Takahachi

Takahachi

This inviting sushi restaurant has been an institution in the East Village for more than twenty years. The specials, which change according to the day's fish market finds, balance traditional Japanese home-cooking favorites with more inventive items. (When available, the salad of avocado, mango, and salmon sashimi, drizzled with a wasabi-powered dressing is a recommended starting dish.) The fish needs no flair, though, to stand out—a simple bowl of chirashi or plate of sushi provides testimony to the high quality of the basic ingredient. The decor is mostly that of most sushi restaurants—wood counters and chairs, short noren curtains hanging in doorways, a wood-slatted screen separating the well-lit kitchen from the dining area—but Takahachi has recently undergone a subtle upgrade. New mod lighting fixtures, a textured ceiling, and dark painted walls in moss and brown colors make the familiar space look fresh and chic. Take a look at your fellow diners: As a long-standing favorite in a neighborhood known for the arts, Takahachi is a destination for actors, musicians, and writers who used to live in the East Village and have moved on to fancier neighborhoods.