Local Guides World
Cozy, understated spot for izakaya-style Japanese small plates, creative cocktails, beer & sake.
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Reviews — 8
The best and sushi I’ve ever had and I’ve been all over. The Uni spoons are out of this world, i also loved the sushi rice with soy marinated quail egg and ikura. Every dish i tried was a masterpiece… chef’s kiss.
Everything was great, but the orange lighting made it hard to Sée the plates and fully appreciate the beauty of the dishes we ordered. We all know how visually artistic Japanese cuisine is, and seeing our plate enhances the appetite.
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 and present it.
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 and present it.
Small plates place, where we’d initially planned to get the omakase, but ended up arriving to dinner quite full from all the places we’d been beforehand. In that sense, the portions being rather small worked out for us. We did really enjoy all the dishes we tried: oyster, beef yukke, tuna, sakana negi, and JFC. Udon was alright too, though not as impressive as the others or particularly interesting/stand out. Food comes reasonably fast, though order is random and it’s like one plate every so often. Presentation is good and flavors weren’t overwhelming.
Would recommend having 4 ppl for a reservation if possible. Like most places here, a bit small and when we arrived for ours at 5:15, the place was already filled and we heard a server tell people there’d be a 1.5 hr wait. The playlist was kind of funny, but music is at a perfect volume for still actually being able to hear your companions.
Would recommend having 4 ppl for a reservation if possible. Like most places here, a bit small and when we arrived for ours at 5:15, the place was already filled and we heard a server tell people there’d be a 1.5 hr wait. The playlist was kind of funny, but music is at a perfect volume for still actually being able to hear your companions.
I’m impressed every time I come here! I always go with the omakase & I love the variety. The miso oysters are one of the tastiest things to ever exist! And I absolutely love the salad with lions mane mushrooms. Izakaya Minato is one of my favorites in town… highly recommend!
I would say some dishes are very small and can’t be shared, the rest were for 1-2 people and are indeed high quality. The crab salad was very good. Price is just right, service is good.
One of my favorite restaurants in Portland. Great comfort Japanese food. The restaurant itself is a really cozy and has expanded from when we first visited many years ago. The staff did a great job and were very attentive. We’ve done both the omakase and gone a la carte. Both after great options. We love the uni spoons and can eat them forever. The omakase is a great option if you’re not sure what you want. They do a great mix of all their heavy hitters. Overall this is one of our favorite stops when we come up to Portland and hope you try it out!
