Fort Lauderdale beach gets Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant

There are some new culinary flavors hitting Fort Lauderdale beach.

Takato, now open in the Conrad Hotel, is a Japanese and Korean fusion concept featuring shareable small plates and entrees with an emphasis on sushi.

“I don’t think there’s any similar experience on the beach,” says hotel manager Nadim Barrage. “You have everything from steakhouse to Mexican to Mediterranean to seafood. Takato brings that Asian inspiration to the beach. It also brings something unique, and that is the product.”

Barrage goes on to explain that Takato, which translates to “in a state of extreme happiness” from Japanese, will have a dumpling expert kneading and filling dough tableside. “The gyoza is made in-house ... every day. It’s very unique in terms of the experience and the savoir faire that comes with the ... chefs.”

And then there’s the wasabi, large trays made from scratch and then fresh ground tableside. For take-out or dining al fresco on the beach across the street, Takato will offer to-go sushi bento boxes.

Chef Taka takes the helm

The kitchen is headed up by chef Taek “Taka” Lee, a former executive sushi chef at Zuma in downtown Miami and Makoto in Bal Harbour Shops as well as the executive chef at Monkitail in the Diplomat Beach Resort Hollywood.

Taka says that the international traveler market is “little by little” leaving Miami in favor of Fort Lauderdale and adds, “There’s no fine dining in this area. This is really an opportunity.”

So three months ago he came onboard.

“First thing, it’s close to my house,” said the Coral Springs resident. “And the Conrad is a luxury hotel, very high end and they wanted an Asian concept high-end restaurant.”

Barrage explains, “There are two reasons behind it. The Conrad is a very established brand in Asia, specifically. Our major hotel is the Conrad in Tokyo. It was only natural to go into an Asian-inspired restaurant. And the second reason is that, in the restaurant industry, it’s a matter of the timing and the right person that creates this synergy where you come up with the perfect concept for the property and the market and Fort Lauderdale.”

What you can expect

Taka says he’s eager to bring touches of Japanese and Korean cuisine to Broward County and there are some dishes that he’s excited to debut at Takato.

“For example, there’s the Korean Short Ribs, which we marinate for 12 hours and then put on the grill,” he says. “The flavor and presentation is a whole different thing.”

Aside from the sushi, nigiri, maki, sashimi and cold seafood appetizers — ranging from $9-$38 — signature dishes also include:

Duck Bao Buns, $14

Watercress Salad with wasabi Caesar dressing for $14.

Short Rib Japchae with sweet potato noodles and onions for $24.

Chilean Sea Bass with soy, mirin and honey for $28.

Wagyu Skirt Steak with wasabi chimichurri for $34.

There is a craft cocktail menu, where, for example, a Sekushi Sour cocktail with cognac, apricot liquor and apple syrup is $14. There is also a curated sake and a vegan wine collection.

Restaurant manager Paul Fabre says the pandemic didn’t affect any of the plans or roll-out of the restaurant other than putting an emphasis on outdoor seating.

“Thinking of the cuisine, the style and concept has remained the same,” he recalls. “[Chef Taka] didn’t want to change anything due to the COVID situation. The sharing style is a little bit complicated, but as far as his cuisine, he didn’t change.”

Takato has 60 seats indoors, 100 outdoors (on two waterfront terraces) and eight at the 26-foot sushi bar. The decor is minimalist in style in stone and earthy hues with pops of blue and green.

The new restaurant takes over the space that was formerly Terra Mare Mediterranean Grill, a pricey restaurant with a global-fusion menu.

“The pandemic gave us the opportunity to take a look at everything we’ve done ... for the hotel and the restaurant,” says Barrage. “When we took a look at Terra Mare, we thought it was a great restaurant, but it did not bring the unique selling point to the market. Terra Mare had three great years.”

If you go info

Takato is at 551 N. Fort Lauderdale Beach Blvd., Fort Lauderdale (in the Conrad Fort Lauderdale Beach hotel).

Dinner is served noon-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays

Breakfast is served 8-11 a.m. Fridays-Saturdays followed by lunch and dinner from noon-10 p.m.

Breakfast is served 8-11 a.m. Sundays followed by lunch and dinner from noon-9 p.m.

Happy hour is daily from 4-6 p.m.

Takato is reservations via OpenTable.com/r/takato-restaurant-fort-lauderdale or by calling 954-414-5160.

For more infomation, go to ConradFortLauderdale.com/dine/takato.

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