"Taka Japanese Restaurant is a long-time local gem in Asbury Park, known for reliably tasty cocktails, beef dishes, and fresh seafood. The Food: 🍤 Chili Shrimp: A delicious balance of heat and sweet. It was served piping hot, topped with jalapeño slices, red chili threads, and honey. Critique: The shrimp were slightly overdone/chewy on this visit. Tip: Mix the leftover spicy sauce with a side of white rice for a tasty side dish! 🍔 The Burger: The thick, medium-rare patty had a great beefy flavor. It was juicy and rich, served on an excellent bun. 🐚 Pan Seared Scallops: These were large and fresh, plated on cucumber slices in a moat of miso mustard sauce. Service: ⭐ Special thanks to Alex for the attentive and professional service. Her follow-ups and insider tips (such as combining the shrimp sauce with a bowl of rice) were spot on. Consistency Note: While the service was excellent, the kitchen had a rare off-night regarding execution (e.g., the overdone shrimp and shumai), likely due to the heavy dinner rush. Overall: A solid, high-end Japanese restaurant for business dinners or get-togethers."

"Beautifully decorated for the season, service was top notch, decor was warm and cozy. Much larger of a space than it seems from the street. The service was excellent and the food, which can get a tad pricey, is worth every penny and was high quality and delicious. They have tons of specials, some not even on the specials menu just mentioned by the server. We got the hot saki which I highly recommend; 2 Maki tacos, 3 specialty rolls (one from the daily specials menu) and the pomegranate sorbet for dessert - all was superb. It was our first time there and we'll definitely be back."

"Amazing food and experience. Our servers Alexander and Katrina were the best! The Spicy Rosa Rita is a must try. Also recommend the crispy spicy tuna and short ribs for appetizers. The sushi is so fresh and the portions are great. So many different options and everything is amazing. Can’t wait to come back soon."

"Beyond delicious!!!! Not pictured was the best of all, chili shrimp appetizer. So so so good. Danielle was fabulous! We enjoyed everything and will be back. Such a fun vibe too. Great cocktails! For Asian food they were also super accommodating to GLUTEN FREE. They were able to make most soy dishes GF, that was an extra bonus!!!"

"Had a reservation at 5pm and was seated right away for a group of 4. We decided to eat outside. Restaurant is spacious, the outdoor seating area was a little more cramped and the chairs were a bit wobbly. The staff was friendly and attentive. Food arrived in a timely manner as well. The cocktails here are boozy and delicious. For apps we got the pork fried rice balls and the pork baby back ribs. The rice balls were excellent. Came out super hot and the texture was so crunchy. The fried rice filling was full of delicious flavor. The baby back ribs were on the sweeter side and fell off the bone. Really enjoyed the flavor. For entree I got the braised short rib. Also came out piping hot and was truly impressed by this dish. Portion size is generous as well. The short ribs were super tender and flavorful. The green beans weren't really seasoned but honestly was not needed with how flavorful the short ribs and sauce was. The wasabi mash was such a nice twist on the typical mash it really brought the whole dish together. The fried onions on top added a nice crunchy texture. For dessert I got the orange and creamsicle gelato. Super delicious and creamy way to end the meal."