• LUNCH m-f 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
  • DINNER m-sat 5:30 pm - 10:30 pm
  • 375 Pharr Rd. Atlanta, GA 30305
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About Taka

Chef Taka Moriuchi

Chef Taka Moriuchi

Taka Moriuchi was born in Hiroshima, Japan in 1962 and as a teenager, he dreamt of coming to the US. After graduating from high school, Taka worked as a sales rep for a shoe retail company called “Ginza Esperanza”. He went on to become a manager and merchandiser for the company, designing pumps and traveling to Europe every six months.

Taka left the shoe company after 10 years and bought a convenience store in Tokyo.

He soon learned of an opportunity for a lottery green card from a friend living in Atlanta, GA. He applied and was fortunately selected out of 240,000 applicants. Taka realized his dream of coming to the US on February 15, 1995.

Taka’s first job on American soil was as the assistant manager at Kobe steaks, where his responsibilities ranged from washing dishes and bussing tables to greeting guests. He quickly realized that sushi was becoming a popular trend in America, so he left his management position behind to learn the craft of sushi-making.

Taka began practicing the art of sushi at Soto when Soto opened his sushi restaurant in August 1995. He stayed on with the flourishing restaurant for four years before partnering with Kevin Rathbun to open Bluepointe in 1999. In February of 2002, Taka started his own restaurant known as “Taka Sushi Café.”

Taka’s revered sushi restaurant took on the “sushiandpassion” tagline in 2007. What is sushiandpassion? It is inspired by Barry Manilow’s famous song “Copacabana” in which he sings of “Music and Passion.”

As an avid Barry Manilow fan, Taka felt that Manilow’s perseverance mirrored his own. During a concert, he was impassioned by the message the Manilow shared with the crowd: “You can give in, give out. But don’t give up.” Since becoming the sole owner of Taka Sushi in 2006, Taka’s restaurant has become a renowned Buckhead dining establishment with celebrity patrons from Hollywood actors and professional athletes to musicians and TV personalities: John Travolta, the Dixie Chicks, Kiss, Matt Kuchar, Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Dallas Austin, Jake Gyllenhaal and more. Taka plans to enjoy his success on the beaches of Waikiki, where he plans to retire one day.

 

  • About Taka Slider
    “Sheltered from the local party scene by a row of upscale salons,
    this small sushi restaurant resembles a sleepy Gulf Coast seafood shack.”

    City Search

    Rated 5.0/5.0 star
  • About Taka Slider
    “I eat at Taka a lot because it is around the corner and I just can’t stand
    how pretentious Soto is. Tonight was darn good and I just had to write
    about it. We had the Thai style red snapper sashimi which came with
    pine nuts, cilantro, shredded daikon/shizo mixture, and peanut
    sauce..so tasty.”

    The Blissful Glutton

    Published by The Blissful Glutton on September 15, 2005 at 8:47 PM
  • About Taka Slider
    “In a world where oceans of fish dishes are done in paint-by-numbers style,
    Takao Moriuchi maintains a beautiful touch.”

    “Sushi As Artistry” By Meridith Ford, Access Atlanta

    Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on October 26, 2004
  • About Taka Slider
    “Taste sushi as it was meant to be: pristine, pure, fresh.
    This intimate cafe from chef-owner Taka Moriuchi, a native of Hiroshima,
    specializes in sushi, but offers a wide range of hot and cold appetizers.”

    Gayot

    Rated 14/20
  • About Taka Slider
    “Taka takes his appetizer cues from his days at Soto.
    The list is extensive and the flavors unusual but mostly well-balanced,
    though I find I’m more taken with the sashimi
    and cold starters than I am with the hot.”

    Bill Addison, Creative Loafing

    Published March 5, 2003
  • About Taka Slider
    “Sushi in Atlanta = Taka Sushi Cafe for me. They have the freshest fish. Sashimi is really the best here, but the rolls are good too.”

    City Voter

  • About Taka Slider
    “This Buckhead sushi den attracts laid back locals (often toting mini sushi proteges).
    Remember where you are with a Home Depot or Diet Coke roll (flip the menu for translation).
    Go beyond creative names with noodles or a cold salad of snow crab and thinly sliced cucumber.
    Wall colors change annually to redefine the mood of the season, but the fresh food stays perfectly the same.”

    Black Book

  • About Taka Slider
    “A longtime fan of American music and culture, Taka Moriuchi was ecstatic when he won
    a lottery green card to come to the United States in 1995. While learning English,
    he worked his way up from being a busboy at Kobe Steaks
    to become the sushi chef at Soto Japanese restaurant, then BluePointe.
    Now, he’s the owner of this upscale sushi joint, located in the Buckhead building
    formerly occupied by Taco Mac.”
    City Guide AOL

    Rated 4.0/5.0 stars
  • About Taka Slider
    “Sushi chef has way with words
    Taka Sushi Cafe in Buckhead gets less of my business than I’d prefer.
    We’ve got sushi we like closer to home and are creatures of habit.
    But every time we visit, I am always reminded of what
    a thoughtful chef owner Taka Moriuchi is,
    both for his sushi bar creations and his hot food.”

    “What’s For Dinner?” By John Kessler, AJC Evening Edge

    Published by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on April 03, 2008

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To Make Reservations

We are happy to accommodate parties of any size. To make your reservation, please call 404-869-2802 or email sushiandpassion@gmail.com.

If you would prefer to make your reservation online, you can do so through OpenTable.

*NOTE: Please call 404-869-2802 to make reservations for parties of 6 or more.

Contact Information

Come visit our restaurant located in Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia. With a beautiful restaurant and patio, Taka sushiandpassion of Atlanta is one of Georgia’s hidden treasures.

  • Lunch: Monday – Friday 11:30am to 2pm
  • Dinner: Monday – Saturday 5:30pm to 10:30pm
  • Sunday Closed
  • Happy Hour Specials
  • Daily from 5:30pm to 7pm
  • Special prices on beer, wine and sake.

 

SushiandPassion

Taka Update May 22, 2013

 Taka Update May 22, 2013

Fish delivery and more

In spite of good tuna last week, this week tuna supply is not great so far. So we rely on Tenku Tuna from Japan. If you like fatty toro, this is the best. I don’t think we get good tuna for weekend. Memorial Day is coming and fishermen want to stay home. They are human beings and same as me. All other fish are fine but I cannot order much for this weekend. The business will be slow.

Closed Information

We will be closed May 27th Monday, Memorial Day. We will be back on Tuesday. My plan? I stay in town and play golf, maybe. And I will close from July 4th- 7th. It is Thursday to Sunday.  I was thinking about Mt. Rushmore and Devils Tower but so many people said those were waste of time and money. Rushmore is same as Stone Mountain? Many people say it.

 

Eat Fish, Live Longer?

Regularly eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids might lengthen your life, new research suggests.

A study of more than 2,600 older adults found those with the highest blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids — found in salmon, mackerel, herring, lake trout and albacore tuna — lived more than two years longer on average than those with lower blood levels.

“This is not a study of fish oil supplements, it’s a study of blood omega-3 levels related to diet,” said researcher Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, an associate professor of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.

The study, published April 1 in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, doesn’t prove that eating fish will increase longevity, but it does suggest a connection.

“Blood levels of omega-3s are related to lower risk of death, especially cardiovascular death,” Mozaffarian said.

Mozaffarian found that people with the highest levels of omega-3s reduced their overall risk of death from any cause by up to 27 percent compared to those with the lowest levels. And they had about a 35 percent lower risk of dying from heart disease.

Fish contains heart-healthy protein and fatty acids, and other studies have found diets rich in fish lower the risk of heart disease death. But the effect on death from other causes has not been clear, Mozaffarian said.

Rather than relying on self-reported intake as some other researchers have, Mozaffarian’s team measured actual blood levels of the fatty acids.

At the study’s start, the researchers analyzed blood samples, did physical exams and asked about lifestyle. None of the participants, who were 74 years old on average, took omega-3 supplements at the time.

During the 16-year follow up, 1,625 people died, including 570 from cardiovascular causes. The higher the omega-3 blood levels, the lower their risk of death during the follow-up, the study found.

Alice Lichtenstein, director and senior scientist at the Cardiovascular Nutrition Laboratory at Tufts University in Boston, emphasized that although the research noted an association, it did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

“The results of this study support a relationship between higher fish intake and lower risk of total mortality, particularly death from coronary heart disease,” said Lichtenstein, who was not involved in the study.

The researchers, however, cannot determine whether the omega-3 levels were directly responsible for the reduced risk of death or simply a marker for a healthier lifestyle, she cautioned.

For instance, those who had the highest levels of omega-3 also ate more vegetables and fruit than those in the lower level groups, Lichtenstein said, which suggests that simply taking a fish oil supplement may not produce the same effects.

The American Heart Association recommends eating two 3.5-ounce servings of fatty fish, such as salmon, each week.

If you’re currently not a fish eater, don’t despair. “Going from zero to some intake seems to be where you get most of the benefit for your blood levels,” Mozaffarian said.

The study was funded primarily by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Mozaffarian reported funding from Sigma Tau Pharmaceuticals, Pronova BioPharma (now BASF) and GlaxoSmithKline for studies he initiated on omega-3s.

Website : takasushiatlanta.com  E-Mail sushiandpassion@gmail.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TakaSushiAtlanta

Twiter : https://twitter.com/sushiandpassion

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Taka Update May 15, 2013

 Taka Update May 15, 2013

Fish delivery and more

We finally got good tuna yesterday. It was Big eye tuna, stomach side as usual. I bought 38 lbs. Toro is not the best AAA, but I can give it AA+. We will get Hiramasa, Teen yellow tail tomorrow. This is same group as Hamachi but not much fat like Hamachi. Uni supply is still good. Sweet uni is available for this weekend. King salmon sold well last week. Now this is on the menu.

Closed Information

We will be closed May 27th Monday, Memorial Day. We will be back on Tuesday. My plan? I stay in town and play golf, maybe. And I will close from July 4th- 7th. It is Thursday to Sunday. I want to be an ordinal person, just take day offs and stay at beach or somewhere. But I did not decide my destination.

 

95 people follow me.

I started Twitter April 29, 2013. And 95 people follow currently. This is not bad, Media Power? IT Power? I write about food, sushi, inspection, golf as usual.

 

Vitamin D May Extend Lifespan.

Having enough vitamin D on board is essential for preventing disease and maintaining health, but the optimal blood level of vitamin D to ensure these benefits remains controversial. Preliminary research published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition estimates that by doubling current recommended vitamin D levels across the globe, more people would avoid disease and an early death, and people might extend their lifespans.

Higher levels, lower risk of death

Certain experts have questioned whether the current recommended blood levels and daily amounts of vitamin D are enough to best prevent disease and support health. This study looked at vitamin D levels across many countries and reviewed studies on the topic to explore whether higher blood levels of vitamin D, specifically 25-hydroxyvitamin D, were associated with a decreased incidence of death from common diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and respiratory infections.

Specifically, in this study, researchers reviewed the current scientific data on vitamin D to estimate whether higher blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (doubled from 54 nmol/L to 110 nmol/L) would reduce the death rate in the six global regions where vitamin D–sensitive diseases are prevalent.

Vitamin D is in Sardine, Eel, Salmon, mackerel, Saury, Yellowtail, Tuna, Mushrooms, Chicken egg.

 

Blog :  www.sushiandpassion.blogspot.com

Website : takasushiatlanta.com  E-Mail sushiandpassion@gmail.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TakaSushiAtlanta

Twiter : https://twitter.com/sushiandpassion

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Taka will not make Nigiri Sushi anymore.

I had health Inspection this morning. We violated some. And one of them was not wearing gloves.
I wrote this issue before. We cannot make good Nigiri Sushi with gloves.
And this is our 3rd violations and I need to go to court later, and need to pay $1000 of fine.
So, I decided not to make Nigiri Sushi.
Anyway We have to wear gloves when we make sushi. Roll Sushi is fine with gloves.
But Nigiri Sushi is not same.
I tried to make many time. I changed gloves many times.
But naked hands are best.
It is very simple reason. If I cannot make good Nigiri Sushi, I have to quit.
So I decided this. It is better than closing restaurant right?
Please understand.
And we can give you free sushi rice. Eat sashimi and become healthy.

Thanks, TAKA