Takumi Taco
“She got the Spicy Tuna & Japanese Curry Beef taco and the Charred Corn Salad & another side I cannot remember.”
“I wish I had gotten the rice and beans instead
– lychee iced tea: was a new twist that I've never had before.”
“Gyoza shell is all I needed to hear to draw me in to this place at Chelsea Market.”
Takumi Taco
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Came here after grabbing a warm dessert crepe from Bar Suzette and wanted something refreshing to wash down the amazingly sweet crepe.
My partner ordered the lychee iced tea and I ordered the sake sangria. First off, flavors for both drinks were great! Not too sweet but not too tart/bitter from the tea/sake. The lychee ice tea really takes like it was just lychee juice, whereas the sake sangria had plenty of fresh fruit to enjoy as you sip the drink.
Nevertheless there were a few things that took away from the greatness of the flavors. First the drinks were iced drinks but not cold whatsoever. You can view them from the counter when you order, so when you get the drink, you watch them fill an empty cup full of ice, then top it off with the drink of choice. Within 5 minutes, both of our drinks had melted most (if not all) of the ice and watered them down. We went on a cold May day, and Chelsea Market wasn't particularly hot, yet these drinks were apparently warmer than necessary.
The second thing that took away from my experience was the staff. My boyfriend ordered and got his tea quickly and I was right behind him. We ordered in the same order yet my drink wasn't ready quite as fast. I saw the woman standing by the pitcher of sangria, and my silly self assuming she was going to pour my already-paid-for glass, stood there and waited. Instead I watched her stand around, drink her own drink, then look at text messages on her phone. I don't mind if you are on your phone if my order is contingent on someone else to finish something first – BUT this was a drink. Ice, cup, liquid. By then I just asked if my drink would be ready soon. She looked annoyed at me, then tried to find a ticket for my order as if I didn't pay just before. The cashier turned around and confirmed my order which I got quickly after that, but there was a lot of unnecessary wait time in a cramped small area yet no line (no one else was waiting for drinks).
With other options and more appropriate service in Chelsea Market, I'd rather go somewhere else for some tea/sangria.
It was a really hot day and I had already walked along the high line in its entirety so I was really looking forward to eating something. Takumi's Japanese inspired tacos sounded pretty appealing.
I shared the bento box with spicy tuna tacos and the charred corn salad on the side. I also tried the lychee iced tea – I would've tried one of their sangrias but it was so hot that I didn't want to further dehydrate myself.
I loved the iced tea and finished it all very quickly. It had a nice lychee flavor and I was also really thirsty from walking in the heat. I wish I had had more of it as it was so refreshing and just perfect for a hot day like that.
I'm still not sure how I feel about the tacos. The spicy tuna was good but the shell was nothing special – just a plain old crunchy taco shell which tasted like the ones you get at the store. It would've been better if they had served it in tortillas they had fried up themselves.
I also wasn't a fan of the charred corn salad. The flavors and textures were pretty odd. All I could taste was burnt tasting corn. The dressing on it didn't taste much like anything either.
The side salad was eh. I don't care for spring mix to begin with so the salad was left uneaten for the most part.
My expectations were pretty high so I was pretty disappointed by the food. I would order something else next time.
I wonder how the Asian taco trend started. Takumi's menu format is very similar to Chipotle's in that you can choose between a burrito, rice bowl, salad bowl, or tacos with their selection of proteins and taco fixings. Some tacos come in a corn tortilla, and some come in a 'gyoza shell,' which I assume is a fried wonton wrapper.
Bento Box – 2 tacos, 1 side, market greens ($11.71)
The Bento box seemed like a good deal since each taco is about $5-$6 and each side is about $4. I chose the beer braised shortrib and chicken adobo tacos, in accompaniment with the corn salad. Both of these come with a corn tortilla. I probably should have tried one with 'gyoza shell.' I prefer crunchy over soft tacos, but it doesn't seem like they cook or heat up the corn tortillas.
Sapporo Braised Shortrib Taco with Napa Cabbage, Japanese mustard, scallion, wasabi crema, black sesame seeds, corn tortilla:
The short ribs are actually pulled pork. I couldn't really taste the beer, but of course alcohol cooks out. The taco was okay.
Chicken Adobo Taco with cilantro, sesame seeds, salsa, corn tortilla:
The chicken had much better flavor, making the taco more enjoyable overall.
Charred Corn Salad with edamame, citrus soy, kale, tomato, miso vinaigrette:
The corn salad was sweet and slightly smoky, yet refreshing. Usually I think sides are somewhat of a throwaway, but this was actually worth pretty good.
The bento also came with tortilla chips, but no salsa, so I used the corn salad as a salsa.
The market greens included in the bento were just mixed greens & julienned carrots and could have used more dressing, so I mixed it into the corn salad.
Nachos ($9.87) with Spicy Tuna – tortilla chips, Napa cabbage slaw, cotija cheese, yuzu guacamole, wasabi crema, ginger pico:
The so-called nachos were okay, but could have used more tuna. Most of the plate was topped with the yuzu guacamole. It's more of a chips & dip plate than it is nachos.
Sweet Ginger Tea: light & sweet, but too much ginger flavor for me
Honestly I think the prices are pretty high for what you get.
$12 for a Bento Box translates to $12 for 2 small tacos & a minuscule side
& $10 for nachos translates to $10 for chips & salsa & guac with a little bit of protein.
The individual tacos seem especially expensive. $5 for a small taco. I'd rather put that $5 towards a meal. Overall, it just felt like paying for expensive fast food.
Though their proteins aren't bad – I enjoyed the chicken adobo and the Japanese curry beef sounds pretty good, there just wasn't enough of it on the plate for it to be the star of the dish.
The plus side is the staff was friendly and there are a couple of seats for dining in.
Great concept, mixed execution. The Tuna Taco is a bit too salty and mayo-y for me. It's a bit pricey too, for the size, but this is Chelsea Market.
When I first saw this place, I thought oh great! ANOTHER fusion place with weird food combos.
Then I tired their food stuffs when I was in search of something different for lunch, and I literally ate my words.
I usually get the bento box here – bc it's such a solid option. It tastes delicious, and is filling enough that I don't get the 3pm munchies. I generally get the Asian citrus Vegi tacos and the Japanese lentil tacos. Those are both great. The citrus vegi is light and the Japanese lentil flavorful. I generally have to add Sriracha as their food is lacking spice for sure.
The chips and salsa are a decent side, though the salsa is always a bit bland if you ask me.
Solid service and reasonable prices.
I've no idea how they can mix up Mexican with Japanese and present that flavor in a taco so decided to give a try at this small shop hidden inside Chelsea market. Not really in a mood for a heavy lunch so only got one spicy tuna taco. Nothing really attracted me as the sauce was too light in flavor (except for a strong spicy taste). Not too much tuna meat could be found inside the taco either…probably I should just get some salad next door instead. Guess I'm just not a taco girl!
Ordered a bento box and an extra taco; two spicy tuna tacos and one curried beef. We also ordered a lychee iced tea (which was super delicious – and probably the best part of my meal).
The tuna tasted frozen and just covered in spicy mayo (maybe to mask the lack of flavor). It was just super disappointing overall. I had a bite of my boyfriend's curried beef taco and that was pretty good! Wish I ordered that instead of the spicy tuna… but as a sushi lover, how could I not get the tuna taco??
The corn salad in the bento box was just complete YUCK. Don't even waste your time paying an extra $2 or whatever the charge is… cause you won't like the salad. I should have looked up this place on Yelp before walking in.. but unfortunately my phone service was pretty spotty in Chelsea Market and this place just looked super cute and innovative.
Overall, it was a meh experience, and not worth it in my opinion. But, OH definitely do get the lychee iced tea if you're thirsty (and ask for extra ice, since the tea isn't cold enough)
I wouldn't recommend to friends and probably won't come back.
The best of both world, Japanese and Mexican smashed into one another to bring you things like Sake Sangria. Bento box is the way to go to try a few things at once. You get two tacos, one side, and a small side salad. My lentil tacos were dreamy, perfectly spiced with an almost Indian flavor. The other vegetarian option is basically the corn salad on tortillas, but it is served cold. The chip portions are huge, but you don't get too much of the basic salsa. Overall I want to go back now just for those lentil tacos.