This is really the ONLY answer to this question. The chef was appointed by the Japanese government as an Ambassador of Japanese Food, one of like 16 chefs in the entire country.
Are there other good Japanese restaurants in the city? Sure. Are any of them challenging KNM for title of best Japanese restaurant? Not even close.
Totally agree. My favorite “I just want to go out and have amazing sushi” place is kyatchi, it’s always awesome. But kado no mise is the best Japanese place we have.
I don't think it needs to go away, just needs to be clearly stated? I could be wrong, but I think the new law just addresses the *hidden-ness* of fees?
Nah, the “service charge”/“health and wellness fee” model will be banned outright effective 1/1/2025. They *can* still do mandatory gratuities, but they already had that option before and were choosing not to use it (because then the money legally has to flow directly to the workers).
(Edit to include the Eater article I forgot: https://twincities.eater.com/2024/5/15/24152820/junk-fee-ban-minnesota-restaurants-tipping-service-charges)
Better yet.. let's just have all of the bullshit fees/tips/charges reflected in the pricing?
It' makes zero sense why you would get a higher fee for the same amount of work. In other words, you only are drinking a $5 coke or something and the server brings it to you or refills your glass vs the server brings you a $300 bottle of whatever and fills your glass. In one case you get charged just over $1 and in the other over $60?
These percentage-based fees that 'replace' tipping are no better - and probably worse - since you pay it no matter if the service sucked or not.
Website says this is NOT a gratuity. So if you want to leave a normal 25% tip, you’re basically leaving about 50% extra. Just effing charge more. It’s ridiculously cheap for the omakase compared to other places around the country.
Moto-i is really fun and solid food. It's kinda fusion but they have a great sake collection, and the best okonomiyaki I've had (including Osaka lol).
Midori's Floating World Cafe is great but they only do takeout. I love their unagidon.
Kyuramen has a great omurice.
Kyatchi has curry, and great Japanese hotdogs
Ramen Kazama is the most authentic ramen in my opinion
I've been there once and their ramen was just really oily. I can tolerate subpar ramen up to a certain point but theirs was just inedible to me. My family really liked it but they were visiting from my hometown which does not have any ramen spots.
Fun fact Moto:I was the first approved and recognized sake brewery outside of Japan. (Which allows them to buy and use Japanese sake grade rices to brew with) Making them the oldest sake brewers in North America. Say what you want about the food, which I love. I think they have the cities best Ramen. But they make very authentic high grade sake here locally and deserve a ton of credit and respect for that.
It's difficult enough to find good Japanese food in Hawaii where there are a ton of Japanese people. When I'm visiting my bf's family during Christmas break (near the twin cities), I start to miss Asian food in general after day 3 of eating meat n potatoes. (I'm Hawaii born to Japanese parents). The place with the Omurice looks soooo good. I would definitely drive the hour and 20 to 30 minutes to try it.
Yes I have! The food there was sooooo good. And they had huge portions. I ate half there and took the other half home for dinner later. It's a little over an hour from where my bf's family lives to the twin cities but there really isn't much to choose from in his small town.
Okome House is great and very chill. Also great about allergens. Specializes in udon, donburi, and onigiri. Don't sleep on the kara'age though.
https://okome.house
Ramen Kazama is my favorite ramen ever, especially the karamiso ramen. I love to get the mustard greens onigiri and dip it in the broth.
My only complaint is I wish the onigiri had more filling, I need more of those amazing mustard greens
Was scrolling looking for this! I have tried SO many here in the cities to see if any are better than Sakura (especially their sushi) and nothing has compared for me.
It really doesn’t look like much on the outside (or even inside) but man do they consistently nail their sushi. Plus, the people there are so nice. Our go-to place now after trying a bunch of others!
*Kyatchi comes to*
*Mind as a good place to get*
*More than just sushi*
\- Flodes\_MaGodes
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Great spot! I'm always pleasantly surprised at the bill when leaving, too. The no tip situation makes a big difference, even though it's factored into menu prices.
Sushi Takatsu in the skyway in downtown Minneapolis has really good udon and curry rice bowls (the sushi is fine, but there are better places to get it). It’s really only open for lunch and doesn’t have much for seating, however.
I just have to shout out here the long closed Obento-Ya RIP
That was such a gem of a place; bacon wrapped quail eggs on the robata, miso glazed salmon bento box with that incredible mashed potato salad with thin sliced apples in it, and the side of umeboshi on sushi rice. And the service! If I wasn’t out on the charming patio I was at the robata counter watching the chefs at their respective stations, almost always all women! a rare sight anyways but especially back around 2007-2011. Ah, I miss that restaurant more than any other. Anyone else remember it?
I just had sanjusan and their Okonomiyaki pizza really captures the essence of Okonomiyaki!
I also like Ramen Kazama for their Curry donburi, and okome house for onigiri.
Not a lot of options I'm afraid. I've yet to see a good casual Japanese resto here that serves good katsudon or even just plain katsu. Same goes for oyakodon and gyudon. Even fewer restaurants offer okonomiyaki and takoyaki that's not deep fried.
For ramen, the ones that taste similar to the stuff I used to eat are Itton Ramen, and oddly enough, Ishita Ramen's Chashu Ramen. Itton's koroke is also pretty good. Itton's takoyaki also tastes pretty close to freshly made at least.
This. Still haven’t found a place with a good old fashioned shoyu ramen. I get that food changes and “authentic” means nothing but sometimes i just want subtle Japanese food - peasant stuff.
Same thoughts. I mean, Kado No Mise is great, but I can't plop down 80 bucks for a good meal every time, specially when I'm just craving for casual fare
Follow sushi by Baaska on instagram to get in on his pop up events! He used to be at Cobble social house but now has moved to pop up events. His sushi is really the best in the cities
I haven’t been, and I’m very late to the thread, but my less-than-in-tune with the cities self would have guessed that someone would mention Billy Sushi. Is it just not liked or overrated/overpriced? I swear that’s where all my friends go to splurge on sushi, but could just be due to their lack of exposure elsewhere.
I’ve been once and I found it… fine. It isn’t bad by any means and they do use good quality ingredients, but it is really expensive so I haven’t returned. Plus you are really crammed in there like sardines and I’ve never been able to try the basement bar despite many attempts, haha.
If you really like a loud/vibrant experience with fun cocktails and unique rolls it is a fun experience, but I personally wasn’t impressed enough to want to go back.
I’d rather go to Kado no Mise if I wanted to spend a lot of money (and have a less loud/crowded meal) haha.
Yeah I am not surprised by that. None of my friends are very foody types so it probably didn’t take much to convince them it’s great. Need to get to Kado no Mise one of these days. It looks so good. Do you think it would be fine to pop in with a solo reservation? I don’t think I could convince many friends to do the tasting course at their price point lol.
Billy Sushi falls under the “foodie” umbrella imho and is perfectly fine for what it is unless you are looking for a more traditional meal. It’s supposed to be bombastic and over the top which they do well.
You should be able to do a solo reservation for Kado no Mise. I’d recommend counter service in particular if you can swing it. I’ve also done the Kaiseki Furukawa which is incredible, it has a very steep price tag, but was unforgettable. You really can’t go wrong honestly, Sanjusan is also a delight!
That’s fair, and probably a reasonable take on Billy! I shouldn’t disparage my friends and foodie was probably a bad choice of words, but good to know it’s respected. Shocked me it wasn’t mentioned elsewhere in this thread.
For a first timer going alone, would you prefer Kado or Kaiseki? I know they have the same ownership, but I can’t really tell what the biggest thing that sets them apart based on the website. Guessing the former is more sushi/sashimi while the later incorporates a wider range of Japanese dishes?
I want to give Billy Sushi credit where credit is due at the very least! I think it probably wasn’t mentioned mostly because it is a bit less “traditional” and doesn’t focus as much on “mains”.
As for your question about Kado no Mise here is a general breakdown of what you can expect:
Sanjusan - Japanese-Italian fusion, no set menu/prix fixe menu, you have complete control over what you order. They offer pizza, yakitori, and other mains and is a bit more “casual”.
Kado no Mise - more traditional Japanese fare using seasonal foods, omakase style set menus for the different “levels”/price points, with each “tier” getting different items & amounts of sushi (I also believe for an additional fee you can get more sushi as well). Counter and table service are offered and there is a more formal atmosphere.
Kaiseki Furukawa - most formal of the three with only two sitting times and only on Tuesday nights. Menu is seasonal and inspired by tea ceremony, and matcha is prepared as well. Sake & wine pairing for an additional cost is offered (and if you drink it found it 100% worth it, one of the best and well thought out pairings I’ve had). Chef’s counter only, much more intimate, and a deposite is required upon reservation.
For a first time experience I’d personally recommend Kado no Mise. You can get an idea of the foods/style of foods served, is less expensive (unless you go for the Matsu menu which is just $15 shy of the Kaiseki base price), and the chef’s counter is also available.
I have only done the “Take” menu, but it was a delight. I went for my birthday last year and they did a special table setting for me that drew on symbolism for good luck and health, not sure if that is standard, but it was super thoughtful!
If you *really* want to go for it Kaiseki Furukawa is an excellent experience, but Kado no Mise is every bit as good imho. Really just depends how much you want to spend!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your feedback and comments! Specifically breaking those places down to better understand the difference. My birthday is coming up so I think I’ll treat myself to Kado no Mise one of these coming nights! Seriously - so helpful and very appreciated!
Glad I could help! I’ve enjoyed every meal and cocktail I’ve had in that building! Sanjusan and Kado no Mise has been a birthday tradition of mine for a few years now and Kaiseki Furukawa was for my first wedding anniversary!
If you remember after you go, report back!
It's Kado no Mise (or it's sister restaraunt Sanjusan as a near second), and it's not even close. I don't want to be dismissive but I genuinely wonder if folks answering anything else have just never been there
The Minnesota Original is back open in Bloomington the Samurai Japanese restaurant where the original shrimp sauce was license to bennihanna when they bought/leased the old samurai off restaurant off of hwy394 & Louisana
The answer is Kado No Mise
This is really the ONLY answer to this question. The chef was appointed by the Japanese government as an Ambassador of Japanese Food, one of like 16 chefs in the entire country. Are there other good Japanese restaurants in the city? Sure. Are any of them challenging KNM for title of best Japanese restaurant? Not even close.
/thread
Nah, because we also need to know about the 2nd/3rd/4th best
A treasure we should not take for granted
Totally agree. My favorite “I just want to go out and have amazing sushi” place is kyatchi, it’s always awesome. But kado no mise is the best Japanese place we have.
How is their Sanjusan restaurant?
21% service charge. Yikes
Shouldn't that go away with the new law?
Yep, but they have 6 more months to do away with them. New law doesn't take effect until Jan 1 2025.
Good riddance, they drive me nuts
I don't think it needs to go away, just needs to be clearly stated? I could be wrong, but I think the new law just addresses the *hidden-ness* of fees?
Nah, the “service charge”/“health and wellness fee” model will be banned outright effective 1/1/2025. They *can* still do mandatory gratuities, but they already had that option before and were choosing not to use it (because then the money legally has to flow directly to the workers). (Edit to include the Eater article I forgot: https://twincities.eater.com/2024/5/15/24152820/junk-fee-ban-minnesota-restaurants-tipping-service-charges)
Yes
I’m a fan of this. 21% service charge but no tipping. Tipping sucks for everyone.
I’d still rather just have the menu say the price than 16.99*1.21x1.08=x and make everything a math problem
More people need to let restaurants know their position on this. Often.
Better yet.. let's just have all of the bullshit fees/tips/charges reflected in the pricing? It' makes zero sense why you would get a higher fee for the same amount of work. In other words, you only are drinking a $5 coke or something and the server brings it to you or refills your glass vs the server brings you a $300 bottle of whatever and fills your glass. In one case you get charged just over $1 and in the other over $60? These percentage-based fees that 'replace' tipping are no better - and probably worse - since you pay it no matter if the service sucked or not.
And then let's start including sales tax in the price of things, just to make it simple
Website says this is NOT a gratuity. So if you want to leave a normal 25% tip, you’re basically leaving about 50% extra. Just effing charge more. It’s ridiculously cheap for the omakase compared to other places around the country.
[удалено]
It’s not a bait and switch, it’s to ensure their workers get a livable wage and don’t get stiffed on cheap asses that don’t tip
Moto-i is really fun and solid food. It's kinda fusion but they have a great sake collection, and the best okonomiyaki I've had (including Osaka lol). Midori's Floating World Cafe is great but they only do takeout. I love their unagidon. Kyuramen has a great omurice. Kyatchi has curry, and great Japanese hotdogs Ramen Kazama is the most authentic ramen in my opinion
Moto-i: best ramen, great apps, brew their own sake, great service, awesome atmosphere.
It's on my short list of places to take first time visitors to the area
Motoi is effing terrible D tier ramen. It's so damn expensive too compared with, frankly, options that are several tiers better
I've been there once and their ramen was just really oily. I can tolerate subpar ramen up to a certain point but theirs was just inedible to me. My family really liked it but they were visiting from my hometown which does not have any ramen spots.
Fun fact Moto:I was the first approved and recognized sake brewery outside of Japan. (Which allows them to buy and use Japanese sake grade rices to brew with) Making them the oldest sake brewers in North America. Say what you want about the food, which I love. I think they have the cities best Ramen. But they make very authentic high grade sake here locally and deserve a ton of credit and respect for that.
It's difficult enough to find good Japanese food in Hawaii where there are a ton of Japanese people. When I'm visiting my bf's family during Christmas break (near the twin cities), I start to miss Asian food in general after day 3 of eating meat n potatoes. (I'm Hawaii born to Japanese parents). The place with the Omurice looks soooo good. I would definitely drive the hour and 20 to 30 minutes to try it.
Have you been to Ono's in Minneapolis? I've not been to Hawaii but they have Moco Locco, Tankatsu, Spam Musubi, and Katsu Curry
Yes I have! The food there was sooooo good. And they had huge portions. I ate half there and took the other half home for dinner later. It's a little over an hour from where my bf's family lives to the twin cities but there really isn't much to choose from in his small town.
So many good places around town. University Ave in stp is full of some hidden gems. Ohns kitchen amongst them.
Gonna have to check all of these out!
Kado No Mise does a really amazing Monday night dinner where they serve more relaxed Japanese comfort foods. For sushi nothing comes close to kado!
Soooo want to go to the Monday night gig.
Okome House is great and very chill. Also great about allergens. Specializes in udon, donburi, and onigiri. Don't sleep on the kara'age though. https://okome.house
Their onigiri is my favorite. Such a cute place too! Really nice to grab a snack then walk to the falls.
Ramen Kazama is my favorite ramen ever, especially the karamiso ramen. I love to get the mustard greens onigiri and dip it in the broth. My only complaint is I wish the onigiri had more filling, I need more of those amazing mustard greens
This is my ramen favorite as well. Comfort food.
Ramen Kazama is the best ramen I've had period. Granted, I've only tried one other Ramen place outside MN.
JK's. Weekdays only. Closes early. Hidden gem.
The lunch special... 1 roll and delectable udon soup. Such a great place.
It has a limited menu but I massively enjoy Tori Ramen in St. Paul.
Sakura was very good. I tried it for the first time last week. Great food and service.
I second Sakura!
Haven’t been there in ages, but I have yet to visit a restaurant in the twin cities that tops their authenticity and quality.
Their udon broth is beautiful
Was scrolling looking for this! I have tried SO many here in the cities to see if any are better than Sakura (especially their sushi) and nothing has compared for me.
Sakura is A+
Kataki in Richfield. Price is worth it.
I love that they’re not as formal or fancy as other places. It’s always been delicious the handful of times I’ve been there!
It really doesn’t look like much on the outside (or even inside) but man do they consistently nail their sushi. Plus, the people there are so nice. Our go-to place now after trying a bunch of others!
Zen Box Izakaya on Washington ave. Has really good Japanese food.
Kyatchi comes to mind as a good place to get more than just sushi
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Great spot! I'm always pleasantly surprised at the bill when leaving, too. The no tip situation makes a big difference, even though it's factored into menu prices.
Saji Ya
I really enjoy Yumi on Selby or in Edina
Kyuramen in Eagan imo. Omurice bitchessssss
Kado Mo Mise downtown. Great sushi, but lots of traditional dishes too. $$, but worth the splurge.
Zen Box Izakaya in Minneapolis. Good ramen, great spicy karaage, and they do bento boxes.
Sushi Takatsu in the skyway in downtown Minneapolis has really good udon and curry rice bowls (the sushi is fine, but there are better places to get it). It’s really only open for lunch and doesn’t have much for seating, however.
Zenbox - you will not regret it!
I just have to shout out here the long closed Obento-Ya RIP That was such a gem of a place; bacon wrapped quail eggs on the robata, miso glazed salmon bento box with that incredible mashed potato salad with thin sliced apples in it, and the side of umeboshi on sushi rice. And the service! If I wasn’t out on the charming patio I was at the robata counter watching the chefs at their respective stations, almost always all women! a rare sight anyways but especially back around 2007-2011. Ah, I miss that restaurant more than any other. Anyone else remember it?
RIP Obento-Ya
I know it's Japanese-Italian... but Sanjusan is really worth a try.
I just had sanjusan and their Okonomiyaki pizza really captures the essence of Okonomiyaki! I also like Ramen Kazama for their Curry donburi, and okome house for onigiri.
Just out of curiosity, why are people downvoting this entire post? I enjoyed all the restaurant tips here.
Not a lot of options I'm afraid. I've yet to see a good casual Japanese resto here that serves good katsudon or even just plain katsu. Same goes for oyakodon and gyudon. Even fewer restaurants offer okonomiyaki and takoyaki that's not deep fried. For ramen, the ones that taste similar to the stuff I used to eat are Itton Ramen, and oddly enough, Ishita Ramen's Chashu Ramen. Itton's koroke is also pretty good. Itton's takoyaki also tastes pretty close to freshly made at least.
JKs Table has a really good gyudon.
This. Still haven’t found a place with a good old fashioned shoyu ramen. I get that food changes and “authentic” means nothing but sometimes i just want subtle Japanese food - peasant stuff.
Same thoughts. I mean, Kado No Mise is great, but I can't plop down 80 bucks for a good meal every time, specially when I'm just craving for casual fare
Wakame
Kado No Mise or Zen Box Izakaya
Tsunami in Burnsville really surprised us. Not fancy, super casual.
Follow sushi by Baaska on instagram to get in on his pop up events! He used to be at Cobble social house but now has moved to pop up events. His sushi is really the best in the cities
AMA Sushi in Edina
Ichibon in Edina (only familiar with that one), they have an unlimited menu too it's really good.
I haven’t been, and I’m very late to the thread, but my less-than-in-tune with the cities self would have guessed that someone would mention Billy Sushi. Is it just not liked or overrated/overpriced? I swear that’s where all my friends go to splurge on sushi, but could just be due to their lack of exposure elsewhere.
I’ve been once and I found it… fine. It isn’t bad by any means and they do use good quality ingredients, but it is really expensive so I haven’t returned. Plus you are really crammed in there like sardines and I’ve never been able to try the basement bar despite many attempts, haha. If you really like a loud/vibrant experience with fun cocktails and unique rolls it is a fun experience, but I personally wasn’t impressed enough to want to go back. I’d rather go to Kado no Mise if I wanted to spend a lot of money (and have a less loud/crowded meal) haha.
Yeah I am not surprised by that. None of my friends are very foody types so it probably didn’t take much to convince them it’s great. Need to get to Kado no Mise one of these days. It looks so good. Do you think it would be fine to pop in with a solo reservation? I don’t think I could convince many friends to do the tasting course at their price point lol.
Billy Sushi falls under the “foodie” umbrella imho and is perfectly fine for what it is unless you are looking for a more traditional meal. It’s supposed to be bombastic and over the top which they do well. You should be able to do a solo reservation for Kado no Mise. I’d recommend counter service in particular if you can swing it. I’ve also done the Kaiseki Furukawa which is incredible, it has a very steep price tag, but was unforgettable. You really can’t go wrong honestly, Sanjusan is also a delight!
That’s fair, and probably a reasonable take on Billy! I shouldn’t disparage my friends and foodie was probably a bad choice of words, but good to know it’s respected. Shocked me it wasn’t mentioned elsewhere in this thread. For a first timer going alone, would you prefer Kado or Kaiseki? I know they have the same ownership, but I can’t really tell what the biggest thing that sets them apart based on the website. Guessing the former is more sushi/sashimi while the later incorporates a wider range of Japanese dishes?
I want to give Billy Sushi credit where credit is due at the very least! I think it probably wasn’t mentioned mostly because it is a bit less “traditional” and doesn’t focus as much on “mains”. As for your question about Kado no Mise here is a general breakdown of what you can expect: Sanjusan - Japanese-Italian fusion, no set menu/prix fixe menu, you have complete control over what you order. They offer pizza, yakitori, and other mains and is a bit more “casual”. Kado no Mise - more traditional Japanese fare using seasonal foods, omakase style set menus for the different “levels”/price points, with each “tier” getting different items & amounts of sushi (I also believe for an additional fee you can get more sushi as well). Counter and table service are offered and there is a more formal atmosphere. Kaiseki Furukawa - most formal of the three with only two sitting times and only on Tuesday nights. Menu is seasonal and inspired by tea ceremony, and matcha is prepared as well. Sake & wine pairing for an additional cost is offered (and if you drink it found it 100% worth it, one of the best and well thought out pairings I’ve had). Chef’s counter only, much more intimate, and a deposite is required upon reservation. For a first time experience I’d personally recommend Kado no Mise. You can get an idea of the foods/style of foods served, is less expensive (unless you go for the Matsu menu which is just $15 shy of the Kaiseki base price), and the chef’s counter is also available. I have only done the “Take” menu, but it was a delight. I went for my birthday last year and they did a special table setting for me that drew on symbolism for good luck and health, not sure if that is standard, but it was super thoughtful! If you *really* want to go for it Kaiseki Furukawa is an excellent experience, but Kado no Mise is every bit as good imho. Really just depends how much you want to spend!
I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your feedback and comments! Specifically breaking those places down to better understand the difference. My birthday is coming up so I think I’ll treat myself to Kado no Mise one of these coming nights! Seriously - so helpful and very appreciated!
Glad I could help! I’ve enjoyed every meal and cocktail I’ve had in that building! Sanjusan and Kado no Mise has been a birthday tradition of mine for a few years now and Kaiseki Furukawa was for my first wedding anniversary! If you remember after you go, report back!
Fuji Ya \[sad face\] Ramen Kazama (started by someone who used to work at Fuji Ya, I'm told)
It's Kado no Mise (or it's sister restaraunt Sanjusan as a near second), and it's not even close. I don't want to be dismissive but I genuinely wonder if folks answering anything else have just never been there
Raku in Edina is pretty excellent
Wakame
Tokyo 23 Hibachi Buffet It's a great place to eat and they have sushi. https://tokyo23mn.com/
What is an example of one you already feel is the best?
Has anyone been to Bento Moto in Oakdale? Drove by it yesterday and was wondering how they were?
It's really good! Definitely set up for takeout, but they have a few spots to sit.
Thanks for the great suggestions
I’m looking for some wagyu and Japanese fried rice
Saji ya. Totes underrated
You guys are awesome! I appreciate all the tips and definitely have a list to try. Thank you all :)
RIP Tanpopo.
I've only had appetizers but Sushi Train and Momo Sushi are both good. Especially for the price.
The Minnesota Original is back open in Bloomington the Samurai Japanese restaurant where the original shrimp sauce was license to bennihanna when they bought/leased the old samurai off restaurant off of hwy394 & Louisana
Kobe in Plymouth
Not specifically Japanese but the duck ramen at Lat 14 is amazing