09/30/09

Taro? Really?

by kitchenwitchiestest

I found this sushi spot, rated as one of the best in the area, on a few different sites. Blech. It was mediocre sushi-wise, just plain old sooshi and in keeping with the health dept cr*ck down that requires rice to be at least 70 degrees upon serving.This is a despicable assault on food in general by those who claim to protect us from disease. Why would you put hot rice around cold raw seafood, bringing it up to the sluggish temps at which bacteria can breed. Hopefully not Taro's fault.

My beef Teriyaki was not Teriyaki at all. The meat was ok, not a bad cut, but in no way was there a lick of Teriyaki sauce on it. It was almost an English stewed beef flavor, perhaps masking a vintage age on the flank steak? The addition was exactly 2 florettes of brocolli, a carrot stick and a swirl of actual spaghetti pasta with a shmeg of gomasio sprinkled on top.

If this is really a great sushi spot they are having an off night, and yes I know I spoke mainly about entrees but I had super boring hot sushi and I don't claim to be an expert but I did go to Japanese school for 6 years and have what I think is a pretty good idea of Japanese flavors.

• Pros: Meat was a decent cut.
• Cons: NOT Teriyaki and speghetti doesn't cut it as Japanese for me

09/28/09

Love it

by CSMobileUser

Best sushi

02/08/09

FIshy in a bad way

by drizzo25

I don't understand what the other reviewers are raving about. I tried this sushi place solely because it was given such high reviews from others and this page and I was very disappointed. I ordered a spicy tuna roll that was completely inedible. It tasted very fishy and I thought it might have gone bad. The sushi pieces were a little better but not by much. The white fish had many visible veins in it, which was completely unappetizing. The food wasn't that much cheaper than the many sushi places in park slope that have much better fish. I ended up tossing most of the order.

09/27/08

Very Disappointing

by cro424

We ordered takeout based upon the great reviews. The first impression was that it had a bit of a fishy smell, not what you want out of sushi. We had the sushi deluxe and a tempura roll. It cost us $25, there was hardly any sashimi on top of the rice and the rolls were at no point impressive. We have had much better sushi in a larger quantity at the same cost on Smith St. We will not be returning to Taro anytime in the near future.

• Pros: Speedy Delivery
• Cons: Poor food quality, small portions. Poor value for what is served.

09/09/07

FRESH FOOD

by ladierydeordie

Very fresh sushi. Highly recommended. It's very small and crowded but worth it. Take out is also an option.

• Pros: Affordable and fresh
• Cons: small and crowded

05/31/07

Forget Manhattan!!! Best sushi in NYC!!! Period!!!

by naphime

My friend was raving about Taro for months before we had a chance to try the restaurant. I'm a food snob and my girlfriend is a gormet diva, so I thought my friend could possibly ruin a good experience by over-hyping the restaurant; however it lived up to her extravagant praises in every way plus some. Four of us had the omakase menu by the bar and enjoyed every minute of it. Chef Sano (very friendly) prepared the meal with the perfect pace, as well as explaining each course and how to enjoy them correctly. One good example is the course with two different Hamachi sushi ... he slightly seared one piece by torching it right behind the bar along with putting a onion ponzu sauce on top, while asking us to lightly dip the regular piece (on the fish side, not touching the rice) in a bit of soy sauce to appreciate two totally different but delightful tastes. Btw, soaking the rice part of the sushi in soy sauce would be a complete waste considering the fact that it's the best tasting sushi rice anywhere. Everything was so good, with multiple dimensions of flavor in each bit, that we had to ordered extra pieces of sushi and some more of the wonderfully, not so creamy, spicy tuna hand rolls. Now, everytime I think of Japanese cuisine, I relive the fond memories for each morsel of food that danced in my mouth that night.. Since I had mostly sushi on my first visit, it wouldn't be fair to say that everything at Taro is fantastic. But comparing just the sushi to the best restaurants in Manhattan (Yasuda, Gari, Nobu, etc.), Taro ranks very favorably. I personally do not like Nobu except for their cooked dishes. While Yasuda and Gari has more selections, Taro's fish is just as fresh and has them beat in the flavor of the sushi rice. And on top of that, it's half the price of those restaurants, which now ranks Taro as my favorite Japanese restaurant in NYC. I will be going back soon, and often.

• Pros: Excellent Food, Great Value, Friendly Staff
• Cons: Small Place

01/25/07

This bento-box of a restaurant packs in a loyal neighborhood crowd that can't get enough of the reliably fresh fish.

by Erin Behan

The Scene
Precariously close to Atlantic Mall, the tiny shop is home for a diverse set of sushi lovers. Singles and couples pack the eight-seat corner sushi bar, while friends and families fill the remaining seats. A center table is devoted to take-out preparation, but sultry jazz and a friendly staff help to soften this distraction.

The Food
Like most casual sushi stops, the restaurant jumps from more standard entrees like teriyaki, katsu and noodles to a bevy of sushi and sashimi options. For seasonal treats, skip to the specials menu where you might find the slightly salty anago, or sea eel, served properly at room temperature and a special cut of buttery oro toro, the underbelly of the tuna. For starters, the seaweed salad shines with a hearty dose of the black, ribbon-like hijiki. Among the standard rolls, the fried oyster stands out, its piping hot center playing off bits of crunchy cabbage.

06/04/06

great Japanese food for awesome price

by fairchildnyc

It's a cute little restaurant that serves wonderful authentic Japanese food. As someone who used to work at Masa NYC and appreciates quality sashimi, and I have to say that you can get great toro here as well without paying $12.00 per piece like you would pay at Masa. Also, you won't have to wait too long since it's a small place. The only less perfect thing is that you will smell like Japanese food after dine in, because the ventelation system is not very good. All in all, I love the place!

• Pros: food, price
• Cons: service

03/22/06

Ranks up there with the best

by ztype

The food here ranks up there with the best in the city, not just Brooklyn. Omakase was $35 and came with a very nice and delicious assortment of fresh fish. Only letdown was the tuna tartare which was a bit bland. Everything else was incredible. Service wasn't the most attentive but it's the way I like it, as I don't like to be asked how everything is every 5 minutes.

03/16/06

Why am I the only one there?

by malabar

I've been to Taro for lunch whenever business brings me to downtown Brooklyn - maybe once every two months - and the food is soooo good! But I'm often the only person in the restaurant. As infrequently as I go, the waitress always remembers my preferences. The sushi chefs are devoted to their work, even if you only order a lunch special. I only give it an "average" on atmosphere because I've never been there in the evening, when atmosphere might matter. If you work in the neighborhood, try it for lunch! The eel-rice is especially delicious.

• Pros: fresh fresh fresh, delicious, neighborhood gem
• Cons: timing of courses