Taiko

A nice relaxing weekend at home proved good for my soul. My best friend Zak, his cousin and myself went to our usual sushi hangout. The waitress comes by and the orders are placed. Today’s update will be special, Zak will be commenting as well! Enjoy!

Hey-o all you people out there in cyber-world, my name’s Zak, and Frank and I have been friends for about a decade now. I’m also a fellow food-junkie, so when I started reading Frank’s blog I knew that I would have to guest-commentate on the food at Taiko, one of our favorite restaurants.

I started with a side salad; I wasn’t feeling the usual miso soup route this time. The lettuce was cold and crisp, as were the carrots. The ginger dressing was nice and refreshing and had a very fierce vinegar component to it. I usually like that but towards the end it was a bit too much for me to handle. Usual stuff, but that doesn’t mean it was nice and of course a part of my full meal ideal.
The first thing I ordered (and usually do at most Japanese restaurants) was the Miso soup, which happens to be my favorite (besides my grandma’s chicken soup). I usually like Taiko’s because I am a fan of scallions, and Taiko definitely doesn’t let up on that particular ingredient when it comes to Miso. My only complaint was, strangely enough, that it needed some more salt. I know that’s a strange thing to say, considering Miso is usually loaded with sodium, but I don’t know, this soup was lacking a little. Warming and delicious otherwise. Ah onigiri...... the most basic of basic, yet so complete so filling. They fill the void in a sometimes lacking meal.Onigiri are rice balls made of seasoned rice, nori and some kind of filling(whatever the chef wants). I live for onigiri and Taiko does them right. "Big honkin hunks of rice" I think I said it right. The rice was cooked well, and the nori..... Well its nori its very consistent. The filling was a variant of a Taiko exclusive thing called Jake. I believe its made of crab shrimp Japanese mayo and crunchy tempura bits. Its creamy and has a real good crab taste. Inside had everything but the crunchy bits. Its a good filling, not runny or too separated. It melded well, and I was fulfilled. Intresting side note, japanese pickles (as seen on top and around) are tasty stuff. Crunchy and pickled well a nice little touch to the onigiri.

My cousin tagged along with Frank and I, so we split first the onigiri rice balls, then the Incredible Tuna Roll and the Number 3 Roll. I’m sure Frank has already described the onigiri to you, so I shan’t say much, except that they are absolutely delicious and what’s needed to make that sometimes unfulfilling Japanese meal fill up your stomach.
Now the first of my two rolls, THE INCREDIBLE TUNA ROLL. Its name is no joke..... Its incredible. Consisting of spicy crunchy tuna, tuna tataki, masago, scallion, kaiware and spicy miso-ponzu. This is probably tops for all the rolls I have had. Really this is the king of rolls in my book. The tataki on top gets hit with the miso-ponzu and it has a nice citrus taste. The scallions scattered on top pair it well. The tuna tender and had a very nice grain to it. The spicy tuna is actually spicy which the case isn’t usually. Most places serve "mild crunchy tuna", but no Taiko makes it with some heat. Furthermore its plated with some sprouts of unknown origin to me that are a bit spicy themselves. I love this roll so much I am actually at a loss for words. Texture and taste meet at a Zen like balance. I sit at the nexus and cry with joy.
Next, the Incredible Tuna Roll. What can I say about this roll? It’s, well, it’s…INCREDIBLE! Easily the greatest sushi combination of all time, and I’ve tried a LOT of sushi. The tuna inside is tender and nearly melts in your mouth; the seared tuna on top gives great texture and some smoky flavor. The sauce on top and sprouts give the roll some spicy kick with some sweetness mixed in, and some tempura gives the roll some substance. The first bite I took of this roll…well…it was probably one of the best bites of food I’ve ever had in my life. I shut my eyes and collapsed against the wall, THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS ROLL WAS. This roll is beyond sushi…it’s magical
Now to counter the INCREDIBLE TUNA (not like you really could) I got a Taiko roll. Its like a California roll but swap the avocado for some Japanese mayo. I don’t dislike the taste of California, but it gets real old, real fast. The Taiko roll was crisp smooth and refreshing. Another very basic taste that gives more then you realizes. The mayo really ties this roll together and I love the cucumber with that creamy mayo. An excellent roll to counter some heat.
The Number 3…not so much. Although there were some good traits about this roll, such as the well prepared salmon, there was too much tempura, which overwhelmed the roll. Also, although I love unagi and especially unagi sauce, this sauce felt out of place on the roll, and something was missing. Usually unagi sauce is both smoky and sweet, yet I felt like some of the sweetness was missing this time. Oh well, next time!

It was good to see Zak and The Sea Monster once more. Taiko is always fulfilling to us. A feeling of fullness but not bloated. In other words perfectly filled.Payed the check, left the tip, we walked out with big grins and high spirits.

So, in conclusion, if you’re ever in the Rockville Centre area, you MUST try Taiko. The atmosphere is great and the sushi is even better. And, please, for the love of God, TRY THE INCREDIBLE TUNA!