moto-i

My friend and I had lunch here on a weekday. The restaurant was very calm without many customers. We both ordered the mushroom ramen. It was very flavorful , but for those who are sensitive to heat, I suggest ordering this dish asking them to be light on the chili oil. Our waiter was attentive and prompt to help. We will be back!

I came to Moto-I for my birthday and the ambience was amazing and chill. The ramen had amazing flavor, the sake is made in-house and was amazing but be 21+. We also ordered the rangoon and pork belly appetizers were amazing with great flavors.

The food was so delectable, and the cocktails were unique and delicious. I went in wanting an experience and not wanting to make a million decisions. The bartender was knowledgeable, made good recommendations and provided a guided experience through both food and drink. Every person I interacted with there was warm and knowledgeable. I will definitely come back the next time I'm in town.

We came here on a double date, so little a few items to share. The ramen was fantastic, definitely a highlight! The donuts were tasty as well, a perfect end to the evening. I really enjoyed the mocktails, they were flavorful and with a tiny little kick of their own, a genuine treat. I was not as impressed with with pad Thai, nor the appetizers, which seemed a bit generic and bland, but the others seemed to enjoy them, and they weren't bad, just boring to me. Staff were great, and the atmosphere was lively. The rooftop patio was beautiful, with a cool breeze and light chatter from our neighbors. I would definitely come here again!

Great experience! I really like the overall ambience. It’s low lighting which makes conversation more intimate and personal. The server was very attentive and informative. She answered everything very detailed and provide recommendations from her person experience. I ordered the classic ramen as well as the crispy chicken steamed buns. The crispy chicken steamed bun was absolutely amaaaaaazing! It was so flavorful. I would return solely based on the steamed buns! The ramen was pretty good as well. The ramen was super flavourful and filling. I’ve had slightly better ramen but this is a solid option. I also ordered the sake flight which was really great options. I probably wouldn’t return due to the endless restaurant options in Minneapolis but if I did I would definitely order a steamed buns again.

went here for the first on a date night with my boyfriend, and our already high expectations were blown out of the water. the food was spectacular. first, we each got an agedashi tofu bun. the pickled celery and mayo added a fantastic pop of flavor; at the same time, the steamed bun, microgreens, and tofu made for a lovely texture. for my entrée, i had the pork abura ramen. although it's a brothless dish, there was plenty of moisture binding the dish's flavors together. i damn near cleaned the bowl. for my drink, i ordered the goodluck cocktail – which goes down very smooth, tastes amazing, and left me feeling blushy and warm. everything from service, to presentation, to taste was well-deserving of five stars. no notes. we'll be back!

A charming, cozy Japanese restaurant/bar. My favorite food is the house made steam buns, specifically the crispy chicken. These sandwiches are freshly made and absolutely delicious! For appetizers, you can't go wrong with the karaage chicken bites. The dipping sauce is the bomb! For drinks, I was never really impressed. The beer is nothing special. I did try the Strykers best bloody, and I couldn't finish it. That cocktail was too salty and didn't taste good.

excellent sake and food! they take the time to explain the sake and even talk to you a bit about the sumo on the TVs if you are interested in learning more

I was in uptown bar hopping for my birthday and decided to revisit Moto-I. I will say the vibes are way better than what I experienced years before. We went towards the end of happy hour just to grab a drink so we sat at the bar. The bartender was doing almost all the functions and serving tables outside of the bar area. She was great. It wasn't busy at all but she was very attentive and got things done. I got the Good Luck cocktail. It was like a flavored mojito, I liked it. When the check came she gave us cute postcards and she said if we filled them out they would mail them. It was cool and cute. I ended up keeping one and my mom filled one out for my bday. I got it in the mail about a month later. It was very nice of them to mail it.

Delicious rangoon appetizers, fantastic sake flights, and some of the best ramen in town. The only things I'd change are: maybe a little softer music, and a little more light. One of the darkest restaurants I've experienced. (Thank goodness for phone flashlights.)

I can't praise this place enough. It is my happy place. I've been coming here since I moved to Minneapolis, and I will come here until I die or they close, whichever happens first. Been having a challenging week, and came here early Saturday afternoon for brunch. It is like going to a far less expensive spa, a total reset button.

Really nice spot, went for a birthday dinner and greatly enjoyed the food and the Sake. Great service, I am mainly knocking off a star because it was pretty dark where we had been seated. But the food and the vibes were great!

I have always wanted to come here and I was excited to have lunch with a friend there. The food however was mid at best. I had the mushroom ramen and it was ok but I asked for a lot of flavor and felt it lacked that flavor punch I wanted. The JFC was better and very flavorful. The slaw that came with it was fairly spicy. Our server was excellent and advised of 12% service charge in advance. He also told us they were having an anniversary party this weekend. It's a dark dining room. There is no designated parking so be prepared to find street parking.

Amazing food, drink and atmosphere! Great prompt and friendly service :) Curry ramen is back on the menu permanently which I love. The rangoons are fantastic! And the yakiudon is one of my favorite options for noodles

We had a lovely experience at Moti-i. They were kind enough to reserve us a rooftop space despite not normally doing this. I appreciated that they cared to make this dinner special for my sister who was the bride-to-be! We did have to sit at two separate tables which wasn't super ideal for our big group, but ultimately it worked out just fine and we understood that they were doing their best. It was very hot at the time of year we went, so some fans might have been nice as well, but again we made it work! The food was excellent. The Benny Buns are a MUST and the drunken noodles had us raving. We had a few guests try sake flights as well and that was super fun. Highly recommend and would return!

Delicious meal and cocktails with a very cool and cozy ambiance. A great place for a date night or dinner with friends.

I've been to moto-i several times and really love it, but it took me a few tries to figure out the best things to order. Food - I've tried lots of things here including appetizers, brothless ramen, mushroom ramen, and bibimbap. The main item that really stands out to me is the steamed buns. They're one of the most affordable items on the menu ($6 each) and in my opinion, they are far more delicious and flavorful than any of the main entrees. My personal favorite is the mock duck steamed bun. Drinks - The cocktails here are a bit on the sweet side for me so I usually get sake, wine, or the strykers best bloody. The bloody mary is really delicious and a bit different from the standard with the nori and togarashi. Moto-i is also a sake brewery so if you like sake, it's a great place to try stuff. My favorite on the menu right now is called the mioko. Ambiance - The ambiance here is great for date night, late night drink, or dinner with friends. They have good mood lighting and a nice environment without it feeling stuffy. This place is also 3 levels and it's kind of fun to explore. Service - I've received pleasant and friendly service here every time that I've been. Events - My favorite event here is fantasy sumo. There's 6 main sumo tournaments in Japan every year and moto-i has a fantasy sumo tournament whenever they happen. They charge $15 to join and it includes a free sake. Then you fill out your sumo bracket and submit it. If you're in the top 3, then the prizes are pretty good. They also have tasting events which I've heard good things about.

I'm visiting my son in MN This place has the cutest rooftop seating area! The string light give a very cozy vibe at night. They have music playing,but, you can hear each other talking (you don't have to shout to be heard). The service was efficient and thorough. My only complaint if of the seating, we were seated at a wooden picnic style bench and it was super unforgiving (very uncomfortable on the backside) so be prepared for that. I ordered the Classic Ramen which had a delicious broth,soft boiled egg and the noodles were delicious! I wish I had taken a picture before I inhaled them :-) we made a reservation because there were seven of us,but, other folks behind us with larger parties were showing up without one and were seated with no problem, so I don't think they're absolutely necessary. Our reservation was for 6 o'clock, and by 7:15. The rooftop was pretty well full. So I would suggest if you don't have a reservation perhaps go between six and seven.

Very unique and tasty food and drink. We love their hand crafted sake. We will definitely go back!

Went here for brunch on a Saturday. Greeted right away, ordered Bloody Mary's which were the best I've had. Coffee was fresh and hot. Ordered different plates to share. Everything was excellent. We had ramen, Rangoon, steamed buns, miso soup, and more. Good size portions, we left satisfied. Definitely recommend. Nothing like this in the northeast!

I had a pretty good dinner here! We sat up on the rooftop and it was a fun spot. I ended up getting the drunken noodles and the chicken bun. The drunken noodles were super good! They had great flavor and had some spice. The shrimp in it was some really nice large pieces too which I appreciated! The chicken bun was a little underwhelming, I wouldn't get this again, just kind of bland. I will for sure come back for the noodles though. The service here was pretty good, we got our food pretty fast. Overall, worth coming get for dinner! Prices are very reasonable too.

This restaurant is three different levels, one of which is a rooftop! The service was super fast, and although we felt like we've had better rum, and it definitely wasn't bad. The pork has a very smoky flavor almost like barbecue.

Seems like some of the negative reviews here are from service related misses. I ordered for delivery via DoorDash so I can't comment there. We ordered the Thai fried rice with pork shoulder and shrimp and the drunken noodle with chicken. The fried rice had a little heat, some from black pepper, some from something I couldn't nail down. Generous amount of green onions, carrots, rice noodles (i think?) and other ingredients. I was curious about the pork shoulder as in a Chinese takeout context this would be char sui- which is typically lower fat loin meat and wildly inconsistent in quality. The shoulder was braised like carnitas but with a different spice profile. The fat was all rendered so it was just large tender chunks. Fantastic and surprising. The shrimp was grilled and seasoned well and not overcooked. Overall, this was about as good a version of fried rice as you could expect. Will get again. If I had to complain it would be as the dish cooled down, it got a little greasy. Maybe better if the fat was dialed back my by maybe 20%. The noodles went into the fridge for now so I'll have to report back later there.

We always come here when we visit our daughter. Food is incredible! Love the outdoor dining area. Staff is always attentive. Love this place!

had eleanor as my server the other day their recommendations and attentiveness were a breath of fresh air she was INCREDIBLE. Crispy chicken bun INCREDIBLE.

If you like Asian cuisine this place will not disappoint. It has a good selection of Japanese whisky and Sake. Very attentive bartenders and overall great environment to hang out or bring a date to.

I came to moto-i and we seated ourselves at the bar. We were promptly given waters and greeted by polite and attentive staff. We ordered a sake flight which comes with three 2-oz pours of their own sake. It was my first time having cold sake (they do have a hot option), and they were great! The three flavors I chose were light and crisp in flavor and went down smoothly! The food was also delicious, though the ramens could have more flavor. The best way to eat them was to duel wield the spoon for broth and the chopsticks for the noddles and mix ins. We were big fans of the agedashi tofu bun but there could have been more filling in it for the size of the bun. The ambiance was very moody with a somewhat rustic/industrial combo with elements of Japanese culture. Overall very unique restaurant with good food and service, and ample options for vegetarians!

Eleanor was awesome sauce. Keep it up. Food rocked, Sake went down east. Cheers from Montana

Had a wonderful time! It's been a tradition with my buddy every time he visits. Eleanor did an excellent job!

Stopped by Moto-I for the first time last week when the weather was still good enough to enjoy a dinner on the rooftop. The venue is really cool where there are several floors you can eat on which all have their own style and decor and is pretty unique compared to all of the other Minneapolis restaurants I've been to so far. The service was not the greatest, the waiter was not very friendly or attentive which I think was a result of the rooftop being a bit overcrowded. Onto the food, we got a few appetizers for us all to share - Rangoon, Maitake gyoza, and pork belly bites. Highly recommend all of these, my favorite was the pork belly bites - super tender and flavorful and the best part of the meal. For the main course, I had the classic ramen which was a pork broth with pork belly again. It was pretty good, but pretty spicy which is okay for me. However, someone at my table asked in advance if it was spicy and the waitress said no, and then they were unhappy with their dish. That being said, I've had better ramen at a lot of other places in the Twin Cities, but not a bad choice for the vibes. For dessert, I finished off with some red bean mochi which I forgot to take a picture of. Yummy as always.

Eh. Having been to tens of dozens of ramen places, this probably makes it to the bottom half of my list. Out of the five places I have had in the Twin Cities, this makes it the lowest. I got the classic ramen ($16) which came with shoyu broth and pork belly. The pork belly pieces were actually really good, but the soup was definitely lacking body, depth, and flavor. Overall just pretty bland. And the gyoza was also not the best tasting. Everyone on Yelp raved about it, but to me and my friends, we just found it a bit too salty. However, the vibes and decor of the place are super cute! A great place to grab a drink with friends and try some other fusion Asian food. Plus the service was great!

One of the few but amazing ramen places I've been to in Minneapolis. In a split decision, we ended up stopping at Moto-I after a long day of walking places. It quickly became extremely worth the trip for how welcoming our waiter was, how red-velvet-fancy the restaurant had been for two grubs. It was the perfect ambiance and the food filled our appetite for the day.

First time checking out Moto-I the fryer was broken this evening but the menu had plenty of other options! I started out with a whiskey cocktail made with their house made sake and a pork shoulder bun, the pork was juicy and had a nice flavor. The pork abura was a broth less ramen which I had never tried before but I enjoyed it and the soft poached egg once broken and mixed in gave the noodles a nice hearty coating. This is the perfect meal for a cold rainy day. My cousin got the original ramen and wasn't very pleased with it. The flavor of the broth was too light for her palate and made the entire dish seem bland. The server and manager came over and were helpful and considerate of the difference in tastes between people and she was able to get a refund for the ramen. The service was a little slower at times but it's cool there's a button to press when you need assistance. We didn't press it for awhile but ended up using it and still waited a little bit as it had gotten busier around dinner time. Overall I would come back and loved seeing sumo wrestling on tv and the place had a nice darker vibe!!

Kaz made my partner and i's experience absolutely memorable. They were so friendly, conversational and overall just a good person! 11/10 would recommend

Kaz was absolutely amazing. Bubbly personally and so nice. Food was absolutely amazing too, made to our special request with no judgement. The ambiance was relaxing and calming. Very welcoming space.

This has been a place I've heard about from colleagues and have been curious to try it. It has been lowest of priority until I saw it had a Restaurant Week deal. Reached out ahead of time to Moto-I to see if there were any ways to make the experience extra special especially with a birthday party but didn't hear back. This should've been a red flag. A few days passed and we're ready to experience this restaurant. We were seated on the rooftop and the servers were unresponsive. When we asked for the Restaurant Week menu, they said the rooftop doesn't serve and you would have to go to main dining. Again, another red flag. Went downstairs to the dark dining room and were seated. Restaurant week menu looked fairly simple and straightforward. The five of us each ordered our dishes and now we're excited. Dishes came and they already started messing up the orders. We had missing dishes and had to follow up with the staff. This caused a domino effect of constant scrambling by the team and just pure chaos. The food itself was bleh. The miso soup was just chicken broth with sugar, the vegetable salad was not good, and the soba noodles tasted like cat food. Besides the Koji Wings (4.5/5) and Tonkatsu Ramen (3.5/5), the overall meal (and experience) was horrific. On top of that, I wish there was a paper receipt with line item breakout because pricing was definitely whacky. Overall, I'm glad we finally tried this place to know to not return again.

Was in the mood for asian good and decided to give Moto-I a try. My friends and I sat at the rooftop patio area. Service was good, food tasted great and ambience was there. I ordered a bibimbap, i would say flavor wise it was a 3-star dish. Definitely was a big portion and could have taken it home as well. My favorite was the pork belly bun, small bite yet so full of flavor and so SOFT. Another favorite was the mocktail drink options they have! So good and refreshing. Next time I hope to try out the ramen or stick to buns and mocktails.

This place is more of a fusion restaurant than a traditional ramen place. All of the dishes are very flavorful and unique so I prefer getting the pork abura ramen over the traditional ramen as I feel like there are better places with slightly cheaper prices for traditional ramen. The draw of this place, for me, are the appetizers and pork belly bun. Their rangoons are absolutely delicious as well as the gyoza and crispy pork belly bites. My absolute favorite dish is their pork belly bun - the pork belly is soft and flavorful and the yuzu marmalade gives the meat some sweetness that is honestly heavenly. A must have at this restaurant. This place can get crowded especially in the evening so I would recommend getting a reservation if you can. Parking can be a little hard around this area in uptown so I would recommend just grabbing a spot a few blocks down and walking a couple minutes to the restaurant. Also in the warmer months they have their rooftop patio open which is always fun.

The service from holly was very attentive and welcoming but the ramen itself wasn't very flavorful and it was really really oily in my opinion. The location is very modern and has beautiful artwork and candle lit tables!

I would rank higher (and actually kind of want to rank lower) due to the service charge bullsh!t. I am fine with a forced gratuity, or high prices... but a service charge and a note that says it is NOT for gratuity is crap. That said, the food and drink were really good. Odd highlight was the edamame which was served in some sauce and seasoning that was fantastic. Odd low light was the pork steamed bun, which was just OK.

WOW. The mushroom ramen dish was freaking incredible. It was bursting with flavor and was satisfying in every way.

What a spectacular experience! Moto-i is a truly beautiful restaurant and sake house with rich colors and textures and a vibe that is both tranquil and vital. We were very happy with the service: our server was friendly, helpful, and exceptionally knowledgeable about sake production. (Indeed, he was part of the origin story of the favorite from the flight.) Speaking of flights, sake lovers and neophytes will be impressed by the number of offerings of not only sake but also creative sake cocktails (I loved my Hometown Hirō. It was beautiful to behold and very refreshing.) We tried many of the offerings and loved them all. The tofu lettuce wraps were some of the best I've had, with pristine Bibb lettuce cupping crisp bean sprouts, cilantro, and scallions with fried tofu and sweet chili sauce combining into a perfectly balanced bite. The gyoza were absolutely luscious as well: savory and a bit sweet thanks to five spice, they're enrobed in a slightly slippery sauce that clings to the dumpling wrapper so that each bite has just the right amount. These are of limited availability, so order yours early! Our favorite of the non-entree items were the Brussels sprouts. Do not miss these; they are easily the best treatment of the ingredient I've tasted, and I'm mad that it took me this long to find it. The mix of wasabi and honey bring out the natural bite and sweetness of the fried sprouts. Fresh radish slices amplify the bite, and the spicy peanuts offer additional layers of sweet, salty, and spicy (not to mention another texture). This is all served with a generous amount of the magic that is qp mayo. (IYKYK; I'm sure it contains at least 30% angel song.) My companions also enjoyed the pork belly bun (which disappeared with alarming haste, I must say). For our entrees, my dining companions had the classic ramen (which they deemed a winner). I had the vegetarian bibimbap, and I truly loved it! A clever riff on the classic Korean rice dish, this take featured ingredients that don't make it onto your usual version, including smoky mushrooms, bright pickled red onions, and the proffered fried tofu. Stab the poached egg and stir quickly too let the hot rice cook it. The yolk, oil, and kochujang will enrobe every last bite, and fill you with bliss. Nobody had room for dessert, but house made mochi means we must soldier on. I had the red bean, and they had the black sesame. The flavor of red bean was clear but not overpowering, and the mochi was beauty executed: just the right ratio of mochi to ice cream, exactly the right texture, and light enough to be the perfect end to a fabulous meal.

Food and service was good. We went there for rooftop seating and was told it was closed because of rain. It wasn't raining out. It was a beautiful night that was ruined because someone didn't want to work the rooftop. The restaurant next door had people on there rooftop. In hindsight we should have left and went next door

Tofu was cooked perfect. Crispy outside. Fresh veggies, Bibb lettuce. Sweet chili sauce. Pickle platter was ok. Kimchi fell flat but the pickled carrots were good. Food review is 3. Service was awesome and very knowledgeable of the sake they serve. Service was a 5.

Ok, hear me out. If moto-i was just known as a small plate Japanese food and cocktails place I think I would easily rate them a 5/5. The small plate and drinks here are fire! The jfc is definitely a really great fried chicken- it's flavorful, nice batter and 3 pieces is definitely not enough! The sake here is also like with a good variety for what you can find in MN. The service here is also really friendly! But everything else like the ramen and rice bowl lacks a lot of flavor and I wouldn't recommend it even if the presentation is nice. Maybe I'm being a little harsh but because it's a ramen place first I felt like 3/5 was the most true to how I feel about this place. It is a hot spot for a lot of MN folks it seems so I would still suggest trying this place maybe for happy hour at least once if you're in Uptown.

When Moto-i opened 13 years ago it was a pioneer and the first sake brewery in the US. It's still a cool, unusual place serving an interesting product. But it's also in the heart of a (now) bro-y area and, accordingly, serves sugary cocktails and bland food. We got a sake tasting flight ranging from cheap to most expensive. Naturally, the most expensive sake was by far the best tasting. That said, the stuff here is strong and I found myself preferring a beer instead (get the Modist Supra, which is a Japanese-style rice lager made in Minneapolis). Moto-i labels its vegan food options and has many options, but their food isn't that good. The agedashi tofu bun ($5) is bland and the mayo ruins it. The Idaho handcut fries ($8) sound amazing but are also starchy and bland. Stray Dog, a bar in NE Minneapolis, serves togarashi tater tots which are far better. Similarly, the tofu lettuce wraps ($6.50) are simultaneously bland, sticky and sweet, covered in a horrible sugary sauce. The Thai fried rice, made vegan ($11) is a bland, starchy dish. I did manage to improve the leftovers by adding more Japanese spices, garlic and onion powder. Lastly, the mushroom ramen made vegan ($14) is a one-note dish of mushroom broth and nothing else. I'd stop by Moto-i for its cool vibe, its great rooftop patio and maybe its sake. If you're looking for better food, head elsewhere.

Service was good and ambiance was nice if a little loud, but the food was ok. The bibimbap bowl I would especially eschew next time tho the dandan noodles, for MN spice level, were good.

I wasn't into the food as it didn't seem flavorful to me. The service and ambiance were nice though.

Located close to uptown with a roof top. The view and breeze is great for a date night or casual hanging out. Friends from out of town really enjoyed it. They have paper menu and a button that you can press when you need service (they have this usually at all you can eat Korean bbq or hotpot places) so it's nice. Decided to get a mocktail from one of the cocktails list. It tasted great and honestly similar to the cocktail version lol. We couldn't taste the different. Chicken kaarage- tasted ok. Not the best. A little on the dryer end. The sauce was like Dijon mustard definitely a first and wasn't a fan. I'm more used to spicy Mayo ( my fave). So didn't really enjoy this. 2/5 Pork belly bun - one order is 1 bun. Nice big piece of pork belly. Not a fan of pork belly but the other people enjoyed it. 3/5 Okonomiyaki- it was really tasted. A little on the saltier side but I like my good a little salty so it worked. But if you don't like salty food, this might not be the dish for you. Have not had bad okonomiyaki since I first tried this dish in Chicago a few years back. 4/5 Beef curry ramen- I got the beef curry ramen. I'm a tonkatsu girl but they didn't have it on their menu. Decided to try something out of the norm and got beef curry ramen since I've never had it before. It's spicy but I like spicy food. The beef was ok, not too tender. The curry broth was mediocre. Nothing really special. I think I'll stick with tonkatsu ramen. 3/5 Classic ramen- bf got the classic. Shoyu ramen broth. I'm not a fan of shoyu. It's a little bland for my taste. Friend added pepper flakes to make it spicer and it tasted a little less bland. A decent bowl in my opinion. 3/5 Service- our waiter was awesome. I think his name is Mary aka Matt. A good restaurant depends on their food but also their service as well. :). Will definitely be back again to try other things on the menu. Another friend did get the udon noodles stir fry dish and it tasted really good. I'll be back to get that for myself. Lol

Very disappointing customer service experience. We went for dinner and since it was nice outside, we opted for the roof top. About 24 tables with high chairs and only 3 regular table (Picknick). Also 12 sun umbrella. Only 2 table where in use. We asked for a regular chair height table. As luck wanted it none was covered from the sun. You would think it is an ease job to move an umbrella by about 2 feet. 10 seconds work nobody would even notice. NO ... they would under no circumstances move the I'm umbrella. Fulls top. Regardless of how many are used. We had to sit in the sun ... BAD SERVICE

Moto-i is one of my bf and I's go to spots. I love that they're open late and we can count on them for consistency and a good bite. We definitely have our go to items, like the bibimpap and wontons. We have ordered the gyoza in the past and those are amazing. We ordered bibimbap again this last time and also a bunch of buns. The buns were just ok to be honest. The steam buns are soooo soft and pillowy which is perfect but the fillings left us wanting more. We also tried some different apps this time including the karage I believe, which was really glorified popcorn chicken with honey mustard dressing, and pork belly! Pork belly was amazing. Basically find your go to dishes here and stick with that for entrees. The ramens are good. My bf did not like the brothless ramen as much. You can't go wrong with their apps. Their sake is great too. You can try a flight to try them all.

My partner and I stopped in here for sake and food. We learned that they are the first sake brew pub outside of Japan! The sake was great- and I'm not much of a sake person. We got the Shishito Burrata and the Benny Buns and both were amazing. Would definitely order again. We sat at the bar and had a great conversation with Kelly. She was very friendly and taught us a lot about the sake we were drinking. We definitely plan to come back here!

I've got a genuine sake lover in my life so I took her to Moto-i to try their in house distilled sake. Neither of us had been here before and we had the best time. While I'm not a sake fan I am a ramen and New Zealand sauv blanc fan. Atmosphere: dark and cozy. Perfect date spot. They were playing 90s hip hop the whole time and when '93 til infinity came on I needed a moment. *rooftop seating will be open soon, first week of May-ish* **rooftop seating offers one of only 2 remaining unobstructed views of downtown Minneapolis!** Service: Molly was our server and she was excellent. Knowledgeable about all things sake including fun facts about where Moto-i sources their ingredients and the complicated process that is distilling. She helped us select the perfect ramen and was just generally so great to chat with. I can't wait to come back. They have a 2nd level that offers more traditional Japanese seating and can accommodate larger parties (currently still closed due to covid). That rooftop is calling me.

Not the best, most authentic asian food you can find in the cities, however, still great tasting food and an amazing rooftop patio to enjoy it on. I don't think anyone who has ordered the ramen has been impressed (so likely stay away), but I've tried the okonomiyaki, pork belly buns, yakiudon, and bibimbap that have all been decent. Cocktails and sake are god too.

Unique restaurant, great rooftop, amazing food. I've been here many times for happy hour & dinner but this was my 1st brunch & I can't wait to go back! Their Japanese omelet (okonomiyaki omuretsu) is one of the best things I've tasted in my life! I shared the house made vegetable pickles which were interesting! I'm a big bloody mary fan but the one here I didn't like. Personal preference, I think the seaweed gave it a weird taste. I'll have to try their other drinks next time!

I had heard lots of great things about moto-i so I was excited to try it for myself with a few friends. The ambience is really nice - a bit loud, but that was to be expected with a full house! I ordered the soju flights as I've always been a big fan of soju. I will say the flavors were not very appetizing...you don't get to choose the flavors so if you don't like them, you're out of luck. I did, however, really enjoy the Goodluck cocktail. Food was good. I got two of the buns: pork belly and pork shoulder. Pork belly was so good - that marmalade was super refreshing. I don't know that the price point made the buns worth it to me, but still overall very yummy.

We came for the ramen on the lovely rooftop deck and it did not disappoint. Delicious! Most of us had the classic pork ramen and it was abundant and tasty. I had a very good gin martini as well. The indoor spaces looked cozy and inviting. I am giving three stars and not five for one reason only. What is this 12% "service charge" on the check? To begin with, the waiter called our attention to it and let us know that it is not a tip: it is "to cover salaries." So right there, that's a buzzkill at the beginning of the meal - new restaurant, surprise charge. An annoying way to begin your pleasant evening. I guess this is a Minneapolis thing; I've never encountered it anywhere else. It's not the same as the billed tip on large parties that is usual in other cities. In any other industry, we expect the owner to charge what he needs to in order to pay his workers. If I buy a shirt at a store, I don't tip the cashier for checking me out, or finding me a dressing room or a different size; it is the responsibility of the owner to pay his workers. Tipping itself is a disrespectful system, and lots of countries don't have it, but this service charge nonsense? No.