RESTAURANT REVIEW Archer roll. Shrimp tempura and cucumber inside, spicy tuna and jalapeno on top with orange sauce drizzled on top NOVEMBER 2016 MARKETPLACECONTRACOSTA.COM 35 Sushi Bar refers to a menu selection being served “over rice”; Teppan refers to items cooked on a grill; and Maki are smaller portions of sushi rolls. Bento boxes, a multi-compartment, box or tray, containing various courses of a Japanese lunch or dinner, are also available on the menu, and there are many choices of entrees from which to choose. The appetizer section of the menu included “potstickers”, which I’ve always enjoyed from Chinese venues. The Japanese version of these is called Gyoza, and Gina informed us they are similar to Chinese potstickers, but are deep fried. At Gina’s suggestion, we opted for two appetizers to enjoy while reviewing the larger menu— Edamame and the Shrimp/Veggie Tempura. The restaurant has a casual, clean, and comfortable atmosphere. Seating is at wooden tables with cushioned chairs, and during nonpeak periods, there is also seating at the sushi bar. There are lots of wooden accents throughout the restaurant, laminate floors, and interior lighting is provided by box-shaped lamps suspended from the ceiling. Soft, ambient music plays in the background, and the Sushi Chef can be observed busily working behind the sushi bar. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and our experience was that the items we ordered were prepared and delivered to our table very quickly after ordering. The Shrimp/Veggie Tempura appetizer was excellent. There were two shrimp and a generous mound of assorted vegetables, including zucchini, carrots, squash and broccoli, lightly breaded in beer batter and deep fried to a golden brown. The items were crispy and the pieces of vegetables were generously cut, and nongreasy. The Edamame was served in a bowl with plenty of plump, green soybeans, steamed in their pods. The beans inside were tender and enjoyable, and easily addictive! Soon after our appetizers arrived, we placed our order for one Bento Box, which allowed us to select two entrees from two lists of choices. Since we were at a Sushi Bar, we also decided that it was appropriate to try some kind of sushi, especially since it comprised such a large part of the menu. Gina patiently recommended numerous sushi choices that featured cooked ingredients rather than raw seafood. From a list of over thirty different rolls, we selected the Daniel roll, which included shrimp tempura, cucumber, and cream cheese. Sara Chee, our hostess for the evening, also recommended that we try one of Tachikawa’s most popular items, Monday – Saturday 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM | Closed on Sundays | Happy Hour Daily 5:00 – 6:30 PM
Contra Costa Marketplace - Nov 2016
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