SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The Greater Sacramento area is a melting pot that brings cultures together from around the world and it shows in our food.
The restaurant in Downtown Sacramento brings Japanese soul food to the area, courtesy of a nationally recognized chef who is putting his restaurant on the map.
Craig Takehara is the executive chef and owner of Binchoyaki – Izakaya Dining on 10th Street. The restaurant is known for their barbecued meats cooked over a binchotan charcoal grill at the center of the restaurant.
"In Japan, everybody usually has some sort of a grill in the middle of their home and that's where they share with their friends and family, have dinner and enjoy time together," Takehara said. "It's kind of that same way of us being able to include everyone as friends and family into the restaurant."
At Binchoyaki, guests can try a number of meats and vegetables cooked right before their eyes over the grill, from NY strip steak to bacon-wrapped asparagus.
"We normally cook at about 1,000 degrees," said Takehara.
If you're feeling adventurous, there are items like squid and chicken tail on the menu.
Takehara opened Binchoyaki in 2016 with his wife, Toki, who he met in culinary school. After working in kitchens in the Los Angeles area and beyond, they came to Sacramento to serve up what they call Japanese soul food.
"It is kind of a mix up of a lot of different kind of Japanese," Takehara said. "We do the ramens and the rice bowls and the small plates, Japanese BBQ."
Takehara told ABC10 his signature dish is Krispy Rice. The dish features diced tuna tossed in a spicy mayo sauce, sitting atop deep fried sushi rice.
"Krispy on the outside and still kind of soft and gooey on the inside," Takehara said.
During his culinary journey, Takehara trained in Japan and came back with inspiration, infusing those flavors and cooking styles into his dishes.
"The smells and the sounds of the BBQ was just something that stuck with me and really enjoyed doing it," he said.
Takehara also pays homage to his roots.
"I'm a fourth generation Japanese American here. My great grandfather came over here," he said. "They grew up farming."
Locally grown produce is also something he incorporates into his menu.
"We are in Sacramento, which is the Farm to Fork capitol, and there's a mecca of great products that come out of this area and so we try to utilize those and implement them kind of into the Japanese cuisine," he said.
Takehara gained national recognition as a 2023 James Beard Awards Semifinalist for Best Chef in California.
In addition to the Downtown Sacramento restaurant, you can also try Takehara’s creations at The Line Kitchens in East Sacramento. Their kitchen is open for pickup and delivery Tuesday-Saturday from 11:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
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