Sushi is proud of the quality and freshness of its food. With few exceptions, all seafood ingredients are air-lifted from Japan. There are only two courses presented on the menu. An $85.00 course which includes appetizers, 11 sushi pieces of fresh, top quality, fresh fish, one hand roll, and a bowl of soup. Also, a $105.00 course with 14 sushi pieces with the same accompaniments as above. Many items change daily depending on the ingredients available on any given day. A lineup of 11 courses on a certain day might include the following:
Ocean Trout, Bluefin Tuna, Spot-Prawn with Sea Urchin, Striped Sea Bream, Scallops, Medium Fatty Tuna, Orang Clam, Mackerel, Sea eel, Salmon Roe…
Each piece of Sushi offers you strikingly different taste sensation. For example, the market-fresh Spot-Prawn is sweet and melting on your tongue and the Bluefin Tuna, lightly marinated in a special sauce is finely flavored with a delicate balance of soy and mirin. Meanwhile, Hirame with almost translucent texture gives you an appropriate crunch, whereas the soft sea eel provides you a subtle caramel flavor with mouth feel as soft as the finest French dessert. As a keen Edo-style follower, Chef Takeda prefers the customer to add table top soy sauce on his Sushi pieces. Instead he would give them a splash of Nikiri (boiled) Soy as the finishing touch. After all, Sushi by Takeda is simple in style but enhances complex taste of sea products to limits.
Among others, the best thing probably is that chef Takeda conducts his sushi creating in the open kitchen right in front of you. His artistic craftsmanship and lean movements seem to be a well-trained dancer’s performance, and as such are entertainment.
Business hours
Monday to Saturday
5: 30-10:30PM
Reservation required
TAKEDA
566 Amsterdam Avenue, between 87th and 88th Street
Tel: 646-370-6965
www.takedanyc.com
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