East meets West in this funky Columbia eatery
Here’s the situation: you want Japanese, but your dinner date wants Tex-Mex. You’re at an impasse. Neither of you will back down from your positions and the collective mood is souring fast. But let me bust up this fight before it gets silly. At the crest of the Vista sits a humble little brick building that will solve all your problems, a modified Yin-Yang symbol painted on the side. Welcome to Takosushi.
Ryan McRoberts, general manager of Columbia’s Takosushi, is a very down-to-earth guy. He’s the exact sort of dude you would expect to find running a restaurant as funky as this one. “Our owner lived in New Mexico for a while, then he moved to Japan,” McRoberts said. “And he loved both styles so much he just put them together.”
That’s something to keep in mind when you walk into Takosushi. It’s not a fusion restaurant. It’s a restaurant that serves two different genres of food. I myself — an adventurous eater — was skeptical when the concept was first presented to me. But the flavor profiles settle side-by-side perfectly.
Something McRoberts is very proud of is Takosushi’s happy hour. It runs from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and features a variety of specials for everyone to choose from. Must-tries include the tempura asparagus, baja fish tacos and the daily roll deal.
Every day, Takosushi offers a different roll for $2 during Happy Hour. “Doesn’t matter if it’s regularly a twelve dollar roll or a five dollar roll, it’s gonna be two bucks from four to six-thirty,” McRoberts said.
I had their Crazy Roll, tempura shrimp and cucumber topped with fresh shrimp, crab, avocado, teriyaki glaze and Takosushi Sauce. Whoever said that sushi couldn’t be a stand-alone meal has never had a roll like this one. And the sauces are a unique blend of creamy spice and tangy glaze.
“We could probably just sell our sauces and stay in business,” McRoberts said. “The Takosushi Sauce really put us on the map.” And they love to include it in many of their dishes, including a customer favorite, tempura asparagus. If given the option, I would probably eat this crispy veggie at every meal (yes, it’s really that good.)
If your wallet is feeling light, don’t worry — during Happy Hour, you can get a roll, fish tacos and those glorious asparagus spears for about $12. You may even have a few extra bucks for dessert. Remember, you can't have "two" much of a good thing.
Takosushi
1115 Assembly St.
Monday through Thursday : 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Friday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Saturday : Noon to 11 p.m.
Sunday : Noon to 9 p.m.
Be sure to call ahead on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to make reservations.
What you want:
Tempura asparagus
Crazy roll
Baja fish tacos
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