"Maneki has been around since 1904, making it older than the pogo stick, the Model-T, and any other Japanese spot in Seattle. Almost 12 decades later, this International District icon consistently serves some of the greatest Japanese food in the city, from multiple types of buttery salmon nigiri to excellent takoyaki, a.k.a. our favorite way to eat tentacles. The very best way to make the most of Maneki, however, is by reserving a private tatami room in the back. There’s this meditative zen that happens when it’s just you and some friends, sans shoes, interrupted only when someone periodically stops by to hand off raw fish and beer. This all-star lineup of sushi, appetizers like pan-seared gyoza and nanban, and hot dishes like yakiudon and miso black cod collar is best split among friends while sipping Sapporo in socks, just like a similar group might have done in the early 20th century." - Aimee Rizzo, Kayla Sager Riley
