Izakaya Minato — Restaurant in Portland

Izakaya Minato is a really nice place to have dinner. My wife and I have been there dozens of times over the time Minato has been opened, and I guarantee that you'll have a good meal. The omakase is a good value, and I recommend it for anyone that's open about what to try. A few notes that I've noticed recently, that you may want to keep in mind:

The amount of food per plate has noticeably decreased over time. For example, the tuna shichimi dish has significantly smaller pieces (1/2 - 1/3) then the first few years they had this dish. This causes you to need to order more food, which in turn causes you to spend more money. Previously, this place was a 50 dollars a person place, and now it's closer to ~70-80.

While most the menu is fantastic, many of the newer dishes seem to be slightly off the mark. The beef yukke, and the pork negiton come to mind. The daikon on the negiton dish specifically had a strong flavor that seems to dominate the flavors of the scallions and ponzu. The garlic edamame used to be more crispy too in the past, the last few times they've been closer to steamed edamame with garlic sauce.

They need AC for the back room. If you're going on a particularly hot and/or humid day, then you'll probably be sweating a little if you sit there. They do have outside seating for nice days, however.

The specials board is always fun to try, but recently it seems the specials have fallen into a more "Seasonal" rhythm. This is fine, but previously the specials board had room for wild ideas and more creativity behind it. Every week it would be a completely new thing. Grilled broccolini and squid are good, but is missing that spark that used to be there.

Despite the fairly negative tone in the points above, I still like going here for dinner. The food is good and the drinks are good. But it's gone from my #1 restaurant of all time in any city I've been to, to merely being one of a few decent options to have dinner on...

A few evenings ago, I dined early at Izakaya Minato. With reservations only accepted for parties of four or more, I found myself arriving right at opening to avoid a lengthy wait. Additionally, the lack of a dedicated parking lot added an extra $45 for public parking to the experience.

The ambiance is casual, with little to capture the eye—something easily overlooked if the food excels. However, the menu, while simple, proved somewhat confusing, and notably lacked any seasonal specials, a hallmark of authentic Japanese cuisine. The restaurant’s attempt at authenticity, unfortunately, fell short.

We sampled all the options from the “To Start” section, skipped the “From the Port” offerings due to concerns about freshness, and chose three dishes “From the Farm” to begin our meal. Regrettably, the broiled oysters and mochi bacon arrived cold, suggesting they had been prepared in advance without sufficient effort to warm them before serving. Some of the vegetables were passable, but overall, the dishes were underwhelming. After finishing our initial order, we contemplated trying more, but the disappointment thus far deterred us.

I glanced at other tables, hoping to spot something that might redeem the experience. The sashimi, however, looked unappealing, and the miso soup seemed to have the telltale signs of being made from a packet (though this is mere speculation).

Eager to explore one of the few Japanese restaurants in Maine, I was left thoroughly disappointed. The quality of the food was lacking, especially given the higher price point.

Would I return? Unfortunately, no. The experience left much to be desired. If you wish to serve foreign cuisine, it’s essential to have someone in the kitchen who truly understands how to prepare...

Best restaurant in Portland.

Everything Minato does - from the food itself, to the laid back and joyous atmosphere, to knowledgeable and friendly staff, to the fantastic prices, makes Minato an all-around winner, and truly one of my favorite restaurants in the country, let alone Portland, which itself is packed with great restaurants that can hold their own right next to more expensive and well-known restaurants around the country.

Thomas and Elaine have brought to Portland a great experience. The food is mainly authentic Japanese focused, with an occasional twist here and there, but staying true to the Izakaya theme of being informal and relaxed. The menu is very approachable and well structured, and given the small to medium bites, you can take the menu in a particular direction, or just have it all, haha. They've also given real thought to their sake selection, have a dedicated bartender that mixes creative cocktails, and maintains a fun beer list with local and Japanese favorites. Their team is fantastic - you can tell the staff truly enjoy working there, and they're also passionate and knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine. Alec was a standout server who also cooks half the week, so he knows the menu inside and out.

If you're looking for a place that you can get a well-rounded, primarily authentic Japanese cuisine, that is a relatively low-cost dinner for one or two, to even a larger crowd with all the goodies on the menu, all within a relaxed, friendly, and passionate atmosphere, you need to...