I would definitely say this spot is a hidden spot!! We couldn't find it until we walked into this…read moreplace by guessing it based on the Japanese decors and kind of looks like izakaya!! We got seated immediately and it went kind of busy the whole time. It's a pretty small place so it's easier to get a spot with small group of people instead of big group, you might have to wait longer. We got Onigiri and I highly recommend salmon with ikura and mentaiko special! That two are my most favorites!!! The agedashi tofu was okay, didn't expect that texture. The tofu was not crunchy but more mochi texture and the sauce/broth is like overly thick. Not really our favorite. The katsu don was really good too!! I ordered lychee fizz but they were out of lychee syrup... my husband ordered curry chicken don and they were out of curry.... Oh well.

Great food. Great value. Definitely left very full but still got onigiri to go…read more Service was quick and friendly. Tables are small so not ideal for large groups. Chill and unique interior. Street parking and some paid lots nearby.

Maneki was easily one of the coolest dining experiences we had in Seattle. We were lucky enough to…read moresit in one of the tatami rooms, and taking our shoes off and sitting together in the traditional space made the entire meal feel so special and authentic. The service was fantastic. Every single person who came to our table was incredibly kind and attentive, and everything came out surprisingly quickly despite how much we ordered. And the food was delicious! We tried the sashimi, a couple of udon dishes, the charred fish, tofu, edamame, and honestly a few other dishes I'm probably forgetting because we ordered so much. We also had the hot tea, which was wonderful. Everything we tried was impressive. More than anything, though, Maneki felt like an experience rather than just a dinner. Our whole family loved it, including the kids, and it's one of those meals we'll be talking about for a long time. Absolutely worth visiting, and somewhere we would happily come back to the next time we're in Seattle.

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.

Fuji Sushi, thank you for being so good to me…read more I was looking for a Japanese restaurant for my last dinner of my weekend Seattle trip. It was between here and two other restaurants, a block away. I ended up going with my gut - that was guided by the photos and reviews that other Yelp Elites wrote. Definitely did it right. The host seated me promptly and gave me a seat by the window. It wasn't particularly busy, which allowed the staff to chat and really serve the patrons. I started with a Lychee lemonade - perfect drink since I wanted something fancy but non-alcoholic. While waiting, I noticed the set up of the restaurant. There was a private room for larger parties where you can sit on the futons on the ground. There was paper wall and a beautiful image of cherry blossom tree covering it. When the server came back, I decided on the Salmon Gozen set. They have 5 different set items for their Dinner Gozen, where you get to try a bit of everything. The 'mini chirashi' really sold me and although a bento sounded good, this appeared to be a lot more curated. Well I got what I wanted and more. It ended up being such a treat and a great presentation of many bites. I left feeling completely satisfied. The staff continued to come by to check up on me and it made for a great experience. Thank you for your hospitality, Fuji Sushi.

Silly me for not making Saturday dinner reservations for our arrival night…read more Fortunately, the hotel staff recommended this local restaurant and called ahead to add us to the waitlist. Prices are reasonable, some of the dishes were not quite impressive. Friendly service was spotty too and unorganized. Hot food was best, collar was large and meaty. Veggie tempura was fresh and included various types. Tuna sashimi was abit tough, thinner slices would have been ideal. Busy local place , just keep perspective in mind for a good basic meal.

Ambiance was very nice, felt cozy and welcoming. The…read morewaitresses at the restaurant were upkeep with their guests and cleaning in a timely matter. The curry was good, but the beef gyudon set felt a little off. The flavors were good, but the cut of beef used was not common for gyudon. Just keep that in mind when coming here. Otherwise, it was great!

My friend and I along with our husbands went to Ringo for lunch on a Sunday. My husband and I…read moreordered the large pork cutlet omelet curry and the katsu nabe dish. Oh my gosh! Both dishes were amazing, but the pork curry was just so delicious! I could have that every day! The portions were generous and the flavors were on point! Service was good and quick. The space is casual but is comfy. I love the decor as well! I'm excited to come back soon and try other dishes!

Wish I could give more than 5 stars!! OMG, this place was so aesthetically pleasing.. and perfect…read morefor Seattle weather. Welcoming staff and the happy hour menu was a nice surprise. Our server Elle was absolutely spot on with given us amazing options for drinks and for suggesting dishes. She also made the drinks and just WOW! Had the sake sangria , then tried the Sundress and that was just outstanding, also tried the other whiskey cocktail on their menu..but the Sundress paired especially with the Madrid moon sushi is just Outstanding! Do try it and do as for Elle to make your drinks, she's the BEST!! We ordered the calamari, the best as it was not too oily and had greens as well, a good balance.. the sushi was outstanding as well, I could have ordered a non fried one as that wasn't my favourite (but that was on me) the Bad Boy.. the salmon wrap was nice as well, but the Madrid Moon sushi - that was a pleasant surprise for sure, being a sushi snob I've never had this on before and it just took me out, tooo good!!! Do come here!

I stopped by Japonessa for a late dinner and it was a decent experience, let's dive in…read more.. Ambiance - The inside is nicely decorated and had a slightly upscale vibe, but you don't have to dress up to eat here. They can accommodate groups both big and small and have a bar area for people looking to dine quickly. Service - The service was solid! Friendly staff, helpful, and they were quick to refill my water or answer any questions. Best part of my visit I'd say! Food - Perhaps it's what I ordered, but the sushi roll I got just didn't do it for me. It tasted somewhat bland and the fish didn't taste fresh to me. I believe it was the Mexican Ninja roll. It was good enough to eat, but probably one of the more underwhelming rolls I've had in my sushi life. Overall, I think this place is worth checking out because the ambiance and service were top notch. I may have just shown up on a bad night. I would come back and try something else if I ever found myself back in the area.

Yummmy. Seems like a real family owned spot. The decor is fun and cute- had Kiki's delivery service…read moreon the television and toys smattered about, but it's still a chill vibe in there. And it gets POPPIN here. We were ravenous in the morning thank god so we got there right as it opened. Line quickly formed soon after. Bento box - star of the show, good deal and all the items were good Unagi bowl - delish but small! Black garlic ramen - still delish but I'd maybe hop elsewhere for knock out ramen

While sometimes not being a "traditional" Japanese restaurant is not a big deal, you can tell some…read moreof the items were a bit lacking due to it. With that said, the happy hour menu is still made it worth to stop for in terms of simply the price. I came here for the happy hour and got the whiskey flight and while I'm here I also got the RONDO DELUXE BENTO . It did get super busy as I was finishing my happy hour so I think a lot of people already know about the happy hour. The whiskey flight was definitely worth it since usually your typical drink is already around 15-20 and I got a good amount of whiskey from the flight and it was 3 flight glasses. RONDO DELUXE BENTO , it just felt like the karage was not that amazing and it lacked something. I'm not sure...but maybe it's their batter cause even the other fried fish's taste just felt like it was off(not in the sense that it was unedible type) but it just lacked something that I can't put my finger on. So in terms of the taste of the food, I just felt it was pretty mediocre but the amount of food was pretty good for HH.

A lively atmosphere in SLU to grab sushi, sashimi, and more. The service is prompt and attentive…read more There is a lot of seating and even good for groups. I sat at the sushi bar as it was just myself. For lunch, I opted in for the Power Lunch and it was fantastic. Served with 5 pieces of nigiri, seared salmon, miso soup, salad, edamame and more. The salad is great with the ginger dressing and the miso soup was flavorful with tofu. The nigiri was fresh and flavorful. Also got a shrimp tempura roll which was great with tempura shrimp and fresh avacado. Overall no complaints here. There are so many dishes I want to try and will be back soon for more.

**Thursday evening around 5:00 p.m., party of 2. No wait.**…read more Unfortunately, I'm going to have to echo several of the recent reviews about the slow service. When we were seated, there were only about three other occupied tables, all with couples. Two of those tables were already being served their food. We placed our order, but our food didn't arrive for about an hour despite the restaurant appearing to be fully staffed. To make matters worse, multiple tables that were seated after us received their food before we did. The long wait might have been easier to overlook if the food had been worth it, but it wasn't. I ordered the seven-piece sushi assortment with a baked crab roll, and more than four pieces of the fish were still partially frozen. The fish did not taste fresh, which was especially disappointing after such a long wait. An hour to assemble seven pieces of sushi seemed excessive. Seeing that more than half of the fish was still partially frozen made the hour-long wait make a lot more sense. Maybe they were waiting for it to defrost before serving it. My sister ordered a baked crab roll and two pieces of seared snow crab. The seared snow crab was completely forgotten until I had already finished my meal. We had to remind the staff before they rushed to prepare it. The baked crab roll itself was decent, but the combination of the extremely slow service, disorganized order handling, partially frozen fish, and forgetting an entire dish until we asked about it means we won't be returning.

I wanted to go out for sushi with my parents, so i settled on this place. great gem in cap hill…read more loved the little japanese tea garden in the middle of the restaurant. lots of seating, and there were still people waiting on a Wednesday night. the servers were attentive and speedy. they brought some edamame over. delicious. No notes or critiques I love edamame. To drink, I had one of their specialty cocktails. It was their take on a spicy Marg. It was honestly a stellar drink. It was a perfect balance of citrus and spice. I would order this drink again without a doubt good presentation too. We had the toro sampler which came with three different types of Toro with three different toppings. It was cool to get to try the different types of Toro, and I enjoyed tasting them side-by-side to see the differences. The toppings were one of their house, sauces, fried garlic, and chives. I enjoyed the house sauce the best. I was also looking forward to the Crispy Rice which came with crispy rice w/ salmon roe, wasabi aioli, & aonori with spicy tuna. You could choose what type of fish went on it, but obviously we got tuna. This was a yummy bite. Came out piping hot. Beautiful presentation. The tuna was perfectly prepared. The salmon roll was an interesting touch but actually worked well. I think it's sacrilegious to go out for sushi and not get miso soup, so We also added a miso soup to our order. Solid miso soup. No critiques. Came out piping hot. Because I felt like we needed a vegetable, we had the House Spring Mix which came with mixed greens, cherry tomatoes & cucumber w/ spicy garlic ponzu. I enjoy the salad dressings at Japanese restaurants because I feel like they're very distinct. I don't think this one was as distinct, but it was still good. The cherry tomatoes weren't mushy at all, which I appreciated. I do enjoy a spring mix, but Romain or arugula will always have my heart. Moving onto rolls. We started with the Capitol Hill Roll which came with snow crab mix, avocado & cucumber topped w/ seared salmon, scallions, tobiko, sweet aioli, sweet chili & soy glaze. This was my favorite roll of the night, but I would love to go back and try some of their other rolls. They have a huge menu. I love a sushi that has seared salmon, but IDK if that still makes it sushi. My dad loves asparagus, so we got the El Diablo shrimp tempura, shibazuke & asparagus topped w/ seared snow crab legs, pico de gallo & chipotle. It wasn't the most traditional roll, but I did enjoy it. I probably wouldn't order it again when there's so many other good things to try on their menu, but Im glad that I got to try two rolls. Because we're celebrating my mom's birthday, they brought ice cream. It was a solid ice cream, even though we just got vanilla. It had good flavoring, even for vanilla.

Stopped in for happy hour with some friends. Lots of options on the menu but still a bit on the…read morepricey side. We got there with an hour left on HH on a Wednesday night with no reservation and got seated pretty quickly. 1/5 Edamame came out cold and needed more salt - although complementary it should really come out hot 3/5 Bad boy 3/5 Crunch Seattle 3/5 Crunch cali 3/5 Seaweed salad Not a huge fan of the fried rolls. It was probably our fault, as we ordered three instead of getting a variety. The seaweed salad was topped on some greens which I would've just preferred the seaweed without it. Just a chill nice place. Cute garden in the middle and there's plenty of seating in the back.

Food is a bit pricey but tasty. Servers are super knowledgeable of their drinks and were able to…read moregive great recommendations after sitting and chatting with us. Chill almost dive bar feel. Good for groups. Love this place. Will definitely be back.

Sticky Toffee Mochi is the only dessert on the menu, and it's definitely a must-try item. When…read morecombined with the toffee on the outside, refreshing vanilla ice cream on top, and the chewy mochi inside, it's the perfect bite to end the meal. The server kept up the bubbly personality throughout the night, which made my party felt cared for.

What an incredible little poke/bento box that is quick and affordable!…read more There is very limited seating here, which makes it really feel like you're in Japan. The menu isn't too expansive, instead offering a few dishes at high quality. I ordered the Gyo Gyo En Bento Box (I had to, the dish had the restaurant's name in it!). It included large chunks of salmon poke, tuna salad, pickled cabbage, curry, imitation crab salad and seaweed - what a deal! Portions were generous and taste was delicious. Our party also ordered a shoyu ramen and salmon poke bowl and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meal. Service was excellent as well. I'm tempted to come back here the follow day just to try something different!

The food is good. The portions apparently have commitment issues!…read more Gyo Gyo En is tiny. A handful of small tables, some counter seating, and not much room to spare. It's definitely cozy, though "cozy" is doing some work here. I tried the Creamy Wagyu Ramen and the Premium Bara-Chirashi Bento. The ramen was good, with the creamy broth doing most of the heavy lifting. Rich, flavorful, and enjoyable all the way through. It never got overly heavy or tiring; although, given the portion size, it may simply not have been given enough time to wear out its welcome. The noodles were pleasantly soft, held onto the broth nicely, and kept their texture until the end. Nothing particularly memorable about the noodles themselves, they understood their assignment: transport broth to mouth. The Wagyu was tender and cooked well. My only complaint? There wasn't enough of it. A recurring theme, as it turns out. The chirashi was also good. The salmon was the standout; fresh and easily my favorite part of the bento. The octopus was noticeably firmer and chewier than I'm used to, bordering on too tough, though not enough to ruin it. I was also a little disappointed to see packaged wasabi. With a premium chirashi, I was hoping for something better. And again: the portion was small. The prices are a little high, but being next to Amazon means I came prepared for that. What I wasn't prepared for was the portion apparently being optimized for cloud storage! Good food, minimal footprint.