Maneki Restaurant

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Niceguy1959

Joined 3 years ago

Good Japanese restaurant in Seattle.. Not bad, typical japanese foods. I've seen and eaten better japanese outside of Seattle. Old, old place, pretty run down.(even the waitresses..ha ) But, over all good place to have classic authentic japanese foods.

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eskercurve

Joined 5 years ago

Reasonable, Delicious, PERFECT. I tried reserving a table for my wife and I twice before the same day to no avail. This place is booked a day in advance. So we planned tonight's adventure to Maneki. We were rewarded for our patience with food that was borderline perfect.

My wife got the variety dinner, which came with four pieces of tempura veggies and shrimp, four pieces of variety nigiri, tea, rice, melon, and salad. I got the black cod collar dish.

My wife's sushi is on the same level as Tsukushinbo's sushi, which is right around the corner, and that's saying something because in my opinion Tsukushinbo's sushi is the best in the Seattle area. Her tempura is awesome, and even the miso soup was delicious!

My fish came out perfect. Peel away the burnt exterior to expose the 100% succulent fish meat and fat broiled in itself. The result: heaven. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

So, for food, service, and ambiance (cozy), this place is PERFECT.

The only bad parts are the fact that they almost require reservations a day in advance and the parking is street only (or a nearby parking lot).

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mochibaby

Joined 4 years ago

The best Japanese restaurant. Yummy!

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jheitzeb

Joined 4 years ago

homestyle. awesome -- go there today.

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jollyasalways

Joined 5 years ago

Impressive Sushi - Friendly People - Fun Seattle Experience. Enjoy this tried-and-true Seattle mainstay. Maneki has got to be one of the oldest sushi restaurants in the city, still family owned and booming. Warm, friendly staff greet you as you arrive. There's a sizable seating area in the front with two private rooms farther back and at the very back, a secret sushi bar awaits for up to 3 couples to sit at. Some might think it's not formal enough, back by the tea and drink station...but for us, it was a perfect little hidey-hole away from the din of the dining room. The sushi was excellent. The salads were creative. Ala Carte ingredients. Definitely recommend it!

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montyhouse

Joined 5 years ago

Japanese food for the ages. At the end of the last millenium, sushi suddenly became really trendy. This trendiness has diluted the sushi experience, and has been detrimental to Japanese cuisine as a whole. There are half-baked "sushi joints" all over the city now, masking their mediocrity by being trying to be hip or stylish or overpriced (see: Wasabi bistro, Liberty, Oasis, etc.). A few years ago, while deciding where to go for dinner, I told some Japanese friends I wanted some "REAL Japanese food!". They chose Maneki, and before I knew it, we were treated to a steady parade of izakaya style platefuls, some of the most delicious I've had, with nary a sushi roll in the bunch. This is how the Japanese really eat, sharing plates and talking fast and drinking beers and having a ball. As one of the original establishments of Seattle's long forgotten "NihonMachi", it only makes sense that Maneki's would get REAL Japanese food right, with panache. Sugoku oishikatta desu yo!

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MontlakeMan

Joined 5 years ago

Best Japanaese Restaurant. I have gone to Maneki countless times and it continues to be the best Japanese restaurant I have ever visited. Excellent food, great service and a incredibly friendly atmosphere is what you can expect from this place. I have never been to Japan, but I do have many close friends who are from Japan, some of them sushi restaurant owners. They say that Maneki's sushi quality is at least as good and often better than any found in Japan. Until I visit Japan and try for myself I will have to believe what they say. As with any incredibly good restaurant, make sure you make a reservation first.

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berg9201

Joined 5 years ago

good food but make reservations or go before it opens!. I got to try this place that my friend was raving about. We didn't make reservation but was able to be seated within 10 minutes of opening. The service was prompt and friendly. I had the Sakana dinner set which came with salted broiled mackeral, tempura, sashimi, cucumber & shrimp salad. It was tasty and very good portion. My husband had the sushi which was also fresh and big. They also have a bar for those who need to wait and drink. I would recommend this place if you like the more traditional japanese cuisine!

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hyzenthlay

Joined 6 years ago

Undoubtably the best sushi restaurant in Seattle.. Maneki is not a place for people looking for an Americanized experience - it's not a Belltown restaurant. It's an ID place with ID prices, and, yes, ID service. You will likely need to flag a server down (which is simple as they are all very sweet young ladies). Additionally, your food will come out in the order it's prepared and ready, rather than all at once on a giant serving tray. Like most Japanese meals, you plan for a longer meal of small bites (a bowl of rice with tuna bata yaki, or a small salad with rice vinegar, or a bite of a jojo roll...) rather than a giant single portion. It's a small restaurant, which means a reservation is a necessity (I'm not sure what the other reviewer below me meant by saying that it doesn't take reservations; I have a reservation there for tonight, in fact). Maneki's sushi is some of the best in Seattle. The regular Japanese fare is equally amazing. I've fallen in love with the generous portions, the unbelievable freshness, and the artful presentations. Every time I go there I stuff myself silly, and I've never in my life managed to make it cost more than about $40 a head. Maneki is unbeatable value, and overall the best Japanese restaurant in Seattle, hands down.

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SeattleBubbles

Joined 5 years ago

Pretty Darn Good Sushi. Attended a lovely dinner in one of their private rooms a few weeks back. The service was impeccable, the sushi was spot on and the sake was priced affordably. The only negative was the tempura. Yes, I know it is fried, but it was overly greasy. If you haven?t been, go!