Takenaka Gastown: Vancouver's new spot for elevated Japanese eats
When Vancouverites hear the name Takenaka, they might think of the tasty onigiri served up in the restaurant’s food truck or at its cafe.
Now, Takenaka is serving up more than just this tasty Japanese snack with its new uni bar opening in Gastown specializing in elevated Japanese cuisine (but don’t worry, you’ll still be able to snag an onigiri or two).
The space
Despite not even opening yet, Takenaka feels cozy and looks like a well-established restaurant.
Upon entering, you’re greeted with dark wood tones and moody lighting. A white bar is to the left, where you can grab one of Takenaka’s new signature cocktails (more on those in a second).
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
Not feeling the moody bar vibes? Turn around, and you’re presented with a staircase that takes you to the second floor. There you’ll find seats with natural lighting and a view of the street below for some great people watching.
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The food
Takenaka Gastown offers elevated takes on Japanese eats. Being an uni bar, you’ll find uni in plenty of dishes.
For those who are unfamiliar, uni is sea urchin. Takenaka offers many ways to try this delicacy, whether raw, in ramen, or even in its cocktails.
We started our meal with the Uni Colada, which included white rum, fino, Montenegro, coconut, uni mango foam, and chilli. This drink was stronger than your typical pina colada and had such a unique consistency with the cold foam on top. We’d definitely recommend giving this one a try.
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
Takenaka’s menu boasts plenty of delicious seafood, as seen on its Luxury Seafood Platter. This dish is packed full of five different kinds of sashimi, a dozen oysters, and, of course, raw uni. The uni had an incredible buttery texture and great umami flavour.
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
To round out your uni journey, we’d recommend a bowl of Takenaka’s Uni Lobster Ramen.
It features creamy chicken soup with a hint of uni, a whole lobster tail, chashu, a seasoned egg, bamboo shoots, and green onion served with skinny noodles. This is a great way to warm up after eating all of that fresh seafood.
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
If you want to venture outside the realm of uni, Takenaka also has some great options. You can’t go wrong with the DIY Wagyu Beef. Served with a hot stone, you grill your meat right at the table to your desired doneness, similar to a Korean BBQ restaurant.
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
Fans of Takenaka’s onigiri will also be able to find the dish here as well. We tried the soy-marinated egg yolk onigiri and can confidently say we’d order it again. It was perfectly jammy with that umami flavour we love. However, don’t walk in expecting the same extensive onigiri menu that the onigiri cafe offers.
Marco Ovies/Daily Hive
Takenaka Gastown will be opening its doors soon. Will you be checking out this new uni bar? Let us know in the comments.
Takenaka Gastown
Address: 52 Powell Street, Vancouver
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