Japanese Cuisine Towa

4/12/2024I had the pleasure of dining at Towa Japanese CuisineFrom the moment I stepped into your intimate 20-seat space, I knew I was in for something special! The ambiance, the attention to detail, and the anticipation of what awaited me--all of it contributed to a sense of wonder! All member was very welcome and the service was spectacular!! Chef Nori, with his 22 years of culinary expertise in both French and Japanese cuisine, curated an unforgettable course Kaiseki dinner. Each dish was a masterpiece, a symphony of flavors that danced on my palate. Towa is that exquisite food but also the commitment to seasonality, artistry, and balance. Each plate is a canvas, where colors, textures, and presentation harmonize seamlessly! I would love to come back for another course!

My recent dining experience at this establishment left a lasting impression. The food, without a doubt, was exceptional. Opting for the $180 8-course meal turned out to be a wonderful and well worth the investment.Chef Nori and the entire staff contributed significantly to the positive atmosphere. Their friendliness and attentiveness added a personal touch to the dining experience, making it more than just a meal but a delightful occasion. You can really tell they're all about top-notch ingredients, and it makes the whole dining experience something to look forward to.Looking forward to a return visit!

Japanese kaiseki in Redmond! Towa opened 2 weeks ago. We wanted to get in early since kaiseki is popular in Seattle and there aren't too many places to go. Chef Morita-san was so friendly and kind, we felt welcomed to the restaurant. The staff was also very nice. We did the smaller menu and felt full at the end. I posted pictures of what we got and the menu. All the dishes were well done, beautiful, seasonal, and delicious. The inside is really nice with a large counter and tables. The location was hard to find and they don't have a phone number to call. If you're facing the restaurant it is to the right of Inspa and left of a new sushi place that use to be Asiana Bistro teriyaki. It's in a location which was formally a poke place. It's in a strip mall near Whole Food's grocery store. There's lots of parking lot parking.

This new Japanese Cuisine Restaurant in Redmond is a hidden new gem. Literally... no signage outside! An authentic Kaiseki restaurant that easily transports you to Japan the minute you enter its sliding doors.

Before I start, I want to emphasize that this is a Kaiseki restaurant, NOT a sushi restaurant. There are some reviewers mentioning they wished there was sushi, but sushi is not traditionally served in Kaiseki courses.When I arrived at my reserved time, the staff at the store welcomed me with a smile. There were no other customers when we arrived (perhaps because I had made a reservation for a later time at 7:30 on a weekday), so I was able to enjoy my meal at a leisurely pace.I highly recommend sitting at the counter, as you can watch Chef Morita cook and chat with him about the dishes. Chef Morita is a very friendly, thoughtful, and attentive person. His detailed explanations of the ingredients and dishes, as well as stories of his home, Hokkaido, was really interesting and fun to listen to. He told us that the rice was freshly harvested this fall in Hokkaido, and the conger eel (anago) was also flown in from Japan (as well as various other ingredients), which showed the chef's commitment to quality ingredients.Each dish is carefully prepared in front of you before being served, and I was impressed by each dish that was served. The menu changes every month, so you can enjoy seasonal ingredients too.The 8-course meal was a well-balanced combination of seafood, meat, and vegetables, and I was completely full by the time I ate the dessert. The steamed sea urchin sushi served as an appetizer was especially exquisite.In addition, for the sake flight, there was careful consideration in not only providing a variety of hot and cold sakes, but also in the ceramics that they used to serve the sake, so it was a lot of fun to enjoy with the food.While I was in this restaurant, I felt like I was transported to Japan. I'm glad that Redmond has such an authentic Japanese restaurant.The prices are a bit high, perhaps because the quality of the ingredients is good, but if you want to enjoy delicious drinks and food in a calm atmosphere, particularly for special occasions, I highly recommend this restaurant.-----My review in Japanese: 予約した時間に伺うと、お店の方々が笑顔で迎えてくださいました。少し遅い7:30の予約だったからか、他のお客様はおらず、貸し切り状態でゆっくりとお料理をたのしむことができました。シェフのMoritaさんは大変フレンドリー且つ気配りの行き届いた方で、食材やお料理の説明に加えて、出身地である北海道の話も少し聞くことができ興味深かったです。またお米は北海道産の新米、穴子は兵庫県からとわざわざ日本から空輸して仕入れたものもありシェフの食材へのこだわりを感じました。お料理は一品一品、目の前で丁寧に仕上げをしてから出され、一品運ばれる度に器やお料理に小さな感動があります。メニューは毎月変わるとのことでその時期の旬の食材を楽しめます。魚介類、肉、野菜などバランスよく取り入れられたコース料理はデザートまで食べるとお腹いっぱいになりました。前菜で出されたウニの蒸し寿司は絶品でした。また5種類のお酒の飲み比べセットは熱燗や冷酒など入り混じり種類だけではなく、温度や器にも拘ったもので、お料理と共にとても楽しめるものでした。このレストランにいる間はまるで日本にいるような感覚になりました。Redmondにこんな本格的な日本料理レストランがあることを嬉しく思います。食材の質が良いためか、お値段は少々高めですが、落ち着いた雰囲気の中でゆっくりと美味しいお酒とお料理を楽しみたいのであればこのレストランをおすすめします。

This is one of THE BEST Kaiseki experiences in the Seattle area. Chef Hiro is masterful at preparing and plating his dishes. There is no lapse in service and he offers his full attention to all patrons, especially those sitting at the counter. We highly recommend dining here for any special occasion you may have. The food is such high quality and the ambiance is very elegant, romantic and comfortable. If I could describe this restaurant in one word, it would be intentional. Highly recommend this experience to anyone who wants to try amazing Japanese cuisine.

Small restaurant with just a few bar seats and tables. Great service from the staff, and Chef Nori was excellent. Clearly they care about the quality of the ingredients and also the presentation. Would definitely recommend for a nice date spot. The iron pot seabream and shiitake mushroom and the eel dishes were stand out dishes for us.

Beautiful dining experience. Food was delicious and we enjoyed watching it being prepared. Special occasion dinning and we hope to have another one again soon

The food here was incredible! Everything was so fresh and very good quality. We had the 8 course meal including the desert, and it was very much worth it! I've lived in Okinawa, Japan for 2 years and have visited Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto during my times there and this meal made me miss it very much! The chef was incredible, very attentive and skilled. Along with the great service by the staff. It's a really authentic, high end Japanese restaurant that I recommend

AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!! AMAZING!!If you really want to try real Japanese kaiseki, you'll definitely want to try here.Towa is absolutely authentic, THE BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT in Greater Seattle/Bellevue!!They know what real "umami" is.Their way of creating sensitive yet simply delicious flavor from each ingredient is just breathtaking.You will enjoy seasonal ingredients at their best time.I think price of alcohols are more reasonable than any other Japanese restaurant such as Taneda, the Ltd edition, and Kashiba.Their foods remind me of the real Japanese foods in Japan, NOT fake Japanese foods in most restaurants in Seattle/Bellevue.Needless to say, they have great hospitality as well!As a native Japanese, I highly recommend Towa.