Letter of Recommendation New York
How Takumen Nourishes Me with a Familiar Taste of Home
Published:
Like many New York City transplants, Manhattan was my first home. But after a six-year stint, it was time to find greener pastures. It was time to move out on my own, live somewhere with more space, and (at minimum) its own laundry room. And Queens was the place that called to me.
A month or two into my big move, as I started becoming more familiar with my new neighborhood, Woodside, I noticed that — just within a mile radius of my apartment — there was no shortage of unfussy, family-run joints cooking up delicious food (Dawa’s, Tito Rad’s, Angel, and Lhasa Fast Food to name a few) to hang with friends from other boroughs, bring visiting family members, or maybe even (at the time, when I was single) meet a promising date from the apps.
But I did struggle to hone in on the spot, my spot — a place that was still homey yet transporting in a way where it felt like I was “going out.” And while laphing and momos are great, to me, there is nothing as warm and welcoming as a conversation over a bowl of noodle soup.
More From Resy
Growing up in a small town called Tuguegarao in the Philippines, noodle soups have always been my comfort food of choice since childhood. No matter where I moved, and no matter the situation, it was there to soothe me — from my grandmother’s maki mi, which she lovingly cooked for my cousins and me, to the $10 bowl of Super Taste’s tender beef noodle soup my former roommate and I devoured as we waited for the exterminator to finish fumigating our bedbug-infested Manhattan Chinatown apartment. And I wanted to find the noodles that would carry me through this new chapter in my life.
Luckily, I didn’t have to search for long. Some dear friends who have lived in Queens for a while graciously guided me through the borough’s vibrant contemporary restaurant scene, which I (a clueless noob) hadn’t realized existed. And they took me out to dinner at Takumen.
Takumen is a Japanese gastropub located in Long Island City, a mere 400 feet away from the Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue 7 train station, which is also just one stop away from Grand Central. Aside from being fairly accessible, the best thing about the restaurant’s location is its close proximity to Gantry Plaza State Park. It’s perfect for a post-meal stroll by the water, with gorgeous views of the city skyline.
The restaurant itself feels central, a place for gathering community and where everything happens. Upon entering, there’s a lively buzz in the air with the chatter of people catching up with one another, murmurings of couples on first dates, and kids claiming their free toy from the gachapon (capsule toy) machine.
The mostly hand-built space, designed by owner Kiyo Shinoki’s partner Sachiko Kamiya, has an effortlessly cool yet cozy feel with the warming use of natural wood on the countertops, tables, clean-cut parallel beams that create the illusion of a low ceiling, and the canoe hanging above the bar. The plants, colorful touches of decor, and hanging artwork from the latest rotating exhibition breathe even more life into the 37-seat dining room.
Takumen was initially launched as a ramen venture by a group of Japanese friends who met in New York City, including now sole-owner Shinoki (who is also the U.S. creative director of Tokyo-based, Bib Gourmand-awarded ramen chain Tonchin). It’s clear that the concept has always been centered around gathering community. And since opening its current location in LIC in 2016, Shinoki added another layer to this idea by touting the eatery as a New American izakaya. It’s a modern, hybrid interpretation of the traditional Japanese-style pub, an important cultural mainstay that serves as a vital social hub as well as a place to unwind and relax at the end of a long day.
Shinoki built the menu around a comprehensive beverage program which includes European natural wines, craft beers from local brewery Rockaway Brewing, Japanese shochu, Japanese whisky, and a wide selection of sake. Hot or cold, craft or natural, plain or fruity, by the flight or by the bottle — as befitting an izakaya, they’ve got it all.
Throughout countless dinners here of sharing stories and laughter with my loved ones in between slurps of noodles and sips of soup from my bowl of ban ban chicken ramen, I felt like I could’ve sat there all night (or at least until closing). It was easy to get lost in the broth, especially when it has a perfectly balanced light yet umami-packed savoriness to it.
On one particular occasion, I took a good friend from Brooklyn, thinking we’d pop in for a quick bite and drink after attending an art exhibit. We ended up staying there for much longer than we anticipated. One Toki highball turned into a couple more glasses of whisky, and then a whole meal.
Over the past three years since my first move to Queens, my living situation has changed quite a bit but Takumen has remained constant. I’ve taken my sister, who moved in with me from Chicago, and has since moved abroad. I’ve taken my partner, who I now live with in a one-bedroom (with an in-unit washer and dryer!). I’m happy to still call this borough home, and that my ever-reliable go-to ramen spot has remained the same.
However, there has been one very welcome change. Now, everyday from 11:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., their takeout window outside turns into a Japanese craft soft serve ice cream shop called Taku Parlor. As an ice cream fiend, the kind who devours a pint in the dead of winter, this has only made me love the restaurant even more. Expect to find me lining up on 50th Ave in the spring sunshine and the heat of summer.
Be it art, ramen, highballs, or ice cream — there’s something for everyone at this modern izakaya. And every time I go, it feels and tastes just as good as (or even better than) that first warm Queens welcome.
Takumen is open daily for lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Jasmine Arielle Ting is a Filipino journalist based in New York City, covering food and beverage, travel, and just about anything and everything that fascinates her. Follow her on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.
