TAKEDA — Restaurant in New York

The other day, I experienced omakase at TAKEDA for the first time. The space was as tranquil as ever.The light jazz music playing in the background stirred my heart more.

The "appetizer" was salmon with dill oil. The orange dressing gently coats the salmon, which has just come out of the northern sea. The scent of the ocean and citrus fruits create an unexpected chemistry. Next is kampachi or Amber Jack sashimi. The elegant plum sauce is a light accent. As with the other items, the fish is directly from the Toyosu market in Tokyo. After all, the crunchiness is outstanding.

The next dish, a bowl of soup, is very elaborate. Steamed silver cod on top of slices of zucchini. On top of that, there are steamed lotus dumplings, a local delicacy of Kanazawa. The accompanying red bell pepper's light bitter taste contrasts nicely with the dumplings.

Then, the "first half" of the nigiri-sushi sequence begins. By the way, all sushi at this restaurant are served by hand, one by one, from Mr. Takeda. The only seasoning is the boiled-down soy sauce prepared by the chef, and customers are basically not allowed to add soy sauce from a small plate. The sushi lineup that day included Nodoguro (black seabass) from Tsushima,Nagasaki, Button Shrimps from Hokkaido (the rice grips are intentionally softened to enhance their texture), and salmon roe (a type of salmon roe called Sujiko, which is also from Hokkaido, and is at its best when it is out of season). Following was Kinmedai or Golden Eye Snapper(a non-migratory type of local Kinmedai called Jikinme) from the port of Choshi, Chiba, and the sushi section concluded with the renowned eel from Hamamatsu.

After being bombarded with so much sushi, it was tempting to turn in a different direction. Perhaps sensing my mood, grilled sea bass appeared. I was relieved to see the harmony of the autumn taste of shiitake mushrooms and light sea bass. Soon after, the tuna, which had been aged for six weeks, was served. The taste of fermentation, almost like being marinated in miso, was quite an acquired taste, but it was a pleasant surprise. The next dish that shook our palates to the core was Matsugasa-age (fried sweet sea bream). A very Japanese dish is given a Western touch thanks to the balsamic vinegar, mashed potatoes, corn, and tomatoes that accompany it. Westerners may feel relieved here.

Just when you thought you had been steered in the direction of the Western style with all your might, the second half of the nigiri-sushi sequence begins. Starting with sea urchin from Hokkaido, followed by horse mackerel (seared) from Oita, sea bream, and striped horse mackerel, it all comes to a close with snow crab soup.

The kaleidoscopic variety of dishes makes one feel quite full, but the finale is a hand roll of Negitoro and dried bonito flakes, an elegant roll handed to me by Chef Takeda, and I am deeply moved to think that this is the end of the meal. The final dish of the day was the "Matcha Mousse with Brown Sugar Sauce. If you still have room in your stomach, you can order additional dishes after...

Takeda is an exceptional combination of perfect fish, expert preparation, and relaxed but precise service. It’s easily the best sushiya on the Upper West Side and one of the best in the city.

I’m not an omakase veteran so if you aren’t either there’s a few things you should know: This isn’t a normal western restaurant where you go to laugh and chat with your dining companion over a meal; this is a temple to sushi and you’re here to watch a master at work. If I had to describe the energy I would say it’s pleasantly reverent. Everyone at the counter was very respectful but also quite hushed. There’s one 20 course menu and you have to trust Takeda-san will choose the freshest seasonal fish. You will pay around $300 per person (menu, drinks, and tax + tip) for the privilege of enjoying what Takeda-san has selected for you and it’s going to be a work of art that is unique to that evening. The price is both completely extravagant and an incredible deal when you consider the sourcing of the fish, the virtuosity of the chef, and the level of service. The service is relaxed but also precise. The staff to diner ratio is higher than 1:1 and everything was timed for a perfectly paced meal. We arrived at 6:33 and realized we were paying our...

This place must be avoided.

I don't write reviews often but I feel this is a must.

This is my second time back at Takeda, first being in 2022. Now the place has not only gone downhill it really is sad from the dirty entrance to the bathrooms to stained uniforms on the chef and the waitress.

The food is not bad but here is the problem: I suspect they switch wines.

I frequently bring wines for corkage. This time around I also brought a well chilled (3 hrs in the fridge) wine. When I was delayed receiving the wine, I asked and got "it is warm."

I was perplexed and demanded I get a glass and was served lukewarm wine that is clearly not the pedigree of the wine I'd brought for a 100 bucks corkage.

Now there is no way for me or anyone to demand to see the kitchen in search of my chilled wine. Then I began to wonder is anything they serve what they claim it is? Hokkaido uni to kinki from Hokkaido? What about any wine ordered?

I've frequented many omakase places and this is the first time in my twenty years dining in NY that I witnessed a blatant wine change.

Lesson learned. But I felt obligated for others to be warned about this place. Do not order drinks unless you are fine with not knowing what you...