Magically Inventive Dishes at Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant
Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant
811 Wilshire Blvd., 21st Floor
Los Angeles, Ca 90017
(213) 236-9600
In August, Takami Sushi & Robata Restaurant appeared in the sky above Downtown. Directed by the signs into an alley in the financial district, I cut the wheel and turned the car over to the valet parking attendant. Taking the elevator in an old business building, I pressed the button for the 21st floor.
The door opened to the dim lighting of the penthouse where I had arrived. The lighting in the wall of the stylish front entryway makes me think of that of skyscrapers at night as I headed to the lounge. Making my way through a wall of people, the vista of skyscrapers lit at night was spread before my eyes. It was the light from real skyscrapers. I caught my breath as I stopped to linger. Glass panels in that direction surrounded the whole open area that was like a patio where one could enjoy the lounge and the dining room. It seemed to dissolve into the sky and I was reluctant to forgo a patio dinner, but I had already decided on the sushi bar for this night.
A tasting was in prospect with Executive Chef Kenny Yamada, who is the subject of much discussion, as the escort. Kenny Yamada was connected with the opening of Katsu-Ya in Encino and SHU (Sushi House Unico) in Bel Air and has been active as the executive chef of Bambi in Malibu. He has won many awards, such as 2002 LA Night Life’s “Best and Most Innovative Chef in LA,” Best Chef at the 2002 Japan Expo in LA, 2005 California Sushi Master and many others.
No sooner had I settled into my seat at the sushi bar, when Kenny showed me his scrapbook. Next to a portrait of the actor Kenny Yamada, I caught sight of him in his younger days assuming the pose of a boxer. At that point Kenny raised his left hand and said, “Look at this here. I will only show it to you this one time.” A single serving of rice for sushi was in his palm. I was staring at his hand wondering what would happen when he clenched his fist with the sushi rice and the instant when he opened the hand, it was completely empty. Wonderful! Many people know that Kenny is a member of SAG (Screen Actors Guild), but would be surprised to find out that he was originally a boxer as well as a magician.
With the preliminaries ended, it was time for the creative Kenny Yamada’s cuisine to take center stage.
Dish 1: Poki Martini, Spicy Tuna Poki with Three Layer Caviar Mashed Potato served with Cucumber and Red Onions and Topped with Takami Sauce $14.00
In a martini glass, orange colored and white mashed potatoes are packed in alternating layers, on top of which is avocado, young wakame seaweed, shiso beefsteak plant leaves, red onions and cucumber, prepared with spicy tuna to become a production with outstanding freshness. Red and yellow caviar top the gorgeous Poki gracefully.
Best pairing: Ginjo “Akita Toji”
Next best pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai “Mune no Uchi”
Dish 2: Creamy Rock Shrimp Tempura Purse, spicy Tempura Rock Shrimp in an Egg Wrap $16.00
A big crepe wrapping is impressive. In the center is scallion divided by prepared rings of carrots. In front of that are finely sliced cucumbers that spread out like the lines in a woodblock print. It is the model of a traditional Japanese design that gives a Japanese person like myself a thrill. Surrounding it is sweet orange sauce placed so as to produce the image of the sun. Plunging the chopsticks into the wrap, the large rock shrimp roll around covered in a cream sauce. Once in the mouth, a strong spiciness stings the tongue and the freshness spurs one on to eat.
Best pairing: Tokubetsu Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo, “Kimura”
Dish 3: Pop Art Crab, Tempura Style Dungeness Crab and Avocado Wrapped in Soy Paper served with Rainbow Sauce, $16.00
This is truly pop art in which a flower garden is drawn. An avocado and crab roll contains seven kinds of sauces like small scattered flowers. A cucumber butterfly is also adorable. The light as a feather and gentle avocado and crab roll with rainbow sauce gives seven times the pleasure. Topped with minced and deep fried crunchy carrots gives it a natural sweetness that is heavenly.
Best pairing: Daiginjo Genshu “Bisuikan”
Next best pairing: Ginjo “Akita Toji”
Dish 4: Seared Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno, Topped with Onion Ponzu Sauce, Sliced Jalapeno and Garnished with a Micro Sweet Corn, $17.00
Thick slices of hamachi yellowtail and nicely fatty hamachi belly are served with vegetables and young wakame seaweed and spread out in a heaping portion on a plate. The freshness is accented by a citrus ponzu sauce that makes it all the more enjoyable.
Best pairing: Daiginjo Genshu “Bisuikan”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Dish 5: Spicy Albacore Sashimi, Crispy Garlic, Onion and Rice Cracker with Spicy Creamy Miso Sauce, $15.00
This is a celebratory dish that makes one feel that Christmas or New Years has come early. Sliced daikon radish evokes a Christmas tree and cucumber makes a fine five-leaved pine. Lemon represents a dragon. With that art as the background, thick slices of albacore are heaped on top. Two types of arare crackers, fried onions and garlic are liberally sprinkled on the dish, which is doused with a sweet vinegar sauce. The full helping served gives satisfaction with this dish.
Best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Next best pairing: Daiginjo “Fuku Komachi”
Dish 6: Tropical Avocado Bowl, Fresh Sashimi with Mango, Onion and Avocado, $17.00
An avocado cut in half is used as the serving bowl with a mixture of mango and avocado and a full helping of roughly chopped albacore sashimi. The veil of sweetness of the mango envelops the mystical taste for a satisfying feeling. On the side there is Camembert cheese encircling asparagus and surrounding it are colorful garnishes that fill the dish.
Best pairing: Daiginjo “Fuku Komachi”
Next best pairing: Ginjo “Akita Toji”
Dish 7: Arare Calamari, Calamari Rings Covered in Arare Crackers with Cilantro Aioli, $9.00
After enjoying heaping portions of sashimi, arare cracker calamari give a fresh reset to the palate. The unique taste of the arare crackers that cover it and the crispiness makes for a wonderful snack. On the side there is spicy mayonnaise for an elegant taste to enjoy.
Best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Next best pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai “Mune no Uchi”
Dish 8: Sweet Scallop Present, Sweet Tempura Bay Scallops in an Egg Wrap, $16.00
This is the scallop version of the Creamy Rock Shrimp Tempura Purse. Artistically, a circle is drawn with an uni sea urchin sauce in this adult dish. If, to the eye, the Rock Shrimp Purse is the sun, this is the moon.
Best pairing: Tokubetsul Honjozo “Tsukiyo”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
Dish 9: Five Varieties of Handmade Nigiri Sushi 1) Salmon with Ikura, Salmon Roe $6.00/2 pcs.
This is a unique oyako parent and child nigiri. It is lightly seared and to be eaten after sprinkling lemon juice on top.
Best pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai “Mune no Uchi”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
2) Hirame Engawa with Uni Sea Urchin and Shiso $8.00/2 pcs.
A beautiful cherry colored engawa is infused with a delicious sauce. Inside the mouth, the uni sea urchin offers up a unique mellowness. The aroma of the shiso beefsteak plant leaf gives it a remarkably exquisite flavor.
Best pairing: Ginjo “Akita Toji”
Next best pairing: Junmai Nigori “Hadare Yuki”
3) Maguro Zuke $6. 00/2 pcs.
I was offered sushi in the original Edo Era (1600-1868) style and was grateful to try. This maguro tuna is served in just the way that it was in the Edo times.
Best pairing: Tokubetsu Junmai “Mune no Uchi”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
4) Ono with Fried Onion, Arare and Fried Garlic $6.00/2 pcs.
The sprinkled arare crackers are cute. It is crunchy on the palate. Delicious.
Best pairing: Special Junmai “Mune no Uchi”
Next best pairing: Junmai Daiginjo “Kimura”
5) Shime Saba with Sesame $6.00/2 pcs.
This Kenny’s pride and joy, the shime saba mackerel. It has been dubbed Kenny’s sushi. It has completely delicate slashes in it that makes it beautiful. The aroma of the sesame is a perfect match for an exquisite taste. One indeed sees why this is his signature dish.
Best pairing: Daiginjo “Fuku Komachi”
Next best pairing: Daiginjo Genshu “Bisuikan”
Dish 10: Tofu Choco When it was time for dessert, my stomach was already quite full. At those times when a light dessert is desirable, this specially prepared dessert is ready at hand. This is tofu mixed with chocolate. I was glad for the courtesy extended. The dish is lovingly prepared with just the right sweetness.
In the middle phase of the tasting, chef Kenny Yamada took the time to move from the sushi bar to my table and proceeded to show some spoon-bending magic.
I had the honor of seeing a splendid magic trick in front of my very eyes. He holds the tip of the spoon in his fingers while the spoon’s handle bends and drops to the floor.
The remarkable magic show is a special display; ordinarily, even one wishes to see it, it can’t be seen. And when I say, “Kenny-san, you’re naturally dexterous,” the reply that comes back is: “It’s because I trained as much as he could while everyone else was asleep.”
I reconsidered my lightly mouthed words. In the same fashion as the magic trick, the food is not only creative, but gives pleasure to the eyes as well, and it is not something that is possible to create just by being dexterous.
It is something that is cultivated over many years of experience. And similar to the “magic trick,” one can feel the passion in Yamada’s cuisine.He works very hard to find ways to entertain people, and from the bottom of my heart I am deeply impressed.
There are no chefs besides Yamada that can perform all of the rich variations based on Western and Japanese foods that are preferred by Americans.
Incidentally, Yamada is the one who brought the use of “rayu chili sauce” in combination with tuna - which previously had only been eaten by chefs working in restaurants in Japan - to America as “spicy tuna.” Yamada’s conversation is also unusually interesting. This is due to his gift of having an abundance of sensibility and curiosity. From things occurring in everyday life, to politics and history, guests are able to partake in a great deal of very interesting conversation. By the time the tasting ended, I was able to acquire a lot of varied information and it felt like I participated in a university lecture.
While laughing heartily, Yamada easily makes “gunkan” (“battleship-style”) sushi and hand rolls with just one hand. And he makes and serves food with a lot of affection while speaking on a variety of topics.
It is always peaceful at the sushi bar. Even after I left the restaurant, the scene in the sushi bar, which is directly managed by Yamada, remains in my mind like a scene from a famous movie, and the memory shines brighter than the night lights viewed from a penthouse.
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