Taka Taka-- 330 West Broadway, Manhattan, NY

Taka Taka has a mix of my two favorite cuisines in the world-- Japanese Tacos and Mexican Sushi! I already loved the place the moment I saw it-- best combination ever! It had just opened at 12, so my dad and I were their first customers-- however it packed in quickly.  It probably gets very crowded on late weekend nights.  At first, I was confused how the restaurant worked-- there were conveyor belts everywhere with little plates of sushi, two different menus, and a various colored plates with different pricing.  We discovered that one menu described the rolls on the conveyor belt, which you could just take off yourself and enjoy, and of course pay for later.  The other menu was Japanese/Mexican stuff you could order.  We started with a spicy tuna roll with shrimp and baby spinach-- the tuna had a huge kick, and everything could get spiced up even more with the plate of sauces that the waiter brought us-- wasabi, jalapeno, and chipotle mayo.  Afterwards, our orders came-- a hot vegetable kabob dunked in teriyaki sauce, and some rib eye tacos with ginger and chili sauce.  The veggies were very fresh, especially the yummy, sweet grilled scallions.  The tacos were also good, and they were bite sized! Mixed flavors of sweetness, spiciness, and a bit of tang contributed perfectly with a delicious corn tortilla. Then we had our second roll-- the shrimp roll with chile flavoring, mango, cucumber and fried plantains-- so exotic! This was the highlight of the lunch-- everything was perfect in the roll, with the mango adding a juicy counterpoint to the dry plantains.  The shrimp was tender, and the cucumber had a great crunch.  Our final roll of the meal was the crab roll with salmon skin and avocado-- which was only okay.  They actually ran out of the salmon skin, which I was looking forward to-- it was only raw salmon, which tasted very fresh and melted in my mouth.  The crab was nothing special. Overall, the restaurant has a very hip vibe to it, cool modern furniture, and lots of fun colors for a great family meal.  I will definitely be back here! 4 pineapples! -tdg                          (By the way, I just got an Instagram-- please check it out! @tristanboom)