MIGAKU

My husband and I came to celebrate our anniversary and got seated at the counter, right in front of the chef. We got the kaiseki course. Every dish was exquisite, marked with thoughtful intention—from the thinly sliced sashimi to the decorative herbs and fruit on each handcrafted ceramic plate. Even though we knew the menu structure, we were delightfully surprised with each food item, which rotates monthly. Everything was like edible art. The chef noticed that I was struggling to eat the large sashimi pieces because I kept biting them in half, so he started cutting them in half for me. This speaks to their high level of attention and service. He made us feel welcome and cared for, which made the dining experience that much more enjoyable and memorable. It’s impossible to choose a favorite food item because everything was so delicious. However, I was really impressed with the uni because it was the most creamy I’ve ever had. I usually avoid uni because all the ones I’ve had prior left a foul taste in my mouth, but this one did not do that at all. All the fish were fresh from Japan or other local sources. The chef prepared every sashimi in front of us at the counter. We’ll definitely be back to try other creative menu items.

Great experience for my birthday at Migaku! So many flavors, so much delicious food, and great wine. The presentation and thoughtfulness on the each portion was stunning. Everything was a masterpiece! I cannot wait to go back and will be telling all my friends to go!

The best kaiseki in Seattle (admittedly, only a few restaurants even remotely approach an authentic experience in our city). Having just returned from Japan, we felt that the quality and presentation rivaled kaiseki and kappo ryouri we enjoyed in Kyoto and Osaka. Migaku-san is a young and ambitious chef who is earnestly elevating Japanese cuisine in Seattle (while also running a restaurant in his native Shizuoka prefecture). While his expertise is formally washoku (Japanese cuisine), we throughly enjoyed the edomae style sushi included in our kaiseki. We enjoyed the few liberties he took with Western influences (ours was a well balanced seafood gratin in cored orange). We look forward to supporting his talents and this exciting addition to our community!

Very nice culinary experience, with fresh ingredients from Japan and other places of the world. Food looks simple but the seasoning and flavor were very pleasant surprises. Portion is BIG. Very good value for the price.

Heard that this place was new so I had to give it a try. There were 3 choices that one could choose from at booking, the season kaiseki for $140/pp, the migaku kaiseki for $170/pp, and the chef's special kaiseki for $300/pp. Since it was my first time, I chose the mid tier hoping to get a good baseline. For $170, the price is was on par with some of the well established omakase/kaiseki locations such as LTD Sushi, Sushi Suzuku, and etc. My overall feeling of the night was a mixture of this is just OK and oh that was different. The food unfortunately didn't leave that memorable of an impression on me. Like another reviewer had already mentioned, because there's a mixture of tables and bar seating and what seemed like lack of staff, the chef had to cut all the fish for everyone dining there that night and leave it sitting out for 30-45 min. He presented it on a nice platter, but it was still just sitting out for a long time before they were served. The only piece of fish that I thought was really good and different was the akami served with a touch of honey mustard. The akami was prepared super well, very soft and the honey mustard added an unexpected flavor that I didn't know was going to hit the way it did. So kudos on that. There were also some weird ones like the orange potato au gratin dish that replaced the chawanmushi. It was oddly sweet...and was just really weird and didn't feel like it was a good addition/replacement on the menu. Service wise, our servers were really attentive in terms of removing finished plates and refilling water, but where it really left a bad taste in our mouths was how it felt like we were treated by the head chef. The couple next to us got the $300/pp kaiseki and it felt like they were treated better than us because they had spent more money. The head chef was on their side the whole time, smiling and exchanging playful banter (as much as he could since he wasn't a fluent English speaker) but didn't look at us once. It was only us and the other couple at the bar so you can imagine how awkward this was. I tried many times to make eye contact but felt like his gaze was somehow averted every time. What really hit home was the fact that the person who served us our nigiri at the bar was their hot foods chef that didn't seem to know what he was doing. He had to ask the head chef numerous times throughout the night on whether or not the nigiri was prepped correctly before serving it to us...and he looked like he had trouble handling the nigiri in general. They turned out fine, but it really felt like we were given second class treatment because we paid less. If this place left a better impression on me with the $170/pp option, I was considering going back for the $300/pp option, but after seeing what the other couple got in terms of food and my experience, I think this place is a one time try for me.

Ever since my husband and I experienced the chef’s food here, we made it our tradition to visit every month to taste the best quality Japanese food here at Migaku. The ingredients are always fresh, preparation of the ingredients are always perfect, presentation of food is beautiful, the course menu/flow of the course is well thought out. The dessert is all house-made and beyond amazing. The inspirations the chef transforms into his foods/cooking are extraordinary. Maybe he is so skilled and talented. Ever since we moved to Seattle, we were a bit depressed from all other “not so good” restaurants in the city. Now we are so happy that we have a restaurant like Migaku to visit every month. To the people who are foodies like us will fall in love with the restaurant. We are just so excited to discover his monthly menu and it is our joy to visit and have amazing experience every time. It is my biggest happiness to have a restaurant like this here in Seattle Thank you Chef!

My boyfriend and I came here for my birthday dinner. The courses were amazing made from ingredients from Japan. Chef Migaku Inaba was our chef. He was so fun. A little hidden gem in Ballard

The food is presented really well and tastes amazing. The restaurant is small and has very few tables so it has a very personal feel to it. The service is great and the chef even adds bonus items just for you. Highly recommend this restaurant.

It was one of the best dinning experiences in Seattle! "Sushi Kappo"style is getting popular in Japanese cuisine and it was amazing. Food quality and atmosphere are well worth the price in Ballard neighborhood.

Such a magical dinner experience. So glad this place opened in Bellevue and is still a hidden gem. The food was absolutely amazing, so beautifully plated and presented and also delicious! Will definitely be back for the next special occasion. Definitely make a reservation. Fun fact the owners are the same as karage satsuna in Deltona

I never even been to Karaage Setsuna despite living in Belltown for so long, which chef Migaku. Migaku recently opened up this new spot named after him. I've had omakase before but this is the first time getting kaiseki before so I won't have anything to compare it to. We got the "Migaku Kaiseki Course" and the 3-Sake Selection. I was happy that they showed us the same bottles without asking for them too. Unfortunately there were so many items and I forgot to list them all down. But one thing to note is that they said they would constantly change their menus so each month would be a new experience. I left very content and happy.

A lovely experience end to end, and a feast for visual nerds like myself. The place itself might not look like much, but it is only for the better, as all the attention is on the elaborately prepared and artistically plated kaiseki-style food. The chefs and the whole team are extremely attentive and eager to make you feel comfortable and happy. Given the recency of this place, they are still looking for that goldilocks of what works best for the guests (the amount of attention, the amount of food - spoiler alert, it is a very generous amount of both) but they will get there, I am sure. All in all, a charming spot that very well deserves its spot on the Seattle restaurant map.

The best high end set menu/omakase in Seattle by far!! Every course is beautiful and each component is very different with texture out of this world! I think it's pretty impressive when they make the tofu taste even better than the fish... Service is very friendly and attentive (20% gratuity included :)) The restaurant is very small and simple, super great for a small party or special occasion!

Migaku is amazing. We went to Japan a few months ago and this restaurant transported us back there with the food, atmosphere, and hospitality. We ordered the seasonal Kaiseki menu with 3 sake pairing. The presentation of each course was thoughtful and the taste and ingredients were authentic and delicious. Chef Inaba displayed the perfect hospitality that the Japanese are known for by walking us to the door and saying thank you and goodbye as we left.

Took my wife on a date night here and it was fantastic! Didn't know what to expect as this place replaced Watson's Counter but it did not disappoint. We sat at the bar and it was a very private dining room. The food was beautifully presented and tasted amazing. There was also a great variety. I wouldn't say I'm a big sake fan but I tried the 3-sake tasting and that shocked me how good it was. Didn't realize how nice good sake could taste. Highly recommend if you are looking for a private and fancy meal.