Words cannot express how amazing and special this experience was. Reservations are few and hard to get because there's only 8 seats inside, and I totally get why. The chef was so awesome and incredibly attentive (he doesn't miss anything between guests) and his knife skills were so impressive. Every shaping of rice into nigiri had artistic wrist movements and every piece of fish was so incredibly fresh, with 2 courses being so rare they're only available 2 weeks a year. There were 18 courses (might've been more including appetizer and dessert). Flavor combinations were insane and the fish (especially ottoro tuna) literally melted in my mouth. The Fact that he grew some fruits in his own garden was epic as well. Such a special experience for $210 a person and $12 for a delicious yuzu ale to pair. read more

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Another omakase that's worth to try! Making a reservation is fairly easy online. Sushi Omakase is $210 and 20% gratitude is automatically added and then add ~10% tax at the end. (+whatever drinks, food you order on top of that.) parking was fairly easy with many street parking around. The restaurant sits total 8 people and it was about ~1.5 hours. The chef was friendly and explains each piece. I liked this place because it was sushi omakase (other places are more kaiseki style). Fishes were fresh and flavorful. (Although some pieces it was a little too salty with the sauce) My favorite was otoro, uni, geoduck, abalone. I would come back here again! read more

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This was my first omakase experience and honestly, I was super nervous coming into it because I have never done anything like it! WOW was I blown away. The space was intimate, seating about 9 guests. Chef was knowledgable and I enjoyed learning everything that he was serving, how and why. He has been doing this for a while, and it shows in his work. Just incredible quality. I am so incredibly grateful to have experienced this! read more

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I have made the rounds to almost every omakase spot in Seattle, and I enjoyed my experience here! The sushi chef here leans more traditional omakase, but with a flair by adding more soy sauce, ponzu sauce, and daikon radish in different pieces, while the edomae style I recall at Shiro's and Sushi Kashiba focuses a lot more on the fish. Just a different take, can't go wrong, mostly your preference. I personally don't like radish in terms of flavor, but open to eating it if it is nicely prepared, and this is the latter. Reservations here are fairly hard to get as you need to book weeks in advance - only 7 seats, 2 seatings a night, but not as hard as many other places in Seattle and elsewhere in the US. The omakase features 20 courses, with the first course fairly elaborate (herring roe, seaweed, oyster with daikon radish, amberjack cheek with seaweed and cucumber, and bluefin tuna and blood with daikon radish). I had herring roe and the seaweed literally 3 days ago when I went to Sushi Suzuki, and this one is fairly comparable and high quality. I love the texture. There are various cuts that more or less resemble a US omakase, with a good amount of fish sourced from Hokkaido. Here, the chef adds some elements consistent throughout the course: shiso leaf, daikon radish, etc. It works, and it does enhance the nigiri and still brings forth the freshness of the fish. I didn't find any issues with any fish, as the cuts were of high quality. I particularly loved the Alaska black cod belly with red miso, especially since it is torched so there is a loooot of flavor to it. The 19 pieces we got were: - yellow jack belly - bluefin tuna from Croatia - chinook salmon from Hokkaido - Spanish mackerel - albacore tuna belly - abalone from Hokkaido topped with abalone liver steamed in sake - bonito - amberjack - chutoro - bluefin tuna neck with daikon radish - scallop with bamboo sea salt and yuzu - snow crab - Alaska black cod belly with red miso - smoked Alaska salmon - squid leg - sesame mackerel - bluefin collar hand roll - uni with ikura - egg custard with white shrimp Service is also excellent as water refills were frequent and consistent throughout the meal. The omakase is a 2.5hr long experience, and it felt just the right length without feeling rushed or feeling like it was dragging out too long. Objectively, the omakase is amazing as stated above, but it is not 100% my cup of tea in terms of daikon with fish, which is solely my personal preference. It is still a 5 stars in my books. read more

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I went on Tock (Aug 1) to snag a reservation for Wataru to celebrate my partner and I's anniversary on Friday, Sept 27, 2024, for the 7:30pm seating. In Tock, you pay a $75 reservation fee (per seat), plus a $5 "service charge" that Tock keeps, because capitalism. The total cost of the omakase is $185/person (+20% "service charge"), however the online fee is meant to be applied to that. We showed up to see seating for 8 people. We arrived at 715pm and nobody else had arrived yet - so we got to pick the best seats in the house! (the middle, obviously) four other people arrived around 725pm - they knew each other and seem to be regulars (given their interactions with the chef) - the other 7th and 8th person showed up a bit late but caught up fast. Total experience took just over 2 hours and 15 min (945pm we finished the dessert course). This is an Edomae-style omakase experience, meaning that it focuses on nigiri sushi (fish on top of rice), along with other toppings, sauces, and flavours. Aside from the first dish, everything served was nigiri sushi. There were 21 courses overall, 19 nigiri, 1 "starter", and a dessert. Altogether it was $519.08 for two people including drinks (before applying the deposit). 1. Tripledish appetizer of chutoro, nute/geoduck, sunomono salad. 2. Yellowjack (Shima aji) - rice felt slightly overcooked but the fish was very tender. (from Kumamoto Kyushu, Japan) 3. Akagai (red clam) from Hokkaido, Japan - reminds me of tokugai/mirugai (but the chef doesn't agree, when I said it out loud). 4. Baby white king salmon (aged) - from Hokkaido - very tender. The sauce definitely emphasized the fish flavour. 5. Spanish mackerel (aji) from Kyushu - tender, somewhat sweet (ponzu/lemon taste) 6. Albacore (setoro - back loin): creamy but wasn't my favourite. 7. Bluefin tuna (zuke style) from Croatia: decent - good balance of flavour. 8. Baby shad (kohada): so much umami (apparently older ones are too bony) - "best fish of the night" (according to chef) 9. Squid legs (yari ika) - from japan's South side - it was ok. 10. (aged 10 days) smokefish (hiramasa) - between yellowtail and amberjack - smoky and creamy flavour. 11. Chutoro (with wasabi) - from Malta: very creamy taste 12. Seared (aged) bluefin neck - daikon radish on top - great texture - chewy but somewhat fatty. 13. Scallop - from Hokkaido - with Okinawa steamed bamboo seasalt and yuzu (grown in chef's local greenhouse) - yuzu zest on top was awesome. 14. Geoduck (Bainbridge Island): chewy - interesting ocean texture / flavour. 15. Shigoku Oyster - with daikon on top - from Shelton 16. Alaskan black cod belly (seared) - tamamiso, red yolk, sake, cooked for half hour - perfect blend of melt-in-your-mouth chewy. 17. Garisaba - mackerel handroll with shiso leaf and ginger: fattier taste than usual but very big roll 18. Alaskan snow crab roll - chewy, toasty, slightly sweet. 19. Ocean eel (anago) - Tokyo Bay (with sanshou pepper): tasty. 20. Bowl of uni (sea urchin) - two kinds from Hokkaido - with masago and Alaskan chum roe: red sea urchin was more enjoyable, but it was very good! Dessert: warabimochi (blackened starch), matcha, black molasses from Kyoto. For all of the dishes, chef used a rice blend of three different rices - from Niigata. Fresh wasabi and ginger. Drinks: I ordered the omakase sake sampler ($18). You get three sake pours (60ml each) of Yoshinosugi, Hatsumago, and Dassai45. Missus ordered the matcha green tea ($4 for 800ml). If you order a bottle of sake, they let you pick your own sake cup! It's very cute. Parking: There is no onsite parking and limited street parking, as this is a residential neighbourhood. I wouldn't recommend parking in the 30 minute spots - since this sushi bar experience is going to take upwards of 2 hours. I snagged a spot right in front (street parking), but I acknowledge I got lucky - usually I can never find a place to park here! Ambiance: the background music track is non-lyrical jazz (medium volume - loud enough to be noticeable). Interesting choice. Service: the chef (from Gifu) recently came back from Italy! His favourite sushi fish was kohada (FYI). Verdict: same rating tier as Sai and Ltd Edition (from the missus). Definitely left full (after arriving very hungry). Squid, baby King salmon were interesting. Saba and kohada both good too. Worth a visit - top 5 in metro Seattle! read more

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Really appreciated that they offer high quality sushi as a takeout option too! I only wish I had asked, or they had included, more about recommended order to eat, each selection and where sourced from. We were greeted promptly at the door, and had a convenient 30 minute loading parking spot nearby. read more

Wataru - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Omakase experience. Chef's choice dining for 6 people ( we had a group of 4). Came hungry and was stuffed at the end. Top quality fish from all parts of the world. read more

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Takeout only: So good! The quality tastes exactly like what you get at omakase, and is such a steal for only $45. I was worried it wouldn't be enough, but I was very full after finishing it! I recommend getting this with a friend or family and trying each piece together! You can reserve online, and it doesn't have to be very far in advance. Wish I could be fast/lucky enough to snag an in-person dining spot! read more

Wataru - Such cute indoor seating! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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One of the top 3 omakase experiences in Seattle, hands down. And I've been to them all, including Taneda, Scratch, Kashiba, etc. The texture and flavor of every single one of the 20 courses was nearly perfect. Not a single miss. And I left STUFFED unlike Scratch or Kashiba. Some really flavorful and unique dishes, like the marinated Bonito with a salad of shiso and onion. Service was adequate. My water glass was never empty and the server was always available to take a drink order when I needed. Ambience was cozy. Relaxed and intimate. I suppose if you're looking for something upscale and luxurious, you might be disappointed, but I was perfectly happy with it. read more

Wataru - First 10 courses - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We ordered three sushi omakase to go. From years of sushi experiences n also living in Japan, I realized Wataru's rice was over cooked n mushy even for a to-go order. Sashimi cuts were as if they were from regular struggling sushi establishments, not the expected thick cut for the price we paid. Hopefully they'll realize these problems so that we can try Wataru again someday. read more

Wataru - Oishisooooo - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great spot for Omakase sushi, been going here for years. Just a 9 seat bar and an outstanding chef. No frills, just a husband and wife operation with really good sushi on par with anywhere else in the city. Be warned though that reservations have always filled up Insanely fast, so be prepared to be up at midnight on the first of the month if you want to get one. Great takeout too if you live nearby. read more

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Wish I could give 10 stars. One of the best meals I've ever had. Intimate seating & atmosphere- just 8 of us at the bar trying not to stare too much at the very experienced chef slice & prepare each piece of sushi by hand. Most of the sushi was heavenly, melt in your mouth, incredible flavor. Some were great, and a few not to my taste, but still thoughtful and well done. A few of the dishes he cooked with a blow torch which was fun! It's a long dinner - 7:30-9:45ish, and so filling! But worth it. Incredible. read more

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The food was good. But about halfway into the feast, I was too full to enjoy my food.

My favorite sushi restaurant in Seattle. Omakase at the sushi bar is one of the best fine dining experiences that I have had ( without the romantic and fancy elements.). The fish variety and the execution are out of the world superb. There are roughly 20 varieties of nigiri with some rare fish flown in from Japan. The cuts were very generous If I live closers by and have more money to spare, I will eat there every month !!!! read more

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Very good service food was on point Chef was very good his service was on point . Good amount of party only of 8 so makes it simple for everyone to see the chef and his work read more

Commenting on the food. I placed an order through Tock for the Premium Chirashi. To be honest, I thought I had ordered the Omakase so this was a surprise to me when I opened up the bag at home. Does anyone else not check the food until they are home? All this COVID takeout is making me realize I need to check in the car before leaving. Back to the point, the chirashi was the definition of fresh. Every piece of seafood tasted very high quality and had a nice smokey hint of flavor. All of it on top of sushi rice mixed with shiitake mushroom and Ariake seaweed which was flavorful and freshly made. Even though it was takeout presentation was there. Each piece looked like it had been placed with intention and added to the whole eating experience, you know how they say you eat with your eyes first. I will be the first to admit chirashi is not something I normally gravitate to. In my past experiences I have found that I prefer nigiri or sushi and have never had a good chirashi. In my opinion this is a good chirashi. Maybe it was not totally worth the $40 for me to order again but this would be the best chirashi I have had. I am honestly debating trying the omakase because it was so fresh and good quality. It would be nice to be able to eat at the sushi bar for the omakase experience but this takeout is better than nothing. read more

Wataru - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I have been craving for omakase and their takeout option is a cheaper, alternative solution! For roughly $50, you get a filling/high quality meal! I actually felt full after eating, which is usually not the case when I eat sushi in Seattle. The cuts were generous and everything tasted fresh. My favorite was the scallop. I was initially worried because I read their rice can be mushy, but that was not the case for me. read more

THE best sushi in Seattle/Puget Sound. We've been coming to Wataru for several years for Kotaro's incredible and experiential omakase and it NEVER disappoints! Chef Kotaro consistently brings the best fish from around the world to his customers, highlighting the unique flavors and textures with an array of preparation techniques, garnishes, and finishing touches. He is a master in his craft! Our visit to Wataru in March 2024 was our first after he remodeled and expanded his counter to seat more customers (sorry, no more tables). Even though he has more mouths to feed, his quality, pace of courses, and personable engagement hasn't dropped one bit. We've recommended Wataru to a number of friend and they've all raved about their experience. Honestly...I don't know how you could give anything other than a 5-star review. read more

$42 for a 10-piece omakase set + one piece of their futomaki roll was a great deal! -1 star because one or two of the nigiris tasted fishier than I would've liked but otherwise this set was great for the quality of fish you get! I really enjoyed the piece of the futomaki roll- I might have to order a whole roll next time. read more

Wataru - 10 piece omakase set - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I haven't been back to Wataru since 2015 shortly after they initially opened. But you amazing tribe of greater Seattle Yelpers have the talent of having me bookmark, budget my dining dollars, and nearly lick or eat my cell phone with your posts and photos. The posts for the omakase sushi from Wataru was sheer blatant food porn. So luscious, I gave in earlier this week and got waitlisted via Tock. For some dumb reason I was up at 0300 today (5/15/20) and saw I had received two emails shortly after midnight from Tock for omakase availability at 1800 and 2000. Omg, sleepily I got out from my futon cocoon to get my bank card to reserve and pay up. Amazing culinary lottery! I had been doing the countdown ever since. Upon arrival at Wataru (Ravenna, how I miss you so!), a masked and gloved employee handed me my takeout order in a no frills Covid-19 stapled paper bag with my first name on it. I drove home asap on I-5N to have this epic omakase. Wish I had sake. Or made some hot tea. I had planned to arrange the assortment on a worthy platter. Make a big ceremony for this moment. But no, did the obligatory Yelp snaps, paused to admire the omakase nigiri craftmanship, and then dug right in standing at the kitchen counter. Even shared some with Alex The Homie. Omg! I totally understand why this is sold out and wait listed during the quarantine period. Absolute perfection from a paper bag, plastic tray, and wooden chopsticks wrapped in a paper towel. Each nigiri selection were at perfect temperature, excellent quality, and spot on fantastic. Worth every single dollar including tax and tip! My only regret is that I didn't also reserve and buy the 2000 slot, lol. A splurge at the equivalence of 11- 16 oz mochas. But like I said, worth every single dollar! Truly amazing! I have been dazzled. Highly reommended! read more

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Sushi was good. Not amazing but it was good and considering their $50-60 price for omakase at the table it was acceptable. The older female server was very rude and not welcoming. She did not once ask if I want more tea. And When I was seated and asked what they are serving Omakase today, she said "omakase means whatever chef put on the table" and no explanation and made me think she just doen't know. Also Omakase means Chef's special but any sushi place I go ( I'm Japanese from Tokyo and been to proper sushi bars since I was 3 years old) they can give me what they will serve at that time. We asked to add few more pieces of chef's recommendation on our omakase, and she said "chef's too busy for that so i'll decide" 20%service charge for this "service"... Dining experience could have been a lot more pleasant if waitress was friendly and welcoming. We paid $220 for dining at the table. read more

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I wish I could give them 10 stars!!! We came back for Omakase a few years ago (Pre covid) to celebrate our anniversary. I have never had Omakase before and this experience completely blew me away. For 2 of us I believe the bill was around $300. Would I do that again? maybe not. But it was very worth it. The reason I hesitate to do it again is because I was sooooo full after over 20 pieces of delicious sashimi over a 2 hour period. Excuse the TMI, but the fish burps lasted a day and half! Only 6 people were at the chef's table and he made each piece specially for each of us. When I went to use the restroom, the chef waited for me to come back before making the sashimi piece I missed. That's some next level service in my humble opinion. The flavors, textures and presentation were all top notch. I have NEVER had such amazing sashimi before. I usually get specialty rolls when I get sushi, so this was a very different sushi experience for me. I can't wait to come back here again soon. read more

WOW!! Wataru has been written up as a premier sushi restaurant, often being named the BEST restaurant. Their omakase waitlist at the sushi bar has a wait time of 6 to 12 months. Now I can understand why. Due to COVID-19, Wataru temporarily closed and recently re-opened with a limited menu with prepayment required and pre-assigned pick-up times. The menu is exactly three choices currently - 10 pieces Omakase, Premium Chirashi Bowl, and Seafood Futomaki Roll. They are so beloved that it's tricky to get a "reservation" for these pickups. They open up reservations one week at a time; I believe it's one week prior every Sunday. Need to be very on top of it to score this amazing meal. (I so need to get my hands on the 10 pieces Omakase!) When you pick up, everything is bagged up with your name ready for grab-n-go. For this visit, I scored the Chirashi Bowl which has sushi rice that is seasoned and mixed with shiitake mushrooms and Ariake seaweed. My oh my, it is AMAZING!!! The seafood is incredibly tender and fresh. That sushi rice IS SO DELICIOUS!!! Words can't describe how good it is. This might be your lowest cost opportunity to try Wataru sushi. Definitely take advantage of this divine sushi meal! read more

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I was in town for work and was really craving some sushi. Made a reservation the day of and luckily they were able to squeeze me in at a table. I ordered the Wataru's Omakase which consisted of 3 seasonal bite-sized appetizers, sashimi, 7 piece sushi, and miso soup. The 3 seasonal bite sized appetizers were just alright. Flavor was great but I expected something more exciting than lotus root, squash and seaweed salad. On the other hand, the sashimi and 7 piece sushi were divine. They didn't have too much variety in the fish that they served but each piece of fish was incredibly fresh and buttery. It was just the right amount of food and it totally satisfied my craving. Overall, I had a pleasant experience. The service was great and I really enjoyed the intimate and relaxing ambiance. read more

Wataru - 7 piece sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is still my favorite omakase in Seattle, and we've been to probably all the omakase spots here. After many visits throughout the years, we've not once been disappointed. Every so often it's extra special with some items we've not had before. I can't say it enough. The flavors are perfect for my taste buds. Wataru is definitely worth a try if you haven't been. read more

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When you search for the best places to eat in Seattle, the message is clear... EAT SEAFOOD. I've never been to Seattle while making enough money to eat at nice restaurants until now, and I didn't know when I'd be back next so I went all-out at Wataru. Actually there were a few other restaurants that seemed to have better omakase but didn't have available reservations. Wataru was also WAY further north than I wanted to travel since I stayed near the airport for work. Decently worth it. Wouldn't make the trek again but it's a cute neighborhood. I was immediately seated and ordered a Japanese beer (of course) as I told the waitress I wanted the omakase. The appetizers were alright, not my favorite. The most memorable nigiri that made my whole YEAR was the king mackerel. OMG. I've never tasted anything so heavenly. Can't remember much else from the experience. Service was alright. It's a small and quaint place in what seemed like a lovely neighborhood. It was quiet so late in the evening but I left full and satisfied. I can't wait to come back to Seattle and try more omakase options for comparison. Wataru was an excellent start, though. read more

Wataru - Appetizers - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Excellent food especially liked chirashi. Service was efficient, but there is often limited availability of seating. Cosy ambiance.

Fresh fish quality! Loved every bite of the Futomaki, especially the ikura. Will definitely be ordering to-go more often! read more

Wataru - Futomaki (to-go) & Omakase (to-go) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This is by far the best omakase in Seattle. If you get a chance to eat at their bar (which is often booked weeks if not months in advance), do it. It represents the pinnacle of omakase in Seattle. Even if you don't get a seat at the elusive bar (which is also pretty pricy and varies based on market rates, be prepared to shell out at least $100 per person), their table seating omakase is still excellent and better than anywhere else in Seattle. Their to-go covid menu sushi omakase is an incredible deal at $40 each, and even though it's a fraction of the price of the sushi kashiba $100 deluxe omakase dinner box, it is superior in quality... I kid you not. Go here for one of the best omakase experiences you'll likely ever have in your life. Even my friends from Japan have said it's better than anything they've had in Japan. read more

Wataru - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Woooosh, I must say, at $50+ something per person, the omakase set here at Wataru = worth it. If you're not dining at the sushi bar, there are a couple of omakase options you can pick at the table. Do note, if you want to eat at the bar, reservations can go out as far as 5 weeks in advance. In general, Wataru is a small and cozy place, so it's best to get a reservation regardless. For the omakase option I went with, you get: a small sampler (think 1 bite size worth) of 3 various appetizers, miso soup, an assortment of sashimi, and 7 pieces of sushi. On top of the omakase, my friend and I opted to get: unagi & anago (freshwater & salt water eel) and geoduck as side dishes. Here's my verdict of the meal: Unagi + Anago: For all my eel lovers, Wataru definitely slayyyssss with this sushi! The ratio of eel to rice was fabulous (aka more eel than rice), the sauce used on the unagi was superb and overall, I would come back here again and again just for the eel. So fresh and delicious! Geoduck: Perfect appetizer to share while you wait for the food. With the sautéed method, the geoduck was definitely more savory and chewier than what I am used to. Love the unique taste and would recommend it. Omakase: Overall, pretty good deal. The sample appetizers were alright. Of the 3, I enjoyed the green beans + some sort of peanut/sesame sauce since it was pretty refreshing. However, its taste was a bit overpowering and made the other 2 appetizers not too memorable. My favorite part of the omakase was definitely the sashimi. Almost every piece of fish was divine and overall, the fish was very fresh. In summary, sashimi is so so good and I would eat everything again in a heartbeat. For the sushi, I think this was a pretty decent experience. The rice was definitely a bit off (heavy on the vinegar) and it didn't mesh too well with the fish. Top favorite items were all from Japan! Definitely love the creamy scallops, octopus, and the snapper with the chiso leaf. Not a huge fan of a couple of items that were more on the fishier side. Overall, sashimi definitely won in the taste category for fishes. Finally, service was pretty good. Our server was attentive and took time to explain our dishes and where the fishes originated from. In the end, I highly recommend this place if you're looking for affordable and high quality fish. Cannot wait to go back for the eel and sashimi! read more

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Coming to Seattle, I expected a lot of options for good sushi. I went to Shiro's because of the name, and was so disappointed. I decided to try this place since it was highly reviewed and for this price point, the sushi was amazing. I always love seeing the middle tier price points, and this place hit all my needs for a sushi place. If you're craving good sushi, not looking to spend a lot, this is the place in Seattle. read more

Came here for a birthday dinner and had a good time. It's a small place right next to Salare and you would definitely miss it if you're not looking for it. Service was pretty standard, we got our food in a timely manner and they filled our drinks when it was empty. Foodwise: Wataru omakase: -1st course: fishball miso soup -yummy and love the soft texture of the fishball 2nd course - 3 small appetizer of albacore, spinach in peanut sauce and eggplant - surprisingly good. I love the flavor of each dish and the the variety. 3rd course - sashimi: the fish was fresh, and you can tell each fish has its own flavor and texture. 4th: nigiri: eh, nothing really special, I like the fried fish head. In addition, we got the geoduck app, which was too thinly sliced that I couldn't differentiate the geoduck from the mushrooms. Also, the flavor reminded me of Chinese kungpao chicken. Chimwamishu - this would have been a 5 star dish if they put some salt. It was bland but it was yummy. Egg custard filled with various seafood. Mackerel roll - standard, nothing special. Overall, good quality food, price was reasonable. I was satisfied. read more

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Much delayed review! I came here for bar seating omakase with chef Wataru himself pre-covid lockdown as well tried the take out omakase in the midst of phase 1 distancing. Both were fantastic! Much more subdued setting than say a Sushi Kashiba or Shiro's but still an amazing experience. Use of flavors were great. I really liked the subtly smokey char on some his nigiri and the way he will balance fishy flavor of mackeral with citrus. Pre covid it was very difficult to get reservations for omakase at the bar with chef Wataru. The pivot to offering take out now makes this place much more accessible quality are still amazing and totally worth it! read more

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Wataru was my first full meal when I landed in Seattle last weekend. I was definitely eagerly anticipating some pristine seafood and I was not disappointed. Being that it was my first time, I (along with my dining companions) got Wataru's Omakase with a tamago and extra toro add-on. This came with fish ball miso soup, some appetizers, a sushi course and then a sashimi course. In a nutshell, I could have done without the soup and the appetizers. The fish balls in the miso soup were made with some pretty strong-tasting fish and not my cup o'tea. The real star is the fish. They kept it pretty simple with only one piece of fish having a topping. The rest were served au naturale with a proper swipe of wasabi underneath. A couple pieces were kombu-cured and straw-smoked. Pretty darn delicious. My only disappointment was the omakase did not include any uni. Tamago is not something I normally order unless I'm already familiar with it (usually by sampling hubby's order) but I thought I'd give it a try here. It turned out to be too sweet for my preference. My friends also didn't think it was that sweet the last time they had it. Beware the nigiri pricing!! We had to read the menu twice where it says "Two pieces per order, One piece price". Basically, you're forced to 1) buy two pieces AND 2) do the math. Why? Just show the charge for two pieces if buying one piece isn't even an option. The lady helping us was nice but not one of those chatty types. We weren't loud by any means but did hit her up with a couple questions which she obligingly answered. Overall a great meal. Not mind-blowing or life altering but definitely very enjoyable and delicious. Next time, I'm definitely just going a la carte...and I'm getting that uni! read more

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The omakase takeout was totally worth it! In COVID times, you need to reserve super early on Sunday morning to get a reservation. My husband and I tried to slowly enjoy each piece but ended up devouring the whole plate in ten minutes. I also tend to be picky but each fish was delicate, distinct in taste, and delicious! Definitely worth the price! read more

Wataru - Omakase take out - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My first one star rating. Also this is not passive aggressive since I had an actual conversation in person with the owner. He is aware his server is at fault, and apologized. We came in here tonight with a couple visiting from Hawaii & Okinawa. I don't know what it is, but service was awful tonight. We had ordered appetizers: the fried cod, eggplant, oysters, egg custard, miso soup, and smoked salmon. Menu we had rolls: from tuna, blue fin, waturu, yellow tail albacore. Sushi: fatty tuna, sweet shrimp, geoduck, egg, salmon egg, uni, tuna belly, eel, salmon. We also ordered plum wine and Kirin beer. With this amount of food, you would imagine service to be spectacular. It started out pretty horribly and the night ended in an awful manner. When we were seated, we had a waitress not bring us napkins/towels although we stated that there was soy sauce remains on the table. Secondly, when we ordered our drinks, they had forgotten 3 times! Not once were our green teas refilled, I lost count how often I had to ask for more green tea. With unfulfilled requests. And our red haired host had an attitude when I wanted her to leave the menu! Never were we asked how our food was, and the awful part was that trays with food on it were taken away when we weren't even finished! She never even bothered to ask. Who does that? With this, when her shift was over she didn't bother telling us, and it is terrible that they act like this with their 20% implemented tip charge. At the end of the night I spoke with the head chef / owner. Who honestly seemed passive. You would think that a restaurant would want to mirror their service to their delicious food! Thank you for embarrassing us whilst taking our guests out tonight with your rude antics. We will never be coming back. read more

Oh man. Fell in love w/ the place right when I walked in. Sadly, older lady server was not welcoming, but definitely more welcoming/friendly to her fellow lady/ethnicity next to us. We came taking a risk w/ no reservations right when they opened. My husband, 2 babies in tow, and me. They only offer omakase, even at a table. So omakase it is! The pieces were very basic (no special fish other than barracuda), not super fresh and a sous chef put all our nigiri together. We ordered 2 omakase w/ an additional 7 piece for $25. Omg, we got the same fish w/ all 3. Miso soup was decent and 3 pc appetizer was small and nothing to write home about. No dessert/palette cleanse given in the end. Only thing i enjoyed was their drink menu unfortunately. Wasn't expecting the best but also wasn't expecting as low quality when dinner was $220. I highly recommend sitting at the bar for full experience, maybe it's better? read more

The Omakase here is divine! It's not cheap ($52-56) but it's worth it considering the hugh quality large portions of sashimi and sushi you are getting. The three piece appetizer and the miso soup is also quite exceptional. This is not instant miso soup it has chunks of tofu, seaweed and I think it was even a few fish balls floating around in it for extra texture and flavor! The sashimi itself was hearty, fresh and large portions. The service was great and explained everything you were eating. My favorite of the night was the smoked black cod. The restaurant itself is quite intimate and I think the location is very ideal as well as you are removed from the hustle and bustle of the busy parts of Seattle. I highly recommend this place for a quality Omakase if you are looking for a semi splurge dinner! FYI you can also make reservations ahead of time but they do require a holding fee on your credit card that is deducted from your bill. read more

My boyfriend took me there for omakase for my birthday in January. We sat at the sushi bar with 6 other people. If I'm not mistaken, Wataru only does 2 seatings of 8 for sushi bar each night. We made an online reservation a couple of months in advance as soon as it became available, as weekend spots fill up quickly, We booked it on Tock and was charged $100 reservation fee which was deducted from our final bill. They ask that you give a 24-hour notice (I believe) should you need to cancel to avoid forfeiting the reservation fee. We were seated promptly at our reservation time. The ambient was quiet and intimate. As mentioned, we sit at the sushi bar so our interaction with the servers was limited. Chef Kumita was extremely friendly and easy to talk to. He was curious about his guests and didn't mind sharing with us his background. The fact that the sushi bar was so small means we were close up to the chef at all times. He took his time to make us sushis and we never felt rushed at all. It was so relaxing and satisfying to watch from our seats. The omakase was superb. I don't think there is a substitute for that. I rarely every like sake but the one I had there was sooo smooth and really complement the sushis. The whole experience was 5+ out of 5. I don't have anything to complain, really. So Thank YOU for such an unforgettable meal and amazing evening! :) read more

A best reason to like this place is that you can get pretty high-quality sushi without long wait/advanced seat booking at a reasonable price. Currently the place only does take out and has three options: a set of sushi omakase, a chirashi don and futomaki. Among the three options, highly recommend the 10-piece sushi omakase. The fish was fresh and the sushi rice was perfectly cooked. The chirashi don was also great-the portion of toppings was generous, of a good variety and fresh. We placed our order over Tock in advance and stop by for pick up. Overall it was an easy way to enjoy high quality sushi at home. read more

Wataru - Sushi Bars Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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