Tsukushinbo in Seattle

One of my favorite finds this year. Overall a special experience. The Una Tama Jyu is truly one of my favorite dishes on this planet. If you're an umami fan, it's a must. Same with the Saba miso-ni, smothered in a miso bath....mmm. The quality of the fish is very fresh. Nothing I've tried has disappointed. It's a small restaurant, so I highly recommend reservations. The service is very quick and friendly.

Really good Japanese food from the kitchen. The “garlic karapon” (karaage with garlic and ponzu) was delicious. From the sushi bar, the roll I got was very good. The seasonal nigiri we ordered from the board was great. Going and getting the basic salmon, bluefin, etc is probably a waste of your time when there are so many things on the menu that other places don’t have.

This place is pretty pricey for the dining experience, and quantity / quality of food provided. For dining experience, Tsukushinbo has very small, cramped dining area, no air circulation, and long-lines to get into. This could be fine for a less costly restaurant, but they fall on the expensive side of dining options in the international district, and have long wait-times to get into. The quality / quantity of food is also not great, for the prices involved. I ordered an Oyakudon and some sashimi. Oyakudon was good, but the sashimi was so-so, with very small portion sizes, and comparable freshness / quality to other, much cheaper alternatives. Overall, for the price-point that they're operating at, this place didn't deliver for me.