Migaku

Migaku reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. R

   Rumi

   Seattle1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 22, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   Every single piece of the course was incredibly authentic Japanese from the ingredients and flavoring to the demonstration. I'm from Japan and completely felt I was eating back in Japan.
   

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2. S

   Sarah

   Seattle9 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Incredible food and service, it was like dining with a private chef of the highest caliber. We will be back!
   

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3. K

   Kurt

   Detroit3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 12, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing experience for our entire family and will return! Recommend counter seating
   

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4. S

   Sherri

   San Francisco4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 8, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We had an unbelievable experience at Migaku. We did the seasonal kaiseki and the food was outstanding. The settings, attention to detail and service were all impeccable. It’s a very small and intimate place. Very quiet. An absolute hidden gem in Ballard. Don’t let the size or location fool you. It’s a great experience and well worth the price.
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Seattle2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 18, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Lovely experience overall. Very intimate setting and very friendly staff. The chef was also a delight. The courses were all so interesting and beautifully presented. The quality of the food and ingredients were delicious and made for a great dinner experience for our special occasion. They change their menu monthly so we’re excited to come back to try it again. Would highly recommend!
   

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6. TH

   ThaoH

   Seattle5 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Very polite and thoughtful server. Price and value of food can’t be beat compare to other spots that offer omasake definitely a recommended restaurant for those who are looking for a more affordable omasake place that doesn’t want to leave hungry.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Seattle1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 9, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Amazing and intimate dining experience with Inaba-san. Preparation and presentation were superb!!! Definitely be back soon!!!
   

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   MigakuResponded on March 12, 2025

   Thank you for your kind words! Owner-chef Migaku takes great pride in bringing authentic Japanese cuisine to Seattle. He carefully selects not only Japanese ingredients but also the finest local ingredients, embracing the changing seasons to create each dish. He is constantly pursuing the fusion of Japan’s rich traditions with innovation in Seattle, pushing the boundaries of Japanese cuisine. We hope you’ll look forward to its continued evolution. We look forward to welcoming you again!
   

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8. T

   Trey VIP

   Seattle28 reviews

   1.0

   Dined on March 8, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   The experience was bizarre, from having our hand cleanser remain on the table through multiple courses, to having our take-away wrapped in aluminum foil. We had no interaction with the chef; who smiled a lot but did not engage the room at all. Whether it was seeing the pre-made wagyu slices emerge in Saran Wrap, or having almost every course delivered from behind us instead of the counter, we knew that this experience is one we’d really never forget. Was the food nice? Yes. But it was hard to enjoy it when everything else was so unpredictable and uninspiring. #sad. Migaku's response - complete lies and obfuscation. Rather than admit their egregious service errors, they pretend that what I wrote didn't happen. So, I will reinforce it. "Hand Sanitizer vs. wet towels vs cleanser" isn't the point. We all agree the point of them is to CLEANSE the hands, and they stayed at our table for ten minutes or more, a point Migaku doesn't refute. Question: have you ever had your 'towel/cleanser' sitting next to you for ten+ minutes? Us neither. Second, they did not admit that they prepared our takeaway wrapped in aluminum foil. I posted an actual photo of it, and yet they still denied it. Why not admit the fail? Finally, one sign of a failing restaurant is an unwillingness to be truthful in online responses. For example, Team Migauku - you’ve told us some amazing things about your prep area and kitchen and said that you have posted details and pictures online, which is 100% false. So, please feel free to post a picture of your kitchen and prep area to show us how wrong I am. As of today, March 20th, there is no picture of your kitchen or dangerously unsanitary prep area on any website. Please feel free to post a photo of your kitchen and prep area. Update: It's now April 7th. Migaku has never posted a picture of their kitchen and prep area for a good reason. It's awful. Be careful out there, folks, the kitchen doesn't meet code.
   

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   MigakuResponded on March 17, 2025

   Thank you for visiting our restaurant and sharing your feedback. We truly appreciate it and strive to provide the best dining experience. To ensure a comfortable environment, we do not provide hand sanitizers at tables but offer wet towels at each seat. For takeout, we currently offer To-Go Boxes. Our wagyu dishes are seared in the kitchen, finished with residual heat, and plated by our owner, Migaku, before being served. At the sushi counter, Migaku serves sushi directly, while other dishes are brought to each seat by our servers. We also share photos and videos of our food and kitchen on our website and Instagram. We will continue to refine our service and strive to provide an even better dining experience. Thank you again for your valuable feedback. The MIGAKU Team
   

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9. SC

   SusanC

   Seattle3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 3, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Visited chef Migaku Inaba’s new restaurant “Migaku” in Ballard last night. Our family once visited chef Inaba’s restaurant in Japan back in winter 2023, hence I am very happy seeing him expanding his culinary influence into U.S. so we get to experience more variety of Japanese cuisines here in Seattle. All the plates, glasswares, and bowls are great representation of Japanese craftsmanship, very artistically designed. Food presentation is top notch and one can tell the chefs spent a lot of time on every dish with the upmost attention to detail. The course is extremely filling, be sure not to wear tight pants when coming here. There are Miyazaki A5 Wagyu throughout the course, starting from Wagyu sushi, wagyu chawamushi, and then grilled Wagyu with lobster. Definitely a rich meal suited for people with big appetite. The warm soup dish in March is a delightful scallop and snapper tofu, full of umami and it gracefully absorbs all the flavor from the broth. Sashimi sits on a beautifully carved daikon flower placed on top of an ice igloo. Appetizers are stunning too, not to mention the grilled wagyu and lobster. Macha cream daifuku with strawberry was a perfect finish. The whole course is a high standard representation of Japanese hospitality . Decent sake menu, and price for sake is very reasonable. Definitely recommend! Parking here is somewhat challenging, would recommend allowing some more time before meal to find parking space.
   

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10. TH

    ThomasH VIP

    San Francisco1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    Great atmosphere, amazing food preparations, and knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive staff. If you are wanting to experience a kaiseki meal exactly as you would in Japan, Migaku is the place to go!
    

    MigakuResponded on March 5, 2025

    Thank you for your wonderful review! We are honored that you appreciated the authenticity and dedication behind our kaiseki experience. At MIGAKU, our course menu evolves each month, reflecting the beauty of the changing seasons. We carefully select ingredients at their peak to create a dining experience that embodies the essence of Japanese cuisine. We look forward to welcoming you again to share another season’s flavors. The MIGAKU Team
    

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