While on a quick weekend trip to Ocean Grove, New Jersey, I visited TAKA in Asbury Park. A quick, 10-minute walk from our bed and breakfast took us to the trendy heart of the ocean town. I have been to this restaurant before, but, due to the pandemic, I did not have the full experience of sitting inside. This time around I did and was ecstatic about sitting inside instead of in the street for outdoor dining.
The décor of TAKA is modern and sleek with a touch of Asian-inspired art. We sat at the bar, beautifully decorated with bubble lights overhead. We ordered water as we were dehydrated from a day on the beach, but the cocktail menu looked delicious with several sake options.
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- Photos by Audrey Lee | Interior of TAKA and pork spare ribs
As an appetizer, we ordered the pork spare ribs. Covered in a soy and sake glaze, topped with scallions and crushed walnuts, the presentation was beautiful. The meat was tender and fell right off of the bone. We ate every last bite and sopped up all of the juices we could. This plate was exactly what I was in search for with umami and a touch of sweet.
For our main courses, I chose the Mexican roll and the green roll, while my boyfriend went with ebi salmon. My rolls were stuffed with avocado, cucumber, jalapeno, togarashi and guacamole in the Mexican roll, while the green roll had seaweed salad, avocado and cucumber wrapped in soy paper and topped with wasabi mayo and chives. The ebi salmon roll was a seafood lover’s dream with shrimp tempura, avocado, eel sauce, torched salmon and lobster salad. Both plates came out beautifully plated and we dove right in.
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- Photos by Audrey Lee | ebi, green and Mexican rolls
The rolls I chose had so much flavor in every bite, mixed with the chewy and lightly sweetened rice as the perfect combination. My boyfriend enjoyed my plates, but, because of my shellfish allergy, I could not try his. He assured me it was delicious.
TAKA is must-visit spot to dine while in the Asbury Park area. With vegetarian dishes, sushi and a great list of drinks, I highly recommend making a reservation.
660 Cookman Avenue
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
tel. 732 775 1020
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