"Takai is a see-and-be-seen sushi spot where everyone is united—Microsoft VPs, influencers, and tourists who thought Bellevue was actually located in Seattle. While the glitzy dining room seems like a place the “Real Housewives” cast members would go out to eat, this 23-course omakase delivers the same kind of sushi mastery you would expect from the team behind Pike Place’s famed Sushi Kashiba. photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley Counter omakase is pricey and limited (they only have two seatings a day), but being that close to the preparations is worth it. The chef will customize the amount of rice in your nigiri based on how full you are, throw in an extra piece here and there, and want to know everyone’s favorite fish, whether that’s the nine-day aged mackerel or Dungeness crab nigiri topped with crab fat miso. If you can, snag the 5:30pm seating on a weekday. The atmosphere is much more relaxed, you’ll miss the 7pm rush that can make the dining room noisy, and Shiro Kashiba himself may just stop in to see how your dinner is. Food Rundown photo credit: Kayla Sager-Riley Omakase The menu varies depending on the day, chef's mood, or weekly shipment of fish from Japan, but you are guaranteed to have a great meal here. There are always a handful of appetizers thrown into the mix like a vinegary seaweed salad, tempura fried freshwater eel, or egg souffle. But those are the least exciting parts. It’s the bites of nigiri you’re really here for. Beautifully scored cuts of sardine, chutoro aged for two weeks and dotted with housemade soy, and seabass torched on a wood plank—all are crafted with a perfect amount of rice so it doesn't feel like you need to be rolled out of there once all 23-course are done." - Kayla Sager-Riley
