Takahashi is a snug Japanese restaurant tucked into an unassuming row of shops by South Wimbledon tube station. Technically suburbia, perhaps but don’t let its lack of Zone 1 credentials fool you. This is a serious Japanese restaurant. Chef-owner Nobuhisa Takahashi, a Nobu alumnus, leads the kitchen with precision, while his wife runs the floor with equal finesse. Open since December 2015, the restaurant serves a focused menu of maki rolls, sashimi, tempura, and nigiri. A well-chosen list of wine, sake, and Japanese whisky rounds out the offering.
From the handwritten “hot tapas” chalkboard specials, we order the mixed seafood tempura £19.80, which is an absolute feather in the chef’s cap. The lacy batter is crisp, and the elements – fiendishly fresh seabass, green beans, pumpkin, purple sprouting broccoli, sweet prawns, and broccoli retain their virtues. You couldn’t ask for a better start.
Chu-toro £11 is medium-fatty tuna from the gloriously luscious belly. How much soy you brush on and how much nose-singeing wasabi you dare to use, is entirely up to you. But really, all it needs is a single stroke of each. Trust me.
The tongue-dissolving mackerel nigiri £7.80 is another masterstroke – cut so that the iridescent skin shimmers on one side, while the baby-pink flesh glows on the other. Do as with the chu-toro: a single stroke of soy, a dab of wasabi. Thank me later.
We also get the delicate snow crab maki £14.80 which of course is brilliant.
In equal measure of brilliance is the soft-shell crab maki with avocado £10.80 – a riot of texture and taste. When it’s done well, I simply can’t love soft-shell crab enough.
And finally arrives the eel maki £9.20 with a little pot of sticky eel sauce. I’m less impressed by these but they’re perfectly edible.
Verdict
When did I go? March 2019
The damage: Expect to pay £45/50 per head with drinks
The good: Takahashi’s dishes hit the perfect balance between precision and pleasure. There weren’t any fireworks per se, but the dishes and their ingredients were clearly in the right hands and had me asking for more. From the crisp, feather-light tempura to the melt-in-the-mouth chu-toro and shimmering mackerel nigiri, each plate feels carefully considered and expertly delivered. Even the eel maki, while less thrilling, fits neatly into the lineup, and the soft-shell crab maki steals the show. For those of you living nearby, you have a gem on your hands.
The bad: Not niggles to mention.
Rating: 4/5
Would I go again? Yes
Address: 228 Merton Rd, South Wimbledon, London SW19 1EQ
Web: http://www.takahashi-restaurant.co.uk
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