We all know things that just seem to go together - Bert and Ernie, Gin and Tonic, people from Florence Greenville , Aiken, and Augusta Assembly Street
After walking in, Mrs. Rabbit immediately commented on the cool temperature inside the restaurant, which for Columbia
Rather than decide on one continent’s culinary delights, we decided to split the baby and each order an entrée from different sides of the menu that we would then share. I went with the lunch Sushi/Sashimi box, in which you get to choose any sushi roll and are also given chef’s choice of sashimi, miso soup, and a salad. Really, this would have been enough to feed us both, but then we wouldn’t have been able to review the Southwest part of the restaurant, so Mrs. Rabbit ordered the Shrimp Tacos. These guys come in a pair, on soft or hard shells with a plate of salsa, spinach/cucumber mix, beans, guac, lettuce, tomato, and sour cream to add as you please. Definitely a hearty meal in its own right.
To start, I had the waiter bring the soup to my wife and the “salad” to me, as I do not dig on soup in any fashion and quite frankly find it repulsive in all its forms. However, Mrs. Rabbit assures me it was warm and delicious. Whatever.
As for the salad, its actually diced and shaved cucumbers with some shredded crab meat and soy sauce mixed in. It sounds simple, but it is damn delicious and much better than the normal Asian salad starter: four pieces of lettuce with carrots and a pound of ginger dressing.
Our waiter then brought the Sushi box on for the next course. On his recommendation, we went with the “Crazy Roll,” which boasts Shrimp and Cucumber topped with more shrimp, crab, avocado, Teriyaki Glaze and “TakoSushi Sauce” (think 1000 island). I must say that the one piece I had was great, but unfortunately Mrs. Rabbit decided to annex the rest of the roll for herself, and I was left to enjoy the sashimi, which is on par with any place in town.
Already full, it was with some hesitation that we embarked on the final course – the tacos. However, we felt duty bound to the blog to finish what we started. Or at least I did, as I finished my taco and half of my wife’s when she finally raised the flag of surrender. The shrimp were fresh and sautéed perfectly (not overdone), and all of the toppings were excellent. The best part about eating tacos I think is the toppings, so these guys are a home run.
Everything was excellent, and I was in a great mood thinking what a successful review this was going to be. Then, the bill arrived. Luckily, there were other people in the restaurant so my reaction remained subdued. Let’s just say it was a bit more than what I expect to pay for a two person lunch downtown. Not saying it’s not worth the trip occasionally, but it would be hard to add this into our regular “rotation” at these prices. However, if you, like Tank was today, are ever stuck going out to eat with some guy trying to sell you insurance or other financial product, suggest you go to TakoSushi, stick him with the bill, and watch with glee as he lays down the Amex to cover your multiple rolls and tacos in the desperate hope you actually buy something from him. Otherwise, if you end up there and are paying your own way, skip the drinks (2 bucks a pop for tea/coke) and order a smaller entrée – I promise it will be plenty of food.
Overall, TakoSushi has great food, but sadly they know it and have adjusted their prices accordingly. However, I’ll definitely be back and would recommend to anyone, especially those who aren’t going to be footing the bill.
-Rabbit
Editor's Note: The pics in this post do not correlate with Rabbit's family meal. Rabbit is a dead beat who does not take photos at lunch. These pics are from the Lunchmen's last outing to TakoSushi.
Hi There, I love your blog on the variety of cuisines you have reviewed! There is actually a new sushi place in Lexington called Ganbei Japanese Restaurant and Bar. They have by yet the best sushi in the Columbia/Lexington area with an amazing atmosphere/decor! It's located near the Walmart on 378 in Lexington between Chic-fil-a and Buffalo Wild Wings. I think you should try this place out!