Japanese Restaurateur Takashi Inoue Dead At 40

Takashi Inoue, the chef behind the all-beef restaurant Takashi in New York City's West Village, has passed away after a long battle with a respiratory illness, according to the restaurant's Instagram. Inoue, who was only 40-years-old, died on October 11 surrounded by family and close friends at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Takashi Restaurant closed on October 14 so staff, friends, and family could hold a memorial service for the late chef.

"There were people there whose lives he had touched who we didn't realize he had touched. He had a generosity that he wasn't very vocal about," Inoue's business partner Saheem Ali told Grub Street, which was first to report this story.

Although Inoue has passed, Takashi Restaurant will remain open.

"We are committed to continuing his legacy. I just think that because of how special and unique he was and the restaurant is, we want to keep it going in his honor," Ali told Grub Street. "Takashi, for me, was the first time with him that I really considered that eating could engage all five senses. That's really a gift that he's given to a lot of people, and we want to continue giving that gift."

Inoue, a native of Osaka, Japan, was known for his innovative use of meats. Some signature dishes of his at Takashi Restaurant include "MEGA" spare ribs with a bourbon-flambeed barbecue sauce; house bresaola with blue cheese, hazelnut-apple honey-soy mustard; and "testicargot" — cow balls escargot-style with garlic shiso butter.

The renowned chef also integrated ramen into his offerings, using beef broth, custom-made noodles, red paste inspired by his own grandmother's recipe, braised beef belly, crispy small intestines, and soft-boiled egg.

To learn more about menu items like Takashi's, here's everything you need to know about Korean Food — America's trendiest Asian cuisine.