Takamatsu...Bottled Beer served at 40-degrees

As I walked across the parking lot of Takamatsu I made a quick check of my voice mails. I had eight messages parked on my cell phone account. At the entrance to the restaurant I saw my business partner Nathan standing outside talking on his Blackberry®. We both stood there for about five minutes clearing phone calls before we ever said hello to each other. In many ways modern technology has a leash around necks.

Over twenty years ago there was a film entitled Max Headroom which was a futuristic tale that featured the use of Blipverts, highly intense and closely edited television commercials that had the unexpected danger of over stimulating some viewers’ nervous systems.
I wonder, sometimes, if today’s television commercials are so over-edited that they are approaching the dangers of the Blipvert.

Until today I have never dined at Takamatsu, but for the last few years I have seen ads for the restaurant on local television. The commercials are edited in the fast pace, frenetic style that is reminiscent of many early music videos from the 1980s. In the Takamatsu commercials there are a lot of people having fun while dining and partying.

I don’t know what I was expecting before I walked into Takamatsu, maybe I was thinking of a discotheque decorated with lighted tile floors, a mirrored ball on the ceiling and a line of beautiful people doing the conga while popping pieces of sushi in their mouths as they danced between the flaming teppan yaki tables. You know, a big fun party, kind of like the Takamatsu television commercial.

What we ended up having was a quiet and relaxing lunch.

Takamatsu is a large restaurant that is sectioned into various dining rooms that feature different types of east Asian cooking. We were seated in the room with Korean barbeque tables. Across the way we could see the periodic flashes of flames indicative of Japanese teppan yaki cooking. Next to us was a third room featuring a sushi bar with several chefs cajoling rolls of rice into tasty makizushi.

I ordered a bottle of Kirin Ichiban beer. Upon request, the waiter brought me a frosted glass that looked like a crystal chalice with a beveled bowl atop a two inch stem. The Ichiban beer registered 40 degrees and had a light natural taste.

“Ichiban means number one or the best,” said Nathan.
“You’re not Japanese, are you?”
“No I am of Chinese descent but I took karate lessons.” Nathan quickly punched both hands into the air. “Ichiban!”

I ordered the tempura shrimp boxed lunch. The first course was a delicious and soothing bowl of miso soup with several cubes of tofu. The box carried two big shrimp and a half dozen extra large pieces of vegetables all cooked tempura style, lightly fried in a soft yellow batter. Also in the box was a green salad with thousand island dressing, white rice, a California role and one very spicy chicken wing. Nathan also ordered a caterpillar sushi for us to split. I will say, the eel was quite tasty.

All the food was delicious and we ate at a leisurely pace enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and gentle service from the wait staff. There was no rush or bother as we talked business over hot green tea in the comfortable surroundings. There is plenty of space between tables at Takamatsu so, even though there are other diners, there is no feeling of being crowded and rushed.

I guess that is kind of the opposite of their television commercial. Maybe the conga line forms after the dinner hour?

Takamatsu, located at 5532 East Speedway Boulevard, might be two things, a great place for a wild and crazy sake party at night and/or just a comfortable restaurant serving cold beer and a quiet, relaxing lunch.