Still an awesome little dive bar/izakaya in the ID. Â We took our friends here last night and they loved it. Â We had a smoregasboard of food (seaweed salad, gyutan, chahan, takoyaki, gyoza, agedashi tofu, geso kimchee x2) and all were hits with them, too.
I also love how they have 3 sizes for Saporro in draft - pint, mega, and pitcher!
Makawa is my favorite Japanese beer bar that serves great food.
They have marinated tuna bowl that's incredible. The albacore tuna is well seasoned. It's laid out on a bed of rice with shredded nori. Have it with a cold Japanese beer (I recommend Sapporo) and it hits the spot for any happy hour.
They also have delicious karaage and grilled skewers.
certainly beats flying back home to Japan when i get homesick.
it's not perfect, but few places can be everything to everyone. the food is decent and reasonably priced for the area and the staff are certainly welcoming. a great place to go for both dinner or a nightcap. just be careful as if you come here to load up before going elsewhere, you could very easily get stuck here for the whole evening. yes, it's really that good.
This place is OK.
I came here for Japanese ramen, and the ramen was pretty OK. They have one selection of shoyu soup base (soy sauce based soup), with toppings you can add to ramen. Just the ramen by itself (noodle and soup only), ramen costs 7.50$. If you add all the toppings, (butter, egg, pork, etc), it comes out to $13.50, which is still pricey.
I do wish they had miso based soup, and more selection in vegetable toppings.
Note that this place is only open during evening, although I feel like ramen would be a good lunch option still.
I forget how much I love coming here. Â It was one of the first places in the ID I ate at. 'Funny that a trip to Vegas made me want to have some izakaya back home.
The menu is different than from the last time that I came here, but there were still so many options! They have both Sapporo and Kirin on tap, so I treated myself to a tall frosty Sapporo.
This might be a strange thing to note, but I like the pacing of the food as it comes out of the kitchen. You might get one dish, have time to finish it, then have two come out in rapid succession, then a break, then BAM multiple plates. I dig it, because then everything is eaten hot--as it's meant to be.
Their udon is small and satisfying. It's a good snack on a cold day; I still haven't had their ramen, so I can't comment on that, and here's some old and new stuff that we had last night:
-Takoyaki: Octopus balls. [They're] not the best I've ever had, but I like them and always order.
-Postickers: Homemade! I didn't have them, but my buddy was impressed by them, and they looked amazing.
-Karage (chicken): Perfectly-fried chicken served with a shredded cabbage salad. Nice.
-Agedashi tofu: I know, I know. Not a very flavorful broth, or best crust on the tofu, but again, I can't help ordering it.
-Squid legs with kimchee: Chewy and vinegary. I always need something like this on the table.
-Vegetable tempura: Includes chrysanthemum leaf, lotus, Japanese yam, pepper, carrots. I like this kind of vegetable selection versus broccoli and stuff.
-Arabiki pork sausage. My guy and friend loved them (served with a side of brown mustard)
-Seasoned potatoes (french fries): Seasoned with salt and nori. Generous serving!
-Saba shio: Broiled mackerel. I love saba any way I can get it!
-Chicken Gizzards: Served on skewers. Chewy and gamey; served with a little five-spice.
-Corn butter aka buttered corn: I just love it. It's corn, butter, and seasoning! So simple but good.
-Yaki Onigiri: The BEST grilled rice! I don't know how they do it? It's brown on every single grain. How is that even possible?!
They also have things like bacon-wrapped tomatoes, chicken heart skewers, etc. but the total for the above last night was $61 or so for 3 people, although 70% of the food was for me...
No Ichiro sightings this trip; sorry ;)
I wasn't blown away, but I felt like they do a good job of representing izakaya for Seattle. Â A smattering of different dishes to get a good variety without straying too far from the Japanese sensibility. Â The kim chee pork nabe, for example. Â Certainly a Korean might be disappointed with the kim chee, but it felt like a dish for Japanese tastes.
Two draft beers. Â Unfortunately, it was Sapporo and Kirin and not Asahi, but that's my taste. Â For the other dishes, I was satisfied. Â I prefer the places in my home city of SF, but I wasn't disappointed here.
We dropped by here for dinner before the Sounders match last week. The original plan was to hit up Fort St. George, and I was already anticipating the deliciousness that was Fort St. George... but the restaurant was full, and we were running out of time so we walked into Maekawa and found an open table for three. I was disappointed by the lack of attention from the Fort St. George server (but I'll save that for a different review.)
Maekawa is a tiny restaurant with a bar, and they only have two servers, I think. The menu reminded me of one from an izakaya where you don't see sushi on the menu, but rather a bunch of Japanese appetizers and street foods. They also have an assortment of udon and ramen too.
I ordered the katsudon because I was craving a rice bowl and it was SUPER YUMMY!!! The food came out pretty quick, considering the place was packed within minutes of us sitting down. The three of us all ordered entrees because it was just easier to do that since we were pressed for time. My bf ordered the ramen and our friend got the spicy tofu soup (I think). Everything was REALLY hot, I even burned my tongue when biting down on the pork katsu. I did think it was a bit pricy at $11, but it's high quality food for sure.
I would definitely love to come back and try some of the other dishes like the lotus root in butter, and the flaming squid dish.
Why does this place have such a high score? Every experience I've had has been underwhelming. Come on people, please don't tell me that your standards of Japanese izakayas are this low. There's much better out there. I suppose this place gets lots of foot traffic since it's in close proximity to Uwajimaya, and is right above Pink Gorilla and a travel agency. However, there's better out there.
The high point of this place is their beer. Their Kirin draft is particularly delicious! However, the food options are seriously lacking. The ramen and unagi don I tried were very meh, with little to no flavor. Their takoyaki is soggy and very unimpressive. Seriously, I can make better takoyaki at home with my takoyaki maker.
The service has been hit or miss for me. Some staff members were quite attentive, whereas others pretty much just hide in the back. No happy hour either. Want to go to an izakaya that has a great happy hour and an excellent selection of food/alcohol? Check out Kaname! Also in the I-D.
Both times I visited was late night. Â Out of all the dishes I've tried, my favorites have to be the ika yaki (scrambled egg with squid) and renkon butter (lotus root cooked in butter). Â I have tried the ramen, but it wasn't very memorable. Â The prices were great. Â It doesn't have a ton of yakitori choices, but they do have a good variety of small dishes.
One thing to note is that they actually close one hour before the "official" closing time. Â They do last call at 11pm and turn off the "open" sign.
I was a little disappointed in this izakaya but I think it's because they've recently changed the menu from the pictures posted on Yelp. It looks like there may be less items or maybe everything is just condensed into a 2-sided menu now? Regardless, the 3 items we had I wasn't overly impressed with. The main draw for my visit was zaru soba which was pretty good, I'd probably order it again if I come back. Vegetable tempura came out with maybe 6 pieces? I could pay $1-2 more a couple blocks away at Maneki and get a whole platter! I absolutely get the idea of an izakaya and having lots of small dishes but then you should lower the price accordingly for the portion received. Our last dish was the kimchee pork with vegetables which was the best of all 3; just the right amount of salt & spiciness.
I'll give them another try sometime but first impressions are everything...
2.5 star
I have been to this place once before and was not impressed. I visited again recently and still not that impressed.
I ordered the bento combo to share with a friend and it was NOT enough to share between two people. The salad was horrible and topped with some odd flavored sauce/dressing. The amount of food was just too little.
However, the takoyaki was pretty good!! 2 star for takoyaki!
Soda is $2 and only one refill? Are you kidding me? Come on, you can do better.
They do not have happy hour because the staff said most of their menu are under $5.
First time I came here, service and food was fantastic.
Second time I came here, food was fantastic but service was horrible.
Long story short. I'm in a large party and asked to split the bill. The waitress wanted us to go up to the register and just have us do all that stuff at the register.
Honestly, if you add the gratuity/service charge on to the bill you should at least be willing to split the check for each person (work for your tip). It wasn't like the bar was packed anyway. Â
I also asked to speak to her manager about this, and I got "The manager isn't here right now." Â Seriously.
I'll go take my business somewhere else.
I love this place.
I have been coming here for years now and I must say it is one of my favorite izakaya's in Seattle.
EVERYTHING IS AWESOME ONE THE MENU~
try to combination dinner - good deals and good options to choose from
other favs of mine:
*katsu
*sashimi (fresh)
*tori senbei - chicken crusted with senbei crackers AWESOME!!!
*teba gyoza - chicken wings stuffed with gyoza filling GENIUS!
*maguro don - tuna topped donburi(rice bowl) with sauce
*cold soba noodles
it goes on, you literally can't go wrong with anything you choose off the menu
**Always check the specials board and try something new off of there as well**
happy eating :)
I haven't frequented Izakaya-style Japanese restaurants. In fact, this may be my first experience at an Izakaya restaurant. In terms of Japanese restaurants, I usually I find myself at sushi restaurants that offer some of the items found on the menu here, ramen houses, or steakhouses.
I really enjoyed the a la carte sort of offerings to be found here. I have trouble deciding on just one thing, so it's nice to find a place where you can nibble on an assortment of inexpensive dishes. Additionally, by coming here with a group you increase the amount of foodstuffs you get to sample.
We came with a bilingual friend who lived in Japan for years and was super happy to find an Izakaya restaurant in Seattle with Japanese-speaking waitstaff. It made her experience all the more authentic, and we got some small lessons in Japanese etiquette.
I'll definitely be back.
Kampai!
I feel like i'm in an episode of some random asian mini series when I come here! Â small little japanese place, loud and sometimes drunk japanese and non japanese folk hangin out! Â lots of beer and soju on the menu! Â good times with friends! Â the menu is interesting and so far everything i've tried is yummy! Â
lovin the takoyaki and the unagidon was pretty good! Â I never remember what else I've had cuz we end up ordering a bunch of things and sharing them all but it's been a win every time so far!
Maekawa isn't EXACTLY like izakaya in Japan. Â The lighting is too good. Â The food, though, and the sounds, and narrow pathways, and Japanese businessmen with their ties loosened a bit sitting in the back with a giant shochu bottle placed square in the middle of their table really are just like an izakaya in Japan. Â Nearly every time I'm in Seattle I try to hop over here for something warm in my stomach late at night and I have rarely been disappointed.
If this is your first time then don't waste any money and go straight to the house special section on the menu. Â That's the best stuff. Â The other stuff is good, but that's the simplest way to be wowed here. Â The takoyaki is served just as it should be, too hot to eat and too delicious to wait. Â The trick really is the two bite thing. Â If you are impressing some people who aren't well acquainted with Japanese food put the katsuobushi they give you on the side on top of the takoyaki as soon as you get it and declare that it's aliiiiiiiive as it wiggles around. Â They have gyuutan by special...gyuutan is my most favorite thing in the world so I would probably be too biased to write an objective review of that, let's just saw that Maekawa stacks up pretty well in my gyuutan files.
There have been a few blips on their record though. Â I recently got the sunagimo yakitori and I don't know if it was just me or what but there seemed to be a lack of salt or anything on my gizzards. Â Not in the way that I'm over exaggerating to make the point that it was underseasoned, I really mean that they must have just been grilled straight up. Â The texture was nice though. Â No chewiness at all and a pleasant nutty tinge to the flavor. Â They could have accented that umami a little bit though and capitalized on a good thing. Â
Some interesting entertainment is to sit in the meat of the restaurant instead of the bar and stare across the window into Fort St. George's relatively classy motif or down the stairs to see the young groups of people stumbling out of the karaoke box screeching at the top of their drunken lungs.
So come to Maekawa and have nearly everything, it's all good, and most of it is even better than good. Â Someone I know swears up and down by their pineapple juice here as the best in Seattle. Â The pineapple juice! Â So you have no excuse.
Fun little izakaya. Â Tiny and oddly shaped. Â It's sort of frumpy/dumpy inside but it has a couple really redeeming features. Â One, the staff is super friendly and spot on. Â Two, there are lots of little dishes that you don't necessarily see elswhere. Â
We had some fish/cheese fried item, taro croquettes, short ribs, salmon collar and soba with tempura. Â Oh yeah, and a big pitcher of Sapporo. Â Some of the dishes were hits, and some were just okay. Â We weren't able to order the tongue or the takoyaki, so that was disappointing. Â
Still, a fun place to hang out for some nibbles. Â If you're Bigfoot hongry, this isn't the place. Â But if you want to catch up with a friend while having a beer and some small's, this is a place to consider.
I know what you're thinking: Â 5-stars? Â Wha? Â It's hard to quantify restaurants within a one-scale-fits-all rating, but I think Maekawa deserves 5 stars.
I'm so tired of all the Japanese restaurants with their long sushi lists and their anemic non-sushi options. Â Maekawa has several bento options (all good). Â They have onigiri options! Â And they're not oversized onigiri (sorry Maneki -- your onigiri are like one-pound bricks of rice). Â They have a long shochu drinks menu, just like I saw in Japan. Â They have kimuchee dishes, takoyaki (not the best btw), etc.
So they get 5 stars because of menu and good food.
The service was awesome. Â We were the only non-Japanese speaking customers (I think) which is a good sign, right? Â The atmosphere is like a Japanese Beth's -- a mom and pop diner with lots of grub on the menu. Â And if you get a window seat, you can watch all the action on the streets of the ID below.
Where else can you get some grilled sliced beef tongue after 12 am? Â
I love Japanese Izakaya joints and this one has decent hours, 12 am on weekdays and I believe 2am on Friday and saturday. Â The selection is pretty decent ranging for broiled miso cod collar to udon to salmon sashimi. Â Its pretty small place but I have never had to wait for a spot. Â Mostly frequented by japanese hipster youths and their non-japanese pals. Â Prices are reasonalbe for what you get.
Here is the breakdown:
broiled miso collar- tasty tasty! Â nice and oily. Â Watch out for the funny shaped bones but don't pass this up.
Â
beef tongue- sliced thin, can have some chew to it still with a nice tinny flavor. Â Not for everyone but I seem to always order this when I go.
Soba noodle soup with tempura- nice noodles with good chew, not too overcooked with nice light broth.
Service is very friendly. Â The same two waitresses are always there and are always smiling. Â Nice late night option in the I.D. !
Wish we went to Maekawa before Kaname as we instantly felt better and more welcome in this busy Izakaya. Â Although, they were understaffed (borrowed one of the employee from nextdoor Fort St. George? guessing it's the same owner or friends of) it had a more Izakaya vibe. Â No J-pop playing on the bar TV like Kaname which was super annoying and a shock to my friend who had never seen Japanese TV before. Â
We sat at the bar near the door and again, after we came in the place became packed, people actually had to wait to sit down. Â We knew they were busy so we didn't get upset that our drinks took forever and they took a food order from people that got their after us. Â One of the servers nearly lost it and literally tripped, we felt so bad! Â Busy and hectic (good for them).... I can see why. Â Their menu is very exciting and is very Izakaya-poi (like). Â My eyes lit up when I read the specials board and I ordered Shio Tan (sliced braised beef tounge), Shortribs (3 thin slices), Japanese Weiners and something else but I can't remember right now, sure I took a pic of it though, lol. Â He ordered Sockeye Salmon Sashimi and Broiled Bacon covered Shishito. Â Our Grape and Grapefruit Chuhais were LOVELY!!! Â We had 2 each and I would have had 2 more but was too full.
The sausages were served with stone ground mustard but I prefer Karashi (hot yellow mustard), the shortribs were tasty but were cold and sliced super thin but what did we expect they were less than $3/dish. Â Honestly, I truly appreciated the menu but the execution of each dish was not strong.
Next time I woudl like to try the Mentaiko Omlette (my fave! esp. when dipped in Kewpie mayo), Agedashi tofu and Mentaiko Onigiri (for a late night snack!).
The place was pretty small and busy for a Monday night, but my friend had no problems snagging a table for 6. We ordered and shared a bunch of dishes off of the regular menu as well as the 'Specials' board. Everything we ordered (except for a friend's combination dinner) were small-plate dishes--perfect eats with drinks.
+ Karaage - Juicy, crispy chicken. They were a bit plain on their own, but sprinkle each piece with a splash of lemon and a dip in soy sauce and they are delicious.
+ Deep-Fried Crunchy Calamari - There were about 8 tiny deep-fried morsels of calamari, but they had great flavor. We just wished that there were a bit more.
+ Broiled Beef Tongue - Deliciously salted & peppered thin-slices of beef tongue. MMM, so good. It has a unique texture, so it's probably more for the adventurous eater.
+ Taro Croquette - 1 thick croquette filled with potato, taro and minced meat. It was good, but I couldn't really taste the Taro.
+ Aburi Shime Saba Sashimi - I looove saba so, no complaints here! It was totally yummy with that bit of charring on the top.
+ Yaki Nigiri - Grilled rice balls that are crunchy on the outside and sticky ricey goodness on the inside. Yum.
+ Chicken Gizzard Skewers - Interesting texture that is hard to describe. I've never had gizzards of any kind before, but I thought they were pretty good.
+ Takoyaki - Not bad, pretty average.
Though it seemed like there was only 1 waitress, service was not bad at all. She was nice and we got what we wanted.
I finally got to try it!
My dad let me choose some place for my birthday dinner, and since that new Waba sushi place near my house was closed on Mondays, i went with my backup plan to scope out the I.D. for izakaya. I'd heard of Maekawa and all their funky little plates, and have been to Japan before, so i was super-excited to get my Japanese food-fix in some shape or form. Screw you, Waba!
This place was like a sweaty little attic. I was glad i didn't dress up. We got there around 7 pm on Monday right before it got crowded. The menu was something i would have dreamed up after smoking a fat bowl. What i immediately chose was sliced squid topped with fish roe, the takoyaki, and the beef tongue (on the specials board). My dad ordered the veggie tempura and the fried chicken (which came with miso soup and rice).
That squid was really good. It came in a dinky bowl, but it was worth it. I don't normally like squid nigiri/sashimi because i think it tends to taste like room-temperature glue, but this was refreshing. I wish there had been more fish eggs on top, though. I think this squid beat the hell out of anything i've ordered from any sushi restaurant.
The takoyaki you get in the U.S. will never compare to the gigantic ones you get in Japan, of course, but at Maekawa, they were still satisfying. My order came with 6 decent-sized balls topped with generous amounts of bonito flakes and aonori (powdered seaweed crap) and were HOT. A little chewy, but nice and meaty inside. This would be a great sharing dish.
The beef tongue came out in about 8 medium round, flat pieces. At first, the taste reminded me of oysters. Then liver. Then it had it's own taste. If you've had tongue before, i guess i sound like a complete idiot to you. But i just love the way tongue tastes. You don't need to put anything on it or put it in anything (like tacos, which is the only other way i've had it, and i've always just wanted it by itself). I was really happy that i could enjoy it in its plain form here. The lame part about this dish was that it took them forever to bring it out to me. We were ready to leave when it came out, so i only ate one and brought the rest home. Luckily, the tongue tasted just as good out of the fridge later.
My dad's tempura looked light and fluffy. I didn't try it, though. His fried chicken was kind of hard and dry. I don't like fried chicken anyway, so my opinion on this isn't too important.
Yeah, this place got pretty packed right when we left....so i can imagine service getting less accommodating and the atmosphere getting more stifling later in the evening. The food and good company would make it worth it, though. There's a billion other things i want to try on the menu, still.
*joy
We know our Japanese food and this is top notch world class standards...having eaten Japanese food in top notch Asian centers throughout the world. Â
They are friendly to kids and took our reservations. Â The place is laid back as well.
This is the style of Japanese food I could live on for the rest of my life...wish I could beam myself to this place everytime I'm hungry!
It's hard not to love this place. Tasty food, sweet servers and the quiet attentiveness that comes with good-but-not-over-the-top service. The prices are reasonable and the food is just the way I remember it tasting in Japan.
I'm super fond of the tsukune, the shuumai, agedashi tofu... everything, actually. Tonight my friend Stacy P. and I partook in the delight of tomato bacon... yep, cherry tomatoes wrapped in bacon and grilled on a skewer. They explode in your mouth and are freaking amaaaaazing. And so simple. Too bad I doubt I can replicate the pure tastebud bliss, no matter how simple it is. That's why Maekawa is so good... sure, a lot of this stuff isn't so hard to make, but to make *correctly*? The sign of true comfort food. Mmmm!
Expectation was to high, but was decently pleased with my miso ramen!
Variety at odd hours are always a plus
Service = nothing worth mentioning
Ambiance = 2nd floor, small nook, sort of cute
Food = heard sushi was good, but was hesitant to eat sushi in Chinatown, next time. Â Cant' go wrong ramen and sake
Crowd = Ranges
Favorite = Location, value, decent ramen with a open bar
Worst = none
Final Say = Sort of a hard combo to beat, hours, ramen with sake. Â Take that Samurai
I like the variety of food they have but all of them are just okay. I was excited to see all kinds of stuff on the menu but if you try to taste each dish, they are all so-so. My hubby like this place because they have Kirin beer on draft, but that's about it. This place is small and not so clean. There was a hair on the curtain right next to me once. I'm a hair detective and I can't stand that!!
I'd go to "Kaname" if I feel like having Japanese food in ID.
It's almost the same word as Maneki? Â Well, this is where we ended up when Maneki shooed us away.
They lose nearly all the stars just for the music. It was so loud I couldn't even hear the waitresses speak.
The screwdriver was weak. Canned OJ and I watched her water it down. boo.
The food was passable. I enjoyed what I had, the flavors good, and the 'set meal' is a good way to go to get an ample amount of food. Rice cooked well, miso was standard, the stir fry was basic..nothing at all that stood out.
The special menu item I ordered was advertised as "calamari w/ garlic bulbs'. I got poorly cooked squid with green beans. Huh. Green beans...garlic...mmm. Â The flavor was good, a strong vinegar bite, but I still liked it. The squid was not cooked well...far too chewy.
For the entertainment portion of the evening, Matt and the paper lantern above his head got into a fight. Matt won, leaving him and I in a blaring spotlight of a bare lightbulb for awhile.
This place evokes a roadside izakaya in the middle of nowhere, Japan. The owner's from Fukui, so I guess that makes sense. I like it here, but it's not because the food is all that impressive: It's because it's so ordinary. Nothing on the small plates menu here would be out of place in Japan.
Those of you who judge Japanese restaurants by their spicy tuna rolls, fried crab stuffed rolls, cream cheese laden something or other and rice mounds shaped like caterpillars have never actually eaten Japanese food. You should come here instead.
If you've spent a fair amount of time in Japan, you'll have one of two reactions upon eating here: 1) Wow, this is the closest thing to stumbling into a rural izakaya I can find in Seattle, I'm so happy. or 2) Oh well, this'll have to do the trick until I can get back to Japan. I usually feel a bit of both.
In Japan I abandon some of my vegetarian habits and just choose willful ignorance about soup stock and katsuobushi, so I adopt the same practice here. The best single dish for my money is the renkon butter, lotus root braised in butter and soy sauce, and garnished with katsuobushi. Eat it while it's hot. You can make this at home in less than 10 minutes, but unless you're me, you won't go through the trouble. Come here instead.
Agedashi-doufu isn't the best I've had (or made), but it'll do what it needs to do.
Everything tastes better with a glass of shochu. The non-Iichiko, non-Jinro options are hand-printed on the wall next to the cash register. All of them are more expensive than in Japan, but you can thank the Washington State Liquor Control Board monopoly for that.
Mom always taught me that you can tell the quality of an ethnic restaurant by looking at the clientele. Â Maekawa is the only spot in Seattle I can think of where you walk in and be surrounded almost completely by Japanese people.
You'll find lots of small dishes, very simply prepared with quality ingredients and at a better price than anywhere in Vancouver. Â You'll never go back to Hana on Broadway or wherever you get your cheap Japanese fix.
Try the takoyaki - grilled balls of roof-of-your-mouth-burning doughy goodness with a little piece of octopus buried in the center, covered in bulldog-type sauce and shredded bonito flakes dancing on top. Â It sounds weird, but I have yet to find a takoyaki hater. Â This is one of those treats that brings me back to summer in japan and Maekawa is the only place in Seattle you're going to get the good stuff.
Broiled prawns head & whiskers still attached - eat the whole thing.
Grilled whole squid, large portions of fresh sashimi, broiled mackerel in soy sauce or sweet miso, tataki - all are quite tasty. Â If you're not so adventurous, the chicken karaage are basically the japanese version of boneless fried chicken. Â It's all the stuff your mom would make if she was Japanese and loved you.
You can even get great ramen with the fatty roasted pork or a pat of butter on top - it's nothing like that junk you were eating in college.
I've always been pleasantly surprised with my bill - you can get a very decent combination meal where you pick from 2 of about 20 items for around $8. Â Match that with a carafe of the house sake & a small dish or 2 and you're happy.
I apologize ahead of time about the free mayonnaise/pasta salad - it's $4 Vegas buffet bad, so just push it to the side.
This place was what I _really_ wanted when we ended up heading to Wann instead-- cheap n' easy! Â Okay, so it's not exactly cheap, necessarily (somehow, Scott and I managed to order a little more than $50 in food and beer), but it's the type of izakaya I have been searching for in Seattle forever. Â Finally! Â We will be bringing the crew we took to Tokyo here soon for a full-blown taste-everything-on-the-menu type outing.
My favorites so far: butter corn, chicken tsukune, and the "genton" (genki naninani no tonkatsu)-- a giant croquette-ish fried, breaded ball of pork, cheese, and garlic. Â (YUM!) Â We had hefeweisen this time around, but next time, we'll try what we think was designated an oni koroshi sake.
Next time, I want their chikuwa cheese, too! Â (That's the fish cake some people seemed to be weirded out by, heh.)
We'll be back.
Great location (super close to Uwajimaya/Kinokuniya/Pink Godzilla), and great wait staff. Â Definitely a low-key, mellow place to hang out and eat. Â Great music, too, especially if you're into J-Pop or anime tunes. Â I recognized a few songs from the Nintendo DS game, Band Brothers.
Simply awesome. Â Feels like I stepped off a Tokyo subway into my favorite bar with its J-Pop, stylish waiters and waitresses, and the local crowd. Â People are playing on their linked Nintendo DS in the back.
Food is inexpensive and I love their combination dinners. Â I recommend the miso Saba or the sake Salmon. Â Sashimi comes in good portions.
Only downside is its only open for dinner.
My boyfriend called ahead asking whether they had many vegetarian options. I hadn't eaten dinner yet, and wasn't sure whether this was a better place for snacks vs. a full meal. They said tons were available.
When we got there, most were snacks to my way of thinking (e.g. a small spinach side salad) vs. entrees. I figured it wouldn't be an issue because almost any asian restaurant is willing to substitute tofu and/or leave out the meat. Unfortunately, Maekawa isn't one of those... I was told that it wasn't possible to have yakisoba sans chicken/beef or to order most of the other normally fish/meaty entrees with tofu or just with nothing else. They did have veggie tempura, but that's the only entree option I remember. I ordered tea and it hadn't occurred to me to specify, so the jasmine tea arrived iced rather than hot.
So I did the only thing possible... gettin' drunk on shochu. I can't say I adored the flavor of the green tea version, but it was reasonably priced.
I'd come back for snacks and drinks, but would be unlikely to return for a main course. The meat eaters enjoyed their entrees, though. We'd been under the impression that food was served until 2, but were told on Friday night that the kitchen closed at 11pm, so be forewarned!
Great food and surprisingly excellent service. This is one of those places that you should know about, but wouldn't, unless someone was nice enough to bring you along. Dishes are served up quickly and are extremely flavorful (with great prices). I would try and list some of my favorites but alas, I am one of the lucky ones that was introduced to this place through a friend and reciting my favorites would most likely attract accusatory remarks that I have no idea what I'm talking about.
Seating is definitely tight so be prepared to the wait for a few tables [get your dance shoes on before you try and wiggle past that cashier area as patrons and waiters / waitresses make their way back and forth between the kitchen area and bar].
If seating is a little too tight for your tastes, order togo. Whatever you do, don't leave without a few take-out containers in hand. Sadly the bar doesn't let you take any alcohol home so order your dishes and walk down the street to Uwajimaya for some Sake before heading home.
Pros: Â Good food at a decent price. Â Good if only Izakaya in Seattle for now, but does not even come close to the ones in Vancouver, B.C. Â
Cons: Â Food is sometimes inconsistent. Â Tight seating. Â Restrooms are the kind you expect in a Chevron.
Maekawa Bar is a pretty good alternative to other late night hang outs like Denny's, 13 Coins, etc. Â Think of it as the Japanese Denny's as it has everything that can appeal to a person. Â It even has Ocha zuke dishes (Soup over rice) that is eaten during breakfast. Â
Izakaya style cuisine is very similar to tapas. Â Think of small dishes that are meant to be shared together, or eaten alone. Â Although the dishes are small, by no means they are not filling. Â 3 to 4 orders alone can satisfy me (I have the appetite of a lion). Â The one gripe that I have about Maekawa bar is that the food is sometime inconsistent. Â This is due to the chef that is off, and this usually happens on Monday nights. Â When eating at Maekawa, make sure the staff is young and you won't be disappointed. Â If you see the older guy cooking, then be weary, the food will still be good, but it won't be exceptional. Â The older guy tends to be more conversative with his flavors, while the younger staff knows the right balance. Â
Overall, I really like Maekawa.  I like it because the menu is tasty, and it is something that is unique from what the rest of the other Japanese restaurants have to offer  The only reason why it doesn't get a higher rating in my book is because of the inconsistency.  Once they figure that out, they definately get 4 stars in my book.
Examples of dishes served by Maekawa:
Geso w/ Kimchee (Pan fried squid legs with Kimchee)
Albacore Tataki (Seared Albacore with Ponzu sauce)
Takobustsu (Octopus sashimi)
And the familiar stuff:
Teriyaki dishes
Hot Udon noodles
Ten Zaru Udon (Cold noodles with Tempura)
I stumbled upon this place one late night and have been extolling its virtues to anyone who'll listen ever since.
This is as authentic an izakaya as we can expect here in the States. Tasty treats abound, from their simple ume onigiri to their, uh, simple grilled whole squid. They're not known for sashimi, but the last time I tried their albacore, it was seriously out of this world.
Oh yeah, they have liquor too and lots of it.
PS. Umetaro you shut up, you shut up right now!
Short of a steady stream of overworked salary men, Maekawa is a real-deal-happy-meal Izakaya (Japanese pub). Â
Like Megan D., Maekawa is one of my favs to get sauced and mack on some snacks. Â In traditional Izakaya fashion, patrons are like family. Â The drink menu is ample. Â Maekawa is the only place that I've found that serves such popular drinks like Chu-Hi. Â
Don't expect over the top Japanese food here; rather, they've got a spot-on smorgasbord of small dishes of which you will never find in one of the many faux-Asian bar/bistros around town. Â The main objective is to get sauced-up while eating snacks to keep your stomach down.
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