Taiko Sushi Bar

Sushi is always an adventure. Eat the wrong thing and the experience can range from mildly unpleasant to slightly ill to (in rare cases) dead. Therefore, it's easy to fall into the pattern of going to places you know are reputable. That is, the high-class, high-price places downtown or the national chains.

Taiko is neither of those things. Taiko is a small, privately owned sushi bar in of all places Mounds View. Yep, Mounds View, Minnesota. The first time we went there I had just gotten over a case of food poisoning and decided sushi would be a good test to see whether or not I was well. From the outside it looks like the space used to be a Wendy's or some such thing. More than one person has said upon entering the parking lot, "This place has good sushi?" Well, it does. It has good sushi for a price that cannot be matched by anyone else in the state and at a quality that rivals the big dogs in Minneapolis.

On the inside, Taiko is painted a lovely shade of green that one wouldn't want in their home but looks great for a restaurant. The bar, tables and chairs are simple and tasteful. There are a few trinkets hanging on the wall behind the bar, but other than that the space is simply pleasantly minimalist.

The menu has a limited selection of soft drinks, beer and sake, Taiko does also offer $10 corkage. The variety of fish available is not immense, but enough for a good meal. One doesn't expect much from something as simple as gyoza, but for some reason the gyoza at Taiko just tastes better than anywhere else. Sashimi is served in generous cuts and portions. Rolls are perfectly made and balanced, and thick. The star is of course the fish, which is consistently fresh and tastes like it should. All preparations lean toward the traditional, the way it should be. One can choose from sashimi, nigiri, a wide selection of maki, and Scott will make anything you request into a roll. For those who don't want to eat raw, Taiko also has excellent tempura selections.

Part of the charm of going to Taiko is Scott, the owner and chef who always has a smile on his face and a good memory for the regulars. While it's nice to be a regular, everyone is treated the same, I was as happy leaving my first visit as the last, which was my sixth in 4 months.

There are of course things that some might consider downsides due to it being such small place. There is no wine list, which is fine because I'd prefer to bring my own and pay corkage. The sake selection is limited for the sake drinkers (which I am not). The fish selection is not as varied as a larger place, but again, I don't mind because they have everything I like. I would like to see them use a higher grades of soy sauce and wasabi.

That said, again, the prices are ridiculously low, the food is good, and Scott is a wonderful man. I wouldn't want to see any of those things change.

No website

Sushi Tango

First let me say that the name of this establishment was very misleading. Although there was sushi, there was very little tango to be had.

I suppose that wasn't really the point. I'll move on.

During the course of the meal I had a jar of hot sake with Chambord in it, which I though was quite good: it was a mix of traditional and non-traditional resulting in something better than either. I think this pretty much the best way to describe my experience with Sushi Tango in general.

Sushi Tango's menu offered a wide selection of fine fish dishes, and we decided to sample a variety of items. Off the top of my head I remember we had Unagi (eel), Red Snapper, several forms of tuna, an oyster thing, quail eggs, a strawberry-eel roll (sounds odd, but good), and a fried shrimp on a stick. There were probably several other fishes that entered my gullet that night that I do not remember.

The Unagi and shrimp were very good. Both were quite hot and delectable. The problem was that none of the other dishes seemed very well cooked. This surprised me greatly, I mean, I know that they were understaffed, but that hardly allows them to put raw fish out in front of us and expect no complaint! This is especially true for fish! Who knows what parasites are burrowing into the lining of the stomach!


...

Hold on.

...

I have recently been informed that this "sushi" is supposed to be largely uncooked.

Never mind. Everything was delicious anyway.

There were small imperfection in the meal unrelated to my bumpkinry, however. One of the Unagi dishes was a little undercooked, for real this time, and the bones weren't entirely gelled, and the red snapper tasted a little too much of lime. Overall the meal was delicious and I imagine these were merely minor flukes that will probably never happen to me again. Also, their tea tasted like old sock water, and I doubt that will change.

At some point we were served deep-fried fish heads. Those were good too. They were a nice surprise that really helped out the overall presentation of the meal.

The atmosphere of Sushi Tango was slightly incongruous with my expectations. First, the waiter was white. I forgive him of this, but next time it had better not happen. Equal opportunity employment is good, but it seems to lead to disappointment. Second, the music in the establishment was along the lines of "She Blinded Me with Science" and "Electric Boogaloo." Again, it just isn't right.

On one hand, little touches like this really made the whole place much more low-key and inviting compared to many up-scale sushi places. While many places have geisha serve you while every moment you expect to duck under the table to avoid a sword fight or gun play like some John Woo action flick, Sushi Tango offered much more comfortable environment. On the other hand, geisha and highly choreographed gun battles are welcome too.

Sushi Tango was reasonably priced while offering quality fish stuff. Go there for a relaxing night of raw fish on rice.

Website: Sushi Tango

P.S. Does anyone else think the guy on their logo look like something cold just got stuck up his ass?

Many minor edits have been made to this post when I re-read it and realized I was rambling slightly more incoherently than I typically go for.