Omakase Takeya: Restaurant Review

Whenever a special occasion like my birthday rolls around, I always opt for the gift of food. Over the past year Chicago experienced a big sushi boom and three omakase (chef’s choice) restaurants popped up. I was determined to try one of them for my birthday. So, I decided on Omakase Takeya. It required a bit of planning as they only have two seatings a night from which you can make a reservation.

The day of my birthday arrived. I eagerly walked into a bustling ramen bar. I was greeted by the host who took us to the back and down a narrow flight of stairs to the basement. I felt as if I was headed into a speakeasy. We entered a calm, peaceful room (in contrast with the noisy lounge upstairs). Behind the seven-seat counter stood chef Hiromichi Sasaki working his magic. I found my seat easily as tmy name card was next to a place setting which I thought was a nice touch.

The chef starts out by showing the guests two large boxes of all the amazing cuts of fish that he will be making for us. This got me even more excited!

The experience begins with a little amuse bouche - chawanmushi, an egg custard dish found in Japan. It had mushrooms and yuzu zest, so it was an appetizing savory, silky start.

The sixteen-course meal kicked off with the first few pieces of nigiri: golden eye red snapper topped with some caviar, a rich striped jack mackerel, a slightly torched Hokkaido scallop dressed with sea salt and fresh yuzu juice, and barracuda. The barracuda was also slightly seared, and was very interesting both visually as well as in terms of texture as it was enhanced by a smokey flavor.

I then received a three-dish kaiseki seasonal platter. This included miso and yuzu marinated black cod, sakura-smoked madai sashimi, and a somewhat creamy squid. The smokiness of the sashimi was different as it was cold-smoked rather than torched, and the perfectly cooked cod gave a nice pause between the raw dishes.

Next came the tuna progression. It started with akami, the leanest part of tuna, topped with foie gras, balsamic and truffle shavings. This was explosive. It was the most unique and decadent sushi I had ever had. All of the different strong flavors coming together with the tenderness of the akami created an amazing umami bomb that was unforgettable. The next piece was chutoro, medium-fatty bluefin tuna, that was swept with a special sauce. It had a beautiful marbling and just melted right into your mouth. Lastly was the otoro fatty tuna, with marbling as well, topped with a generous amount of delicious fresh wasabi. Again, this one was as smooth as butter.

The chef then took out some delicate pieces of A5 Waygu and started cooking it shabu shabu style. He swished around each piece for a few seconds, then served it with spicy radish and ponzu sauce which made for a delicious pairing. The steak was tender, and the garnishes added great dimension.

Next: uni and ikura over rice: another one of my favorite dishes. It came in a little ceramic bowl that you eat with a small wooden spoon. The creaminess of the uni paired with the bursting salmon eggs, all soaked up in white rice with a touch of fresh wasabi was just divine. It was as if I was tasting the ocean. It was probably one of the more generous portions of uni I’ve seen and was extremely flavorful.

I then received a small plate with a piece of anago nigiri. Anago is saltwater eel, not to be confused with freshwater eel (unagi), which is meant to be slightly more rich and oily. It was flavored with a sweet glaze, and was warm and comforting.

The chef handed me a negitoro handroll with a little flap of nori at the bottom so that the rice doesn’t fall out which I thought was pretty clever. The seaweed had a nice crunch, but I wouldn’t say the handroll was the highlight of the evening.

To end the sushi portion of the menu was the tamago, infused with yam and tiger prawn that made for a plush, cake-like texture.

For dessert, we had green tea ice cream dusted with matcha flakes and sprinkled with some crispy rice. I usually don’t opt for green tea ice cream, but this was beautiful and bright, and the crispy rice added such a nice crunch to the dish. This was the perfect ending to an extraordinary and most satisfying meal.

This was definitely one of my most memorable dining experiences in Chicago. The intimacy of the room which allows you to observe the chef at work and so focused makes it all a fun and worthwhile experience. I thought the entire sixteen-course progression was extremely well thought out, wonderfully paced, with just the right combination of hot and cold dishes. I can still taste some of the flavors, they were so exceptional. It was the perfect birthday meal, and I would recommend it for a special occasion to all  sushi lovers visiting or living in Chicago.