Takao — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Worst Omakase I've ever had.

I work really close to head and have always been intimidated to go since I've heard a lot of great things about it. I heard how the owner of N/naka used to work here, etc etc

Well one day I decided to go and opted for the Omakase which you can pick $120, $150, and $200 options. I went for the $150.

The dishes started out okay, nothing super memorable, I even had a chawanmushi that was laughable, it had one tiny shrimp, what appeared to be maybe a quail egg yolk, and maybe a clam. I had a few decent options too, one piece of toro, one piece of salmon. Then I got this steamed shrimp dish that was very memorable- but not in a good way. I have attached a picture. The shrimp head was deep fried while the shrimp body was steamed and was displayed split with all of its eggs there as well. I'm not a huge fan of cavier, especially when you can see eyes. Also I thought pregnant shellfish was off limits for consumption? Even after all that I tried it anyways, and can now honestly say-not a fan. The shrimp tasted average, not worth the trauma of the presentation.

Then we get to a section of the omakase where they asked me if I wanted noodles or sushi? I picked sushi, and got a plate of some rather forgettable sushi, and then they asked me which soup I wanted. I couldn't understand her very well on what the choices were, so I picked the Miso clams one. Well the clams barely had any meat- It wasn't even worth trying to eat them.

Now lets talk about service. I was here sitting at the bar for almost TWO HOURS. (my parking ticket stamp was 6:15, and when I got back in my car it was 8:09) Bar service is usually faster? but not here. After a while I flagged the waitress down to tell her I just wanted my check. She said I still had dessert which consisted of ice cream, and visibly annoyed I said it was okay I have to go and I'll just pass. She brought me the check and I figured they'd atleast discount me on the dessert, but nope still charged me $150. Parking is also $10 in the back to park your own car (at least thats what they made me do).

Overall I will definitely not be back and I highly do NOT recommend this overhyped place. I overheard a few people who were so excited to be there, one couple for their anniversary, and another table exclaiming it was the best sushi place ever. I'm sorry Brentwood but there's so many better choices just a little further out, I understand the "prestige" of living west of the 405, but just venture out and you'll find MUCH better sushi...

I found out about the place because of Netflix documentary Chef's Table and since then always wanted to go and meet Chef Takao and taste his food. I finally got to go and ordered the Omakase menu. It was a whole new and different experience and I got to taste really different Japanese dishes from what I'm used to in my country and my trips abroad. It was quite an interesting experience overall and I even got to take a picture with Takao! He's a very nice and humble person. Service is very good, starting from the moment you book your reservation. The restaurant has kind of a family vibe and they make you feel very welcomed. That's probably why a lot of locals visit the place and are regular customers. I stayed for a while talking to one of those customers and got the chance to speak a little bit with Takao and his crew. It's definitely a place you want to visit if you have the...

We ate lite so didn't venture far into the menu; that didn't keep us from admiring the BEAUTIFUL things distributed to fellow diners over the night or overhearing pleased diners who enthused openly (sometimes loudly) over something delicious. When I entered most of the tables had reserved signs. They were filled from that point on in the evening.

The sushi we did get was quiet and delicious. Texture is sometimes the most important thing in raw foods. You don't notice it so much unless it's bad, or really good. It's really good at Takao. Their little rolls looked beautiful. Things resting on banana leaves, cooked items, looked delicious.

The decor is clean, simple and light. It's much more lovely than it appears from outside. It's a little tight, especially at the sushi bar where we...