Tastes great, less thrilling.
Written: Oct 06 '02 (Updated Jul 16 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Food and Presentation: |
 |
|
| Ambiance and Decor: |
 |
|
| Quality of Service: |
 |
|
|
Pros: least expensive Japanese restaurant in the immediate area
Cons: uninspired decor
The Bottom Line: An okay option in a neighborhood filled with restaurants.
|
|
|
| modernmarvel's Full Review: Takeshima |
Takeshima is located in Cleveland Circle, a vibrant neighborhood of restaurants, shops and a movie cinema. Boston College and Boston University are nearby so there are many students in the area. There are also many kosher restaurants and a kosher supermarket in Cleveland Circle so expect to see many observant jews. The T (trolly) stops in the middle of the neighborhood.
FOOD
Takeshima serves all of the standard foods you expect in a Japanese restaurant: sushi, noodles, donburi, miso soup, edamame. The menu is basic, nothing too wild here. The portions are generous but not overwhelming. There are a few desserts including asian-type ice creams such as red bean and green tea (there is an ice cream store across the street if you want a better selection). Entrees cost about $12-18. Desserts cost $2.50-4.
There is a list of sushi specials next to the sushi bar. On our visit, the pieces of sushi were fresh and came with a nice lemon garnish. The pieces were average size. Two pieces of salmon nigiri cost $4.50. Most of the sushi menu is ordinary stuff. Don't expect wild or rare sushi. They serve beer and sake. There is no bar.
DECOR
The restaurant is small, only about 15 feet wide and very long so that there is a bowling alley effect. There is a row of tables down each wall with an aisle in the middle. At the end of the restaurant is the small sushi bar with about 4 seats.
From the street, there are two windows with some interesting foliage and a small fountain invoking a Japanese hillside. You can't really see the interior from the street. Inside, you pass a small hostess stand and enter the main part of the restaurant. The decor is some exposed wood and white walls. The lighting fixtures are wood with rice paper inserts. There is little color or other decoration. The tablecloths are white, napkins red and the chopsticks come in paper.
The restaurant has a lot of utilitarian items on display. Cases of sake and beer are visibly stacked in a hall by the sushi bar. An unsightly coat rack is visible at the front of the restaurant with mismatching hangers and some jackets on it.
SERVICE
The service is attentive. I suspect many of the servers do not speak English fluently, so there isn't much small talk. However, they get the job done.
FAMILY FRIENDLINESS
There is no kids menu. If you take your kids, they have to order off the menu which can really run up the bill. There are not many American-style dishes, so if you kids only like pizza and chicken fingers, they won't find much here. Unfortunately, my kids like Japanese food. The last time I took my daughter here, she hoovered $40 worth of sushi.
There were several families the last time we went to this restaurant. Since it is the cheapest in the neighborhood and kids don't really care about ambiance, it is probably a good choice for families. The only downside I see is that the restaurant is very small and quiet so if your child is boisterous or crying, everyone will hear them and you will have to take them outside.
I did see a large pile of brown booster seats and one clip on high chair (the scary kind that attach to the table) in the front entrance.
OTHER OPTIONS
Mr. Sushi is across the street from Takeshima, one block away. Mr. Sushi is slightly more expensive but has slightly more inspired decor and a more expansive menu. My epinion of Mr. Sushi is at http://www.epinions.com/content_75676946052. Both Takeshima and Mr. Sushi post their menus in the window for easy comparison.
A much more upscale choice is Fugakyu, about 3 blocks away. The decor is wild, they have a huge menu and delicious seafood, but it is much more expensive. My epinion of Fugakyu is located at http://www.epinions.com/content_76704091780.
Tsunami is also about three blocks away and is one of my favorites. My epinion is at: http://www.epinions.com/content_106183429764.
A really fun place for anyone who loves Japanese Food is the Porter Square Mall in Cambridge. They have several Japanese food stalls, a Japanese supermarket, Japanese stores and a sushi restaurant. My epinion of the Porter Square Mall is at http://www.epinions.com/content_76305108612.
GETTING THERE
The restaurant is two blocks away from a Green Line stop on Boston's T (trolly). There is a lot of on street parking near the restaurant with meters and a meter parking lot on the street behind the restaurant. Parking is not a problem.
OTHER INFORMATION
Handicapped accessible. No smoking in the restaurant. The restaurant is very small and probably can't accommodate large groups without notice or reservations. They take credit cards.
phone: (617) 566-0200
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
Takeshima is an okay restaurant. Even in a reasonable place, sushi is very expensive. So, if I am paying a large check, I would like the restaurant to have interesting decor and great service. Takeshima is really average in every category. That doesn't make it bad, just not my first choice in this neighborhood. However, I am going to give it a recommend because they have decent food, with good prices and the service is dependable.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Kids and Families
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
modernmarvel
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Location: Basking in the Sun
Reviews written: 504
Trusted by: 340 members
About Me:
Can anyone recommend a western family dude ranch for a vacation this summer?
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.