MINATO — Restaurant in Seattle

I had the chirashi salmon 🍣 bowl. Let’s start with the good: The salmon was delicious! It was flavorful with the perfect amount of fat. My brain is certainly going to be grateful for this dose of omega threes. I thought the salmon had a great texture. I would rate this with three stars.

I would give the rest of the bowl one star. The rice was meh. The imitation crab meat salad tasted like plastic. The large salmon roe was not ideal. The texture of the roe did not mesh with the texture of the salmon. It was like eating tiny bubble wrap full of fishy slime. I couldn’t finish it. If I could go back in time and swap the larger roe for the smaller roe I would. The seaweed salad was not especially flavorful. The eggs tasted earthy but also sweet. I am neutral...

Just saw that this place opened up and had to try it. The staff were extremely friendly, and the menu is legit. They have oyakodon!!!

That said, I ordered the gyudon first because a beef bowl is kind of the classic experience for me. It was amazing, and reminded me of when I lived in Japan. The donburi ingredients were fresh and simple, and that's exactly what I was hoping for. And the price is nice!

We also got some miso soup, and I knew instantly that this was made in house from the quality of the tofu and stock.

If you've never tried gyudon or donburi in general before, this place has an authentic flavor and I highly recommend it.

Welcome to the...

Today, I went with my cousin to try this place for the first time. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by a smile that could light up any room. I didn’t catch his name, but he was so charming and made us feel right at home. After we got our food, we were about to settle on a bench outside, thinking it was takeout only. But he came outside to check on us and offered to set up a cozy table inside. He even brought us water and kept it filled, making sure we were comfortable. The food was fantastic—I had the sukiyaki bowl! 11/10 would recommend, but I have to say, the service definitely made the experience...