Ikigai is a must visit when you're in Carlton Great food and service Be sure to check out the speakeasy bar in the back read more

Everything we had was delicious and the service was lovely, however the sushi chef had left unexpectedly for Hawaii the night before. Given that, the menu was very limited compared to the version online. Additionally, the portions on some of the dishes we tried were on the small size given the price point. We were very excited based on the menu online, and left a bit disappointed and hungry. read more

A wonderful ambiance. It's not just Japanese sushi. Lots of Asian fusion dishes. Sourced locally. Well worth the visit when in Carlton. Our waitress Jessica was amazing and delightful. Definitely will be back. read more

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We had a great time doing the chef's tasting menu at the chef's counter. I enjoy having a view to the kitchen and the chef and staff were welcoming. The food was fantastic. I also enjoyed the sake. read more

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Amazing Food and Incredible Service! The food was absolutely amazing. Every dish was full of flavor and beautifully presented. What made the experience even more special was the service. Our server, Gayle was fantastic: warm, attentive, and made us feel right at home. To top it off, the chef came out to greet us personally, adding a really nice, personal touch to the evening. This is the kind of restaurant that not only delivers on taste but also on experience. Highly recommend! read more

What the heck happened? I was there about a month ago and it was fantastic as always, front of the house incredibly warm and competent and the food was amazing. Next thing I know the place is closed and the rumor is there was a huge staff walk out because the owners pulled some shenanigans. I would love for the owners to update on if this restaurant is going to reopen, although if the chef and the front of the house people aren't there, there's really no need to go back because they were the ones that made the restaurant. read more

We've been coming to Ikigai regularly, and every time, we're blown away. Every dish we've tried is absolutely delicious, and the flavors are always spot on. The service is always friendly, and we really appreciate how the owner personally checks in to make sure everything is just right -- it really shows how much they care about their customers. It's a place we always look forward to, and we can't recommend it enough! You definitely don't want to miss the pomegranate margarita, smash burger, and dumplings -- they're all outstanding! read more

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What a lovely place! Walking in, the decor sets the tone with branches and flowers from the owner's property. We chose the "off-the-cuff" menu, from the dining room and could not have been more delighted with each course! It was an excellent way to introduce ourselves to the restaurant, informing our next visit. Reese, our server, was so gracious and informative, sharing history and details, guiding us through all the courses! Bottom line: we will be back to sample all that I Ki Gai has to offer! And we were too immersed on the experience to take pictures! read more

We've dined here several times now and have always had a great meal! The service is attentive, and all the staff have been so helpful and friendly. The menu is fun and creative, with each dish having its own little unique spin on it that makes it feel special to the restaurant. And the desserts are to die for! The rhubarb cake is divine! The only thing I would suggest is to maybe have the restaurant music playing inside toned down a few levels - it's always so loud that we feel like we have to lean across the table and nearly shout at each other to be able to have conversation (and I promise we are not hard of hearing :P ) Other than that, it's a beautiful restaurant with an amazing menu and staff! Carlton is the new food spot! read more

I didn't want to like it, but I have to admit it was good. The reviews so far I agree with so I won't rehash that too much other than to say the food was very fresh and very tasty. They put some interesting spins one wouldn't think should work but they do. For example, we tried a dessert that was (and I forget now what they call it sorry) basically a vanilla sponge cake on a bed of dark chocolate ganache covered with a coconut cream and dusted with smoked paprika, a spice I normally associate with savory fare but it was pleasantly delicious. Another interesting spin was their take on an old fashioned. I am no whiskey snob but I've pivoted to bourbons due to developing an allergy to fermented beverages (I self diagnosed but symptoms are very similar to and manifest about the same age as my father who was diagnosed with an allergy to several kinds of yeast that are prevalent in beer/wine) so I began exploring more distilled spirits - anyway, all that to say I love exploring riffs on old fashioned's and this might be one of the most unusual cocktails of the genre I've found yet, consisting of a nearly colorless Japanese whiskey and grapefruit bitters that gave it a distinct old fashioned vibe but remained quite crisp and refreshing. Sorry to have gotten a bit long winded but I wanted to put this all out there as a preface, and again I do agree with the other reviewers so far, the food, ambience and service are all great but here are the things I found quite off-putting and annoying. Almost annoying enough to negate the wow I need to go back factor, if that makes sense. First, the non stop - and I mean like annoyingly long winded pointing out that they are completely gluten free. Like, I get it, that's a thing for some people but I don't want to hear about how the tempura (and you could tell, honestly, the texture suffers from it) is gluten free, the tamari for soy sauce is gluten free the whole restaurant is gluten free, tell everyone you know we are gluten free. I dgaf and I don't need to hear a lecture on it every time you show up to the table. Second, we get a micro dollop of wasabi with our roll? It's an extra charge, albeit only a dollar but still, an extra charge to get what should have been served with the roll to begin with, and all 3 rolls came with exactly one slice of ginger so the wife and I got to fight over who got two ginger bits. I think for the prices we could spare a bit more on the plate? I may come off here as a bit whiney, sure, I am splitting hairs and as I said, food and ambiance are great. You definitely fit in with the best and brightest in Carlton, I wish you success but can we please just leave the tamari and serve a proper amount of wasabi and ginger to begin with? And mentioning that your gluten free once is enough. I promise you I didn't forget between rolls. Edit: -1 more star. The kitchen clearly cannot keep up with even a modestly packed house. I should clarify our first visit was on a Thursday. We're back on Saturday as my go-to got booked out for a private event. I am sitting here an hour into our reservation. My wife is done eating her dinner and mine is still nowhere in sight. Notice the table across from me - party of 4, already here before us just got half their table served. Party one is finishing up looks like #4, like me, is still waiting. Also they are sold out of multiple menu items so. Yeah great on the execution but sorely lacking on the follow through Edit 2. Hour and 30 in now. I don't even want my food any more. A heads up when I ordered would have been nice. read more

The food was amazing, especially the volcano roll. This is a gem of a restaurant in downtown Carlton.

Where to start? This is not a place.. it's an experience! Service is top, food is a top of the line- local/fresh, and delicious! I've had my dad/daughter date dinner here for few times now (this at her request) makes me proud that at the age of ten yo, she already knows what quality food taste and looks like. Highly recommend ! Cheers! read more

I want to start out by saying a wonderful addition to Carlton and fusion of all my favorite types of foods. There on a Wednesday evening for our 25th wedding anniversary and experienced an amazing offering of service, food and hospitality. The owner ever so sweet Dustin, came over with two glasses and Portis, a sip of some beautiful sake and celebration of our anniversary! Jessica, our server was more than delightful and helpful as I have food, allergies and concerns and communicated with the chef for my personal needs. Please make sure to make a reservation and go support the sweet little local eatery and their fabulous food, crew and community love read more

The atmosphere, service and food are so worth the trip to Ikigai! Our table shared 3 sushi rolls and dumplings and then we had entrees of Dan Dan noodles and smash burgers. For dessert, we had a coconut tres leche cake that was literally to die for!!! Everything was so good and Max and Reese took great care of us! read more

Went to the Alley Bar, bartender Jessica was amazing. Had cocktails and a little sushi both were fantastic! Highly recommend!

Food was great. I will definitely go back just for the amazing food. We dined in the main restaurant and the service was good. We were a little put off by the server having to bring you everything you needed which required us to flag them down. The restaurant was nice, but we were placed in a window seat so it was distracting to have people staring at you and Main Street is both busy and loud. Overall it was great and we will be going back for both the "chef's table" experience and the bar menu. read more

Amazing flavors featuring fresh local ingredients (foraged Chanterelles!) and fish. Totally professional service by Cherise and nice ambiance makes for the best dining experience in Carlton. Great value for money too. read more

A great and unique place. It's almost like two restaurants in one with an open kitchen concept between them. Our server was amazing and did everything possible to make sure our experience was incredible throughout our evening. The food was delicious, from apps to dessert and each bite in between. If you ever get to Carlton, Ikigai is a must. read more

Wow. Where to start? Perfect ambiance, amazingly friendly and informative service and a full bar. BUT THE FOOD. So wonderfully crafted and executed that my Country Boy mouth doesn't have the words to express how amazing it is. What a great experience. read more

Amazing!! So grateful for such a cultural dining experience here in Carlton Oregon! The Service and atmosphere is amazing and the food is so delicious!! The freshness of the Fish is almost like being by the sea! I Highly recommend this Restaurant and will be returning soon! read more

We stayed here for a long weekend, and last minute I looked for a sushi place. I hadn't realized they recently opened, but the food and service was phenomenal! Hands down best spicy tuna roll I've had. Our server was really really nice as well. Definitely check this place out! There is a back bar but we didn't have a chance to check that place or menu out as well. read more

I was there on a Thursday night and did the Chef'sTable...oh my gosh! It was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! We had 11 courses. Chef Phil, Sous Chef and his Sushi Chef were very nice, knowledgeable and very accommodating! We also tried the Kimchi-tini. It was spicy but very refreshing and GREAT! I would go back there and do it all over again. W...San Jose, Ca read more

A great experience after sampling wine in the area. Service vas personal and on point. It is still all enough of a place to keep the noise level down and the ambiance classy. read more

Truly the best meal I have ever had! The tabula rasa cantaloupe was incredible. We ordered a second. Everything else we ordered was amazing. I am looking forward to coming back and going through the entire menu. read more

We visited for the first time this week, and it was a great experience. The decor is lovely, and our waitress, Rese, was delightful and knowledgeable. The dishes we ordered were delicious and farm fresh! We will definitely return and try the back bar area, which is open late, too. It's nice to have such a fine restaurant so close to McMinnville! read more

Fantastic! Did the chef's counter off the cuff experience. Chef Philip is awesome, every bite very good, some were exquisite.