Takashi

We made a reservation and went the restaurant on time. They made us wait 40 minutes and told us we have to wait another 20 mints. The food was OK but may not worth for the price. I will not visit Takashi again.

Takashi is a Chicago gem with consistently great food, good service and a nice (non-pretentious) atmosphere. Try the pork belly buns or steak tartar - which are available on both the regular and Sunday night noodle menus. And be prepared for Chef Takashi himself to stop by your table and chat with you about your dinner. It's a fantastic change of pace for such a delicious restaurant. Can't wait to go back.

The dishes were well thought out and the service was unpretentious attentive. Although many of the diners were, um, what appeared to be a personality mismatch for the staff and cuisine (read: kinda douchey) it was still an amazing experience and I can't wait to go back for their noodle brunch and check out next season's menu.

We tried Takashi based on a raving recommendation and the Tribune review. Overall, the restaurant was pleasant enough, but seemed to be a bit confused as to whether it was a casual spot or fine dining - and did an awkward job of finding a place between. To start, we ordered the summer roll, which was mostly hard bread crust and tasted overwhelmingly of smoked fish and capers. Not bad but not great. Next we sampled the pork belly (the item about which I was the most excited), which was completely overshadowed by the small salad which was meant to be its garnish. In addition, the scallops were almost impossible to find under the silly parmesan foam, and lacked any sort of flavor or texture. For our entrees we ordered the salmon, which was overcooked on the outside to the point that it was hard and cold and raw on the inside, making me think it was pre-frozen. It was also drowned in a passe pesto-type sauce. I do have to say the eggplant and potatoes with it were good, but something I could have made at home. The duck entree was also disappointing. I was expecting what was listed on the menu - duck with quince -but received a plate covered in beets, which completely overwhelmed the taste of everything else. The duck breast itself was room temperature and seemed like it sat on the counter for too long after being sliced. The duck confit was very good, however. Finally, we were hoping to try some of chef Takashi's famous noodles, but there were none on the menu. Fortunately, dinner was not expensive, since we had to eat an hour later, having sent back nearly full plates. Totally underwhelming.