So delicious. All the ingredients are very delicately prepared and thoughtful. Fresh amazing Japanese food. Would highly recommend! Wish they had a larger space to accommodate more people!

Went before an event across the street and had a lovely meal at the bar. This place can be a pain to get into and doesn't take reservations, also parking on this street can be difficult. Had a few fishy things, a tofu soup and a few lovely cocktails. Everything was really tasty, including the cocktails! The space is cute and it was fun. Was eating with a friend an it was the type of place that food comes out when its done and not necessarily as a table so I was done eating by the time my friend got her food. Also for the price point I definitely left still kind of hungry. Overall the food was good and the service was nice but a swell reminder as to why I only go once in a while.

An exceptional omakase experience hiding right underneath your nose! My husband and I sat up at the bar for my birthday dinner and for less than $100 (for both of us) had a 7-course omakase that has been one of our favorite meals to date in Portland. Note: I think they spoiled us with an extra 2 dishes since we were celebrating a special occasion! We started off with the Motoyaki Oyster (a broiled oyster with ponzu & a miso custard) - this alone is worth the trip to Izakaya Minato. They kept pumping through courses: the Japanese fried chicken, garlic edamame, kimchi cha-han, the uni spoon and okonomiyaki. The okonomiyaki is comfort food for me and besides the Motoyaki Oyster, it was my favorite dish of the night. They sent out a sweet scoop of ice cream and a birthday shot on the house. With the customary lanterns hanging up at the bar and a clear view of the chefs in the back whipping up dishes, Izakaya Minato has the coolest vibe. It ticks so many boxes: special occasions, quick bites and a beer, and a standard night out with friends.

Stellar. Perfect service. High quality dishes with fantastic variety. Fresh and innovative dishes. Cocktails were solid. Get here before they open if you don't want to wait for a table to open up.

Was recommended this place by our server at another great restaurant.....and we were very very impressed. We decided to do the omekase which was a great price for the amount of food served. Dish after dish of amazing food came out....and we felt like we got to try the entire menu!!!! My boyfriend who is a big eater was full by the time we were done (and that's not easy to do). Nice pacing on when each plate was brought out. Everything was delicious. Some standouts were the sashimi and the oysters. Had sake to pair with the dinner and it did not disappoint either. The restaurant is small and fills up very quickly after opening. They don't take reservations unless you have group. Recommend getting here right when they open to get a seat. Adorable place with great servers and service. Look forward to returning.

I first ate here after being told by two Portland residents that this is the best restaurant in town (high praise for such a culinary scene!). Since then, I've dined at Izakaya Minato three more times, eaten at a bunch of top-notch places on the peninsula, and I gotta say -- they're right. I recommend this place to everyone, and it is the first restaurant I bring friends and relatives to when they visit Portland. The main downside of the restaurant is that the wait time is so long. We usually have to wait between 60-90 minutes to get a table for 2 since they don't take reservations for parties that are fewer than 4 (so definitely make a reservation if you're 4+!). But you can always wait it out over a drink at Oxbow, Hardshore, or Anoche across the street, and every time, the wait has been worth it for us. The restaurant is a bit crowded, but cozy inside, and they have outdoor seating when the weather is nice. We haven't had a bad meal, or even a bad dish, at Izakaya Minato. Every plate is tender, flavorful, and meticulously crafted. Some highlights: the bacon-wrapped mochi, minato age dofu, yaki sakana, and age ochazuke (get it with ikura!). The JFC is of course delicious, and the uni spoon and motoyaki oyster are umami flavor bombs. In short: you can't go wrong. The prices are also really reasonable here for the quality of the food. Last time, I came here with three other people, we stuffed ourselves with food, and the bill came out to about $36/person after tax and tip (though we didn't order cocktails, which I think helped). I haven't had a chance yet to try their omakase, but I'm planning to next time. I can't wait to be back!

I came here in a party of 2 on a weekday evening (without a reservation) and had to wait ~30 min for a table. Food / Drinks: Fabulous options that were very good - though I will note that our favorites were the Japanese fried chicken and the udon. Will probably not order the beef again but was okay I suppose. My only complaint was that our hot sake was served as we were finishing up our food instead towards the beginning (they did warn us it would take a few minutes to heat up..) Atmosphere: We sat outside on a nice day. I suppose the kids these days would say "the vibes were immaculate" ha! Service: Standard but good overall. Their biggest sell is awesome food options that are unmatched here in Portland. Would definitely recommend a reservation and/or expecting to have to wait at the brewery across the street or something. I will certainly be back to have more delicious Japanese food!

In all honesty, I would have given Izakaya Minato 3.5, but rounded up because of the friendly staff and nice vibes. It has interesting Japanese-inspired dishes, but the biggest drawback was the HEAVY use of salt that I personally don't think is in the spirit of Japanese cuisine and flavors. Nearly every dish was over-salted to the point where I was gulping down water throughout and after the meal. I really wanted to love this meal, but agree with a lot of the other reviews that the flavors weren't quite there. Our favorite bites of the night were the Motoyaki Oyster (punchy flavor and fresh oysters) and Kamo Yaki Udon (well-cooked noodles and duck). Our least favorite were the sashimi and bluefin tuna poke, mostly due to the perceived quality of fish. My partner got the whiskey flight and as a lover of Japanese whiskey, thought it was a good variety (with some clearly better than the others) and better value compared to the single pour whiskeys on the menu. Food: 1. Motoyaki Oysters (4.5/5) 2. Minato Age Dori (4/5) 3. (Special) Chrysanthemum and crab salad (4/5) 4. Sashimi (3/5) 5. (Special) Bluefin tuna poke in avocado (3/5) 6. Kamo yaki udon (4/5) 7. Miso soup (4/5) Drink: 1. Whiskey flight (4/5)

We had the most amazing Omakazi meal last night! In just under 1.5 hours we were served 12 different courses, each one amazing! The 4 of us agreed the oysters were the best we'd ever had. The service was efficient and very friendly. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who is an adventurous eater who loves Japanese food.

Top notch Izakaya. Get the omekase! Add an uni spoon... a little bite of heaven. Cocktails were outstanding. Service is frenetic as the place is loud and busy. Waitstaff were attentive. Will return.