Tanuki Izakaya

Good Japanese izakaya like food served on the upper end of UDistrict. There's rolls, skewers, appetizers, set menus, and drinks! The presentation of the food is on point and the decorations inside are cool! FoodI went late at night and just got some appetizers to munch on while hanging out with my friend and catching up. We got the mentaiko potato, takoyaki, and spicy salmon oshizushi. My favorite was the mentaiko potato as it was crisp and popped a little in the mouth. It also had a good amount of spice to it. The oshizushi was interesting since I hadn't had pressed sushi before but it was good and had a soft texture to it. It was not too spicy. Would eat it again! AtmosphereThe restaurant is very well decorated and nice vibe to it. Pretty chill for a Friday night and it wasn't that crowded or loud at all. Great place to have a low key hangout quietly and grab some good food. PricingPrices are average and worth it overall. ServiceThe servers were nice and friendly. Service was fast and food came out quickly. Other Some street parking is available and might be easier to find compared to the lower end of UD. They also have really nice looking set menu courses and bento boxes!

I don't like being critical on small businesses but the jewel box was really not worth it and extremely overpriced. I got two of those for my friend and I - we didn't even finish it. It was disappointing. I did enjoy the fried oysters and grilled pork belly. I think the rice bowls are the move. If I ever come back, I would probably try the rice and meat items. Would not recommend sushi items.

(3.5/5) tldr: They used to have a lunch special that was very worth it, but it turns out they got rid of it. Now, the food is overpriced.Food (3.5/5): The food was pretty good, but overpriced. I got the gyudon set, and it came with miso soup, a salad, egg pudding, snow fungus soup, and this fried ball. I liked the variety, and the gyudon was pretty delicious. I just don't think this is worth $25 pre-tax and tip. Service (4/5): There was just one waiter, but it was enough since the restaurant wasn't that busy. The service was pretty standard.Ambiance (4.5/5): The restaurant is not that big, but it is well-decorated.

I came here on a Sunday night with my boyfriend and there was no wait and only a few other diners. We ordered the chawanmushi for an appetizer, udon with beef for me, and gyudon for my boyfriend. The chawanmushi was hot and delicious--the egg was covered with some sort of mushroom/truffle/umami sauce and while it doesn't look like much, it was perfectly soft and custardy and the sauce was amazing! Slightly sweet and very flavorful. There were even a few bits of scallop at the bottom--yum. I was feeling slightly under the weather and this was the perfect thing for a cold day. I would give this dish a 5/5.My boyfriend got the gyudon, which he rates a 4/5. His notes: pretty flavorful and plentiful beef, creamy egg, and well cooked rice. However the dish could have been more flavorful overall. When I tried it, I thought it was a little sweet and 1 note.My udon had a good amount of beef and nice chewy noodles. I enjoyed the broth, which tasted pretty standard and comparable to other udon I've had in the area--a bit sweet with hints of dashi(?). The big issue I had with this was the egg--normally I love soft-boiled eggs in hot soup but there was something off about these. They were a bit bland and I ended up not eating them, which is extremely unusual for me. I would give this dish a 4/5, but it's a little on the generous side.I was looking for a place to satisfy my udon craving and this did the job, even though I had a few small notes. Overall I enjoyed the food (I will definitely be getting the chawanmushi again!) and I would come here again.

Came here on a sunny Saturday noon around 1pm. No waiting and we immediately sat down and ordered Unagi sushi roll, Chirashi Don set, and Gyudon set. Despite only one server at the time we got our food pretty fast. The sets came with jelly dessert, a miso soup, two fried shrimps, 3 mini octopus, an egg custard, and the main serving bowl. The dons and sushi were very delicious and the ingredients were fresh. Pretty chill place to have a quick but exquisite set of Japanese meal!

This is a great sushi spot! We had a delicious light dinner. The service was great and everything we ate was fab! We shared seared salmon nigiri and a bowl of sashimi. It was all fantastic. They really catered to gluten free too - we had ordered something else but unfortunately it wasn't gluten free but the kitchen caught this and gave us an alternative! I would definitely recommend coming here. It's a relaxed atmosphere with great food.

Decent izakaya that opens late (which is hard to find actually in Seattle) but overpriced. I went here with a friend spontaneously on a Tuesday an hour before closing for some food. We shared the uni foie gras toast, chawanmushi with ikura add-on, and negima (chicken thigh skewer with scallion) and my friend ordered a chirashi bowl for himself.Uni foie gras toast: $19 for a few small pieces of uni plus seared foie gras is a bit pricey, as it is so tiny it can be consumed in a bite. The toast is good - crunchy throughout, and the uni is decently fresh. The placement is interesting as the uni is on one side and the foie gras on the other. It is nice as a novelty but a rip off to get in a common occasion.Chawanmushi: a tofu with hints of truffle flavor. This is decent, and the ikura pairs pretty well, though the add-on is an extra $5.Negima: the skewer is pretty standard. Nice sauce that goes along (you have the option of sauce or salt). Chirashi: personally have not tried but my friend said it was pretty mediocre and the rice is too sour. The only thing fresh was the salmon. Even if not considering the chirashi, this place still is a 3 stars.We were one of the only two parties in the restaurant late at night, but it was such a hassle to flag down a server to refill water, etc, even paying for the bill. The server just chats and doesn't do his job. For such a pricey restaurant, I expected a lot more in this front as well.

I've had mix feelings about Tanuki. I've had two Friday lunches here, and both times ordered the jewel box. The first time I came.. I was blown away with my jewel box! It has amazing variety of food, quantity was generous... and I couldn't stop raving about it. I couldn't wait to come back again with more people. I came back on another Friday, and wanted to replicate my wonderful experience again. I ordered the same exact thing... and also knowing that it's basically omakase style bento. second time around the variety was lacking.. and I received a lot of fish that I did not enjoy. We also ordered the Uni fois gras the second time.. and did the mistake of not asking for price. Was a bit of a sticker shock when we got the bill $16 per slice. We ordered 5 so it was a $80 dish. It was good, but not sure if it was worth it. We do always enjoyed their chicken karage. Cooked to perfection. Udon was very mediocre at best. I do want to give Tanuki another try.. and hopefully find something I could order... and know it'll always meet my expectations! I really enjoy their yuzu drink too!

This is my second time visiting Tanuki. The first time I was here, it was a 5/5, but the second time, it dropped to a 4/5 because of the service and food quality. The restaurant is relatively small, so I recommend reserving a table instead of waiting 30-45 minutes. It can get busy during dinner, and I can bear a slow service. However, service could be better as we needed utensils and had to remind them to refill our water. I love the presentation of the food, but the taste and quality did not match up to the first time I was here. The pork katsu was a bit dry and bland compared to the first time when it was crispy and juicy. The unagi don set was flavorful, and I would get seconds.

A splurge for me to come here as it's a little pricey (almost $30 a set), but it's definitely worth it!Their sets are a must get! You choose your main dish, which we ordered their oyakodon and sakedon. But the most unique thing is their side dishes! You're given salad, croquette, pickles, egg soufflé (to die for), and dessert. It has changed every time I've visited, so it's quite a surprise! But it never disappoints.