Saito’s Japanese Cafe & Bar

I’m not really sure how to evaluate Saito’s. After being told by several guidebooks that it was one of the best sushi restaurants in Seattle, I knew a sushi-​holic like me had to check it out. Was it solid? Yes, absolutely. Was it one of the best sushi experiences I’ve ever had? Unfortunately, I wouldn’t say it is. But I wouldn’t be averse to coming back again.
Located in Belltown, I made the hike to Saito’s from my downtown hostel. The neighborhood is kind of patchy – there’s a needle exchange almost right across from Saito’s – but you’re in Seattle. You already know it’s a little on the cray-​cray side, so it’s just a given that there’s gonna be SOMETHING cuckoo going on.
The décor inside Saito’s is elegant and understated. I was seated near the window at a table draped in black and white tablecloths. As a way to gauge Saito’s quality, I ordered a simple salmon roll along with their miso soup. The waiter was quick and efficient and for the most part left me alone in the largely empty restaurant, which I found a little strange for lunchtime on a weekday. I would think the downtown crowd would be all over this place – but maybe it’s more of a nighttime hotspot.
My miso soup was excellent. In addition to the standard seaweed and tofu, there was some sort of buttery bread-​like substance floating in the broth as well. I have no idea if this is standard or not (pardon me, my ignorance is showing) but in the two dozen or so sushi restaurants I’ve eaten at in different parts of the country, I’ve never encountered it. Regardless, it was delicious!
My salmon roll arrived before I’d even finished my miso soup. It was quite tasty, but honestly, it wasn’t anything terribly special. After consuming it I was filled with doubt – did I order the wrong thing? Should I have gone even more simplistic and tried some of the nigiri? Or should I have ordered something more complicated in one of their specialty rolls? I felt like I cheated myself out of making a good sushi experience a great one, but then I wondered if I was just buying into the hype.
Overall, based on my experience, I think Saito’s is good, but not mind-​blowing. I’d be happy to check them out again the next time they’re in Seattle, however. Perhaps they’d prove me wrong!

Yet another place I’d like to give three and a half stars to. The food was really good, but nothing exceptional. Bonus for having real wasabi (though it cost $ 6). It was previously frozen though so it was more pungent than fresh wasabi but still much better than the fake green stuff.
We also got some free bonus entertainment. This random homeless guy walked in the door to ask for money. I felt bad for the waitress who was trying to get him to leave. Lucky for her the guy sitting next to us was big enough to convince him that he should leave.
other than that, the food was really good, but nothing extra ordinary.

open again for lunch now.
Tue-​Fri!
Real sushi for lunch in downtown. Yay.
Can I say enough? Sit at the Sushi bar!

I often find it difficult to describe what great sushi is. I mean, there’s only so many ways to say «damn, that’s some good raw fish!» But serious, at Saito’s there’s some damn good raw fish. A lot of it. The lighting fast Chef Saito blazes behind the bar pounding and clapping his hands together as he assembles a sashimi omekase that he knows is going to floor you. Sitting behind the bar I was just out of sight of seeing what the assembly of the omekase looked like. All I could see was his steeling concentration on the task at hand, performing on muscle memory and seasoned expertise. As the finished dish was introduced to me and my now drooling palate I was caught gasping at how ornate and decorative the presentation was. For an entire moment I was captured enough to think «Wow, this almost looks TOO good to eat».
That moment lasted about 0.324 seconds.
Mr. Saito will talk to you about the fish, the weather, and the Mariners. Perfect meal? It sure came close.

I had heard from some colleagues about this place, so I wandered from the hotel into Belltown to check it out for lunch. I really wanted to try the sushi, but I didn’t think I had the time it deserved so I opted for the Chef’s choice on the Bento.
Salt broiled salmon, perfectly done, with a nice crisp skin and fatty flavorful salmon. Eel (unagi) on rice, a couple of tuna (maguro) nigiri, panko battered shrimp and a few other tasty items. I was very satisfied with my experience there. I really like the small booths there, comfortable without the overwhelming size of a gargantuan booth.
From what I tasted in the Bento, next time I am in Seattle, I will definitely have to try the sushi here. Good job!

2.5 stars.
I was happy my friends suggested we go eat sushi, a brilliant way to celebrate fresh seafood in Seattle.
Saito’s has the EXACT same décor and layout of a sushi restaurant in Oakland, which was so weird!
We waited quite a bit before we were seated since we didn’t have reservations — it wasn’t really busy for them to justify the wait time. They have a good menu with a variety of items including unique sushi rolls, entrée’s that are not limited to your typical teriyaki variety, and an entire page dedicated to skewers. We ate HUGE this night. Two of us ordered the black miso cod, another ordered the beef that you cook at your table on a hot rock (I don’t know the correct japanese term for this, sorry!), a spicy tuna roll, a baked lobster roll, and bacon wrapped scallops. Yes, we ordered HUGE!!!
The miso cod was so tiny and wasn’t that impressive. The quality of the fish did not justify the price & teeny tiny portion (not that I needed a huge portion after ordering so much). The beef that needed to be cooked was paired with a hot rock on top of salt. The rock cooled down so quickly you could only cook about two slices of beef on it before you needed to request a new one. Also, sometimes the beef would fall off the rock and land in the salt which would make the beef extremely salty because you can’t get all of the salt off. I love restaurants where you can grill your own meat b/​c that is very common in LA, but I have never seen anything as inefficient as this where you have to constantly ask for new rocks (at one point, we asked for two rocks).
The best thing that night was the sushi and I would suggest sticking to their sushi rolls if you happen to come here.
Overall, the fish here for sushi was fresh and delicious. I just felt their food and service were lacking. This ended up being our most expensive dinner I believe on our trip and we had better at much cheaper places. We have better sushi restaurants than this in the Bay Area.

Horray! Saito’s is back again for lunch with an albiet, significantly reduced lunch menu. I really missed the bento box here and if that were all Saito’s served for lunch I’d be happy. In addition to the bento, they offer a few donburi dishes, an udon soup, yakisoba and of course Saito’s top notch sushi and sashimi.
Saito’s bento is offered with choice of chicken teriaki, salmon or grilled saba (spanish mackerel) for the main dish. The wife and I both went for the saba.
The bento starts with a mixed green salad and miso soup. This particular bento included, from left clockwise, shrimp and vegetable tempura (light and crispy not the typical grease fest), pickles, salmon roll, Kurimu Korokke (a fried creamy crab croquette, crispy and light on outside, creamy on the inside) and in this case, the aforementioned grilled saba. Served with steamed rice. Everything was excellent.
Your own bento may vary, I’ve never had one that was exactly the same as the sides can vary. Every bento I’ve had here was a unique experience.
Apparently Saito’s dinner menu also now offers a selection of charcoal grilled Izakaya dishes including a variety of grilled animal innards. Yum!
Among the handful of excellent Japanese restaurants in Seattle Saito’s Café still stands out among the best prepared kitchen items (often neglected in Japanese restaurants) as well as sushi and sashimi that is no slouch.

On our way to Canada we wanted to stop by Pike’s Place Market, but everything was pretty much shut down at 7pm on a Wednesday night. So, we looked up the closet sushi place with decent reviews and Saito’s was only a couple blocks away.
What luck! We ordered the Sashimi Assortment, a Rainbow Roll, an assortment of izakaya, and another specialty roll with scallops on the top. The fish was terrific. The scallops on the roll were so fresh it almost seemed a waste to put them on a roll. Sashimi was top notch, except for the mackerel which seemed a bit more fishy than normal. Izakaya was fine, but not at the same level as the sushi.

Probably in the top 15 Japanese joints in the area. Great food.
Basic modern izakaya. Interesting, long menu.
Pricey, but worth it.
The service was a little spotty but it was packed and the servers seemed pushed to their limit.

Came here for a friend’s birthday a couple weeks back. Although I’m not trying to speak for the group, I think everyone enjoyed the dinner, service, and ambiance to the fullest. Hopefully the other patrons were able to do the same! (Sorry if we disturbed anyone!)
From what I could tell, the restaurant caters to smaller parties (2 – 4 people) looking to have a quiet night out while enjoying good food and intimate conversation. However, the restaurant accomadated our party of 15 with the same exceptional food and service. With that said, I’ll definitely be back (w/​a smaller party).
The only knock I have on this place, and not that it matters, is that they offer a VERY limited selection of ultra-​premium spirits. Also, it’s a little more expensive than your typical Seattle Japanese restaurant.

I love Saito’s. I have heard this place describes and ‘too trendy”, but obviously this person has not ventured down the street to Wasabi Bistro…
Back to Saito’s: delicious, beautiful, fresh.
The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful giving me some great suggestions that I was so glad I listened to made me try a few things I never would have looked at. the atmosphere is mellow and quiet, definitely not a party hook up place like some of the other sushi joints in Belltown.
I also love the little sushi etiquette list posted outside, I definitely have not followed all these rules!
Anyway highly recommend. If you love sushi you will love Saitos!

I should have known better, but I did it anyways. I came here with a sushi/​sashimi virgin.
I was a little worried about it, so I ordered chicken teriyaki, just in case. The sashimi was fine but the chicken was horrible. It was so overcooked that it was hard and chewy. Nasty. We left almost the entire plate and the server didn’t even ask when she removed the entire plate at the end of the meal.

I am so happy that me and my friends found this place. We were around jazz alley trying to find a place to eat where we came upon this place. There we’re only like ¾ people in there when we went in.
You know the sushi is good here when you have actual Japanese FOBs coming in for some. I wasn’t able to try any of the sake, but it looked to me that they have quite a collection. There was actually a guy that goes there every week just for the sake. Go figure. Hahahahaha.
The staff was really friendly, we’re really indecisive people so we had them order for us.
It may be on the pricey side, but I believe it was definitely worth it.

Being the sushi and sashimi fanatic I am, I’m always on the lookout for new Japanese places to try. Saito’s is definitely one of my top picks. I noticed it a couple times when I passed through Belltown but it’s actually quite hidden. However obscure it is, the food will not disappoint you. Although pricey, I’m the type who will throw down money to experience quality, freshness, and satisfaction. You get all three here.
To start off, we had an AWESOME waitress. She was very cute and friendly. Service was very quick and attentive which is always a plus. I started myself off by making a selection from a large sake list. Because I’m not as familiar with sake as I am with wine, I asked our waitress for a recommendation. Although I forgot the name, the sake she recommended us was probably the smoothest sake I ever had. It definitely complimented our food well.
From the reviews I read on Saito before I went, I decided to come here due to the good reviews it received on two of my favorite things: raw oysters and Uni. The oysters were AMAZING. They were large and fresh. They also had a bit of an Asian zing to it which makes it different from places like Elliot’s Oyster House.
Second, the Uni is to die for. I’ve had very bad experiences with Uni in the past but I’m always willing to give it another chance. The Uni here had the perfect buttery consistency as well as sweetness. This is a must-​order for the sashimi fanatics out there.
We also ordered the sashimi combo plate as well as the rainbow and spicy tuna rolls. The sashimi was very fresh and the cut was just right. Not too thick and not too thin. The rolls were well crafted and «oishi desu né!» One word, delicious.
And of course, I never finish off a Japanese meal without some green tea ice cream. The waitress also recommended the green tea tiramisu. Order this, and you will finish off your meal with a big smile of satisfaction =)

My choice for sushi in Belltown.
The sushi and sashimi here are fantastic, so good that the thought of ordering rolls isn’t an option when I go to Saito’s. Although I enjoy a good sushi roll from time to time, the best quality fish and shellfish aren’t necessary in rolls because of the sauces and seasonings. I usually spend $ 30 – 40 here, it’s well worth it. The service is prompt and the atmosphere is good for dates.

yum.
You cannot make sushi «new & original» to me any longer… I just want sugary Maguro, buttery Hamachi, and supah-​fresh Tako. I got that.
I love hearing the dialect behind the bar, and watching the action.
It’s like the lusty lady of seafood watching other people get served shiny dichroic glass platters of perfection.
Organic Shoyu! nice.
Fresh rolled oshi bori ~ hot towel! kawaii.
My friend got the funky named open rolls, and enjoyed them, I stuck with Nigiri, but did request Miso.
I tried to get pictures like I do anywheres there is grub for Unilocaling, but it was too delicious. So here is my wooden plank of emptiness.
Gochi so sa ma.
(yelp does not like Hiragana. hm.)

Better than average sushi in Seattle, which means it’s pretty damn good. The dining room is so so and feels a bit dated, although the spot near the window is nice. The dining room is long and narrow, with the sushi bar in the back. Food wise, I had really good yellow tail and shrimp, but all selections were solid. The cut of fish seems a little larger than Kisaku and Nishino, but the right thickness. What also sets this place apart, though, is one of the best sake lists in Seattle. Umi has a larger selection, but Saito’s has better fish. Definitely worth a visit!

I had the best uni here in America. Need I say more?! I certainly was impressed.
We went with a Japanese girlfriend who knew just about everyone who worked here one evening — she’s also in the industry. Yummy cocktail concoctions, fresh fresh sashimi — again, the uni was as close to the superb ones I’ve had in Japan, sooooo sweet! We didn’t have a full meal here. Just some sashimi and drinks… but what we did have, everything was excellent!
Best to make reservations or you might be disappointed. We tried returning another evening but reservations only started past 9pm… :(

I was trying to get into Shiro’s on a Saturday night without a reservation, and when they and Wasabi Bistro informed me that it would be a 45 minute wait for a party of 3, I kept walking and found Saito’s, which was relatively empty and sat us right away.
I don’t understand why it was that empty. My experience was excellent.
For a little over $ 20, I got the sushi plate, which came with miso soup, high quality salad (mixed greens, not just iceburg lettuce), 10 pieces of sushi, and two rolls (4 pieces each). Fish was fresh and tasted wonderful. I was really full after eating all of that. The waitress was attentive but not overbearing. What more can you ask for in a sushi restaurant?

What CK Dexter said below.
Okay, I’ll elaborate. I used to hit this place about once a week when it first opened in 2000 or so, because I worked a couple of blocks away, and because it was ALWAYS excellent. Even a couple years later when I was poor as hell, whenever I had a few bucks to spare, I’d scrape ‘em together to sit at Saito’s bar and have an excellent meal. I had moved away for a year or two, but Saito-​san still recognized me and treated me like a long-​lost relative. I always sit at the bar, and even though I was pretty sushi-​experienced, pretty much every time I would point at an unknown fish in the case and ask about it, next thing I knew, I’d have a sample in front me, and it never showed up on the check. With this, Saito taught me the importance of forming a relationship with a sushi chef, so that he knows what you like and don’t like, and can tailor a meal for you. There’s a reason his place is a favorite of all the Mariners of Japanese heritage.