Taki’s Golden Bowl

—by Matt Holman

B50 Note: Hisashi “Taki” Takimoto died on February 9th, 2009, after almost 20 years of serving delicious and healthy food on east Colfax in Denver. Kyle Wagner wrote an excellent appreciation of Taki for the Denver Post. See more of Matt-san Holman’s comics on his website, Square 1 Comics.

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6 Responses to Taki’s Golden Bowl

  1. Katherine says:

    This website is absolutely incredible!
    I love Taki’s.

  2. Frederick says:

    Sad, I was not aware that Taki had passed away.

    I knew Hisashi Takimoto back in the eighties as we both members of the same Buddhist Organization. Brian Takimoto as we knew him at the Buddhist center (of course everyone called him Taki) was just a great, great person. One memorable experience that I shall always cherish is a trip that we made to Dallas, Texas together to help build a stage for a Buddhist function. Another member (Pistol Pete) and I drove a tractor/trailer loaded with tree bark slats to be used on the stage. Taki was sent along with us in the truck as spiritual adviser.

    Shortly after that trip I had moved from Denver to California. The last time I saw Taki was back in the early nineties as I was in Denver for work-related training. I heard that he had open a restaurant on East Colfax (the first place, the one that caught on fire), so I decided to surprise him by stopping in unannounced to have lunch. He wouldn’t let pay for my meals the entire week that I was there.

    Farewell Taki, my old friend, very few people in this world have left such a lasting positive impact on my life as you have. You were the one that made me truly understand the wisdom of the Gosho passage “Suffer what there is to suffer, enjoy what there is to enjoy. Regard both suffering and joy as facts of life. …”

  3. Matt Holman says:

    Sorry to say that Taki’s restaurant has now closed. I know that the new owner had worked hard to keep it going. I remember back in the late 1970s there was a Beef Bowl Restaurant (a fast-food Japanese place) at that same location. When Taki had moved into the current location, I remember him being pleased that there had been a Japanese restaurant there before. Taki’s will be missed by many of us, but let’s hope that something new and interesting will take its place.

  4. Richard Boettner says:

    I visited Taki’s when it first started across the street (orange front) where another restaurant is not next to the corner store. He was always friendly and served a fair amount of food for the price. A few days before he died he gave me a cake of soap, which I still have. Too bad the guy who took it over had no clue how to keep it going. I miss Taki.

  5. Ed Davis says:

    Taki’s was my favorite restaurant for years. The food was terrific and reasonably priced. Taki always greeted me personally and checked on me as I enjoyed my meal. He recommended a lot of interesting food (sea anemone for example) which was always delicious. He employed people who needed employment and I personally saw him give free meals to needy people many times. Wonderful guy, he and his great restaurant are missed. Wherever heaven is he is surely there cooking Japanese food.

  6. Gary R says:

    Taki is a top dude…
    I wish there were a photo of the original Golden Bowl. The sign, the dinning room.
    Treating yourself to the best meal $4 & 45 cents?
    Taki would tempura every vegetable.
    Shredded carrots.
    Or a platter would be loaded & also have a bonus of vegetables.
    Like here, try this, it’s good for you & it is delicious.
    When I wanted the tempura sauce recipe, I was sure they would guard it. Nope.
    With a laugh, it’s sugar & soy sauce silly.

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