On a June night in 2026,I visited Takaoka in Chiba for the first time in a year while on a business trip. I had intended to return sooner, but time slipped away.As I opened the familiar door, the unique aroma of Takaoka filled the air, distinct from the typical sushi restaurant scent.That evening, I enjoyed sushi and appetizers right in front of the... More
On a June night in 2026,I visited Takaoka in Chiba for the first time in a year while on a business trip. I had intended to return sooner, but time slipped away.As I opened the familiar door, the unique aroma of Takaoka filled the air, distinct from the typical sushi restaurant scent.That evening, I enjoyed sushi and appetizers right in front of the chef, all paired with sake from local Chiba breweries.I started with the thick octopus, which releases more umami the more you chew, followed by seasonal delights like the bonito from Choshi, aoyagi from Tokyo Bay, grilled sweet sea bream marinated in dashi, and the wonderfully textured aji tataki. I savored my favorite dishes, including chawanmushi made with clam dashi, before moving on to the nigiri.After relishing the marinated kinmedai, I enjoyed the tuna from Choshi and the satisfying texture of the squid. The delicious combination of the simmered clam and its sauce made me smile, and I was ultimately knocked out by the umami of the aji.I left the restaurant vowing to return sooner next time.The course for the evening included the following:◆ Appetizers:◆ Octopus◆ Bonito from Choshi◆ Aoyagi◆ Red sweet sea bream◆ Ankou (anglerfish) liver◆ Aji tataki from Kanaya◆ Chawanmushi with clam dashi from Funabashi◆ Swordfish sushi◇ Nigiri:◇ Kinmedai◇ Kohada◇ Kodai◇ Tuna akami from Choshi◇ Tuna chutoro from Choshi◇ Tuna otoro from Choshi◇ Squid◇ Simmered clam◇ Aji◇ Kuruma ebi (sweet shrimp)◇ Bafun uni (sea urchin)◇ Anago (conger eel)◇ Dry gourd rollSake:- Small bottle of beer- Seisen Natsu Ginjo- BYAKUYA Junmai Nama- Fudou Junmai GinjoMaybe I’ll come back around autumn.It was a great meal. Less
