Maneki - International District

Maneki is an unpretentious Japanese restaurant in the International District that has been around since practically forever. Surprisingly, I had never been here before, despite my many years growing up in the Seattle area. Maneki is one of those places you come back to again and again because you feel like you are being welcomed into someone’s home and are about to eat authentic, uncomplicated comfort food.

The drawback with being around so long and deservedly earning respect in the community for great food is that Maneki is a much sought after restaurant by locals. Thus, reservations are almost a requirement if you don’t want to wait all night to be seated. Because Tom had been here before, he knew this inside information, and wisely called ahead. However, when we arrived, there was still a back-up in the line, and we ended up having to wait 15-20 minutes. While I was content to be there early, Tom got anxious waiting and watching everyone else eat before us. Thankfully, there was plenty of reading material set to the side by the waiting area to keep the reverse-punctual people occupied.

After being seated, we perused the large and varied menu which ranged from noodle dishes to sashimi. We ordered the salmon namban, takoyaki, vegetable sukiyaki and black cod collar.

The salmon namban was an excellent cold appetizer. The lightly breaded and fried salmon was marinated in an addictive namban vinegar sauce and accompanied by onions, lemon slices, green onions and grated daikon. The sauce had a refreshingly sour and slightly sweet taste that paired very well with the richness of the salmon.

Salmon namban

The takoyaki was just okay. The octopus was fresh and not too tough, but the dough didn’t seem cooked enough and didn’t have a crispy texture. Instead, it was just soggy and gooey. We thought Wann did a better job overall on the takoyaki.

Takoyaki

The vegetable sukiyaki was also just okay; I’ve had a much better version at Izumi in Kirkland. This was one of the rare dishes that Tom (surprisingly) didn’t really touch. All the elements were present – vegetables, clear noodles, mirin/soy sauce, cabbage and tofu – but something was lacking in the flavor department. The important balance between the sweet of the mirin and the saltiness of the soy sauce seemed to be off. In my opinion, even if meat isn’t used, a good sukiyaki will be delicious even with only vegetables. It’s the sauce that matters!

Vegetable sukiyaki

Lastly, the black cod collar miso was served broiled on the bone with a miso sauce. While this dish seems to be very popular, I didn’t like it. The slimy, unctuous texture of the cod didn’t have a very good mouth feel and the sauce didn’t do much for this bland fish. I wouldn’t order this again.

Black cod collar miso

One of the best features of Maneki is the reasonable price for the food – the bill was under $30, including tip. The salmon namban alone was enough to make me want to come back again, even if the other dishes were mediocre. There are plenty of other dishes to explore on the menu, so I’m sure another review will be in order in the near future

Maneki
304 6th Avenue South (between Jackson Street & Jefferson Street)
Seattle, Washington 98104
(206) 622-2631