Tag: Hibachi

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Beef Tenderloin Hibachi from Takara

Beef tenderloin from Takara in Worcester

Beef tenderloin from Takara in Worcester

Takara in Kelley Square was this month’s gathering for Foodies and while I had eaten there before, it had been quite a long time ago so, I looked forward to getting reacquainted with the restaurant. Located in Kelley Square, Takara is a small, teppanyaki-focused establishment featuring 4 hibachi tables and a sushi bar, colorfully decorated with traditional Japanese adornments, lights and various knick knacks. What makes it more interesting is that the restaurant is owned and operated by Sony Cao, a 10 time recipient of the Benihana Chef Award during the time he cooked at the popular restaurant chain.

As with most hibachi restaurants, the show performed during the cooking of your meal is entertaining, albeit similar from restaurant to restaurant. The performance at Takara was on par with others I have seen, the onion volcano, breaking of the eggs and overall knife play was interesting, but if the food isn’t prepared well, the show is meaningless. Luckily at Takara my meal was very good and worthy of all the flying food and flashes of fire on the grill.

For my appetizer I chose some Maguro (tuna), Sake (salmon), and Hotate (scallop) sashimi, all of which arrived quickly and was fresh and very tasty. After our appetizer, the traditional salad with ginger dressing and cup of soup were served, both of which were good but unremarkable. For my meal I chose the Beef Tenderloin. Prepared on the grill top, the steak was plentiful, well seasoned and perfectly prepared. Grilled outside and still rare inside, the meat was extremely tender and flavorful. For me the portion size was slightly smaller than I would have wanted, but the quality was very good. The fried rice and mixed vegetables were well seasoned and cooked as I had requested, slightly over done so the veggies were tender and the rice crispy. I added some additional hot sauce to bring the heat level up and they were the perfect side dish to my main meal.

Hibachi can be tricky, trying to prepare everyone’s meal to be completed at the same time can be challenging but our chef timed the meal’s delivery just fine. There was some slight confusion as to who ordered what at our table, but overall the service was very good with our server adding some laughter and jokes to keep mood light and the smiles plentiful.

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Tenderloin Steak with Shrimp from Takara

Tenderloin Steak with Shrimp from Takara on Millbury Street in Worcester, MA

 

Tenderloin Steak with Shrimp from Takara on Millbury Street in Worcester, MA

Worcester Foodies ventured this month to Takara Japanese Seafood, Steakhouse and Sushi Bar at Kelly Sq. Our group of 15 occupied two of the four hibachi grills that fill the small but cozy dining area. Our server was extremely pleasant, however lacked training and attention to detail.

I began with my drink order, Mai Tai (“when in Rome…”). The Mai Tai was served promptly but was the average fruit juices and rum, lacking the traditional orgeat syrup and lime juice. C+ at best.

For appetizer I chose the Gyoza and an order of calamari. After a considerable amount of time and with the dinner salads being served, my dumplings arrived. They were ok, not handmade or fresh, but fair nonetheless. After quite some time, I inquired on my calamari. I was then told the calamari was prepared on the hibachi grill and would be served with my meal. There was a lot of confusion between the server and the chef as to who ordered what. After getting everything in order, the cooking show began.

For my entrée I chose the tenderloin steak with shrimp, fried rice and vegetables. Our chef was friendly and entertaining with the usual flips and tosses of the foods into the air. My calamari was served on the side of my meal and was average. A bit bland but cooked well. My tenderloin was cooked to perfection and the flavorful vegetables and rice on the side made this dish very good. I shared meals with my girlfriend who ordered the swordfish hibachi dish. The swordfish had an overpowering fish taste to it. We both agreed it was not good to eat and had it taken off the bill. Throughout this experience I must say the server stayed optimistic and friendly.

Takara is one of those places you leave and say “how do they stay in business?” They were unprepared, the food was average, the ambience was dated and the place was empty, albeit Tuesday night. Perhaps they are not use to parties as big as fifteen. They may do well on a smaller scale. It will be some time before I venture back.