Tag: rice

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Ginger Chicken at Baba Sushi

Ginger Chicken at Baba Sushi on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Ginger Chicken at Baba Sushi on Park Avenue in Worcester, MA

Sitting in the back patio area at Baba Sushi feels like you are on a secluded picnic. The warm wood walls, bamboo-textured tables, and skylights welcome you into the space.

We started with the gyoza—crispy fried pork dumplings. This appetizer would be a little bit much for a single person. It’s made to share. The dumplings have a nice balance of pork and vegetables. The tangy dipping sauce works well with the savory flavors. Overall, I recommend it.

For dinner, being a non-sushi eater, I opted for the ginger chicken, which includes two breaded and fried chicken breasts served with broccoli and white rice.

The broccoli served al dente had a nice flavor with a slightly sweet sauce over it. The lightly breaded chicken was a little overcooked but still tasty. The combination of the breaded chicken and the sweet broccoli was very nice.

Our server, Brad, was attentive, quick and very knowledgeable of both the menu and the sake. As our party arrived in waves, he was quick to ask for our drink orders and keep everyone occupied while we waited. When it was time, he quickly took our orders.

Maybe it wasn’t the best meal I’ve ever had in a sushi restaurant, but the food, service and atmosphere made it an overall fun experience.

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Alaskan Maki and Hibachi Scallops from Takara

Hibachi Scallops from Takara on Millbury Street in Worcester, MA

Hibachi Scallops from Takara on Millbury Street in Worcester, MA

Nestled in the hustle and bustle of Kelley Square, Takara offers Worcester another option for Sushi and Teppanyaki. After walking in and getting settled in to our seats at the cooking table we were greater by a friendly waitress named Anna. A quick review of the menu and I had decided upon the Alaskan Maki and Hibachi Scallops.

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the sushi came out given that our large party ordered numerous sushi appetizers at the same time. The Alaskan Maki was a large roll with six pieces that included rice, nori, salmon, and avocado and was nice and fresh tasting.

After the sushi was done, the chef came out and started the cooking tables and their entertaining dinner prep for our party. As the chef was preparing the rice and shrimp appetizer our onion soup and side salad with ginger dressing were served. The soup was the classic broth and onion soup with thin sliced mushrooms and scallions. Next was the salad which was the standard iceberg lettuce, tomato, and carrots, with a ginger dressing. As we ate our salad our fried rice and shrimp appetizer were cooked and served. Next on the menu the main courses were prepared in front of us. I opted for the Hibachi Scallops which were cooked perfectly and delicious.

As a long time Worcester area resident and first time visitor to Takara my thoughts on Takara were mixed. The food and sushi were respectable, but did not stand out. The location seemed to be a small quiet neighborhood restaurant that was slightly dated. As I thought back to my previous teppanyaki experiences and what once seemed like an exotic meal with chefs, sushi, cooking tables and the like, it now seemed trapped in the past. My feeling is that as our eating tastes have evolved to more complex and interesting menu selections; this type of dining experience is in need of a few new twists and flavors to keep up with the changing American dining scene and palate.