Minato Japanese Restaurant

The best place to get japanese comfort food, have been going for years and highly recommend to anyone who likes japanese food! You wont be disappointed. Their service is amazing as well.

I was super excited to try their Bento boxes! And they were good. I wish they did a bit more to the chicken, it seemed a little dry and way too sweet! But! that’s subjective to the individual’s taste. The service is impeccable and timely as well as very homey feel:)

Always enjoyed eating here. Ordered the Bento box dinner with gyoza, tonkatsu, chicken teriyaki and California roll. Tonkatsu batter light and Krispy. Teriyaki sauce tasty but not overbearing.

My favorite place in Jtown. It’s a staple for my family. Been coming here for 30+ years.

We came here a few months ago with friends and were a bit disappointed with the food. However I am happy to say that today’s lunch was very good and that we’ll definitely be back next time we are in Japan town.
My wife and I both had the lunch plate which includes Miso soup, salad and the main course. She had the spicy chicken, though it wasn’t very spicy, but the flavor was really good. It came with sashimi, tuna. Hers also had shrimp which also was very good.
I had the chicken, we both agreed our chicken was very good. It was moist and very flavorful. Mine came with tempura vegetables which included green beans, broccoli and cucumber. I am not usually a big tempura fan because I’m not a fan of deep fried foods. However their batter was light, flavorful and not at all greasy. I ate every bite which is unusual for me. My lunch also came with shrimp which was also cooked to perfection.
I liked the fact that they did NOT overdue the sauce on the chicken, it was just the right amount.
All of the staff were great, very friendly and personable. Not sure if the guy in the yellow shirt was the manager or the owner… but he made sure to stop by and check in on every table in the restaurant. Our waitress was also very attentive and gave us great service.
When we left every table was full, glad to see that business is doing so well here :)
Parking — there’s always been plenty of parking in Japan Town, including this visit. Apparently SJPD has been checking the paid parking meters closely because the staff checked with each guest to make sure they had enough time on their meters. I thought that was a nice touch.

I came for lunch here with my coworker at around 1 PM. It was fairly busy, but we arrived as people started to leave after finishing lunch. Make sure you sign your name at the clipboard when you walk in as the waiters use that to see who came in first.
The restaurant was fairly small, but clean! Our server was very fast at seating us, providing us with our water, and taking our order. The food came out pretty quickly as well. My coworker and I both ordered the lunch bento box specials. She ordered the chicken teriyaki, gyoza, and California roll combination while I ordered the spicy chicken, tempura, and tonkatsu. Each bento lunch comes with rice and miso soup as well as the salad that comes in the box. Each bento was about $ 11. It was pretty decently priced, but my main gripe about the food was that it was cold. My tempura was soggy and not really crunchy or flaky on the outside like how tempura should be. So I was disappointed there. I think maybe I will try a sushi dish instead next time I come here to eat!
There is street parking and make sure you pay for your parking! The waitress will remind you!

Very value oriented Americanized Japanese food. The food is not horrible by any means but it is also far from anything special. Which explains their very casual dynamics, very family oriented (lots of kids) in a very diner-​ish setting.
Their bentos seem to be their draw here. For about $ 15, you get choices of about 3 different meats PLUS rice, edamame, sauted sprouts, gyozas, soup and salad. Everything is in petite portion but the totality is quite a deal.
Grilled items seem to be better executed than fried dishes. Pork Katsu, though properly crisp was kind of dry in the center, so was the shrimp. But grilled chicken dishes remained moist and delectable. Their sauces are not bad either, especially if you’re into that teriyaki thing (not too sweet).
They don’t offer a lot of sushi items, but in what they do, they are good. Mostly maki and sashimi, no nigiris here. But the fish is good and the sushi rice is proper.
The Katsu Curry is a massive portion. Good for the first few bites but gets tiresome after half way through. The sauce is thick and dark with a slight spice. Carb coma central.
Not bad but for the area but I’d rather grub at Kaita or Gombei. Kinda puzzled on why Bourdain ate here on a recent show. Proof that mass media should always be taken with a grain of salt.

MINATO NEVER FAILS! Love this place service is always so nice that I am always able to enjoy my time eating there with friends/​family.
My FAVORITES are the agedashi apetizer, the minato roll, and their bento boxes (which I typically don’t order when going out for sushi). Oh and their salad dressing is perfection!!!
I had their udon a couple days ago and it was just right. A go to place for me.

Food: A–
Service: A–
Cleanliness: A–
Ambiance: B
Menu: B
Location: A
Price: B
Neighborhood style comfort, japanese restaurant. Japanese owned and operated.

The lunch menu food and service = good to good+. The restaurant setup itself was Tony the Tiger™ G-​r-​r-​r-​eat! The experience was good enough to give me amnesia after my «Uhhh…are you next? (No, I’m not.) Are you? (No.) Does anybody know who’s waiting in line last?!?» LOLWTFBBQ waiting line experience at G*mb**. But I digress…
Unilocal™ unhelpfully took someone’s word for granted and inconveniently ended the lunch hour at 1:30pm but it’s been ending at 1:45pm since at least 2007 if not longer, in accordance with prophecy (i.e., our waitress’ eight year tenure here). I’d have a Unilocal™ Moderator hopefully approve my photographic proof of business hours, but to quote Weird AL Yankovic, lately it’s been «as useless as sending JPEG’s to Helen Keller.» Thanks but no thanks, Unilocal™…
There’s a sign-​in sign-​up clipboard + a sign encouraging the use of said clipboard. There’s also signs fretting over you about your parking meter experience. They even may ask (but not us) if you put money in the meter (???).
Their Kid’s Menu earns **tickets** redeemable FOR TOYS. It’s like the Fun Factory™ experience at Westfield™ Oakridge all over again! (Cf. prior review.) Alasably, my co-​worker herded me out of Minato’s™ before I could get a pic. No worries — Sofi P. took a pic back in 2007 (when the lunch hour still ended at 1:45pm), which also happens to be the only pic depicting a pic of the prize area — out of 327 pics depicting pics and pics of redundant pics of everything but this:
Oh yeah, the place is a tad larger than that Anarchist Cookbook place = less waiting, there’s a waiting area that’s walled off from the now nom nom customers and potential clientele, Gene the Owner was incidentally roaming around asking if everything is OK and occasionally helping bus tables, and they take American Express™. Lest you misread that, YES they take American Express™ (the last hurrah of the impending divorce betwixt Costco™ and AMEX™). In fact, I put both my Visa™ and AMEX™ on the table and the server wordlessly picked up BOTH credit cards — as if to say, «Yeah, we can split that onto multiple credit cards.» The server forgot my co-worker’s extra teriyaki sauce but we asked the unbeknownst to us Owner, Gene, and he brought it out to her.
Due to droughty conditions, they obligate you to ask for water refills. However, they proactively asked if I wanted a water refill more than once. Apparently, recognizable camels get more frequent refills.
Since it was unintentionally communicated to the waitress that we were first timers, we freely received the Minato™ Arigato Card for a Free Lunch (where they stamp by the number of entrées vs. per visit!) They have a separate Arigato Card for free dinners but the prerequisites are higher (i.e., Ten vs. Eight entrées, Free Dinner valid only on Tuesdays thru Thursdays vs. the Lunch Card variant).
The food came out fairly quickly too. Gene the Owner claimed that with extended wait times, they are willing to take orders in advance and if necessary then also bring it outside. I was confused by this but I figured I can ask for clarification when I return and see about upping the four stars to 4.5 stars.
This means I’ll be back! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Less than impressive.
Katsu-​don was a ²⁄₅.
–almost tasteless pork
–cheap breading that falls apart
–fake eggs, at least apparent from its consistency
–taste all together is low quality
–relies on the ponzu sauce to even be remotely allowable in my mouth, the only thing that makes this edible is the sodium, and that’s biology, not cuisine.
Unagi was a 2.5÷5. Very. Whatever.
Unagi and vegetable rolls = poorly put together like the katsu-​don.

In A Nutshell:
–Wanted to stop by Minato b/​c one of my favorite people in the world — Mr. Anthony Bourdain recently filmed an episode of «Parts Unknown» featuring SJ Japantown.
–Come early (11:30am when it opens), so you don’t have to wait in a long line.
–The shop owner was super cool and showed us pictures of him and his family when Anthony Bourdain was there on his cellphone.
–The tempura had great presentation and the fried pieces were to die for! Temperature was spot-​on and the crispiness was perfect.
–The «World Famous» spare ribs looked plain, but don’t let the appearance fool you. OMG — the taste and tenderness is what makes these famous.
–If you’re lucky (w/​it being available), ask for the Hamachi Collar. Can you believe you get two large pieces for only $ 10.99? Whoa, that’s a steal and a half. The tuna was so tasty, crispy and moist. This alone will make me come back for more.
Overall, the service was spectacular and the location feels just warm and accepting. It’s reciprocal of the best Japanese restaurants you’d find while traveling in Tokyo!

A few friends of mine were pLanning to do dinner and catch up, we narrowed our options to either Minato’s or Gombei and Minato won.
Parking on a Friday night is pretty nonexistent so say a prayer or two before heading downtown. If that doesn’t work– just make sure you are prepared for a waLk.
We waLk up to the restaurant and there seems to be a good amount of peopLe standing outside. This has to be a good sign right?
Fast forward:
We finaLLy have our name caLLed and I reaLize that aLL the servers are dressed up for HaLLoween as fruits. There was a pineappLe, grape cLuster, and a strawberry. The costumes were creative and cute but that’s pretty much were aLL the positives ended.
Idk where aLL these wonderfuL reviews about «great service» came from but I sure as heLL didn’t see any of it. Our group of four feLt rushed from the very start and aLL throughout our meaL.
Our primary server (the strawberry) handed us menus and expected us to order right away. We ordered our drinks and food and went on catching up with one another.
Our food comes out and she didn’t seem Like she wanted to be there at aLL. She came by a few times asking if we needed anything and each time it was Like puLLing teeth. At first we brushed it off and as it continued to happen– I just got reaLLy annoyed.
Idk what the deaL was but we got the same vibe from the grape cLuster. Each time they addressed us they were not friendLy or weLcoming.
To top it off, the food wasn’t even that great.
We ordered:
Shrimp Tempura RoLL $ 5.99 X2
Teriyaki SaLmon Entrée $ 14.99 X2
Teriyaki Chicken Entrée $ 12.99
Minato Dinner Box $ 15.99
The food was simpLy OKAY. The saLad came out super watered down. The miso soup was saLty.
The Shrimp Tempura RoLLs were good.
Teriyaki entrees were doabLe but I’ve definiteLy had better teriyaki sauce eLsewhere.
WouLd I come back again? ProbabLy not. Service sucked baLLs beyond the owner coming by our tabLe to greet us (@ the end) to see if everything was aLright. Too LittLe too Late in my eyes– I was aLready over the service we received throughout the night.
We were not rude in any way and repeatedLy said «pLease» & «thank you» but that aLL went down the drain. There are waaaay waaaaay better Japanese spots Located in the BAY and in downtown SJ’s Japantown– thanks but no thanks!!!

I’m a fan of Minatos. I have been going there for years. I was quite pleased to see that Anthony Bourdain filmed a segment of Parts Unknown Bay Area there at my regular table .
I rolled there for Dinner in my Work Whip the advantage of driving that whip is I can park in loading zones lol.
I rolled in to Minatos and the Owner Gene greeted me and seated me at my usual table.
I perused the Menu and when my Waitress arrived I ordered the Minato Dinner Special and a Unagi Roll.
The Minato Dinner Special Consists of
Garden Salad
Miso Soup
Tuna Sashimi
Spicy Grilled Chicken
Gyoza
Tonkatsu
Slice of Orange.
My Salad, Miso Soup and Unagi Rolls came out first .
Very Tasty and Kick started my Appetite .
The Waitresses at Minatos are very Attractive and very Attentive .
My Bento Box came out Next. The Portions are very good as is the Quality of food.
Good Flavors and Filled me up.
Minatos also has a Frequent Dinner Card. After a Certain amount of Visits and Stamps you get a meal on the House. Pretty Cool if you ask me .
Minatos is one of the Better Restaurants in San Jose Japantown.
I talked to the Owner Gene about Bourdains visit, He said he was a really nice guy to talk too.
I paid by Credit Card and rolled out .
Another Bourdain Parts Unknown Bay Area Restaurant to add to the List. Lol
What can I say I’m a fan,

It’s…alriiiiiiight.
Came here with a couple friends on Thursday evening right before the dinner rush so we were lucky that we didn’t have to wait. There’s like 5 signs everywhere that say you need to sign in anyways though so you BETTER sign in! The décor looks old-​ish and it’s darker inside the restaurant.
The service was awesome. I think our waitress was a trainee but she still did a good job! Even the owner/​manager came around once to check on everyone.
The food was not that impressive to be completely honest. I ordered the Chicken Chosenyaki which is made with their spicy sauce… but it’s not spicy. If you’re into spicy foods, go for the spicy tuna roll because my friend said that one was «hella spicy.»
All in all though, I wouldn’t mind coming again… it just wouldn’t be my first choice.

If you found this place through Unilocal and read the reviews… let it be known that you should sign in on their list on the right side when you enter the restaurant.
I came here with le boyfriend a few weeks ago because we were looking for japanese bentos for lunch. Just looked at pictures and didn’t read any reviews. When we arrived, we walked straight down the little corridor leading into their dining area. We were politely greeted near the register and asked to go back and sign in at the door. On our trek back we noticed a sign in the corridor and posted around the entrance to kindly put your name down and wait to be seated. Felt a little bad but we were hungry and excited, thus oblivious and had tunnel vision to all these messages. But now we know and did so for our next and future visits. :)
I’ve only been here twice so far for lunch and both experiences have been great! Ordered the lunch Bento Combo C~ with spicy teriyaki. Mind you, that the regular teriyaki and spicy teriyaki are different sauces completely. The spicy teriyaki is garlicky-​sweet-​spicy, but not really spicy. I also really appreciate that the miso soup always comes out piping hot and it’s one of the best miso soups I’ve had. Overall bento’s here are pretty on point, fulfilling with great lunch prices. I don’t remember what the prices for the bentos were exactly, I think $ 11-​$ 14? Don’t remember. I’ll snap a picture next time. But two bentos, a fountain drink, with tax and tip, we paid $ 32. The employees are really nice and attentive as well.

I wonder how this place has such good reviews and rating. The food is super salty and just pure gross
The service is amazing though and the owner is super nice.
Their Katsudon is just pure salt and you can taste the soy sauce more than anything.
The pork cutlet is just soggy and the pork isn’t that great.
Overall, this place is alright. Needs improvements.

My hubby and I went here for Friday lunch and were pleased to see that there was no wait for a table even though there were plenty of patrons inside. Minato is located in Japan Town in downtown San Jose so most parking spots in the area use meters, charging a dollar for every hour. The establishment itself is pretty big with a lot of booths (personally, our favorite kind of table).
The waitress who served us was very sweet and always came by to check on us frequently which was really nice. The owners are also very active in the restaurant, walking around and helping to serve the guests as well. We were very pleased with the welcoming atmosphere Minato offered.
For our food, my hubby ordered the bento box with chicken teriyaki, mixed tempura, and gyoza. I wanted to try something new so I ordered the oyako don which had broiled chicken and eggs, served over rice with a salad and soup as side dishes. The bento box had the same.
Taste wise, everything came out very hot. Presentation was beautiful with the bento box coming out clean and neat, and my oyako appetizing. The portions here, however, are pretty big so my hubby didn’t even touch the rice from his bento and I couldn’t finish the rice from mine. However, flavor wise, everything was well seasoned and the meats were tender.
My hubby thought his gyoza and tempura were perfectly crisp, and his chicken teriyaki had just the right amount of sauce. I also liked the flavor of the rice in my oyako, but I realized a little too late that this is certainly a dish that should be shared with others.
Overall, this is a really great place to grab lunch. Prices are extremely affordable and the service is quick, efficient, and friendly. We will certainly come back.

I met some friends here for dinner recently and had a really good meal. We all started with the traditional miso soup and salad. These were both very tasty. I always love the Japanese salad dressing you get. It seems to taste the same no matter what Japanese Restaurant you go to.
I had the tempura and chicken teriyaki bento. I really loved the tempura. Very flavorful. Good selection of veggies. The chicken though was just ordinary. I have had better teriyaki elsewhere. Also, I was a bit disappointed that I could not substitute the rice for extra salad. I have done that other places with no issue.
Friends had other entrees and liked them. So this was good decent Japanese place, not my favorite, but not bad. Family run. Not busy on a Wed night so no issues getting a table.

We’ve eaten at pretty much every restaurant in Japantown, and Minato falls squarely in the middle of the Japantown spectrum. The food (quality, presentation, price) is not particularly distinguishable from the other Japanese eateries here– all of which are decent for suburbia, but can’t really compete with the legit Japanese heavyweights of SF or the random spots around SJ/​SC (e.g. Gaku, Iroriya). The dinner box is a great bang for you buck. For around $ 15, I got healthy portion of tonkatsu, chicken terikyaki, a few pieces of tuna sashimi, some gyozas, a salad and a miso soup. I was a fan of the tonkatsu– nicely breaded and fried with pork still tender enough inside. Everything else was pretty mediocre.
The service here can be a bit strange. We came around 8 on a Thursday– typically not a crazy time in Japantown where most places close by 9:30. The restaurant was half empty– yet, we still had to put our name down on a clipboard and waited 10 – 15 minutes for a hostess to appear and seat us. The service itself was pretty brusque– our waitress, who appeared to be a high schooler, also had a new hire shadowing her. One would think the service would be particularly helpful and attentive if our waitress was supposed to be a modeling service to someone else.