Mamanoko

Mamanoko is a trendy sushi bar with a lively atmosphere and some great sushi. So the standout for me here are the dessert sushi rolls. It is so clever and tastes amazing and has consistently satisfied my sweet tooth.

Definitely try the Toro cakes as a starter! I prefer the rolls here over the sashimi as I prefer other places. The Kinobi roll was by far my favorite but also tried the Citrus and the Hawaii rolls.

Definitely will be back to enjoy another sushi dinner here. Service was great and I enjoy the atmosphere here.

This was some of the best food I've had in my life. The umami sliders would melt in your mouth with immaculate taste and perfection that I'm still thinking about them long after my meal. Each piece of sushi I ate I had to sit there for a little bit after and ponder my existence because of how master crafted those pieces were. While this is a dining experience, it is also an art show. Michelangelo has nothing on the level of dedication these people have. If I woke up in their restaurant I would assume I'm in heaven. Worth everything that you own to have this dining experience. Exquisite service by the staff, very friendly and knowledgeable about menu items without even needing a menu in front of you. Just the description of the dishes made them seem like they were right in front of me.

Nice, casual sushi spot. Wait staff and bar tenders are nice, patient and helpful. Would recommend to everyone I know looking for sushi!

I recently checked out this super cute sushi spot, and it was a total vibe! The place has a trendy, chic atmosphere with modern decor, cozy seating, and just the right amount of mood lighting. Perfect for a date night or catching up with friends.

Now, let's talk about the sushi--absolutely delicious! The fish rolls are fresh and flavorful, with creative combos that make your taste buds dance. The spicy tuna roll was a game-changer, and the dragon roll was packed with flavor. They have a fun selection of rolls that make it hard to choose just one, so be prepared to sample a few!

Great appetizers and rolls, but would skip out on the nigiri. I would come back to try different appetizers. The nigiri tasted standard, and isn't something I would gravitate towards if I come back.

The vibes are modern, classic, and perfect for date nights or dinners with friends.

The staff was attentive and checked in regularly.

Good sushi. Good appetizers. We tried the tuna tataki, Toro cakes. Wiki wiki, hotsui, and midori rolls.
All three rolls were delicious and Plenty for 2 people. The fish was fresh and the flavors were spot on to the descriptions. For the appetizers we actually ordered the sliders and the Toro cakes but then got brought the tataki & Toro cakes. We just went along with it because it was busy lol the tataki was amazing. Better than the Toro cakes so we were actually glad for the switch up.
Cocktails were a mixed batch. The spirited away was good and unique. The LA Pagoda didn't taste any different from a basic margarita, which is alright but Wished I would've gotten something different.
We did the cheesecake for dessert. The cookies it came with were good but the cheesecake itself I wouldn't recommend. It's a small slice and was just so heavily green tea flavored, it was bitter. And I adore green tea in all its forms so I can handle quite a bit of it in my desserts. Overall idk if I'd come back for the price. The sushi itself is 5 stars, everything else leans towards 3 stars. I give it a 4 for in between lol

Popped by with a friend to try this spot and was really happy with it!! We went for 3 rolls and some sake.

It was plenty of food and we even took some home. Vibes were great! Lively, well designed and quick service.

Two rolls we had -- the hotsui and may may (I think) were my favorite. The cirtrus was okay, but the bitter peel was off-putting at times.

The hotsui was melt in your mouth type of flavor and the may may had various textures that made each bite stand out.

Really loved it overall, the bathroom was also clean and the sink design was unique.

Food was great but service was alright, felt a bit unwelcomed. We found lip stains and dirt on our glasses which makes me question how clean the rest of the utensils are...
The food was amazing tho, we loved everything! Especially the eggplant dish, the base which was vinegary with ponzu and some oil (sesame?) made it the best dish of all, highly recommend! Our second favorite was the toro cake, fatty toro with fried crispy rice! Would definitely come back for the dishes but hopefully better service and cleaner utensils.

UNI to check this place out if you trynna feast beCOD they got hella Japanese Tapas.

.:: FOOD ::.
Toro Cakes $21: blue fin tuna belly, truffle sesame oil, wasabi creme fraiche & crispy sushi rice cakes.

Carpaccio $21: amber jack, serrano chilli, kombu ponzu, roasted shallot oil, moussaka wakame

Salmon Tartare $18: ora king salmon, yuzu kosho granita, roasted nori gelee, sesame rice crackers

Miso Glazed Cod $22: roasted fort bragg black cod, miso koji glaze, honshimeijis & mixed crispy leaves

Kakiage Tempura $13: seasonal vegetable fritters & ginger tentsuyu dipping sauce

Chicken Karaage $15: american meets japanese fried mary's chicken skewers & miso-sambal buffalo sauce

Tuna Tataki $24: oregon coast albacore tuna, crispy shallots, radish tsuma & ginger-oroshi ponzu. Comes on a sizzling plate

Babyback Nikomi $19: vande rose kurobuta pork spare ribs, pink peppercorn knob shichimi & jalapeño gari

Umami Sliders $15: snake river farms gound "kobe" beef, spicy shallot aioli, cilantro sprouts & ginger pickles

Unagi $14: japanese fresh water eel nigiri

Citrus Roll $21: king salmon, ahi tuna, avocado, cucumber & yuzu aioli, ocean trout, Hokkaido scallop, sliced lemon & lime

Green Tea Basque Cheesecake $11: very prominent green tea flavors. a bit more dense. Comes with sesame cookies

Brownie Dough Roll $13: I actually really liked this. ice cream in the middle, chocolate on the outside encompassing the ice cream. SO good.

.:: Service / Ambiance / Parking ::.
The service was great by our waitress Daisy. She was patient with our party of 12. We did make resy so we got seated within 5 min on a Sunday night around 6pm.

The place is super cute with lanterns. Great decor. Really gives off Japan vibes.

Parking we got lucky on. We found street parking 1 1/2 blocks away

Every time I eat here I'm blown away by the care the team takes of us. I have a sesame allergy and they always bring me an annotated menu showing me what to avoid and what they can modify. This is above and beyond service. Now on to the food. It's beautiful. It's creative. Fresh. Delicious. Everything I've ordered is my favorite in the moment. We're so lucky to have this iconic restaurant in our backyard.

I'm a little surprised at how the reviews RAVE about this place, I found it overall good / average. The rolls were pretty solid, everything else is pretty passable in my opinion with the exception of the Brussels sprouts which were super crispy and superb. Some staff are nice while others felt a bit standoffish.