Takumi Japanese BBQ & Ramen

Takumi Japanese BBQ & Ramen is at 1170 Burnhamthorpe Rd. W. in Mississauga, the municipality bordering Toronto's west end. It's about a ten minute walk from Erindale GO station so can be considered transit-accessible. $2.50 AYCD pop is available. Reusable chopsticks are used which is most welcome. There are also plexiglass dividers between all of the tables which is excellent.

Takumi has ponzu as well as barbecue sauce; the ponzu was amazingly good and we have not had it before. The barbecue sauce was excellent, but I did not like the spicy barbecue because of my personal preference of not enjoying the sesame oil flavor. Mishy said both sauces went very well with the kimchi, but I left it as-is, and it was quite enjoyable and the heat was not persistent, which is welcome.

Beef short ribs were in huge long slabs rather than tiny little thin pieces like most other places. Gyoza were softer rather than crisper but it worked very well and the sauce was excellent, so they were very enjoyable. Marinated beef short rib was excellent, especially being a big thick piece that was more like a steak than the usual thin slices; it wasn't tough either, even being so thick.

Poke bowl was quite good but with the ponzu sauce became spectacular; a nice find from Mishy.  Cold tofu as well did not require anything added; the sauce was quite good. Green salad was a spring mix in an interesting dressing, and was pretty good, and very fresh. Miso soup was both a mix of the “Javexy” flavor that Mishy loves, plus savoriness, and so was excellent although Mishy didn't seem interested in having any. Mishy thought the Fougerite roll was the best thing she ever had (at least in rolls) and I agree it was excellent especially with the coconut wasabi sauce. The “Budah’s Delight” roll was also very good and the sauce was delicious with a little bit of heat and a mayonnaise-like flavour which complemented the vegetable roll well. Garlic shrimp was especially delicious with the ponzu sauce which seemed to make everything better.

For dessert there are Melona bars, much like Gyubee has, with strawberry, mango and the inexplicably millennial avocado available. Weekend lunch is $29.99 and this is slightly less expensive than others of the genre and with the reasonably priced pop, what with the quality of the offerings, made for a memorably good meal and we’d be happy to return.

Rating: 9.5 / 10