Teppanyaki at Taki

I think you have be really, really hard to impress to think teppanyaki, sushi and saki- bombs aren't fun. Hibachi/sushi/steakhouse restaurants like Ohana, Appare and Taki are all over the country, and why? Because people enjoy watching chefs play with fire and big knives right in front of them, right?  

It isn't gourmet, but the food is tasty, the sushi is fresh and the saki-bombs are a-plenty.  They also make some really yummy cocktails.

For a girls-night out we hit Taki Japanese Steakhouse right on 86th street in Urbandale and it didn't disappoint.  We were seated at a table for 10 and since there were only 4 of us we got to share a table with a screaming toddler.  Luckily, our chef thought the kid was annoying too and started out the meal by throwing mushrooms at her.  It was pretty awesome. With that being said, we've gotten away with taking our kid to a hibachi grill a few times and it's always been ok.  The atmosphere is loud, the cooking show is entertaining enough to keep him occupied and sometimes they get a kick out of the fire and sometimes they cry.  Either way, it's good family fun.

The only one of us daring enough to do a saki-bomb was treated to a second free one from the chef and heaping portions of rice, veggies, meat and seafood filled our plates.  Happiness all around.  We would have liked our sushi orders to come out before the main meal, but other than that, the meal flowed along nicely.  

While my chicken was pretty overcooked and one of my dining partners was less than impressed with her sushi tonight, I feel like the good outweighs the bad and would recommend giving it a shot.

We met at 7:00pm and the meal was complete by 8:15pm even though we stayed longer to chat of course.  We weren't offered any dessert, so I'm not sure if they had any.  I'm a fan of the green tea and ginger ice creams at Japanese steakhouses, but I'm not sure if they offered dessert.  We totally would have been too full tonight anyway.  

Taki is a good sized restaurant with seating in a main dining room area where you can order off the menu and not do the hibachi, a bar, a sushi bar and the hibachi area.  Something for everyone.  The atmosphere is lively and fun and is great for a date-night, girls (or guys) -night out or certainly a family meal if you go early in the evening.  Love the ginger dressing on the salad and the sauces served with the meal really enhance the flavors. We like it. We think you will too.