THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Taneko Japanese Tavern

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Taneko Japanese Tavern Restaurant Review:

A Japanese restaurant in Scottsdale without wall-to-wall California rolls? Happy day. The owners of Taneko thought the Valley was ready for the more authentic choices found in izakayas, the casual taverns popular with young diners in Japan. There isn’t even a sushi bar in this chic space, which emphasizes dishes from a wood-burning oven and charcoal grill (try the American Kobe beef seared on hot rocks served with micro arugula and pickled shiitake mushrooms). Yes, the owners are the same folks behind P.F. Chang’s and Pei Wei, but don’t expect dumbed-down Asian. The upscale-casual pub fare includes wood-roasted oysters, duck breast with soba noodles, ramen with Kurobuta pork and asparagus, lamb chops with yuzu, and a sizzling daily fish feature. Prices can creep up quickly, but ingredients are topnotch, with chicken that’s free-range, wokked veggies from local organic farmers, and edamame that’s better than it has to be (steamed, then stir-fried, then sprinkled with sea salt and shanso pepper). There’s also a wide variety of Japanese beers, sakés, wines and green teas, with imported Hitachino Nest on tap.