Taiko Sushi Imports Japanese Taste To Massapequa

Who would ever think that, in the middle of Massapequa, one could step into a simple restaurant and find themselves transported to a vision of feudal Japan?

Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but , located at 630 Broadway, is the newest addition to Massapequa's densely-packed restaurant scene. It's an establishment clearly steeped in tradition, class and atmosphere. If Asian food is your thing, you owe it to yourself to try it out.

Taiko Sushi's simple exterior belies the beautiful interior that greets you once you walk through the door. Rich, dark wood makes its presence felt throughout the restaurant; the booths lining the walls recall visions of an ancient Japanese village, the tables shadowed by slatted wooden rooftops held aloft by pillars, each lit by a lone lantern-style lamp.

Meanwhile, the middle of the floor is populated by multiple stand-alone tables, each also constructed of dark, finely-polished wood.

"We checked out a lot of different Japanese restaurants, their designs," said Taiko manager Eugene Wang of their design choice. "There was one that we saw that was very culturally good-looking, so we decided to model this place on that restaurant, and that's how we came upon these little shacks the booths are in."

Wang said that a search was conducted high and low for the perfect location for Taiko (which means "Big Drum"), and Massapequa ended up fitting the bill perfectly.

"We checked out a variety of locations in New Jersey," he said. "We came across Massapequa, and once we saw this place, we fell in love with it and decided we wanted to rent it and build a Japanese restaurant here in this location."

While offering a full range of Japanese cuisine, including teriyaki, tempura, noodles, soups, and the always wonderful Bento Box (essentially a sectioned tray containing multiple courses), the centerpiece of Taiko Sushi is...well, sushi, and in this department they certainly deliver the goods. Taiko offers a full range of delicious and artistic sushi rolls; Patch tried the "Red Boy Roll" (tuna, salmon, and avocado with spicy tuna on top) and the freshness and smoothness of the ingredients made for a fantastic meal- the tuna and salmon complimented each other perfectly, and the avocado added a rich, creamy texture. Taiko's sushi chef didn't skimp on the fish, either.

Despite going into the business with both quality product and presentation, even the most solid of restaurants have reason to be wary in today's economic climate.

"In this economy, it's hard to do business, especially with the rising prices of everything," Wang said. "Things have been a little slow since our Grand Opening...a lot of people still don't know a lot about us yet. But we're hoping the business will go up, and people will slowly start coming in and trying our food."

Wang emphasized that Taiko Sushi is just a small business trying to catch their big break.

"We're basically a family-owned business," he said. "We're striving to provide the best food at a fair price to customers who like to eat Japanese food."