Minamoto Japanese Restaurant

This was my go to place for sushi in Bellevue. Today, I had some spicy tuna roll and it had unusually strong fishy taste, which tells me the fish wasn't quite fresh. I've never tasted that from a tuna before. The rest of my order was good, but still that tuna ruined it for me. When you run into problems with freshness at a sushi place, it is hard to go back there next time.

My husband and I have been coming to Minamoto for about eight-nine years, and we have always enjoyed each time! No matter how many times we've come with friends, family, and coworkers, the experience is memorable, the food and drinks are phenomenal, and service is impeccable! My husband and I love (and trust) Minamoto so much that we got engaged here!

Whether it's lunch takeout or a full omakase, you can tell the team takes tremendous pride in their work. They are incredibly knowledgeable about sourcing fresh, high quality ingredients, various food preparation methods (including making real wasabi and their own soy sauce blend in-house!), and even the dishware are unique and were personally selected by the owner/head chefs. It's not an exaggeration to say that the food has literally changed people's lives -- both my brother and coworker were adverse to raw fish/sashimi prior to visiting Minamoto and now they seek it out!

But what really sets Minamoto apart is its people up top. Andrew is the GM and a huge part of why we keep coming back. To make sure dinner service runs efficiently and smoothly, I've seen him personally help take orders, run food/drinks from the kitchen/bar, and wipe down tables in between warmly greeting guests, thoroughly answering questions about the menu, and patiently helping someone resolve a parking issue. Grant (head sushi chef) and Isaac have also been great over the years!

If I could rate this 6-star on Google, I'd give it 7! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Just got sone with an amazing 18 course omakase. ANDREW was a phenomenal host and ensured we weee taken cared of. Best part of the omakase was the nigiri selection, you wont be disappointed.

My boyfriend and I had these and wagyu rice 10/10

The best sushi and wagyu I've had in all of the PNW area. Cannot recommend this place enough, I'd eat here everyday if i could.

First time and we loved it.

Friendly staff, wonderful food, delicious fresh fish and a worderful selection of Japanese Sake and beers. We return yearly on our trip to the US.

Great sushi, service, and ambience. Although I gave up having sushi in Seattle, by their food was great. I highly recommend.

The Omakase for 2 was aesthetically presented and quality of cuts was good but expected for a place like this(and for the prices). Service was poor though but the ambiance calmed me down so as to distract me. Date night occasion would be a good time to go and have some expensive drinks too. They pay attention to the presentations which is nice as well. If you are not a snob about sushi you will enjoy this place. What does that say about me?

I don’t know who gives this place less than 5 stars and why. Best in class food, excellent service and reasonable pricing. Love this restaurant, my top favorite so far.

Had a fabulous sushi dinner with an amazing ambiance and top-notch service! We started with comforting miso soup, then indulged in the wagyu fried rice—so flavorful and rich. The highlight was the beautiful Alaska roll, featuring incredibly fresh salmon. Huge shoutout to Andrew, who was attentive, fun, and warm—he made the experience even better. Can’t wait to go back! 🍣✨

This is an amazing restaurant. The food was really REALLY good!! The homemade ice cream was also very good! Beautiful place and very nice host. Definitely going to come back. If you are still wondering if you should come, stop hesitating and come!!

If it’s your first time doing omakase, this is the place to be. From the checking in to dining, everything was exceptional! Andrew provided the best service experience. He was knowledgeable on what to pair with what is served and made sure to check in with us throughout the course. The chefs were professional, and served us in a timely manner. Highly recommend, will be coming back soon

Fish was very fresh, good portions, our server Andrew was fantastic, will definitely be coming back, a great experience.

I had Valentine’s dinner last night at Minamoto with my girlfriend everything started out fine,but after the restaurant became a little busy, our server (Andrew) ignored us. We sat for 45 minutes after finishing our dinner with no attention from our server. He was near our table several times, but wouldn’t even look at us. When he finally decided to check on us. He brought us our bill — dropped it off and hustled away. He did not tell us there was an automatic 20% gratuity which I should not have paid. Not only does the restaurant add an automatic 20% gratuity, but they have the gall to include an additional “suggested” gratuity scale on the bill!! This is highly unethical and should be illegal! Do not give your business to Minamoto. I recommend everyone look closely at your bills and only pay what you feel the gratuity was earned according to the service level received.