Takao

I went to Takao every time I visited Los Angeles. Place is busy, however, service is still good. Omakase have 3 prices, $100, $150 or $200. I picked $150 version. Is a lot of food, loved sitting at the sushi bar.

Stop by for quick bite, it was quite busy when we got there but was able to get a table inside by the sushi bar. Everyone is super nice and helpful. We ordered Uni, Jumbo Scallop and couple other items which were all amazing! The Toro sashimi was delicious 😋 and it paired perfectly with the sake. Enjoyed the food and personally I think this place is better than other big name sushi restaurant near by.

Great setting on the sidewalk. Went here for date night a second time. Love that it's nearby and that we can walk there and back. The service is excellent. Standout dishes include spicy eggplant, oysters, spicy tuna crispy rice with caviar, sliced wagyu, freshwater eel hand rolls, and the 10 assorted selection cut rolls. We had a couple bottles of the black dragon junmai sake at just under $80 each. We splurged, and our bill came out to $330 plus tip. And it was well worth it after a long week.

First time eating here and the food is decent. First and foremost, the service from the kind older hosts was absolutely excellent. Overall, the food was just OK. Quality of fish is just ok. They serve overly americanized rolls with heaps of spicy mayo and are just trying too hard to be something that its not. Picture matsuhisa’s adopted little brother… with the same price tag… In my opinion the food is simply not worth it and would have preferred Sugarfish. I wish they could just keep it simple w/ super fresh fish, good rice and fresh wasabi. The vibes were slightly pretentious for the quality of food.

I visited this place for a quick lunch based on the glowing reviews. Unfortunately, I was highly disappointed. I'm baffled by the 5-star ratings. The sushi lacked any discernible flavor, and the rice was of very poor quality, tasted like nothing with a strange odor. Sorry, but it's a big no for me.

I found out about the place because of Netflix documentary Chef's Table and since then always wanted to go and meet Chef Takao and taste his food. I finally got to go and ordered the Omakase menu. It was a whole new and different experience and I got to taste really different Japanese dishes from what I'm used to in my country and my trips abroad. It was quite an interesting experience overall and I even got to take a picture with Takao! He's a very nice and humble person. Service is very good, starting from the moment you book your reservation. The restaurant has kind of a family vibe and they make you feel very welcomed. That's probably why a lot of locals visit the place and are regular customers. I stayed for a while talking to one of those customers and got the chance to speak a little bit with Takao and his crew. It's definitely a place you want to visit if you have the chance. Enjoy!

Worst Omakase I've ever had. I work really close to head and have always been intimidated to go since I've heard a lot of great things about it. I heard how the owner of N/naka used to work here, etc etc Well one day I decided to go and opted for the Omakase which you can pick $120, $150, and $200 options. I went for the $150. The dishes started out okay, nothing super memorable, I even had a chawanmushi that was laughable, it had one tiny shrimp, what appeared to be maybe a quail egg yolk, and maybe a clam. I had a few decent options too, one piece of toro, one piece of salmon. Then I got this steamed shrimp dish that was very memorable- but not in a good way. I have attached a picture. The shrimp head was deep fried while the shrimp body was steamed and was displayed split with all of its eggs there as well. I'm not a huge fan of cavier, especially when you can see eyes. Also I thought pregnant shellfish was off limits for consumption? Even after all that I tried it anyways, and can now honestly say-not a fan. The shrimp tasted average, not worth the trauma of the presentation. Then we get to a section of the omakase where they asked me if I wanted noodles or sushi? I picked sushi, and got a plate of some rather forgettable sushi, and then they asked me which soup I wanted. I couldn't understand her very well on what the choices were, so I picked the Miso clams one. Well the clams barely had any meat- It wasn't even worth trying to eat them. Now lets talk about service. I was here sitting at the bar for almost TWO HOURS. (my parking ticket stamp was 6:15, and when I got back in my car it was 8:09) Bar service is usually faster? but not here. After a while I flagged the waitress down to tell her I just wanted my check. She said I still had dessert which consisted of ice cream, and visibly annoyed I said it was okay I have to go and I'll just pass. She brought me the check and I figured they'd atleast discount me on the dessert, but nope still charged me $150. Parking is also $10 in the back to park your own car (at least thats what they made me do). Overall I will definitely not be back and I highly do NOT recommend this overhyped place. I overheard a few people who were so excited to be there, one couple for their anniversary, and another table exclaiming it was the best sushi place ever. I'm sorry Brentwood but there's so many better choices just a little further out, I understand the "prestige" of living west of the 405, but just venture out and you'll find MUCH better sushi omakase places.

Sushi was fresh and everything tasted fantastic. Highly recommend if you’re looking for an authentic experience

I was visiting relatives and they brought me here for a quick lunch. Service was quick and very pleasant. Their menu was small, but I can appreciate that. Everything looked good, my assorted sushi was so good and fresh and the portion was perfect. We sat outside so I didn't get to see the inside of the restaurant. Outdoor seating was nice. Would visit again if I'm ever in the area.

I have been here a few times with friends, once for dinner and more recently for lunch. Both times we sat outside and were seated outside very quickly. Both times I was very impressed by the quality of the sushi. I highly recommend coming by for lunch and checking out their lunch deals, it was a great amount of food for money especially considering the quality of the fish and miso soup!

Worst Omakase I've ever had. I work really close to head and have always been intimidated to go since I've heard a lot of great things about it. I heard how the owner of N/naka used to work here, etc etc Well one day I decided to go and opted for the Omakase which you can pick $120, $150, and $200 options. I went for the $150. The dishes started out okay, nothing super memorable, I even had a chawanmushi that was laughable, it had one tiny shrimp, what appeared to be maybe a quail egg yolk, and maybe a clam. I had a few decent options too, one piece of toro, one piece of salmon. Then I got this steamed shrimp dish that was very memorable- but not in a good way. I have attached a picture. The shrimp head was deep fried while the shrimp body was steamed and was displayed split with all of its eggs there as well. I'm not a huge fan of cavier, especially when you can see eyes. Also I thought pregnant shellfish was off limits for consumption? Even after all that I tried it anyways, and can now honestly say-not a fan. The shrimp tasted average, not worth the trauma of the presentation. Then we get to a section of the omakase where they asked me if I wanted noodles or sushi? I picked sushi, and got a plate of some rather forgettable sushi, and then they asked me which soup I wanted. I couldn't understand her very well on what the choices were, so I picked the Miso clams one. Well the clams barely had any meat- It wasn't even worth trying to eat them. Now lets talk about service. I was here sitting at the bar for almost TWO HOURS. (my parking ticket stamp was 6:15, and when I got back in my car it was 8:09) Bar service is usually faster? but not here. After a while I flagged the waitress down to tell her I just wanted my check. She said I still had dessert which consisted of ice cream, and visibly annoyed I said it was okay I have to go and I'll just pass. She brought me the check and I figured they'd atleast discount me on the dessert, but nope still charged me $150. Parking is also $10 in the back to park your own car (at least thats what they made me do). Overall I will definitely not be back and I highly do NOT recommend this overhyped place. I overheard a few people who were so excited to be there, one couple for their anniversary, and another table exclaiming it was the best sushi place ever. I'm sorry Brentwood but there's so many better choices just a little further out, I understand the "prestige" of living west of the 405, but just venture out and you'll find MUCH better sushi omakase places.

I've always passed by this place and wanted to try it and my date suggested we go here tonight so I was excited to try it. It's kind of a low key place without all the frills, which I totally appreciated! The menu looked extensive but I let my date take the lead in ordering. He got the halibut carpaccio (amazing), salmon toban yaki (delicious), albacore sashimi, and sashimi roll (riceless roll, we got it without crab). Everything was great and I will definitely be back! Good for a date or family night, I wouldn't go here for a girls night out to hit the town.

First introduced to this hidden gem for locals exactly a decade ago and loved being back to celebrate good friends. My standing favorites are the blue crab soy paper wrap and the crispy rice spicy tuna. And for dessert, of course the mochi ice cream.

I love Takao. The service is impeccable and the quality is superb. I ordered the dinner entree of sushi, the yellowtail jalepeno sashimi, and spicy tuna crispy rice. I was blown away at the quality of fish. However, the spicy tuna crispy rice could have been better (crisper rice is preferred). Will definitely be back!

The omakase here is outstanding. Great value for the quality. The star here is undoubtedly the food - while the restaurant is nice enough, this isn't the kind of place you go to for clout or ambiance. In this case, it's preferable that way - very unassuming, delicious food in a lowkey, quiet environment where you get to truly savor it. Opted to do the $150/person omakase which for us was 9 courses. We were all quite full by course 5, and incredibly stuffed by the end of the meal. One thing we were surprised by is that the option of sashimi / udon / soba was served after the meat dish (unagi for me, wagyu for my friends), at which point we were already so full! Would have loved it a little earlier potentially, but still liked it nonetheless. This omakase isn't purely sashimi and nigiri based if that's what you're looking for, but I found it far more delightful than most omakase which can feel uninspired and redundant. This one is truly a journey across different flavors and styles. $150 for us included -Crab appetizer -Hamachi sashimi -Seared Hamachi with Truffle -Toro with Uni -Chawanmushi (not pictured) -Abalone with mushroom and asparagus -Wagyu (or unagi in my case - I don't eat red meat) -Miso Soup -Udon / Soba or Sashimi (selected sashimi in my case) - Dessert (fresh fruit, ice cream, pudding and some other options!) - I didn't expect to like the sesame pudding but it was sooo tasty Would go here again and again if I lived closer! Wonderful spot

Food is incredible and authentic and the service somehow tops that. Some of the best restaurant staff in the LA area

A sushi treat - love the owners and their commitment to getting fresh seafood. Really cute spot, great for small groups or dates. I come here often, and have tried the omakase, a la carte and sitting by the bar - never had a bad dinner here!

Absolutely fantastic Omakase! There were three tiers and we did the middle, it was delicious and was filling which isn't always the case with sushi. Super friendly staff and a non-pretentious atmosphere. The sashimi and nigiri were remarkable and the steak was great too- I loved being able to see the dishes prepared right in front of me and described by the chef who prepared it

Such a good no frills kind of spot in the heart of it all. I loved coming here post workout and grabbing some rolls that were really decently priced, super fresh, and the service was great. It isn't going to give you the ambience you would expect of a sushi place of its quality but I love coming here and having a chill and relaxed experience. Fish is excellent, the menu has so many things to choose from and even the hot food was so great and so reasonable for portion size and quality. Snow crab hand rolls were great and at $14 vs $20 for fake crab at Katsuya it was wonderful. Will happily be back and support this local gem !

Solid sushi spot. Very busy on weeknights and reservations are recommended. We ordered: Crispy rice and spicy tuna: Delicious! A must order. White fish sashimi new style: Excellent if you like truffle. Yellowtail sashimi w/ jalapeño: Good but I wouldn't order it again. Toro sashimi: Simple and sublime. Miso cod: Excellent. A bit salty because of the miso. Served with pickled radish. A nice cooked option. Green salad: Basic salad you'd find at any sushi place. Sesame dressing.

Y'all!!!!!!!! This place is just ugh....fantastic. My coworkers took me here for an early birthday lunch. I am not sure what I was expecting but I can't wait to come back. For the table we ordered the "New Style Sashimi With Truffle", the sauteed spicy eggplant and the crispy rice and spicy tuna. The sashimi with truffle literally melted in your mouth. The eggplant was so incredibly soft and seasoned well. It wasn't too spicy and we just couldn't stop eating it. It was my first time trying crispy rice and I was pleasantly surprised. It wasn't overpowering and I felt that the soft tuna paired really well with rice. I ordered the lobster tempura as my main dish. If I hadn't been so full already I would have ordered another!!! The tempura batter was light and fluffy. They provided a dipping sauce which wasn't anything like I tasted before. I wish I took pictures but just trust me, It was amazing.

Had lunch with a GF the other day. The food was DELICIOUS! Every bite was fresh and so tasty. 4 stars is the highest that I can give this establishment because the service was lacking. I had to keep looking for someone to get a water refill. Then when we were waiting for the check, no one was around. If the service improves by at least 75% then I could give another star.

Takao is literally the best - our "go to" favorite restaurant in LA. The food is always delicious, exciting & better each time. The service is fantastic - warm & professional. Chef Takao & his wife Sammy are a friendly presence. We've been regulars for 25 years & feel fortunate to be part of the Takao family. They honor traditional Japanese food, vegan dishes & modern takes on every type of dish. Be sure to send a beer to Takao (after 8pm) and you'll likely get something special from him! The ambiance is like you're eating in their home. It's clean, cozy & just right. P.S. The Abby Roll (off the menu) is a must, as is the Halibut Tiradito sashimi.

Fresh quality food and they're very friendly. Traditional Japanese style cuisine, have to try!

Went here with a friend from Japan. The wait staff definitely was very accommodating. It's probably one of the better places in the neighborhood so if you're looking for some sushi and some Japanese food slightly on the creative side, you might like this place.

My girlfriend and I came here for a quick lunch. We didn't make a reservation, but we were able to be seated right away (Presidents Day). The main reason for us to try Takao was to have good authentic sushi at a reasonable price. This goal was achieved! This restaurant is more for the food than for the ambience. It does not look shabby or anything, but the atmosphere does not feel upscale, either. I ordered the assorted sushi special ($18 with a soft shel crab roll). I would not say the sushi was amazing, but it was authentic and solid, great for the price. The fish was fresh, and the sushi was well crafted (see my photo). The sushi chefs were Japanese, which is rather rare these days. I will definitely come back for more sushi. 高級店で食べるようではありませんが、値段も手頃でお寿司の味もなかなかよかったです。雰囲気、サービスとも悪くはなかったですが、特別な日に行くお店というよりは、ちょっと寿司を食べたい時に気のおけない友達と行くのにいいようなお店だと思いました。 Practical Tips: + On nigiri sushi, they add wasabi under the fish (as they do in Japan). If you (or children) do not like wasabi, you would have to ask when you order. + Sushi special comes with a roll (on top of 5 nigiri sushi). If you pay extra, you can get a shrimp tempura roll, a soft shell crab roll, or yellowtail with green onion, but it is IN PLACE OF (not on top of) the spicy tuna roll which is part of the description. ****************************** If you found something useful in my review, please hit "useful" so that I can improve my reviews. If you love food and traveling, follow me, or better yet, let's become friends on Yelp! Thank you and happy Yelping!

The food was more ordinary than expected, given the reputation and the emphasis on special dishes. The chef's special sushi dinner was pretty good if straightforward, it was the chef's special sashimi dinner that was very ordinary looking. And the sashimi appetizer option everyone selected appeared to be poorly cut, at least for a place of this quality. Don't get me wrong, it's good, but with so many sushi restaurants in Los Angeles, Takao is a tough sell.

It wasn't horrible but wasn't good either. We won't be going back for several reasons. We visited on a random weekday and it really wasn't very busy yet they were sooooooo slow. The sushi was not flowing out to the table they were taking forever to prepare each dish. RED FLAG: One of the chefs was literally standing in the food prep area stuffing his face with rice. We didn't see him prepare anything but he was there eating. Like this is sushi! Eat and then wash your hands all in the back! Why are you in the food prep area eating rice? Food: we ordered yellowtail sashimi with jalapeños and tuna rice cakes which were both good and were the only good things. We also ordered a blue crab cut roll, scallop sushi which they put in a roll both were mediocre. Between the hit or miss food, slow service, and employees eating in the prep area, it's a hard "No" for us returning.

Absolutely delicious sushi. I ordered the set menu. It was multiples of fix dishes. Delicious and expensive, but not unique. Once again it maybe that I had a huge expectation, before getting there. In any case as good as it gets and wonderful staff.

Fantastic very fresh fish. Just had some basics but all were excellent. Service friendly too- they accommodated me right before closing time. Will return to sample some more things.

Excellent sushi, try the tofu uni shooter, totally delicious. Not cheap but worth what you pay for.

I have enjoyed Takao for many years and still love their food. The venue is quite small and clean with a relaxed ambience. The food is always fresh and the service is attentive, friendly and excellent. The prices are reasonable for such high quality food. Takao is the owner and executive sushi chef who is a master with his simple yet elegant food which are presented in a classic way. They have nice lunch specials for sushi and shashimi which includes soup and salad. I would highly recommend this restaurant.

Great lunch at Takao today. The sushi was fresh and the cuts are a decent size. The lunch specials we had were an assortment of sushi with a roll (either spicy tuna or avocado depending on the plate). Definitely more than adequate food for lunch. The ambiance is casual and unpretentious. Service was attentive and quick. We were in and out in just a bit over 30 minutes.

I am Japanese from Japan. The person I went with was also Japanese from Japan. We both ordered Ten-Don from the lunch menu. (Tendon: assorted tempura on rice with tendon sauce served in a bowl). We clearly ordered the $15 tendon. I pointed at this on the menu as well. Tempura is supposed to be freshly fried, crispy and light. However. The tempura served here were all gooey, soggy, and I held the shrimp by the tail and the layer of soggy skin fell off. Worst tempura we've ever had in our lives. In Japan, people often eat the entire shrimp including the tail shell of the shrimp because it's so crisp like chips. But this place's tempura was so soft and soggy we couldn't. Also, when we got the check, they charged us $28 each bowl, which was the "chef choice special tendon". We clearly didn't say we'd like the chef's special tendon. Honestly, the tempura at Mitsuwa Japanese supermarket food court (Hannosuke) is so so much better than here, which is embarrassing. The lady sitting next to us ordered Yellowtail but got Cod and she had to inform the server of the wrong fish. 1. If the chef didn't know the difference between yellowtail and cod, that's a problem. 2. If they served yellowtail instead of cod thinking customers won't know the difference, that's a problem. Also, the menu in front of the restaurant had lunch assorted tempura which has Scallop listed. But in the menu handed to customers after sitting down, had scallops crossed out. That's also deceiving to invite customers in with scallop on the outside menu and not have that served in the real meal. It was the worst lunch we've had in years, horrible food and wrong charges. If this restaurant is owned by Japanese, I am very disappointed and embarrassed as Japanese. I wonder if they think this kind of horrible food served is ok because American customers won't know any quality (hey, it's Brentwood, you all know the demographic in this area). They need to have pride, it's plain embarrassment.

As some others, my friend and I wanted to come here ever since hearing on Chef's Table that Niki Nakayama worked here before opening n/naka. We eventually made it for an omakase one weekend evening. It's not what you'd expect for a typical omakase! If you're expecting a more traditional nigiri omakase, it's more of a mix here. At the beginning, there's a lot more fish-based dishes, raw and cooked, as well as some cooked meats near the end. In the middle is where you get your nigiris, but they make up less than 50% of the dining experience, which came as a bit of a surprise. What's on deck though was fantastic and creative, haven't had fish presented, seasoned and composed like this before. Everything tasted great and nuanced between each other. The toro three ways was a highlight as well as the scallops three ways. If you're looking for an out of the ordinary omakase, Takao is worth checking out!

Went to takao for the first time since covid. I stopped by the restaurant an hour earlier to ask if they could reserve a table for us, as they were quite busy on a Wednesday night around 6pm. The staff was friendly and make space for my friends and I to sit. They have 2 heaters outdoors and made sure to place one by our table as soon as we arrived. The food was great as always, we had yellowtail and salmon rolls and the eggplant miso. Love this neighborhood spot and will definitely be back.

I recently visited Takao for dinner. I was seated next to chef Takao. In full transparency Takao san is a friend but this was the first time I visited his restaurant. I drove up all the way from Irvine. I was seated at the bar next to Takao san. I learnt from the host that Takao san preferred wine so I ordered a beautiful 1995 Bordeaux to share with him. I started with Nama Beeru and also had a couple crafts of sake to enjoy my meal. I started with Awabi Kimo and Kimedai shashimi which were both wonderful and then I had a series of Tempura dishes that were perfect. I then had a variety of nigiri sushi which were all also excellent. Then to close and enjoy the wine with my friend I had a number of seared Otoro in lettuce wraps and we toasted the night away!! I do recommend this restaurant because it is chef owner operated, seating is spacious, staff is attentive and very professional and the food is wonderful. The only drawback was this will cost you $$$. But this is a high rent district.

My girlfriend and I had been wanting to eat at Takao for a while after hearing that Niki Nakayama, a chef featured on an episode of "Chef's Table" used to work there. We finally decided to try it since we didn't have time to wait for a table at Sugar Fish. We decided not to get the omakase as we weren't trying to splurge too much, but we ended up spending a lot anyways and wished we got it. Ordered a variety of nigri including mackerel, toro, uni, red snapper, sardines, and halibut. Also ordered a bottle of sake. All of this came out to $160, or $80 per person. The sushi was all great quality with the standouts being the uni, toro, and sardines. We were very happy with the quality of the sushi. The only reason I am docking a star is because I've been to better value sushi restaurants nearby. A LOT of their items were market price so the price on almost every item we ordered was a suprise, so be careful! Overall, this place has high quality sushi, and I would definitely recommend it!

Despite living in the area, this was my first time at Takao. Main chef was not in but I ordered the omakase and a few al carte dishes. Takao has good sushi but it isn't the traditional negiri purist type that I am use to. Omakase was a good chance to sample their cooked food menu and some innovative combinations. I really didn't get a great selection of their sushi menu. All of the dishes were good but none of the were ground shaking. with a price tag of $70-120 I would expect something to blow my mind every now and then. I did however like how they managed to work in the request for uni tempura into the omakase. Omakase 1: Salad in vinager base with snowcrab, cucumber, and jellyfish. Omakase 2: Baby yellow tail with japlapenos in ponzu Omakase 3: Sardine roll in a rice paper wrap Omakase 4: white fish in "charcoal sauce" - tasted really meaty and was very pleasant. Omakase 5: salmon in a sizzle hot skillet Omakase 6: tempura - we asked to add uni tempura to our lunch Omakase 7 - miso soup and sushi Dessert - mochi - 2 basic mochi you can probably get at the grocery but still nice to have. Seared wagyu - tender and delicious. Toro on crispy rice with caviar - the crispy rice was well done and it goes well together. I didn't feel the warmth that I would feel sitting at the sushi bar at other places like sushi kimagure or nozawa bar. The chefs hardly talked to us and didn't even serve us directly like other sushi bars (defeating the purpose of sitting at the bar). As a whole, Takao is a pretty solid choice for mixed rolls and new innovative flavors. A comparable restaurant in my opinion would be that of yu-n-mi sushi. Next time, I would likely order their sushi a la carte to get a real feel for their sushi.

This place was so awesome! My wife and I went for Valentine's Day and ordered the 9 course meal to celebrate. Eat course was unique and delicious! Every bite was like a party in my mouth! On top of that, the service was great. Even though the restaurant was so busy, the waitresses took the time to make sure we were okay. I'd definitely go again. And again. And again! Pro tips: - I'd only do the 9 course meal if you really like Japanese seafood / sushi - Also parking might be hard - Reservations made ahead of time are worth it, it's a small place

Takao is a SOLID sushi joint. I came here after learning about this place on Netflix's Chef's Table. I love n/naka and finding out Chef Nikki was trained under Chef Takao for a while and had such a big influence on her, I knew I had to try this place! Takao is in Brentwood but definitely not a pretentious spot - a casual, homey sushi restaurant with amazing sushi. I came here with 2 other friends and we did the Che'f choice omakase. SO GLAD we did as we got to try 10 dishes, all of which were superb and we were all actually full at the end. Highlight include sushi of course, tempura, wagyu steak, tuna+caviar, uni, fried shrimp + it's head, and my absolute fave which is a signature dish- sashimi of a white fish drizzled in hot oil and topped with truffle!!! It was to die for and I'm still dreaming about it absolutely delicious and I can't wait to go back!

Hard to spot the restaurant from the street, but happy I found it! Seating is pretty available during lunch hours compared to other eateries in Brentwood, and their sushi is reasonably priced. I got the assorted sushi deluxe ($15), which was delicious! The fish tasted pretty fresh My first experience was pretty modest, so I'll definitely be back to try the omakase :)

I love sushis, but there's so much more to Japanese cuisine and little restaurants are offering a traditional japanese meal. After looking at Chef's table about N/Naka and failing to get a table there, I opted for the place where the chef trained before Takao. The main menu is a price based menu: you choose the price (from $80/pers to $200) and the chef cooks dishes according to the price range. We chose the $120 and we got so much from it: Jellyfish, mushrooms, abalon, various sashimis, pancakes and to my surprise 4 dishes with O-Toro (fatty Tuna) - it is a super expensive part of the tuna and usually restaurants only give you a very small amount. I should also mentioned the service because it was like watching a ballet. Timing was perfect, as soon as we finished our plate another one was brought within a couple of minutes: no time wasted waiting for the next dish, but no rush into eating. Service was super discrete but everytime we raised our head to ask for water or something, the waiter was right there. Just writing the review makes me wanna go back.

Came here in a Saturday 3/4/2017 with hubs and 2 of his friends who live in SoCal. His friend highly recommend this place to eat and said it was a experience in itself. He had saw a documentary on one of the sushi chefs there and was uber excited to try this. We had made reservations for 6pm. We got there and they seated us right away, it wasn't packed yet only a few tables there were full. It isn't a very large place to begin with. Yℴu walk in and there about a dozen tables and the sushi bar with the 3 sushi chefs. It's was almost traditional style Japanese restaurant. As we settled in they gave us warm towels to clean our hands with and handed us drink menus to look over. After looking through the sale menu I decided to ask our server for a recommendation that wasn't a dry sake and was better served cold. She highly recommend: Akitabare Suirakuten "Heaven of Tipsy Delight" Daiginjo, so I agreed in a bottle for 3 of us to share and hubs did traditional house hot sake. They also asked us for secondary drinks with was cold water and hot green tea. Food menu was given to us next and The 3 of us decided to do the $150 omakase which is the chefs choice. What omakase is 7-10 small dishes that the chefs pick out for yℴu and yℴu also get a dessert at the end of this meal. It ranges from $80-$200 per person to do this but it is definitely worth the whole experience because you go through this whole food journey. And our friend who opt out of the omakase decided to just eat off the a la carte menu, she ordered the crispy rice and spicy tuna takao special which was super tasty. So our first dish comes out and it was: 1. Hairy crab with mixed kelp with a vinegar sauce, we took the meat off and added the sauce and tossed it together. 2. Yellow Tail Sashimi with Jalapeño ( thinly sliced yellow tail Sashimi with jalapeño and cilantro in ponzu sauce.) 3. Toro Tartare with Caviar (finely chopped tuna belly, onion, garlic and wasabi in soya sauce) this was heaven in my mouth it just all melted away. 4. Takao's White Fish Halibut New Style Sashimi with Truffle (thinly slice whitefish sashimi topped with light garlic, chives, ginger, sesame seeds, soy sauce, yuzu juice, seared with hot olive and sesame oil.) This was a dish that was loved all around by all of us, if we could we eat more lol. 5. "Cyawan-Mushi" (Japanese egg custard steam in a cup with seafood and mushroom) 6. Giant prawn with eggs and spinach 7. Fried fish and vegetable in soup. 8. Wagu beef steak in a sizzle plate with asparagus and white onion. 9. Assorted Nigiri Sushi Chef's choice (Toro, Yellowtail, Red Snapper, Halibut and Uni Nigiri sushi). This was a very tasty plate we all loved how fresh it was and how delicious it all was. 10. Clam miso soup (asari Manila clams and green onion in white miso) 11. Dessert you're choice from the dessert menu - I got the mix fruit which is agar agar cubes and other delicious fruits in a sugar syrup top on vanilla ice cream. The meal ended at 9pm totalling a 3 hour meal from beginning to end, so please ensure you make the time for this and enjoy it to the fullest. I loved how our server was very attentive to us and explained each dish to every detail to us to educate us what we were eating. I also loved how she always replaced my green tea when it got cold, she always ensure it was a hot cup of tea in front of me always. It was all amazing and delicious, I will never forget this experience in my life thank you to our friend who took us to this amazing food adventure. Thank you to the staff who was super amazing and friendly. I definitely recommend doing the omakase, splurge a little ツ

Love this place for a simple and affordable high-quality sushi meal. The tea is free and the sushi lunch special for two only came out to $30 with tax. Amazing. The service is great (even for a Japanese restaurant). The lunch special apparently comes with spicy tuna, but without knowing I have an intolerance to spice (I know... it sucks and I'm working on it), they asked if I wanted spicy. Great deal and a great meal.

Takao is a very busy Brentwood spot for quite mediocre sushi. The restaurant is small and cozy with friendly staff who are running around like crazy trying to accommodate everyone and doing a good job at it. The menu is huge with options ranging from basic rolls to omakase and everything in between. For our meal, we started off with shishito peppers, which come seeded and topped with some chili paste. Both sweet and a touch spicy, the flavors were great, but the pepper had zero char on them and too much oil. The next dish was of soft shell crab, which at first glance was wonderful, but at first bite left your mouth full of oil and very little crispiness was quite disappointing. We ordered 6 - 7 nigiri (2 per order), including the wagyu, one thing that united them all was very poor rice preparation. It was undercooked, bland, and falling apart. Nothing stood out - all fish flavors were mediocre at best. Additionally, we tried the maki spicy tuna roll, which ironically had waterlogged rice, while still being bland throughout. I rarely talk about the price of a meal, but at $200 it's just not worth it.

This is a nice, intimate sushi restaurant in Brentwood. The ambiance is quaint, friendly and homie. The dishes we tried were delicious. The ahi tuna rolls, sauteed spicy eggplant, toro, yellowtail and anago sushi were all tasty. We also enjoyed the spider roll and coffee jelly dessert. We also were introduced to delicious sake.

Amazing sushi and sashimi. Great humble restaurant. It's not glamorous. The fireworks are all in the food. We ordered the red snapper dish and it was beautiful. Very refreshing and the ponzu sauce was delightfully light and tangy. It came with dried spice looking berries and it was very pretty. The sashimi is great. We ordered Halibut and the two pieces were very tender and fresh. Quality is very high! Service is very quick and the people are very nice.

Awesome, sooooo very, very delicious, authentic Japanese food !!!!!! Will come back 100% !!

Very expensive and nothing we ordered was good. Definitely better sushi restaurants near by. Maybe if they lower their prices I'll give it another shot. Sugarfish down the street is where it's at

I order ******3 house sake**** for $84!!!!!!!!!! Yes house !!! Are you kidding me ? And also dishes it's really basic but expensive. But not going back at all .

Stopped by for just a sake, a large -- $28??? And offered to treat someone, who ordered a small -- $16??? Nearly $50, with tax. Sorry, but Katsuya is right up the street -- and Takao is hardly that.

Great spot for a lunch. Went there with friends for the first time. The quality of the sushi was high and the lunch menu was just right for us. All the sushi was well prepared and was more Japanese style rather than American. Will go back

Although we didn't get to order the Uni risotto because the chef wasn't there, it was still a really great meal! Some of our favorites are: Crispy rice with toro and caviar White fish liver with ponzu sauce Blue crab salad rolls The green tea ice cream The service was a little slow as more people came in and the it took almost two hours to have all the dishes. Will definitely come back again!

Sushi here has always been good, service fast and friendly. A highlight for me was the green tea creme brulee. The bf didnt' like it so much, but I did, so I got to eat most of it!!! I like the details here - cloth napkins, frosted glasses for an icy beer. Also, the seaweed salad was unusual - lots of different types of seaweed not found in your typical sushi restaurant salads, and very artfully presented. The restaurant itself is pretty small, so usually I'd try to have a reservation.

This is a great place to try if you're looking to indulge in delicious sushi/sashimi and unique Japanese appetizers/dishes, hot or cold. We came here today by accident (was actually planning to visit Taiko) and ended up splurging on the Chef's Best Choice Assorted Sashimi platter (14 pieces, 2 of each type), eggplant extravaganza, and a blue crab salad roll. The total came to be close to $120 after tax+tip for the two of us, so no, this is not a cheap restaurant. But the quality was there. The sashimi was some of the best I've had- smooth, fatty, melt-in-your-mouth. Much better than Sugar fish next door. The blue crab rolls came with 4 pieces and were good but not outstanding. I also enjoyed the egg plant dish, which came piping hot, topped with shrimp, scallops and crab meat and a sweet miso and spicy mayo sauce. I would come again if I wanted to treat myself /splurge on delicious food. NOTE: this place is fairly small and not that great for large groups. I would recommend making a reservation. We came around 6:30 on a monday night and did not have to wait with reservations, but we might have gotten lucky. It became pretty crowded around 7pm.

Was not good.... I came here bc the reviews were so good too! The sushi was not fresh at all. The miso soup tasted off, spicy tuna on crispy rice was not good (so sad, hard to mess that one up), everything else I ordered (yellow tail, salmon, tuna) I tasted but didn't finish. Everything was sooo smelly and tasted fishy. Also, asked for ponzu sauce multiple times and she never brought it. Left and went to the Italian restaurant next door!