James S.
Yelp
Much to like here and for a new location, they are doing a lot right. Still, there are gaps in service (the kitchen, mostly) that undercut the overall lovely experience here. My hunch is that they are overwhelmed with their instant popularity while continuing to work out the kinks. In a month or so, I feel this place will be a solid 5 stars. Takagi has been around since 1958, from Japan.
The Breakfast specials are worth checking out. Heck, the entire menu looks worth checking out. It was fun to see a variety of dishes at the various tables. Having arrived toward the end of mid-morning, we ended up seeing some of the Lunch crowd, too. Regardless, I will often choose breakfast food at any available hour, if given the choice.
My breakfast special included 4 (instead of the optional 2) pancakes as the backbone of my breakfast. The eggs and bacon made for a great combo. The eggs were scrambled, delicately prepared. Not soft, per se, but almost velvety in how smooth they were. The bacon was just enough - cooked medium - the way I like it (without even asking). Now. The pancakes. The Souffle pancakes.
They were good, fluffy enough, but seemed to be almost a hasty mistake. Instead of the pert and shapely disks that are Takagi's speciality, mine were deflated and a little frumpy looking. Bottom line: they tasted really good, and I had no problems. The special even had a small salad, which was fresh and quietly wonderful - a great addition. (I boxed 2 pancakes. Had plenty.)
My dining companion had the opposite experience. First, their plate came out at least 20 minutes after I finished eating. Apologies abounded, and they comped appropriately on the bill, however, this was pretty crazy. Yes, the place is, and got more, busy. But it made no sense why one plate would come out without the other. Especially since the other plate was merely 2 pancakes. The mystery seemed to reveal itself when the other plate did arrive - as these new pancakes looked fantastic and the way they look on the menu. (Completely different from mine). Maybe they ran out of batter? Happily, these tasted great - and had the bonus of being super fluffy.
For the heck of it, we ordered french fries, too, which came out before our meals. Loved them, too. Not greasy, but still delicious with the ketchup.
I also loved the coffee. Rich and dark and not bitter. The latte at our table was gorgeous and wonderful, too.
Come early. Don't be in a hurry. Cut Takagi a bit of slack, and you will have a mostly fantastic meal.