The food we ordered was lukewarm or gross and incredibly overpriced. The chicken liver mousse was a mistake on both parties.
Additionally, there was a 20% service charge which I didn't notice until revisiting the bill. This charge was not made clear by the service unfortunately. Had I known, I would have not tipped at all.
It seems that the staff may need to both provide food and serve the tables which caused both to suffer. Likely due to a lack of staffing if I had to venture a guess.
The sake came out hot, and the ambience is reminiscent of a tight Tokyo ramen shop. These were the sole redeeming qualities. Of the two times we have visited in the last 2 years (both disappointing). This was likely the last time we'd go to Hannyatou. Which is a shame as I hold Kamonegi (the sister restaurant) in really high esteem.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Tim Burke
Amazing spot for Japanese snacks and a great Sake selection. Staff is great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Katsu Sando, Sake Flight
Raechel Kundert
Alisha & Kelsey are so knowledgeable about everything on the menu and so attentive and kind!! The sake & shochu selection here is amazing, and I love their vegan bar bites!! The service is exceptional, and their nihonshu selection is so amazing and unique ♡ Would give Hannyatou more than 5 stars if I could!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Billy Xia
Cute Japanese bistro / sake house with limited food selection. Pretty pricy for the finger foods they serve. The katsu sando and miso soup were the highlights but everything else was just okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Katsu Sando
Amy Duong
I’m sorry, but canned food and saltines, with the addition of watered down drinks and mediocre service shouldn’t be charging an automatic 20% service fee, especially for 2 guests. Please don’t be deceived by the presentation and other reviews.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Connie C
We enjoyed the sake on the balcony, really good atmosphere for sips with friends. I wouldn’t come here for food though: the kastu sandwich was overcooked and very salty, the cheese appetizer tasted like wet cheese.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
J.D. Kaiser
I always ask for their suggestion for sake and they always excel! I should say that again. They always excel! Thanks very much. PS I'm a big fan.
(Been going there for years and for whatever reason I've never reviewed them before now. I'm so sorry!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hannah Tiên
This is a cozy little Japanese small bites restaurant in Wallingford. I liked the playful menu and want to come back when I can chill a bit and get some sake. I will be back to experiment more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Dog, Cod Liver in a Can
Dax Pomo
I went for the 5 year anniversary and I was blown away.
It was my first time there. The sake selection is amazing and all of the dishes I had were incredibly tasty!
We ordered the cod liver, takoyaki, oysters, maple spam and chicken liver mousse, and their 5 year anniversary special hot wings.
I HIGHLY recommend the takoyaki and the mousse! The other items were great, but these were stellar.
Feels like I was in a late night bar in Osaka. We had some sake, ume old-fashion, rice beer, katsu sando, Japan dog and brussel sprouts. We enjoyed the experience and will be back with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Dog, Katsu Sando
Kayla
This is one of my favorite bars in Seattle! The food is always bangin and their cocktails are always tasty. They make good shochu recommendations too!Come here if you want to experience a little slice of japan or learn about sake and shochu. Do not come here expecting an American experience and definitely dont come here super hungry. Its a bar with bar bites. Not meant to be your dinner.
Vegetarian options: If you are vegetarian i recommend eating at their restaurant next door first (called kamonegi)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sake and Various Foods, Hot Dog, Egg Salad Sando with Ikura Salmon Roe, Takowasa, Katsu Sando, Matzah Oden, Sake Flight, Yaki Onigiri
Xin Yun Tea
Fun atmosphere. Fun food selection but nothing to write home
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
W Heath (Redbrush)
An awkward dining experience.We absolutely love Kamonegi next door but felt so put-off and confused by our Hannyatou experience.I am vegetarian, my spouse eats fish but no red meat.I asked for vegetarian recommendations. The server appeared put out and confused as to what vegetarian was and recommended dishes with fish sauce and when I said without fish sauce or seasoning. The server let out a big sigh and walked about 5 feet away to consult with the server behind the counter, who rolled their eyes.They came back and recommended two things, then when I asked if these two things had fish sauce or seasoning they said, "oh your vegan", and could leave that off. I'm not vegan, I'm vegetarian. Turns out there was an egg sandwich, but the server said they didn't recommend it "because I don't eat egg". I do eat egg and ordered it.At this point, there was lots of back and forth, and I felt embarrassed and like I was a burden.After all that, they brought an egg dish for us, not the sandwich that had ham or some sort of meat in it.I said there must be a mistake. The server said that's what I order and was super annoyed and kept repeating that I told them I eat egg. I explained, I do eat egg but not meat.The server walked up to the counter and loudly I ordered the meat first but no longer wanted it. Then the other server came by to confirm what we wanted.We felt so awkward. My husband received his order and ate, so it didn't get cold. We didn't get to enjoy our food together.The kitchen said they'd make me an egg sandwich (which is what I had already ordered). After my husband had already eaten, I finally received my order. They brought me the egg sandwich (sans fish eggs).As a vegetarian for over 30 years I'm really comfortable and relaxed navigating and finding foods I can eat. This was so stressful and strange.ProsThe place is cozy and casual.My husband enjoyed his food.Their other restaurant is amazing.
Vegetarian options: Zero to no options. They can take fish seasoning off of something and have edamame and chips but no real vegetarian meal options.
Dietary restrictions: Not great options
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
M N
Wish the menu disclosed if the tiramisu ice cream had small bits of walnut in it. My girlfriend has a severe allergy and we had a real scare once she found it. Unfortunately the chef went home and no one could confirm what is mixed into the ice cream. I don’t know if it’s hand mixed, from a carton or what’s going on. Really disappointing and stressful.Edit: Editing to add my girlfriend is fine, she luckily did not swallow the walnuts and we got home quickly to take any precautions to make sure she didn’t have a worse reaction. Also adding that I learned that the Hannyatou owners also own Kamonegi which is two doors down from Hannyatou. And on the Kamonegi dessert menu they have ice cream that contains a variety of tree nuts, so clearly there’s some cross-contamination going on since it’s common for restaurants under the same ownership to share ingredients. The waitress insisted that the ice cream shouldn’t have nuts in it since the Twix spice mix they put on top doesn’t list any tree nuts on the label. Listen, none of us are stupid here, all three of us were staring at a walnut in my hand when I found another piece. She said she took off the ice cream from our check but honestly we left in a panicked rush and didn’t really check to make sure it was off. I believe her but per other reviews there seems to issues with billing here.The more pressing concern was the cross-contamination but I’m going to add my full review here because it’s obvious food safety and quality are not a priority. The food was bland and overpriced, as other reviews have mentioned. The katsu sando was not freshly made, cold and cooked on a previous day. My high ball barely had whiskey in it. My oden was pathetic. It took a while for them to bring it out because they couldn’t find the mochi bag that I paid an additional $4 for? I’m forgiving of slow service and it didn’t bother me how long it took, but the meal itself was disappointing. It had a splash of broth, an over boiled egg and just a handful of other morsels. I was still hungry so we ordered the ramen chips with the mystery dip that’s all upcharged to $6 for cheap onion dip and broken up pieces of a ramen noodle package. I left hungry and stressed!Skip Hannyatou and Kamonegi.
The food we ordered was lukewarm or gross and incredibly overpriced.
The chicken liver mousse was a mistake on both parties.
Additionally, there was a 20% service charge which I didn't notice until revisiting the bill. This charge was not made clear by the service unfortunately. Had I known, I would have not tipped at all.
It seems that the staff may need to both provide food and serve the tables which caused both to suffer. Likely due to a lack of staffing if I had to venture a guess.
The sake came out hot, and the ambience is reminiscent of a tight Tokyo ramen shop. These were the sole redeeming qualities. Of the two times we have visited in the last 2 years (both disappointing). This was likely the last time we'd go to Hannyatou. Which is a shame as I hold Kamonegi (the sister restaurant) in really high esteem.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 1
Amazing spot for Japanese snacks and a great Sake selection. Staff is great too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Katsu Sando, Sake Flight
Alisha & Kelsey are so knowledgeable about everything on the menu and so attentive and kind!! The sake & shochu selection here is amazing, and I love their vegan bar bites!! The service is exceptional, and their nihonshu selection is so amazing and unique ♡ Would give Hannyatou more than 5 stars if I could!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cute Japanese bistro / sake house with limited food selection. Pretty pricy for the finger foods they serve. The katsu sando and miso soup were the highlights but everything else was just okay.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Katsu Sando
I’m sorry, but canned food and saltines, with the addition of watered down drinks and mediocre service shouldn’t be charging an automatic 20% service fee, especially for 2 guests. Please don’t be deceived by the presentation and other reviews.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
We enjoyed the sake on the balcony, really good atmosphere for sips with friends. I wouldn’t come here for food though: the kastu sandwich was overcooked and very salty, the cheese appetizer tasted like wet cheese.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
I always ask for their suggestion for sake and they always excel!
I should say that again.
They always excel!
Thanks very much.
PS I'm a big fan.
(Been going there for years and for whatever reason I've never reviewed them before now. I'm so sorry!)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a cozy little Japanese small bites restaurant in Wallingford. I liked the playful menu and want to come back when I can chill a bit and get some sake. I will be back to experiment more!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Dog, Cod Liver in a Can
I went for the 5 year anniversary and I was blown away.
It was my first time there. The sake selection is amazing and all of the dishes I had were incredibly tasty!
We ordered the cod liver, takoyaki, oysters, maple spam and chicken liver mousse, and their 5 year anniversary special hot wings.
I HIGHLY recommend the takoyaki and the mousse! The other items were great, but these were stellar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cod Liver in a Can
I’m still thinking about those noodles!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Feels like I was in a late night bar in Osaka. We had some sake, ume old-fashion, rice beer, katsu sando, Japan dog and brussel sprouts. We enjoyed the experience and will be back with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Dog, Katsu Sando
This is one of my favorite bars in Seattle! The food is always bangin and their cocktails are always tasty. They make good shochu recommendations too!Come here if you want to experience a little slice of japan or learn about sake and shochu. Do not come here expecting an American experience and definitely dont come here super hungry. Its a bar with bar bites. Not meant to be your dinner.
Vegetarian options: If you are vegetarian i recommend eating at their restaurant next door first (called kamonegi)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sake and Various Foods, Hot Dog, Egg Salad Sando with Ikura Salmon Roe, Takowasa, Katsu Sando, Matzah Oden, Sake Flight, Yaki Onigiri
Fun atmosphere. Fun food selection but nothing to write home
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
An awkward dining experience.We absolutely love Kamonegi next door but felt so put-off and confused by our Hannyatou experience.I am vegetarian, my spouse eats fish but no red meat.I asked for vegetarian recommendations. The server appeared put out and confused as to what vegetarian was and recommended dishes with fish sauce and when I said without fish sauce or seasoning. The server let out a big sigh and walked about 5 feet away to consult with the server behind the counter, who rolled their eyes.They came back and recommended two things, then when I asked if these two things had fish sauce or seasoning they said, "oh your vegan", and could leave that off. I'm not vegan, I'm vegetarian. Turns out there was an egg sandwich, but the server said they didn't recommend it "because I don't eat egg". I do eat egg and ordered it.At this point, there was lots of back and forth, and I felt embarrassed and like I was a burden.After all that, they brought an egg dish for us, not the sandwich that had ham or some sort of meat in it.I said there must be a mistake. The server said that's what I order and was super annoyed and kept repeating that I told them I eat egg. I explained, I do eat egg but not meat.The server walked up to the counter and loudly I ordered the meat first but no longer wanted it. Then the other server came by to confirm what we wanted.We felt so awkward. My husband received his order and ate, so it didn't get cold. We didn't get to enjoy our food together.The kitchen said they'd make me an egg sandwich (which is what I had already ordered). After my husband had already eaten, I finally received my order. They brought me the egg sandwich (sans fish eggs).As a vegetarian for over 30 years I'm really comfortable and relaxed navigating and finding foods I can eat. This was so stressful and strange.ProsThe place is cozy and casual.My husband enjoyed his food.Their other restaurant is amazing.
Vegetarian options: Zero to no options. They can take fish seasoning off of something and have edamame and chips but no real vegetarian meal options.
Dietary restrictions: Not great options
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Wish the menu disclosed if the tiramisu ice cream had small bits of walnut in it. My girlfriend has a severe allergy and we had a real scare once she found it. Unfortunately the chef went home and no one could confirm what is mixed into the ice cream. I don’t know if it’s hand mixed, from a carton or what’s going on. Really disappointing and stressful.Edit: Editing to add my girlfriend is fine, she luckily did not swallow the walnuts and we got home quickly to take any precautions to make sure she didn’t have a worse reaction. Also adding that I learned that the Hannyatou owners also own Kamonegi which is two doors down from Hannyatou. And on the Kamonegi dessert menu they have ice cream that contains a variety of tree nuts, so clearly there’s some cross-contamination going on since it’s common for restaurants under the same ownership to share ingredients. The waitress insisted that the ice cream shouldn’t have nuts in it since the Twix spice mix they put on top doesn’t list any tree nuts on the label. Listen, none of us are stupid here, all three of us were staring at a walnut in my hand when I found another piece. She said she took off the ice cream from our check but honestly we left in a panicked rush and didn’t really check to make sure it was off. I believe her but per other reviews there seems to issues with billing here.The more pressing concern was the cross-contamination but I’m going to add my full review here because it’s obvious food safety and quality are not a priority. The food was bland and overpriced, as other reviews have mentioned. The katsu sando was not freshly made, cold and cooked on a previous day. My high ball barely had whiskey in it. My oden was pathetic. It took a while for them to bring it out because they couldn’t find the mochi bag that I paid an additional $4 for? I’m forgiving of slow service and it didn’t bother me how long it took, but the meal itself was disappointing. It had a splash of broth, an over boiled egg and just a handful of other morsels. I was still hungry so we ordered the ramen chips with the mystery dip that’s all upcharged to $6 for cheap onion dip and broken up pieces of a ramen noodle package. I left hungry and stressed!Skip Hannyatou and Kamonegi.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Loading...