• 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 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

Reservation 404-869-2802

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

Taka Update May 08, 2013

Fish delivery and more

Tuna supply is still bad. So I decided to order Tenku-Maguro from Japan. And I received it yesterday. This Oh toro is amazing. I already posted pictures at blog or facebook. I do Fish Omakase every 2 weeks but fish is almost same. So I will skip 4 weeks. I let you know. I just wait new fish for summer season. Uni supply is great, I assume CA is sunny and no rain. Shrimp price is going up and continue go up in the future. There are 4 major places to farm shrimp, Thai, Indonesia, Vietnam and China. This time is in Thailand. Our supplier said 50% of Thai shrimp is dead. It is a sort of sick but they don’t know what is wrong.

 

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.

 

New Website

We just started new website. http://www.takasushiatlanta.com/  You can go to facebook, twitter and blog from this site. It is all in one, a kind of value package, family package.
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