Takeshi-San @ Holland Village

Takeshi-San, located on Lorong Mambong in Holland Village, is an izakaya. 

But unlike some of the izakayas which I've been to, they're remarkably different.

They're more.. casual. 

That's not to mean that the other izakayas aren't casual. 

They are- an izakaya is, after all,  a place to drink, to eat, to have little chats.

But they just seem to be a little... darker, heavier even.

I don't really know how to describe it. 

It's just that here I don't find myself surrounded by huge (black-glassed) bottles of Japanese whisky. 

Nor do I find myself staring at bottles of sake big and small all lined up on the counter. 

I know they're somewhere. 

I just haven't been placed at a seat where I can see them. 

Personally (and I might be biased) I prefer it this way.

Because whilst I like good food and great conversation, serious, formal environments tend  to unnerve poor little me. 

Takeshi-san, however, has made their place such that its gives off more of afternoon tea vibes than evening drinks izakaya.

It's obvious right from the moment when you step through its doors.

There're bench booths along one side of the wall.

There're tables- mostly twos and fours- on the other.

The first time we were there it was for lunch.

It being a late hour when we were there, we had the whole place to ourselves.

The introvert in me found it very blissful. 

No loud chatter, nothing to distract me from the enjoyment of very, very good salmon belly sushi, and a huge platter of meat skewers, beef cubes, fresh salad, and crispy hot French fries.

I really enjoyed the beef cubes and the meat skewers. 

At first I thought they might be sinewy (some places are) but no, not at all. 

The grilled meat, smoky, full of flavor with just that hint of burnt taste, was perfect, and we had a great time with the skewers.

Hedgehog pulled them off the wooden stick and forked them. 

I pulled them off the wooden stick and speared them. 

And one or two pieces I ate them off the skewer like how we normally do with satay.

If the meats were satisfying, the fries and salad were not far behind either.

The salad- with its big, big leaves had (I think) a dressing of yuzu (something) and the fries-  a huge heap of them- stayed hot and crisp throughout the meal, making them a perfect side for the generous serving of Mentaiko sauce. 

Special mention must be made of the Mentaiko. 

So I know it's something quite ordinary- like you can buy it from any Japanese supermarket or DDD- but theirs is exceptionally thick here (they don't dilute it down) and they're relaxed enough to bring you another when you request for more. :)

Of course this meat platter isn't the only good thing here at Takeshi-san. 

They've got a host of other great dishes, and their sushi is amazing too. 

We ordered four pieces of their salmon belly sushi together with the meat platter when we had lunch here the other time. 

We ordered a full sushi platter when we came here fir dinner the very next time. 

I wish the pictures of the platter did better justice to the soft, beautifully-shaped, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of salmon sushi.

But I was hungry, I was unwinding, and everything on the platter- roasted, non-roasted, with mayo, without mayo- looked so good.

I'll have to be careful to take a better-looking picture next time. 

Chances are I'll add in a glass of yuzu beer too.