Everything was super clean, food was well executed, and not too fussy. Proper date night visit with my wife
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Meatball, Crispy Eggplant, Chef's Yakitori Set
Olga Krikunenko
My family and I enjoyed an incredibly delicious meal. Thank you for accommodating our requests and for exquisite food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lily Noonan
Ramen carbonara was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Mousse
Susie Su
Skewers were decent (the special tiger beef was good) and the overall concept was good as well but everything was too salty especially the mains.Carbonara was rich but super salty and the duck over rice was also salty and the rice was undercooked.Appreciated the service staff and this place definitely has good atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Loretta Pelletier
Fabulous. And if you ask nicely they will turn down the music ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shaved Ice, Crispy Eggplant
Jackie Persuit
10/10 meal + service both times I’ve been sofar. no edits. scallop + mushroom skewers are some of the best things I’ve ever eaten. chips and dip is a must as is hot chicken bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shaun T.
Amazing food and service. We went here for Valentine's Day and experienced one of the top 10 meals of our lives (and I've been to a zillion places to eat, so this really really means a lot). Everything was top-notch with the flavoring, the portions, the tastes, the textures, the service, etc. I got the sake pairing and not only were the pours very liberal, the sakes they chose exquisitely paired with each course (the mushroom sake was especially taste-bud popping). Pictures of our courses are below. The dessert course was a huge lemon ice with lemon meringue pie in the middle - very fun presentation. We left feeling very sated and pleased. We will be taking family and friends here as often as we can. Yes, it is expensive, but it was absolutely worth it for the experience.
Peter A.
I'm not sure what the rave is about, but honestly, the portion of the apps are miniscule. Not a good value in my view. Cmon, most apps can be double the size easily. This place needs to get real, and stop skimping on the amount of chicken and pork which is cheap
Uncle J.
Honestly, I had no desire to go here for a while. I had heard complaints about the "small plates", it was featured on several, "must eat here" lists, and even with their Big Mac skewers, the whole thing seemed a little pretentious. Well, I was wrong. It helped that it was an off-season weeknight so the vibe was extremely chill; just a handful of people and we were able to ask the bartender food, bev, and happy hour questions (super knowledgable on all!). The "small" plates must depend on what you order, because the "umami hot chicken bites" was a pretty big ol pile of delicious, fried chicken nuggies. The grilled shishitos were also decent sized and some of the most delicious I've ever had with the horseradish ranch and furikake?? Are you kidding me? So good. The chicken liver mousse comes prepared as a toast with some accoutrement and it was just okay for me, dining partners loved it. Now, if you're expecting their skewers to be enormous, you will be let down, but for $7, the chicken thigh with smokey honey mustard and that charcoal-y flavor was so satisfying. Beer prices are a little high, drink prices are average if not decent for what goes into them, and there's sake and whiskey galore. There's also a decent happy hour, at least off-season. If you visit, and you're not full-on ballin out, I'd advise you to pick a lane: if you want a meal, get fried chicken, shishitos, and any one of their "larger" dishes: ramen, gnocchi, katsu. But I would also strongly advise just going for some insanely delicious snacks as a pre-meal fun stop.
Pete
Great vibes and service. We ordered about every skewer on the menu, oysters Rockefeller, and the Gnocchi as well as the ribs and the donuts. Everything slapped. Servers were very attentive, will return.
Great date night spot, impeccable service and tasty food.Amazing fried chicken, can’t be crispier but the sauce was not mixed in right.Chips and dip was ok, chips, i assume, was store bought and was stale. At the end of our meal, when we were asked how everything was, they took it off the bill.Big Mac, chicken meatball skewer and crispy eggplant were good except for how incredibly salty.Fish skewer tasted fine but it was lukewarm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Mac, Shaved Ice
Jack Daley
Certified fresh in my book! Was super excited to try this because I am a fan of the chef. I only wish I could have tried more. I will have to go back. It is a great spot for a special dinner. Top!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Karen J.
A fun vibe here; sat at the counter facing the kitchen in order to watch all the activity. We were here for a pop up the other night "Trashy Classy" and really enjoyed the food, but especially the tuna tartare, which was outstanding! We also tried the pork belly skewers, reminding us of bbq, as well as the Chow Fun (so good with just a hint of spiciness) and the shrimp sliders. Everything was yummy. Our server was great, attentive in a good way. We did not sample the cocktails but the menu looks interesting. Overall a good casual place to grab some tasty Japanese food that is a bit out of the ordinary.
Jonathan M.
Best restaurant to open in Portland Maine in the last year... Chef Ian has brought his affinity for Japanese flavors to this modern American Izakaya and made it sing! The service is casual but prompt and very friendly. 5 Stars all around and looking forward to coming here on a regular basis!
spacecoyote13
This restaurant is abysmal, the 5 guys before it was bad but better than this place. Terrible service, small portion sizes (1 skewer with 4 nickel sized meatballs?), bad prices, confusing menu. I don't understand why this "restaurant" exists other than to steal your money. *DO NOT COME HERE*
Everything was super clean, food was well executed, and not too fussy. Proper date night visit with my wife
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Meatball, Crispy Eggplant, Chef's Yakitori Set
My family and I enjoyed an incredibly delicious meal. Thank you for accommodating our requests and for exquisite food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ramen carbonara was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Mousse
Skewers were decent (the special tiger beef was good) and the overall concept was good as well but everything was too salty especially the mains.Carbonara was rich but super salty and the duck over rice was also salty and the rice was undercooked.Appreciated the service staff and this place definitely has good atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Fabulous. And if you ask nicely they will turn down the music ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shaved Ice, Crispy Eggplant
10/10 meal + service both times I’ve been sofar. no edits. scallop + mushroom skewers are some of the best things I’ve ever eaten. chips and dip is a must as is hot chicken bites.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food and service. We went here for Valentine's Day and experienced one of the top 10 meals of our lives (and I've been to a zillion places to eat, so this really really means a lot). Everything was top-notch with the flavoring, the portions, the tastes, the textures, the service, etc. I got the sake pairing and not only were the pours very liberal, the sakes they chose exquisitely paired with each course (the mushroom sake was especially taste-bud popping). Pictures of our courses are below. The dessert course was a huge lemon ice with lemon meringue pie in the middle - very fun presentation. We left feeling very sated and pleased. We will be taking family and friends here as often as we can. Yes, it is expensive, but it was absolutely worth it for the experience.
I'm not sure what the rave is about, but honestly, the portion of the apps are miniscule. Not a good value in my view. Cmon, most apps can be double the size easily. This place needs to get real, and stop skimping on the amount of chicken and pork which is cheap
Honestly, I had no desire to go here for a while. I had heard complaints about the "small plates", it was featured on several, "must eat here" lists, and even with their Big Mac skewers, the whole thing seemed a little pretentious. Well, I was wrong. It helped that it was an off-season weeknight so the vibe was extremely chill; just a handful of people and we were able to ask the bartender food, bev, and happy hour questions (super knowledgable on all!). The "small" plates must depend on what you order, because the "umami hot chicken bites" was a pretty big ol pile of delicious, fried chicken nuggies. The grilled shishitos were also decent sized and some of the most delicious I've ever had with the horseradish ranch and furikake?? Are you kidding me? So good. The chicken liver mousse comes prepared as a toast with some accoutrement and it was just okay for me, dining partners loved it. Now, if you're expecting their skewers to be enormous, you will be let down, but for $7, the chicken thigh with smokey honey mustard and that charcoal-y flavor was so satisfying. Beer prices are a little high, drink prices are average if not decent for what goes into them, and there's sake and whiskey galore. There's also a decent happy hour, at least off-season. If you visit, and you're not full-on ballin out, I'd advise you to pick a lane: if you want a meal, get fried chicken, shishitos, and any one of their "larger" dishes: ramen, gnocchi, katsu. But I would also strongly advise just going for some insanely delicious snacks as a pre-meal fun stop.
Great vibes and service. We ordered about every skewer on the menu, oysters Rockefeller, and the Gnocchi as well as the ribs and the donuts. Everything slapped. Servers were very attentive, will return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great date night spot, impeccable service and tasty food.Amazing fried chicken, can’t be crispier but the sauce was not mixed in right.Chips and dip was ok, chips, i assume, was store bought and was stale. At the end of our meal, when we were asked how everything was, they took it off the bill.Big Mac, chicken meatball skewer and crispy eggplant were good except for how incredibly salty.Fish skewer tasted fine but it was lukewarm.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Big Mac, Shaved Ice
Certified fresh in my book! Was super excited to try this because I am a fan of the chef. I only wish I could have tried more. I will have to go back. It is a great spot for a special dinner. Top!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A fun vibe here; sat at the counter facing the kitchen in order to watch all the activity. We were here for a pop up the other night "Trashy Classy" and really enjoyed the food, but especially the tuna tartare, which was outstanding! We also tried the pork belly skewers, reminding us of bbq, as well as the Chow Fun (so good with just a hint of spiciness) and the shrimp sliders. Everything was yummy. Our server was great, attentive in a good way. We did not sample the cocktails but the menu looks interesting. Overall a good casual place to grab some tasty Japanese food that is a bit out of the ordinary.
Best restaurant to open in Portland Maine in the last year... Chef Ian has brought his affinity for Japanese flavors to this modern American Izakaya and made it sing! The service is casual but prompt and very friendly. 5 Stars all around and looking forward to coming here on a regular basis!
This restaurant is abysmal, the 5 guys before it was bad but better than this place. Terrible service, small portion sizes (1 skewer with 4 nickel sized meatballs?), bad prices, confusing menu. I don't understand why this "restaurant" exists other than to steal your money. *DO NOT COME HERE*
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1