Taku is a vibrant Capitol Hill hangout serving crispy karaage and late-night bites in a fun, anime-decorated atmosphere that captures the essence of Osaka street food.
"A fried chicken spot by Top Chef star Shota Nakajima, closed due to the demands of Nakajima's career." - Harry Cheadle
"An Osaka-style fried chicken restaurant on Capitol Hill, known for its fried food and party atmosphere. It was covered in Japanese pop-culture memorabilia and served dishes like kushikatsu. The restaurant was run by TV chef Shota Nakajima but is now permanently closed." - Harry Cheadle
"At his lively Capitol Hill restaurant and Osaka-style bar, star chef Shota Nakajima focuses on marinated, battered, and twice-fried karaage with dry and wet seasonings including curry, teriyaki, and salt and pepper. A “Fuckit Bucket” easily feeds three or four people with three full pounds of chicken over a pound of fries and some shredded cabbage, and a late-night dine-in-only menu with Japanese egg sandwiches and fried rice is available until 1:30 a.m." - Eater Staff, Jade Yamazaki Stewart
"Shota Nakajima’s Capitol Hill fried chicken restaurant serves a late-night menu until 2 a.m. on weekends and midnight the other nights. Besides the signature double-fried karaaage (with a variety of flavors), you can also order a spicy fried chicken sando, oyako don, and mochi ice cream." - Eater Staff
"If it’s midnight on Capitol Hill, your stomach is growling like an N64 controller’s rumble pack, and you don't feel like having a pizza slice or hot dog, there’s always Taku. The karaage at this Japanese spot is an ideal vehicle for their incredible yum yum sauce, a savory mayo packed with sesame flavor that makes everything delicious. In fact, we'd order extra bonito-coated furikake fries just for the stuff. If you’re looking for something more filling than fried potatoes, we find the karaage sandwich to be much better than the chicken by itself, thanks to tartar sauce, tart pickles, and spicy habanero powder jazzing up the dredge." - Aimee Rizzo, Kayla Sager Riley
