There was a mention of Takashi in an earlier thread about Scylla, and I thought to share our experience in it's own post in case anyone else might have something to add. My girlfriend and I went to Takashi Sunday night prior to seeing the BMG. I have to say that it was one of our best experiences in Chicago, second only to our trip to Alinea last month. Scanning through the menu ahead of time, the small plate selections were what caught our eye first. The entrees definitely looked appealing, but weren't anything that absolutely cried out to us. We did see a few of these go down on another table, and they appeared to be pretty well constructed, but we'll have to try them another time. We deigned not to steal a menu, which is unfortunate, since their website menu isn't fully updated. Please excuse any lapse in detail. (I noticed after writing this that my detail level on the dishes I drooled over was pretty evidently impressed when compared with those I simply loved.) We chose Big Eye Tuna Tartare, as opposed to the Seared version. The tartare had a lot of flavor, and was served with crispy rice chips that had enough crunch to support the weight of the fish, but not so much that chewing took away from the feel and flavor of the tuna. Amberjack was served in two pieces, paired with two pieces of King Salmon. They were both extremely fresh and full of unseasoned flavor. A soy-type substance (that totally wasn't soy) was served with them, but we didn't make too much use of it. Seriously, fresh fish on a plate tasting this good didn't need anything to dress it up further. Hama-Hama Oyster was a trio that we would have eaten a dozen more of. It was garnished with tomato water and some sort of oil, topped with sea urchin and tasted like a sensual miracle. Again, we would have eaten a lot more than just three of them. Yum. Peekytoe Crab Fondue was the least of our favorites. The fondue and beet juice made for a great flavor combination when mixed, and the presentation was great, but we weren't terribly impressed with the crab. It was far from a bad dish, but, when compared to some of the others, it suffered in comparison when it may have stood higher on its own. Seared Scallops with Soba Gnocchi, Celery Root-Parmesan Foam was awesome. I'm a sucker for scallops, and everyone seems to do them in fairly conventional ways. The soba gnocchi was phenomenal, especially when you consider how hard it is to make legitimate soba, and the go on to process that into a remarkably tender and flavorful gnocchi. Even the scallops were perfect in their searing: golden brown on the outer surface, but totally rare inside. Even my girlfriend, who hates ordering something as plain as scallops when we go out, loved this dish. Grilled Quail, semi-boneless, was served over a rice with sausage, shiitake mushrooms and salsify and was extremely tender. After some hesitation, picking up the little drumsticks to eat them made us laugh, since they're so delicate and it seems to be so casual with a dinner we were taking very seriously. At least as seriously as you can be after a bottle and a half of a great cava. Note, the wines by the glass are pretty nice, and I enjoyed the albarino a lot, especially with the body and acidity it displayed when matched against the tartare. Caramel Pork Belly was probably the best dish of the night. Served with a sliced, steamed bun, petit salad and a dab of mustard, we were advised that the Chef suggested making sandwiches. I'll eat anything as a sandwich, and stacking each of these elements together was a little on the unsophisticated side, but the flavors? So totally worth a little sauce on your fingertips. I can still remember feeling how my mouth watered at the smell of the dish. The belly had just enough body to it to provide a base for an actual chew, rather than melting away as braised pork belly tends to do. The dish was slightly sweet, but still had a fully savory sensability to it. However much time I spent in the South, I have been ruined for pork. After those, we got a weird look from Cassandra when we ordered four desserts. I love the sweets, and I'm always trying to see what's new and what's next from everyone. With the cooking I've been involved in, I expect to see chefs using molds and forms and technique that goes further than simply slicing a cake or putting a torch to sugar. I wasn't disappointed. While we didn't see anything quite Jacque Torres in chocolatiering, the two chocolate desserts we tried, the Pave and Crispy Rice Milk Crunch were light, tasted great and looked very cleanly presented, if somewhat reminiscient of what I did in school. They weren't a terribly far cry from eachother when it comes to the tastes and flavors involved, but they were very good. The crunch stood out simply for the white coffee ice cream. No flecks and no tan color, just great flavor. The Tropical Fruit Brunoise with passion fruit sorbet was next and it was wonderfully light and everything was cut as a nearly perfect brunoise. I love seeing something like that in the title, because I'm immediately going to inspect for it. Needless to say, he delivered. Lastly, the Pear Financier was great. It was served warm and soft, with kumquat marmalade and vanilla ice cream (with flecks). It was a great end, lacking the rich weight of the chocolate desserts. Chef Takashi did stop by our table and was very gracious, as was our server Cassandra. I would absolutely recommend a trip there, and we'll definitely go back the next time we're shopping in Wicker Park.
