Bar Tako, a culinary mash-up of Mexican and Japanese techniques and ingredients, has joined San Pedro Square in downtown San Jose.
Think tamales filled with shoyu-marinated short rib, topped with ancho chile sauce and pickled ginger. A5 Wagyu served with mole. Elote slathered with kewpie mayo, lime, chile, cotija and a sprinkling of furikake. A mezcal-grapefruit cocktail with muddled shiso.
Other highlights include an extensive raw bar featuring sushi-grade fish with Mexican sauces. Tequila, mezcal and Japanese whisky dominate the beverage lineup.
Intrigued? Bar Tako is a limited-time-only offering, so there’s no waiting until later in the year to give it a try. This restaurant concept — developed by alums of San Francisco’s Back of the House group — will fill the space through the end of June.
The temporary restaurant residency gives owners Mike and Grant Messinger time to plan the next permanent resident of the spacious building — without leaving San Pedro Square with a mid-block vacancy.
Olla Cocina, the contemporary Mexican restaurant here since the summer of 2016, was preceded by La Piñata. Before that, this was the longtime home of Blake’s Steakhouse.
Bar Tako is a walk-in restaurant with no reservations. However, there are options to book the space for private parties, receptions and even full buyouts — and it’s already appealing to upcoming San Jose convention-goers.
Details: Open noon-10 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays. The happy hour, from 3 to 5 p.m. weekdays, offers a rotating $15 beer, shot and taco special. 17 N. San Pedro St., San Jose; www.bartakosj.com