The restaurant
Taiko is an award-winning restaurant in Amsterdam and is located inside the Conservatorium Hotel in Amsterdam, a 5-star luxury located in the cultural heart of the city. The hotel occupies a restored 19th-century building that was originally built as a music conservatory and features a striking blend of modern and traditional architectural elements. The hotel is also close to many of Amsterdam's most famous museums, parks and attractions.
Led by executive chef Schilo van Coevorden, the restaurant serves Asian cuisine with a gourmet touch. The menu combines flavours and techniques from across the continent and features a variety of dishes made with fresh and high-quality ingredients.
Let's start with: sashimi
Taiko is known for its sushi menu and we've always enjoyed the beautiful selection on the menu. Sushi platters include nigiri, maki and sashimi.
We start off the evening with sashimi and opt for the sashimi of chu toro. Chu toro is a type of sushi made with medium-fatty tuna, specifically the belly meat of the fish. It is considered a delicacy in sushi and is often considered to be of higher quality and flavor than the leaner maguro (bluefin tuna) or the even leaner Akami (red meat of the tuna). Chu toro has an incredibly rich and buttery texture that is considered by many to be the perfect balance between the fattiness of the o toro (the most marbled, fatty cut of tuna) and the leanness of the akami. And the chu toro sashimi at Taiko is no exception. The delicately sliced sashimi has a nuanced flavour and is a great starter for any evening at Taiko.
We opt for a second sashimi platter of Hiramasa kingfish sashimi. Hiramasa kingfish (also known as Yellowtail kingfish) is a species of fish that belongs to the amberjack family. It is caught wild and it's considered as a delicacy in Japanese cuisine, particularly as sashimi (raw fish dish). It is known for its delicate texture, rich flavour, and high fat content. The flesh of hiramasa kingfish is light-colored, firm and has a slightly sweet taste. Hiramasa kingfish is highly prized for its sashimi. It paired well with the chu toro sashimi, both being fatty and delicate in flavour.
Moving on to: sushi
From the sushi menu, we choose the soft shell crab roll with daikon and kimchi. Soft-shell crab rolls are a variation of sushi rolls made with tempura-fried soft shell crab. The combination with sushi gives a unique and delicious blend of flavours, textures and temperatures. This roll was deliciously crispy and creamy.
The the sushi menu we also choose the akasha roll with asparagus, shiitake and sesame. In recent years, vegan sushi rolls have become much more popular as an alternative option for those who follow a vegan diet and it's definitely a healthy option. This roll was absolutely delightful; the asparagus and takuan gave it texture and the shiitake and sesame gave it a beautiful and delicate taste.
Everything from the sushi menu is served with freshly grated wasabi by the way, and a curated soy sauce selection — something we always appreciate!
For starters
From the starters side of the menu, there's many dishes to pick from. Oysters, miso soup, dim sum — you name it.
We pick the lobster gyoza, served with mushroom XO, nori and negi and fried lotus roots, the duck siu mai, served with hoisin sauce, chili and 5 spice and the wagyu carpaccio, served on a crunchy tapioca plateau.
These starter platters are a great way to share when you're with a group of friends or family. Taiko knows how to balance their flavours, colours and textures. And these starters offer a pleasing segue to the mains.
On to: the mains
Taiko is also known for its grilled meats and fish dishes.
One of their iconic dishes is their cod dish, which we had to have. This season it's served Persian style, with saffron, sourberries and eggplant. The cod was cooked to perfection and the eggplant and saffron paired well against the beautiful glaze of the fish.
We also have the red curry with lobster and Thai basil, served with steamed rice. This was an absolute winner in our books. The curry was so good we nearly licked our plates clean.
For dessert..
The dessert selection is small at Taiko but there's something for everyone, whether you like more chocolate-y or more fruit-y desserts.
We choose the all-time favourite mango koi dessert accompanied by a kaffir lime sauce. Dishes are always exceptionally plated with an artistic elements that stand out and command attention.
The dish was a refreshing conclusion to an excellent menu.
Visit Taiko
Find Taiko at Paulus Potterstraat 50 in Amsterdam Zuid.
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