In my opinion this is the best bet for sushi in Seattle. Maneki has a knack for finding the freshest fish and putting together tasty variations of traditional favorites. One of my favorites is the spicy tuna roll - they do it right - really spicy and large chunks of tuna. Another favorite of mine is their salmon sushi. I don't know where they get it but it's amazing. Most sushi places use farm raised Atlantic salmon but Maneki always seems to have deep orange-red wild salmon that is soooo tasty with a splash of soy and wasabi. It's so lean that it has to be wild and why shouldn't it be?! I mean, we are in the Pacific Northwest after all.
The atmosphere is definitely casual. You'll find a very diverse crowd of folks and a lot of them stacked up by the front door. Maneki never fails to be busy. I guess in that sense it's not so much of a secret but it's always been worth the wait. They have been at the same location for around 100 years (possibly more) and there's plenty of history in the place.
The service isn't the best you'll ever have but it definitely mirrors the casual feeling of the place. Don't get me wrong, I've never had a bad experience I just think of it as casual.
They do take reservations and if you have a large party they do have a couple of private rooms for 6-8 people.
...don't forget the salmon and spicy tuna rolls!
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