Takohachi--CLOSED

04/29/07

Great Hole in the Wall

by kiwicharles

I was excited to try real japanese ramen and other food and I was not disappointed. I had a great Ramen dish that came with very good fried rice. The menu has a lot of items that you may not be sure what they are but once you see all the food people have, the wait to get in, and the great smells when you walk in the door you know it will be good. And you must not be put off by the rundown look of the place, take a chance and have some great food. The only downside was the hurriedness of the owner as she was the only help around but it did not take away from the great food. Plus it was cheap to boot. All worth it.

08/25/06

best Japanese joint in Chinatown

by seattles_best_

Great food. Like the environment. And the servers are nice. What more can you ask? And yes, my Japanese American friends say this is as close as you can get in the area to authentic.

• Pros: food, price, environment
• Cons: odd hours, parking (isn't it always the case in downtown?)

04/23/06

Good food, don't mind the service too much.

by daboloh

Went to Takohachi on 4/22/06. Got there before 6 pm, and I was seated promptly by the hostess, who seems to be the boss lady. The restaurant looks humble, from outside and within. Being the first time patron, I took about 7 minutes to look over the entire menu, which is one piece of 2-sided laminated paper. She came by twice trying to take my orders, and appeared very impatient when finding I wasn't ready. Her attitude put a dent in my overall experience, which was quickly compensated when I took the first bite, second and third. The food tasted great, good enough for me to overlook that minor frustration I had earlier on. Besides, it might be one of her bad days (to give her the benefit of doubt).

It closes on Sundays. I was there the Sunday before only to find it wasn't open.

• Pros: good food, fast service
• Cons: small place, close early at 2030

02/23/06

Closest to authentic Japanese food, great value

by tamchen

Tacohachi serves exceptional food, the price is unbeatable in Seattle. They serve big portions, try one of the hot pots (nabe) and you'll know what I mean. It's not a "sushi" place, more of a "ramen" place. In Japan there are different types of Japanese restaurants, in fact most ramen places don't serve sushi. The ramen at Takohachi is so good, simply the best in Seattle. The owner and the waitresses don't smile or try to be super nice, but the service is excellent. The dishes always all at once. The staffs are very polite, say "thank you" too often. I often ask for tea or extra stuff like daikon, or even ask them to substitue meat with vegetarian friendly items. they are always nice about my requests, though cultural differences might make some customers feel otherwise. Remember to choose between fried rice, steam rice or curry rice!

• Pros: prcie, food, closest to Japan
• Cons: closes early

01/20/06

Great food, bad service

by zowekitty

This is true Japanese home cooking at it's best! BUT, the reason I'm writing this review, is because the service is BAD! The waitress/owner is MEAN!!! Don't ask her for any extras, she'll get mad at you, and becomes very irritated. This has happened on many occasions. I just had lunch there, and wanted some tea after she brought me water. She rolled her eyes. Hey, I'm paying for it! ($1.00) I asked her for some grated daikon and lemon for my fish. She gets REALLY irritated. I was told by my friend NOT to ask for it cause she'd get mad, but I'm the customer, and those are not unreasonable requests. So, although the food is good, I'm not sure that the way the waitress acts is worth me going there. Well, as they say, don't expect good service when you go to Chinatown....great food though!

• Pros: Food
• Cons: Offensive service

12/28/05

Great Red Lantern Restaurant

by huskyduck

In Japan, when a red lantern hangs outside a restaurant, it signifies that the establishment serves reliable, home cooked meals at a reasonable price. Takohachi is an authentic red lantern Japanese restaurant in Seattle serving set dinner meals as well hot bowls of noodles. Their black cod kasuzake is superior to what you would get at high end places like Nikko and Nishino. And if you have a craving for miso ramen still lingering from your last trip to Japan, look no further because you can find a good bowl of it here.

Simply put, Takohachi is one of the values you will find in Seattle.

• Pros: miso ramen, black cod kasuzake, good value
• Cons: small

10/17/05

Great All Around

by elgringogourmand

I was skeptical of the octopus confronting me as I walked into Takohachi but as soon as I got there the ambience kicked in and made me look forward to sitting down. The booths at this place for ceiling to floor so it was great for a private date. The prices were exceptionally good and the food arrived quickly and was much more authentic Japanese than anything I've found. The service was great but not in the annoying way of constant checking up in the hopes of a big tip but rather, the service was polite and I even received a bow. This place was excellent.

• Pros: Food, Service, Cheap!!
• Cons: Strange hours

07/28/05

Great Country-Style Japanese

by aep

It's hard to describe takohachi (the name means literally octopus-eight), but it is a comfortable, small restaurant with great prices, excellent food and quirky service. The hours are odd and language barriers might be a problem as the menu is mostly in Japanese. They only do one takeout item currently. Despite its quirks, it remains one of my favorite places to go.

• Pros: food, inexpensive, quiet
• Cons: parking, small, hours

01/28/04

I Love Takohachi

by edchu5978

mmmmm, tasty! If you never been there, you need to try it. Serve mostly cooked food. The Kimchi Ramen is the best. I moved to SF, and have not found a place nearly as good as Takohachi.

09/26/02

Japanese comfort food

by ericvig

Takohachi is a wonderful hidden gem. They serve classics like hamburg steak, croquettes, and curry rice, done just like I had in Japan. The black cod kasuzuke is also fabulous.

• Pros: Authentic food, Good Service, Reasonable prices