Ta-Ke Sushi - Sashimi Review

Restaurant: Ta-Ke Sushi (Sashimi Review)
Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Last visited: September 18, 09

Area: Surrey, BC
#104-15335 Hwy 10
Price Range: $10-20

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: Tres Excellent!!

Food: 4 (Based only on sashimi only)
Service: 3
Ambiance: 2
Overall: 2.5
Additional comments:

• This review is only based on their sashimi
  
• Japanese owned and operated
• Expensive for this type of restaurant
• Attracts locals within the area
• Extensive menu
• Japanese Fusion items available
• Take-out/to-go
• Closes 9:30pm (Sat.Sun closes at 8:30pm)
• Only dinner service on Sunday

**Recommendation: Tuna Sashimi

Tried this restaurant randomly. It's in Surrey in a rather new/semi-residential area so the crowd it attracts are residents living nearby. It's a rather large restaurant, but the ambiance is that of any other casual Japanese restaurant. They charge above average for all their items and I'm assuming they can get away with this because there are limited options when it comes to Japanese dining in this area. There is one other one, but this one is also expensive. It is owned and run by Japanese people, however it still caters to a Western crowd and I am still confused as to why "bulgogi" items (a popular Korean dish) are on the menu. The dinner and lunch boxes are also expensive for this type of restaurant, so really you would only go here if you lived nearby, was craving Japanese, and you didn't want to drive out to "the city".

I only tried the plum wine and the sashimi because we went here after dinner for a midnight snack - although the restaurant closed at 9:30pm on a Friday! Therefore this review will only be based on their sashimi.

On the table:

• Assorted Sashimi (all raw) 4/6
  
• 3 salmon, 3 tuna, 3 sockeye, 4 herring sashimi, 2 shrimps, 2 scallops, 2 surf clams (The menu says 15 pieces, but I don't know how they're counting it, cause it's not)

• Everything was fresh and that's the most important part. The cut and sashimi grade was not bad, but not the best either. It's still a little more expensive ($18.95) than what you would pay at another Japanese restaurant of the same caliber.
• My favourite was actually the tuna sashimi. I am not a fan of tuna and would much rather have salmon - except at this restaurant the tuna was really good and fresh. I also found a bone in my salmon so that kind of threw me off.
  
• Next favourite would have been the sockeye.
  
• Herring Sashimi 3/6
  
• I think this is the first time I've had herring sashimi. I was really surprised to see it actually. It's more of an exotic sashimi because you don't see it come up too often. It's the yellow one you see in the photo. It tastes like masago but crunchier. So it's quite salty tasting. It doesn't fall apart either - it's the texture of very tightly packed roe - so tightly packed it's almost crunchy. Like a crunchy tamago, but instead of an actual egg it's fish eggs. It was quite enjoyable, but eat it with a little wasabi...as you should with any sashimi.

• I don't have much to compare this to because I don't recall trying it anywhere else, but if you can't find it anywhere else, then try it here - although overall the restaurant wouldn't be worth the drive unless you live within the area.

Drinks

• Plum Wine 3/6
• You can get this at most Japanese restaurants that serve alcohol. It's a traditional Japanese wine made of plums. It's a pretty sweet wine though. It was not bad, something different and interesting to try. I would say it's a nice after dinner drink.