Izakaya Minato

"There are almost as many breweries in Portland as there are Subarus, and once you’ve spent the afternoon drinking beer at a few of them, head to Izakaya Minato to recharge with some Japanese food. This menu at this spot on Washington Ave. covers a lot of ground, with things like sashimi, fried chicken, and udon, along with a wide variety of sake. It’s a great place to split a lot of food with a group, but everyone should get their own uni spoon, which comes with sea urchin and a raw quail egg and might be the best single bite in town. photo credit: Caroline Alden" - Alana Dao

"At Izakaya Minato the first thing you may notice is owner Elaine Alden's megawatt smile as you line up to put your name on the waitlist. Just a few steps beyond is a small open kitchen where Alden's husband, chef Thomas Takashi Cooke, and his merry band of cooks welcome you with the traditional Japanese greeting: "Irasshaimase!" A half step to your left is a snug, lively bar, and to the right, a large communal table. The denlike front room connects to a quieter, more spacious dining room with table seating, where you can post up for a reliably delicious menu with favorites like okonomiyaki (cabbage pancake) studded with chunks of bacon or local wild mushrooms; crab sunomono (a cold salad of crab, cucumber, and wakame seaweed tossed with Minato ranch dressing); gindara kasuzuke (broiled black cod marinated in sake lees); and mochi bacon (bacon-wrapped mochi with sweet soy)." - Alexandra Hall

"At Izakaya Minato, a compact Japanese-style gastropub across the street from Cong Tu Bot on Washington Avenue, order small plates of fried tofu, crispy skinned ocean trout, kelp-cured white fish, and bacon-topped okonomiyaki, or let chef Thomas Takashi Cooke be your guide with family-style omakase. If you sip junmai, take a moment to admire the unique sake cup — most of the restaurant’s collection comes from Japan, but Cooke crafted some himself, right down the street at Portland Pottery." - Stasia Brewczynski

"There are almost as many breweries in Portland as there are Subarus, and once you’ve spent the afternoon drinking beer at a few of them, head to Izakaya Minato to recharge with some Japanese food. This menu at this spot on Washington Ave. covers a lot of ground, with things like sashimi, fried chicken, and udon, along with a wide variety of sake. It’s a great place to split a lot of food with a group, but everyone should get their own uni spoon, which comes with sea urchin and a raw quail egg and might be the best single bite in town." - Alana Dao 2, Team Infatuation

"Japanese share plates aplenty The vibe Cozy, warm, bustling izakaya The crowd Adventurous diners; Japanophiles The drinks Incomparable sake, plus cocktails and beer The food Japanese gastropub The service" - Mindy Fox