Tajima

This review is for Tajima Japanese restaurant in Kearny Mesa. It's a little hole-in-the-wall eatery that has a comfortable, intimate feel to it. Why, they even have manga in a bookshelf by the door! But remember kids, don't go to the Tajima with the banner (just a couple streets away)! That one is a cold, unforgiving shell of the original, which is the one I'm reviewing. For the record, the one with the banner is way more expensive, which is NOT on the menu in my opinion. But enough chit-chat, let's get down to business.

Immediately when I entered the place, I assessed the area. A soft smell of soy sauce emanated the room, it made me feel right at home. I was seated fairly quickly by waitresses who practiced service with a smile. I took a good look over the selection on the menu, various in a good way! Although Josh was there to review the ramen, I decided to take a different route by ordering the Chicken Katsu Curry. It included a salad (crisp and flavorful) and miso soup, (nice seaweed, you don't find that too often) both delightfully exceptional. 

 As I awaited my food's arrival and chatted with my company, I took a look around the restaurant as a whole. It is a close-knit establishment to be sure, but the layout of seating makes it feel spacious at the same time (not that it matters in terms of food...) Oh look, the food's here! That was fast! I took a nice long breath and checked out what I was about to chow down on. The katsu (Japanese for "cutlet") were neatly arranged across a bed of white rice, and a garnish of some weird red vegetable off to the side (I later learned it was pickled radish, very tasty!) and of course the wonderful pool of curry sauce occupied the rest of the plate. I assembled my first bite with an even mix of all the fixings, and I've got to say it was delicious. But to be honest, the rice was a little bit on the clumpy side. The breading on the chicken was very good, crispy and crunchy as I like it. The sauce was a little spicy, but tastefully so, it complimented the rice quite nicely. 

Overall: Great restaurant, I would definitely recommend it. If you're looking for awesome (admittedly, not authentic) Japanese food when you're up in Kearny, this is the place.

Quality: 5/5 Great presentation, appealing

Taste: 3.5/5 The meat could've been tenderer. 

Service: 5/5 Wonderful, lively

-Chris Mosby

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