Minato Japanese Restaurant

can't believe i haven't written a review for this place yet, but time flies. been coming to this restaurant for about 10 years until i moved to the south bay where it quickly became a weekly treat. Service/staff are great and the food is even better. They do something different with their salad dressing and teriyaki sauce, and its delicious. I don't know how they do it, but they always seem to find the sweetest oranges throughout the year. Parking is a bit limited during peak times so plan accordingly and remember to pay the meter until 6pm! (ask me how i know, there's plenty of signage and staff even reminded me when i came in)

Went here with my family for dinner and it reminded me of the small restaurants in Japan. When you enter, you write your name on the waitlist and there are a few chairs for you to wait inside. The wait was around 15 minutes on a weeknight, not too bad. The portions here are huge and the prices are affordable. Not too many places make good bento boxes, but this one stands out!Food: 10/10 First, each person gets a side salad and a small bowl of miso soup which was good. We ordered bento boxes, Minato roll, and tempura udon. The portions here are huge and I like that the bento box has a little bit of everything. We ordered several bento boxes and got terriyaki chicken, bean sprouts and edamame, california roll, tonkatsu, sashimi, spicy chicken, gyoza, and an orange slice. The bento boxes came with a bowl of rice too. The Minato roll was really flavorful and a bit of spice. My mom and I shared a bento box and the tempura udon because it was a big portion and we wanted to try more items. The udon broth was very flavorful. The tempura portion they gave us was huge, with really big shrimps! Ambiance: A decent amount of tables. It is a family owned restaurant and they are very nice and checked in on how we were doing. There's street parking nearby. We liked the taste of the teriyaki chicken more than the spicy chicken. I highly recommend this spot to share a meal with family and friends!:)

A classic Japanese restaurant here in San Jose's Japantown!I have to say I was impressed with their solid lunch offerings at some great pricing too. A lot of their lunch sets were in the $14 - $17 which is really unheard of, so kudos to Minato for keeping prices great.I'm plant based so while the menu doesn't directly mark any items as vegan, they do have a Tofu & Vegetable Steamer Basket ($14). It includes a small side salad (no dressing or substitute for ponzu), two dipping sauces, and rice (which you can order more of!)The steam basket was surprisingly filling. I appreciate the added tofu and veggies and my ability to use as much or little sauce as I like with my food. They were quick to come out and the servers were very friendly and helpful.I'd definitely come back for that tofu set again if we're eating out here again in the area.

First time here and won't be the last! Located in the heart of J town San Jose, this quaint little restaurant is a must eat! The tempura crunch factor is perfection. The bento box has enough variety to have a taste of all things yummy! Great service, love the fact the owner comes around to check on the customers. Why can't all restaurants be like Minato!

Quaint little restaurant in Japantown, we had planned to go elsewhere for dinner, but someone saw us eyeing the menu and highly recommended it, so we decided to give it a try. I really, really liked the ambience of the restaurant. I don't think it has undergone any updates in years and gives off midcentury vibes with the gold-veined mirrors lining the walls, but I dig it. The food was tasty, service was fast. I would go back more often if I lived closer.

This time I tried the pork katsu don buri and was not disappointed. Very tasty! Nicely cooked egg with onions. There is a ton of rice in this dish so if you're hungry, this is for you. Our other dish was hamachi sashimi (yes, only hamachi) with tempura. Both were very delicious. And the salad dressing is good too. I asked about it and they make it themselves. Wouldn't give me any secret recipe though. HahaEven when they first open, u less you were at the top of the list, it takes a little while to get seated and order. But that's how they control the pace. Once you order, food is fast!

Just a quick update since I've been to Minatos a handful of times this year. All of the standards still hit, we old timers always feel welcome, AND they still honor those frequent diner stamped cards, if you have any of those in your wallet. Thanks, Minato's!

Small, family-run Japanese restaurant that I've frequented several times now. Enter and put your name on the clipboard/list hanging by the entrance and wait your turn. Feel free to grab a drink next door while you wait but bring their glass back! I have had their bento box combo yet but opted for their sashimi and steak teriyaki style combo. I really liked their tuna but you have a yellow fish option as well. It's a thin steak so I opted for medium rare, and while the first one came out well done, they were quick to make it right. The order comes with a salad and miso that makes it a refreshing and complete meal. I needed to try the ribs - very flavorful but more boiled/steamed rather than baked. Meat was fall off the bone and nice sauce! Very comfy and I can why regulars come back frequently. Service was attentive by all. Younger staff running plates, refilling drinks. Matron taking orders. Patron checking on guests and filling in where needed. I'll be back. Enjoy!!

Wow! Great food, amazing service, and even better price! This is a small sushi restaurant in Japantown. The place feels like a homey Asian household. It's a bit cramped since they don't have much seating.I got the chicken teriyaki (4.5/5) + tempura plate (5/5) which was amazing. You pay $20 for the whole thing and you get a shocking amount of tempura. They could give you more chicken though. I'd prefer to get a little less tempura and more chicken. The miso and salad was great as well. I'm not usually a fan of miso but this was good.My bf got the dinner bento (chicken teriyaki, chicken katsu). The chicken gyoza (5/5) was great. The katsu I thought tasted good as well--nice and crispy breading, great flavors all around. The katsu sauce was also really good.Everyone has to try this place at least once. I don't think you can go wrong with their plates or their bento!

Stumbled upon this place while looking for dinner spots in the areaThe place was busy upon arrival around 5:30 on a Friday, but we didn't have to wait too long for a table of 5Be sure to pay for the meters because the area is well monitored apparentlyThe menu has a lot of option -- I had decision paralysis and ended up getting the world famous teriyaki spareribs while the rest of the group ordered boxesThe spareribs were ok but not something I'd order again -- some bites were a bit tough, but I guess the portion size is decent at least?I got to try bits of the boxes from others and liked thoseThe folks there are quite attentive and offered rice refills, but I didn't take them up on it as I had plenty of rice alreadyWould go back if I'm in the area but would probably get a bento and try the tempura too since we saw a bunch of other table order tempura