Takesushi

by Celia Sin-Tien Cheng
June 3, 2009

DAILY KAISEKI LUNCH [CLOSED]
1026 2nd Ave
(54th & 55th Sts)
New York, NY 10022
212-355-3557

Celia Cheng

I was recently introduced to Takesushi by a Japanese acquaintance and fellow food lover. He credits the quality of their sushi to the owner’s connections in the fish industry; not only do they get the freshest fish but also some of the clams that you don’t find at other restaurants.

Since I have a hard time going a week without sushi, I ventured to Takesushi for lunch and was struck to see so many Japanese ladies lunching there — both the ladies-who-lunch type and the Midtown workers — a very good sign, as Japanese ladies know where to lunch!

I knew it would not be a reasonably priced lunch, but on my first visit, I ordered my sushi a la carte because the sets on the menu looked generic, and I was eager to try all the different types of shellfish, particularly the famed clams. The sushi was fresh and it sufficed, but I was not impressed. The grumpy old sushi chefs appear to make sushi not out of love for the art but because they are paid to, which makes Takesushi not a sushi restaurant but a restaurant that serves sushi.

While I was a bit disappointed with my meal, the older Japanese couple sitting next to me was having a grand time. They were clearly regulars as the staff was not only happy to see them, but also fully engaging them in conversation. Apparently, they had come in because they were notified that one of today’s special rice bowl was their favorite tendon (short for tempura donburi, or tempura rice bowl). As they ate, I couldn’t help but be jealous of it. Since tendon is fairly common on Japanese menus, and these regulars seemed to be getting special treatment, I asked if they were eating a special off-the-menu rendition prepared just for them. The waitress explained that they only serve it when they can get the large shrimp from the market. I decided that if regulars made sure they received a call when it’s tendon day, I had to try it.

So on my next visit, I did. The tendon is a copious meal with three large shrimp and other battered and deep-fried vegetables served over a large bowl of rice and drizzled with a sweet soy-based sauce. It was good, but perhaps my expectations were too high because I didn’t think it was the best tendon ever.

Still I knew I’d have to give Takesushi another try because on both of my visits, most of the ladies were having the daily kaiseki — the lunch special, which I hadn’t tried yet. So on my third visit, I went straight for it, and I guess the third time’s the charm. A large spread of little dishes arrived to my delight. That day’s menu included sashimi of tuna and fluke, tonkatsu (pork cutlet), grilled marinated tuna, simmered eggplant with nanohana (known in English as rapeseed leaves or tender greens), accompanied by miso soup and rice. It was a generous amount of food, and the quality was surprisingly superior to most Japanese lunch specials I’ve had in the City. These days, I crave Japanese food almost daily, so I frequently get the lunch specials at Ise in Midtown because of the variety. But I always find that they sacrifice quality for quantity. Yet Takesushi’s special is not only much higher in quality, but it’s also less expensive, with the kaiseki lunch for only $12. A real steal!

During this meal, I sat next to another older Japanese couple, the husband devouring the tendon (yes, it was that day’s special rice bowl again), and the wife enjoying the daily kaiseki. When the man finished his bowl, he looked up at the Master Fryer and commended him, “This was the best tendon I’ve ever tasted.” So not only am I going back for the daily kaiseki lunch on a regular basis, but I must also try the tendon again. I have to know what everybody’s raving about.

Also in Japanese, Lunch, Midtown East