Wow wow wow, the oysters are a must try here! Loved this place so much. There’s limited seating available, so I recommend getting there before 7pm to put your name down. We got there around 7:30 and were not seated until 8:30, but there are a lot of cute breweries around to kill time. We did the omakase option which was well worth the price and allows you to try lots of seafood and some of the meat options. For two people, we left very full. Our favorite dishes were the oysters, the salad surprisingly, and the karage.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Weston Martinez
Izakaya Minato was delicious! The local Bluefin Belly Crudo was a great starter rich and buttery. The Motoyaki Oyster was my favorite dish. It was sweet, salty and had the perfect texture, one of the best oyster preparations I've had. The Beef Yuki was another one of our favorite dishes, it had a nice gochujang flavor and the beef was very tender. We finished with the Kamo Yaki Udon and the Shashimi. The Udon was great as was the Sashimi. We ordered most of the menu for 3 with drinks and our bill was under $200 I was shocked, this resturant is a great value! I would highly recommend Izakaya Minato if your looking for japanese food in Portland!
Not that I need to review this place but it is seriously hands down one of the best spots for Asian in Portland, if not all of New England. We had friends visiting from Sydney, Australia (where there is ample good asian) and they loved this place so much they insisted on coming here 3x during their 1 week trip. It's Japanese bar food done so well with lots of local seasonal stuff. We came in for the tempura fiddleheads tonight but threw in some of our usual favs (agedashi tofu!), some new stuff (broiled oyster, kushi katsu), and was really hard to resist our usual JFC (japanese fried chicken). We got crazy lucky getting seated immediately at the bar w/o reservations but reservations are highly recommended, otherwise put your name on the list and grab a drink/walk around Washington Ave.
PJ Hantis
This was my favorite restaurant while visiting Portland!
Jimmy S
Host was extremely rude and unwelcoming.
boswell burnes
Absolutely blown away.. 10/10, we got omakase and it was the best meal I have ever had. It would be a mistake to skip this place. Will be going back anytime I visit Maine for the rest of my life. Shout to Jenny being a fantastic server.
Victor Yee
This place continues to be awesome in every way
Abhish S. Birla
The girlfriend and the manager of Arcadia have been saying this place is better than Eventide.
I had doubts.
They were unfounded.
It’s a small little joint, so waits are long! But there are a lot of bars and tapas places near by where you can wait.
The food was amazing.
I don’t see the typical American tuna pumped full of carbon monoxide to make it Barbie pink.
Staff was awesome.
Good fantastic.
Better than Eventide? No, just different. It’s a food scene at Minato, and a bit more festive at Eventide.
But both are there for your pleasure!
Enjoy!
Bruk Mesfin
We originally came here based on a friend’s recommendation. At first, we were sceptical—seeing the price point, we assumed it was all hype without substance. But wow, were we wrong.
The service was impeccable, truly A+, but it was the food that completely blew us away. Every bite was executed to perfection, exceeding every expectation we had.
Honestly, we’re not sure there’s a better value for your money anywhere in Portland—or possibly even on the entire East Coast. In our opinion, this might just be the best value meal out there.
Darby Beaulieu
The sashimi was fantastic, especially the scallop which was incredibly flavorful! The udon had a great depth to it that we all were very excited by. The delayed subtle spice…. Thank you.
The food at this izakaya-style spot was just okay, with little to no explanations about the dishes during some of the omakase. The atmosphere, while lively, was ruined by obnoxiously loud rave music, making it impossible to have a conversation. On top of that, the hostess was rude, which soured the experience even more. Overall, a disappointing outing
Kira V
Wow! We visited for dinner on our anniversary and had a wonderful experience. We did the omakase (chef’s choice) and had course after course of delicious and thoughtfully executed dishes. We would absolutely recommend Minato and plan to bring our family/friends who visit here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
Jillian DiNardo
This place is such a gem on Washington Ave. We got the garlicky edamame, tuna, pork skewers, chicken karage, and pancake. Everything was incredible! Wait times can seem daunting but because the food comes out as it is ready, they go so quickly. Can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will D
One of the best Asian restaurants in New England
Yza Bel
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.
Wow wow wow, the oysters are a must try here! Loved this place so much. There’s limited seating available, so I recommend getting there before 7pm to put your name down. We got there around 7:30 and were not seated until 8:30, but there are a lot of cute breweries around to kill time.
We did the omakase option which was well worth the price and allows you to try lots of seafood and some of the meat options. For two people, we left very full. Our favorite dishes were the oysters, the salad surprisingly, and the karage.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Izakaya Minato was delicious! The local Bluefin Belly Crudo was a great starter rich and buttery. The Motoyaki Oyster was my favorite dish. It was sweet, salty and had the perfect texture, one of the best oyster preparations I've had. The Beef Yuki was another one of our favorite dishes, it had a nice gochujang flavor and the beef was very tender. We finished with the Kamo Yaki Udon and the Shashimi. The Udon was great as was the Sashimi. We ordered most of the menu for 3 with drinks and our bill was under $200 I was shocked, this resturant is a great value! I would highly recommend Izakaya Minato if your looking for japanese food in Portland!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Motoyaki Oyster, Shichimi Tuna, Beef Yukke
Not that I need to review this place but it is seriously hands down one of the best spots for Asian in Portland, if not all of New England. We had friends visiting from Sydney, Australia (where there is ample good asian) and they loved this place so much they insisted on coming here 3x during their 1 week trip. It's Japanese bar food done so well with lots of local seasonal stuff. We came in for the tempura fiddleheads tonight but threw in some of our usual favs (agedashi tofu!), some new stuff (broiled oyster, kushi katsu), and was really hard to resist our usual JFC (japanese fried chicken). We got crazy lucky getting seated immediately at the bar w/o reservations but reservations are highly recommended, otherwise put your name on the list and grab a drink/walk around Washington Ave.
This was my favorite restaurant while visiting Portland!
Host was extremely rude and unwelcoming.
Absolutely blown away.. 10/10, we got omakase and it was the best meal I have ever had. It would be a mistake to skip this place. Will be going back anytime I visit Maine for the rest of my life. Shout to Jenny being a fantastic server.
This place continues to be awesome in every way
The girlfriend and the manager of Arcadia have been saying this place is better than Eventide.
I had doubts.
They were unfounded.
It’s a small little joint, so waits are long! But there are a lot of bars and tapas places near by where you can wait.
The food was amazing.
I don’t see the typical American tuna pumped full of carbon monoxide to make it Barbie pink.
Staff was awesome.
Good fantastic.
Better than Eventide? No, just different. It’s a food scene at Minato, and a bit more festive at Eventide.
But both are there for your pleasure!
Enjoy!
We originally came here based on a friend’s recommendation. At first, we were sceptical—seeing the price point, we assumed it was all hype without substance. But wow, were we wrong.
The service was impeccable, truly A+, but it was the food that completely blew us away. Every bite was executed to perfection, exceeding every expectation we had.
Honestly, we’re not sure there’s a better value for your money anywhere in Portland—or possibly even on the entire East Coast. In our opinion, this might just be the best value meal out there.
The sashimi was fantastic, especially the scallop which was incredibly flavorful! The udon had a great depth to it that we all were very excited by. The delayed subtle spice…. Thank you.
Restaurantji Recommends
The food at this izakaya-style spot was just okay, with little to no explanations about the dishes during some of the omakase. The atmosphere, while lively, was ruined by obnoxiously loud rave music, making it impossible to have a conversation. On top of that, the hostess was rude, which soured the experience even more. Overall, a disappointing outing
Wow! We visited for dinner on our anniversary and had a wonderful experience. We did the omakase (chef’s choice) and had course after course of delicious and thoughtfully executed dishes. We would absolutely recommend Minato and plan to bring our family/friends who visit here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Omakase
This place is such a gem on Washington Ave. We got the garlicky edamame, tuna, pork skewers, chicken karage, and pancake. Everything was incredible! Wait times can seem daunting but because the food comes out as it is ready, they go so quickly. Can't wait to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best Asian restaurants in New England
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.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 4
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