Tachikawa

20150324:
The texture of the albacore tataki was a nice mix between cooked salmon and smoked salmon (in hindsight, this makes sense because the albacore was probably seared).

The nine-piece sashimi combo had salmon, tuna, and super white tuna.

Albacore Tataki 5 (20150324)

The tuna tasted okay, and I liked the salmon's texture more than the tuna's texture, but I felt like both the salmon and the tuna were not as fresh and not as tight as they should be. The super white tuna tasted a bit of fishier (not necessarily good) and was a bit tougher (good) than both the salmon and the tuna.

Furthermore, I disliked the taste of the restaurant's ginger, though perhaps I was being overly critical.

In any case, I ordered a dragon roll before the sashmi combo was brought out, thinking I would be hungry. However, I was quite content after having the albacore and the sashimi. 2:01PM PT For the record, in addition to the albacore and sashimi, I originally wanted uni (sea urchin), but they were out of it.

Sashimi Combo - 9 pieces 13 (20150324)
Salmon (top left), Tuna (bottom), and Super White Tuna (top right)

When the dragon roll arrived, I found it had a strange presentation: long and skinny. The rice tasted a bit soggy and perhaps there was not enough vinegar. Actually, perhaps the vinegar was okay, but the avocado was a bit ripe.

As I reached the end of the roll, I found it taste a bit better, but I also felt there might have been too much avocado. Overall, I thought the dragon roll was just average, if not slightly below average. 2:11PM PT

However, I'd place the overall experience as average.

Dragon Roll 13 (20150324)

[20151009 Edit]

20150919:
Today I was craving sushi and decided to come back to Tachikawa and give it another try.

Unfortunately, having ordered the twelve-piece sashimi combo, I was quite disappointed.

Starting with the salmon, I essentially encountered the same problem today as my last visit: the salmon did not taste fresh and lacked flavor.

Sashimi Combo - 12 pieces (20150919)

The white fish was relatively softer. The tuna (dark red) had a nicer, thicker texture. Finally, the remaining variety tasted best, mainly due to the texture.

Before making a second round, I noted that the wasabi here was mild.

During the second and third rounds, I noted that the white fish tasted much worse than the salmon, and that the tuna was more or less on par with the salmon.

Unakyu Roll (20150919)

While still finishing the sashimi platter, I tried ordering uni and tamago nigiri, but they had neither, and so I ordered an unakyu roll (eel and cucumber) instead. When it arrived, I gave it a taste and had to focus intently in order to taste the eel.

Overall, I came due to my craving, but the food here was a bust. 7:12PM PT

Tachikawa

Relevant Links:
Tachikawa Website
Tachikawa Japanese Restaurant - Pinole, CA (Yelp.com)

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