I think he meant that good restaurants generally don't bother to post the Zagat sign, even if they have a high rating.

Gypsy Boy wrote:We're intrigued and seriously thinking of going. But the website gives no prices whatsoever and, except for deesher's post above, I don't get much of a sense from other posts. Would some previous posters (or heretofore non-posting others) mind weighing in on the subject of cost? Thanks.

My wife and I went there a couple months ago and our total bill, with tip, was just over $200. Altogether we had 2 cold small plates, 2 hot small plates, 2 entrees, 2 desserts, 6 glasses of wine, and coffee.

That's on the higher end of what we spend when going out, but we really enjoyed our meal and thought it was well worth it. We're planning on going back in a couple weeks.

Mike G wrote:

Whatever city you're in, a "Zagat Rated" sign in the window of a restaurant is a pretty sure sign that the place sucks.

I think that's way too harsh, as certainly many fine restaurants do get Zagat ratings as well. I think the best way to put it is "This restaurant is apparently well thought of by people whose opinion I wouldn't trust."

My point isn't that being rated by Zagat means the place is a bad restaurant - just that putting up that specific "Zagat Rated" sign means it's a bad restaurant. The restaurant had a choice to put in a sign that actually showed what the rating was, but instead they chose the generic, meaningless "Zagat Rated". Why? Because the rating they got wasn't very good. It's like our governor touting his credentials by saying "I've been written about in the Chicago Tribune".

Okay but what if the sign is put up because the owner knows that his low rating is due to Zagat readers being people whose opinion you shouldn't trust anyway and his rating should be higher? In that case an unrated Zagat sign is an indicator of quality!

Gypsy Boy wrote:the website gives no prices whatsoever

I hate that!

Gypsy Boy wrote:Would some previous posters (or heretofore non-posting others) mind weighing in on the subject of cost? Thanks.

When we went in May, we ate three courses each, with very little alcohol (either 2-3 glasses of wine or a bottle, I don't recall specifically). The bill for four of us, including tax and tip, was $334.

It seems like whenever we go to a contemporary casual fine dining restaurant lately, and we each order three courses with moderate alcohol (typically a fourth to a half bottle of wine per person), it almost always costs $80-100 per person.

Mike G wrote:I think that's way too harsh, as certainly many fine restaurants do get Zagat ratings as well. I think the best way to put it is "This restaurant is apparently well thought of by people whose opinion I wouldn't trust."

I wouldn't say that "This restaurant is apparently well thought of...". More like "This restaurant is apparently thought of...".

Seriously, I don't think Zagat ratings are necessarily bad; in fact, they are generally good (and I bet you'd find that they correlate pretty well with other sources, like the LTH GNR list). It's just that each of us has his or her own personal taste, which at times will vary from any particular source. You or I might try a restaurant that's a GNR or highly rated on Zagat or by Vettel or whatever, and for whatever reason, we don't like it - or, vice versa, they hate it and we like it. It can be simply a matter of personal taste, as well as a bunch of other possible explanations (a bad night for the restaurant, a change in chefs, a bad choice of a particular dish, a bad night for the server, you name it).

Here are the top rated (for food) restaurants in Zagat's 2008/09 edition:

29 - Alinea, Tallgrass
28- Carlos, Les Nomades, Topolobampo, Vie, Le Titi de Paris, Niche
27 - Tru, Spring, Charlie Trotter's, Everest, Seasons, Arun's, Blackbird, Spiaggia, Hot Doug's, Frontera Grill, Avec

While you or I personally might come up with a different list, I don't think that's a bad list by any means. It's a reasonable representation of our best restaurants - especially if you take into account reasons why other people might laud praise over a place that you and I might not care for.

To continue the thread research indicates Zagat ratings are highly (although not perfectly) correlated with other measures of restaurant quality, which is pretty impressive, given that they operate on a three-point scale. Their list of most popular places is more variable.

My wife and I had an excellent dinner at Takashi last night. She ordered their Peekytoe Crab Salad (Potato Tuile, Coriander, Golden Beets, and Carrot Coulis). The dish was beautifully presented (in the architectural style of Gotham Cafe in New York). It was light and zippy with enough crab and bright vegetables. My appetizer was more seasonal: sauteed Maine scallops and soba gnocchi, trumpet royale mushrooms, and celery root-parmesan foam. The foam was a little bland - or, too be nice, subtle - but the Japanese-inflected contemporary cuisine was just fine. Granted these February scallops didn't taste as if they were off the dayboat, but they were silky and sweet (perhaps a notch overcooked for my taste, but not for others).

Our main courses were Roasted (Indiana) Duck Breast and Confit of Leg with a luscious quince compote and ginger-orange glaze. This was not the most revelatory duck dish that I have had, but it certainly was delightfully sweet and meaty. Another assured winter dish. The other main course was Scottish salmon en croute with braised savoy cabbage, salsify, and turnips with a pinot noir glaze. It was another very satisfying example of contemporary seasonal cuisine with a Japanese note. The witty thin "pastry" around the lightly cooked salmon was to invite thoughts of maki. I enjoyed the three accompanying winter-mini salads: savoy cabbage, salsify, and turnips. These were the high points of the meal.

Desserts were contemporary as well: Vanilla bean cremeaux with hazelnut cake and blood orange sorbet and Macadamia tart with mango jelly and white chocolate ice cream. Lovingly presented and very enjoyable without being overly cloying.

Takashi deserves a lot of credit for holding the torch of contemporary cuisine with just enough Japanese influences to create a distinctive personality. Service was both friendly and competent (although we were not plied with their sesame bread frequently enough). We spent about $80/person with three glasses of wine and left very satisfied.

We had an excellent meal at Takashi last night
Highlights:
The scallop part of the sashimi appetizer was delectable.
The pork belly appetizer (ours came with 3 pieces of belly and 3 buns)--Great flavor and a perfect ration of meat to fat in last night's rendition
The scallops and gnocchi with celery root-parmesan foam. I'm not generally won over by foam but this was a nice addition to picture-perfect scallops (flown in daily from Maine per our server). I would have been happy with a big bucket of these and nothing else.
The chicken in a clay pot was a great example of how excellent ingredients expertly prepared but with a simple preparation can really shine. I wouldn't have ordered this without our waiter's recommendation but I was glad we did.

The short rib appetizer was good but not mind-blowing--very similar to Korean kalbi (an above-average rendition). I did enjoy the brown rice underneath with little bits of chinese sausage and the squash on top.

We also enjoyed the dark chocolate cremaux dessert. I'm not a big dessert person but I like dark chocolate, which prompted my ordering this. Actually, though, I thought the best part of the plate was the little pistachio cake that came with it.

Service was just perfect. Our waiter was very knowledgable and attentive but not intrusive. He noticed me opening a birthday card (yep, I'm 29, again) and brought out an extra dessert (a little praline cake, very good).

We also enjoyed the wine list. They have a nice selection with mostly French and Spanish wines and a diverse range of choices by the glass (not just the standards but also Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Cab/tempranillo--last night they offered a Chinon by the glass as well). Most were very affordable.

I will definitely return.

I just wanted to add to the good reviews of Takashi. A friend, my boyfriend and I went there Saturday evening and everything was fantastic. We started with the sashimi trio which was really delicious. The scallop was fantastic, the tuna like butter and the chili eggplant under the shrimp was fabulous. I could have eaten a whole bowl of just the eggplant. We also had the asparagus salad with a perfectly poached egg. It is amazing how often the poached egg is incorrectly done. The spring rolls were tasty, but certainly nothing terribly memorable. We also had the scallops with gnocchi. I love gnocchi, but found this version a little dense for my taste. On the other hand, the scallop was cooked to perfection. It had the fabulous crust on the outside without being the slightest bit dry on the inside. I was also surprised how generous a portion it was being one of the hot starters. There were three large scallops plus a very nice portion of gnocchi. Finally, I had the skate wing for my entree. Again, it was just perfectly cooked. In the past, I have found skate wing a little too meaty and tough for my taste, but this piece was moist and almost flaky. Too full for dessert although they kindly brought us a five spice chocolate thing (sorry, I am not sure exactly what it was) that was good but I might have been just too full to enjoy. Service was absolutely delightful; not too intrusive but very friendly and informative. All in all, I highly recommend Takashi.

+1 good experience at Takashi. My husband and I had dinner there last night, and the food and service were outstanding. We sampled the small plates instead of ordering entrees. We had the pate trio, sashimi, pork belly, soft shell crab and sweetbreads. The foie and chicken liver mousse, and pickled veggies from the pate trio were outstanding, the shrimp and scallops from the sashimi likewise. The pork belly was phenomenal (and completely Chinese in flavor - I remember having this dish, and the mantou/steamed bun, as a child many times. The soft shell crab was prepared tempura style in a dashi broth. Very good, but wonder why they served the tempura in the broth, as pieces we did not immediately fish out lost their tempura crunch in the broth. Finally, the sweetbreads. I have to say, the preparations at Alinea and Schwa both trumped Takashi's. I think the onion and bacon sauce/base that the sweetbreads were served with was the best part of the dish. The sweetbreads themselves were not crunchy on the outside as the server described, but were otherwise perfectly cooked - impressive for such a large piece of thymus.

Service was outstanding. We will definitely be back. And I have to put a plug in the ginger-lime martini. It was delicious!!

I haven't been to Takashi yet, but I am more curious about it than ever after listening to his interview about his new book (Takashi's Noodles) on the May 23rd episode of the Splendid Table podcast.

My wife and I went back to Takashi tonight and had a very mixed experience. We've been going there about twice a month for the last year or so and really enjoy it. We really liked the food there tonight (as always), but the service ended being one of the the worst experiences we've ever had.

First the food - the Yuzu ceviche was great, the seafood was well spiced and fresh - it had not been sitting and over marinading in the acid, it was just right. Really tasty (though I'm not into beans, so I didn't eat those). The Carpaccio was great as well, the ginger dipping sauce gives a really good variation on an old standard. The veal sweetbread was well cooked with a great sauce, the Pork Belly was great (as always), and the Chicken in Clay pot and Duck were great as well.

The service ended up being a nightmare. We were seated next to a table that obviously had some sort of business interest for Takashi - no problem there. But about halfway through our meal our server kept making hand gestures to someone behind us (a manger we believe) and would walk away from us mid sentence. This happened while she was speaking to us or we were speaking to her. It was really kind of crazy, we would be asked what we would like for the second course and after two words came out of our mouths she just walked away mid sentence. This happened repeatedly. She would then walk over to the table next to us and talk to them for 5 to 10 minutes about being from Michigan and other random things. It was so obviously a problem she came over to apologize - but would then just walk away again. At the end of the meal we cancelled our dessert order and a manger came by to apologize and said he would comp us on some things - it ended up being $10 off a $190 bill. It was a gesture, but a pretty lame one. I think our server was being pulled in a lot of different directions and tried to deal with it as best as possible, but the situation was managed very poorly.

This was really kinda sad for me, because I do think this place is great, I love both the restaurant and the Takashi Noodle book. I've recommended the restaurant to many friends, but this was the most off-putting service I've ever experienced.

Thinking about doing the prix fixe option here on Tuesday. I have a res at Cafe Des Architectes for the same day, but am certainly willing to change it. Has anyone done the prix fixe lately/any recent dining experiences here?

So Takashi offers a "noodle lunch" on Sundays--has since July. Finally got here today. Noodles made in house, sourced from Japan. Etc. Easy to walk into at 12:15PM with the Bears on and the throngs further down at Hot Chocolate.

We started with a few "snacks": a log of caramelized of pork belly on top of a mantou and some spicy mustard, as well as some duck fat fried chicken. The former was fine, though it didn't make me long for those DIY pork belly sammies that the deceased KS Seafood specialized in; the chicken was good--it was broken up in chunks the way it is at the Korean FC joints--but wasn't in the league of the offerings at TAC or Spoon.

The ramen and soba, however, were the best in Chicago. That's damning them with faint praise, I know, but Takashi's doing his part: the shoyu was deeply salty and porky, with lovely hunks of pork belly and hardboiled egg adding richness; the soba's soy-dashi broth was memorably perked up with yuzu. Noodles: perfectly toothsome, certainly among the best thin egg/wheat I've had in town. We added tempura to the soba and were pleased with the seasonal offerings: shisito peppers, acorn squash among them. Finished with a soy-coconu panna cotta with mango and rasberry that was just the right size and lightness to end the day.

With a glass of chablis and tip, lunch ran $65--not exactly Toast, you know? But it's nice to have it as a Sunday option and will probably swing by when I need my ramen fix.

How much was the ramen? Am craving a bowl like whoa but could probably wait until next Sunday if it's worth the wait. I'm guessing it's not on the normal menu?

Ramen was $11.

Anyone tried the tasting menu recently? Thoughts? Hopes? Dreams? Wishes?

$25 for $50 Groupon deal today - http://www.groupon.com/chicago/

FYI, the Takashi website lists their Zagat rating at 29.

http://www.takashichicago.com/press/

Does anyone know if the ramen can be ordered for dinner? or is it just a lunchtime thing?

pacent wrote:Does anyone know if the ramen can be ordered for dinner? or is it just a lunchtime thing?

Check out their online menu at:
http://www.takashichicago.com/menu/

I would call to confirm if the menu is up to date, too. It looks like noodles are only available at lunch, and lunch is only available on Sunday.

Share your experience after you check it out.

pacent wrote:Does anyone know if the ramen can be ordered for dinner? or is it just a lunchtime thing?

The ramen is a Sunday lunch thing only. I'd definitely try it though -- my wife and I really enjoyed it, especially as something different for Sunday brunch/lunch.

Can you just walk in on Sunday for ramen lunch or should one try and make reservations? I would think it is NOT the kind of place you bring kids to even for lunch?

bjt

I walked in around 2pm without a reservation, but it was not busy. I imagine Takashi getting a Groupon rush. Also, there were two families with kids during lunch, including one stroller. Lunch is definitely more relaxed than dinner.

I just nabbed a reservation at 11:30 am tomorrow for Sunday "noodle lunch." My husband and I are taking our two boys, who are 3 and 7. I am excited about the ramen and a teentsy bit nervous about the boys. But maybe they will act like they did when we went to the Publican -- they were so startled to be in "fancy" restaurant with fabric napkins that they sat straight up up the entire time sort of taking it in wide-eyed. I do know that my eldest digs the Macy's version of Takashi's ramen, he once almost ate my whole bowl,so that's a good sign.

I will report back . . . hopefully with nothing but happy news.

bjt

bjt wrote:I just nabbed a reservation at 11:30 am tomorrow for Sunday "noodle lunch." My husband and I are taking our two boys, who are 3 and 7. I am excited about the ramen and a teentsy bit nervous about the boys. But maybe they will act like they did when we went to the Publican -- they were so startled to be in "fancy" restaurant with fabric napkins that they sat straight up up the entire time sort of taking it in wide-eyed. I do know that my eldest digs the Macy's version of Takashi's ramen, he once almost ate my whole bowl,so that's a good sign.

I will report back . . . hopefully with nothing but happy news.

bjt

It sounds like huge fun to slurp noodles with a 3 and 7 year old. Even in "fancier" surroundings, the noodles would be so comforting, I'll bet they enjoy it...and I'm looking forward to hearing how much they did.

Encouraged by TacCrazy's specific but crucial details i.e. there were children there . . . and inspired by David Hammond's kind & encouraging words, I feel like we head off to Takashi tomorrow with a double spring in our collective ramen-seeking step. White tablecloths be damned. Or not damned, per se, but maybe engaged with some ModelMagic or PlayMobile dudes while we wait as nicely and quietly as we can for big bowls of Takashi Ramen . . . I do think my boys will be slurping happily . . .

I have been posting here for more than 5 years, but it's nice to be reminded that it's not just about commenting, reviewing or kvetching, sometimes it's still about helping someone just simply suss out a few key details. Thanks.

bjt

I am thrilled to report that my family had a completely lovely and intensely satisfying meal at Takashi today, with lots of happy slurping and total pork indulgence. The boys did really well (I did bring art supplies) and in fact there were a few other tables that had children too. Our waitress was warm and gently tried to talk us out of ordering a third bowl of the ramen but I didn't think my miso ramen would be enough to share with the two boys and I got the feeling that my eldest wanted his own big bowl to claim his own. So we had two bowls of Miso ramen and my husband got the Shoyu. He also ordered the Pork Belly Snack and the Takashi Salad. Like I said, there was a lot of pork going on but every single bite was amazing. The salad was a nice balance to tall the pork and my 7 year-old snacked away on the little fried lotus root slices. Just so you know, he is an insanely picky eater, crazy picky, so to see him munching away on lotus and tucking into a giant bowl of uber-porky broth, with a huge grin on his face, that was worth the price of admission. My 3 year-old is a true LTHer in the making, he grabbed my camera and took pictures of the pork belly and his kiddie cocktail.

Our waitress was right, we couldn't eat it all but I am not sad knowing that I have leftovers (although not sure how the noodles will hold up). As far as logistics, we were seated on the first floor at the table that is right in front of the door. Next time I make reservations I will ask to be seated upstairs, it just seemed a little more mellow up there. And since we were literally right next to the hostess stand we heard at least a dozen groups be turned away (and we got that special blast of cold air every time the door opened). it was definitely hopping and reservations seem to be the way to go. I am hoping to try the Udon next time, I have only ever had Udon at Sunshine Cafe so I have very little in the way of comparison, but I was watching a woman enjoy it across from us and it looked pretty amazing. But then again, I can't imagine not having the Miso Ramen . . .

I am already plotting when I can take my oldest on a special Mom/Son date. And we are thinking of renting Tampopo tonight. So I think the Takashi effect has been a brilliant one. Oh and right as we walked in Mr. Yagahashi greeted us warmly and then went back to the kitchen and we didn't see him again the rest of the meal.

I am so glad we went, thanks again for the tips!

bjt

I am glad you had a wonderful meal. I am craving their Sunday Noodle Lunch and will probably go this weekend. I made the Noodles by Takashi (in Macy's on State Street) a regular Loop lunch spot for me during the work week but their ramen is not of the same quality.

I have reservations for the noodle brunch this Sunday. Can't wait to try it based on the comments on this thread. I'll report back. Maybe I'll see you there TAC Crazy.

The wife and I went here for lunch today. I ordered the Shoyu ramen and she had the Nabeyaki udon. Both of us were left totally unimpressed.

I was more interested to try out the ramen, as it is relatively difficult to come across a place that makes authentic Japanese ramen. I came in with the expectation that this place would be on par or better than what could be found at Mitsuwa's food court. The noodles were okay, but did not have the texture found at the noodle from Santoka. The broth was no where near as complex and rich. The menma or bamboo shoots tasted like they came straight out of a can. The pork was big chunks of hard and chewy meat, lacking any flavor at all.

The Nabeyaki udon turned out to be better than the ramen, but it wasn't any better than a Nabeyaki udon found at any number of Chicago's Japanese restaurants. It came with 2 pieces of shrimp tempura, half a soft boiled egg, fish cake, chicken, and other traditional accompliments. The broth was acceptable, but for the portion size, not worth the 13 dollars.