I found out about the oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle 20 minutes before I ate there for the…read morefirst time. I was around the corner (literally) at a cafe, learning about the history of Seattle's Japantown, when I decided to look up recommendations of restaurants in the district to eat at. Maneki came up, and right after I read about how difficult it is to eat there as a walk-in without a reservation, I looked at the time and realized they were about to open for the evening. So I thought, "challenge accepted," and was in front of their doors in about 30 seconds. There was no one waiting and I was pretty shocked; it wasn't until 5:00 on the nose that other people walked up and got in line behind me, most without reservations. So if you're trying to do a walk-up, don't wait until 5:00 to get in line. Get there early.
The owner was nice when I told her I didn't have a reservation and she said while all her tables were full, she had bar seating open if I was interested. I said yes, so I was seated in the Hannya Room (and happened to be wearing my Yakuza Majima sukajan with a hannya on the back) with a handful of other people (bar seating is very limited, maybe 12 seats tops, and the room is very narrow). The bartender was cool and offered to take our phones and take photos of the specials on the wall in the foyer so we all didn't have to walk back over there.
I actually ended up getting one of the specials, the chicken katsu cutlet with beef curry. From the regular menu, I got a yaki onigiri and some gyoza (which are described as grandma's recipe and handmade), and from the bar I ordered the reggae punch cocktail (Iichiko saiten shochu, peach schnapps, and cold brew oolong tea). The regular menu is extensive, with a lot of comfort dishes and signature dishes I haven't seen elsewhere. Whether you want meat or seafood, there's something for everyone here.
The meal was absolutely delicious. The only thing I didn't care for, unfortunately, was the yaki onigiri, because I felt the shoyu they used was just way too sweet. Yaki onigiri is one of my most favorite things on the planet, and Ippuku in Berkeley makes them perfectly. I was expecting the one at Maneki to be on that level, but I was disappointed. But other than that, the curry had great flavor and bit of a kick of heat, and wasn't skimpy on the beef. Lots of potato, too. The katsu was breaded and fried perfectly and the cutlet was pretty generously sized. The gyoza were great, not oily, each one stuffed with meat.
I enjoyed the reggae punch and would order it again. I also ordered a glass of iced oolong, so I was feeling pretty refreshed on this warm afternoon with my two drinks. The bartender, who was handling both drinks and food service, was a nice guy with a good sense of humor. The owner also chatted with me on my way out and gave me a little history about why they decided to name the bar the Hannya Room, and some background on all the hannya masks on the wall in the bar.
I'd love to come back here the next time I'm in Seattle, but especially to be able to dine in one of the tatami rooms. This was a great meal and it was awesome being able to support this important part of the local history of Seattle's Japantown.