There's nothing that spells "overkill" like holiday dining -- parties with rich hors d'ouevres, plus sweets on the office goodie tray. And let's not forget Aunt Emmie's rum balls.
A good antidote? The lunch specials at Takara Japanese Restaurant. For $8.50 or less you get a beautifully presented, healthy lunch in a peaceful spot.
There are a number of options -- a bowl of udon or soba ($7.25-$8); two sushi rolls ($8.50) with a generous variety of rolls to choose from and a choice of either a bowl of miso soup or a salad with ginger dressing; or a little of almost everything with the Bento Box lunch ($8.50).
Bento is just the Japanese version of a lunch box, but extends the whole eating philosophy of having your food look beautiful, even if you're carting it around in a tin. The box can be as important as the food. And the food can be Lately I've opted for the tofu teriyaki -- firm tofu with a sweet teriyaki sauce, sesame seeds, on a bed of bean sprouts with a few other veggies mixed in -- carrot and broccoli, for instance. Filling, without being overwhelming.
The one weak spot may be the somewhat rubbery shumai. Otherwise, everything's very well done. The ginger-carrot salad dressing is a big hit with ginger fans: sweet, cold and pungent. It makes choosing between salad and the light, comforting miso soup difficult, just as difficult as choosing between tempura and the teriyaki.
As for choosing among the many hand rolls -- 37 all told, with many vegetarian options -- good luck.
