My local friends recommended we come here for some authentic Japanese food while we were visiting. We texted ahead to reserve a table for 5 since it is a popular place. They don't take phone calls or reservations online - very old school. Which I think makes it more desirable. We ended up getting a special room with a "chabudai" style table! I was super excited because I've never experienced it before. What I did find pleasant was that although it was a lower table, there was an opening beneath the table that allowed your legs to hang rather than having to sit Indian style. Tyson was an amazing server. Was attentive, accommodated our allergies and was thoughtful with us having a young child. He was so pleasant and polite! We enjoyed the following: Baked miso glazed eggplant - YUM and melts in your mouth. Black Miso Cod Collar - this was pleasantly surprising and so delicious. Eat bite was tender and flavorful. Simple yet so appetizing. Sushi rolls were both fresh and well prepared. The nigiri was also great and fresh- not fishy. We additionally ordered takoyaki - which I normally don't love but this one was very tasty and I enjoyed the texture. Lastly karage chicken which came with a creamy slaw. Overall it was such a pleasant experience and we look forward to coming back! read more

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Seattle's oldest Japanese restaurant, Maneki is awash in history and tradition, from the Beckoning Cat decor that greets you at the entry, to the private Tatami rooms where you can eat at an authentic, low-slung chabudai table, seated on cushions on the floor. Established in 1904 in the heart of Japantown, the restaurant relocated to the ground floor of the NP Hotel after its original structure was ransacked during World War II, when Seattle's Japanese community was relocated to internment camps outside the city. The hotel where Maneki now resides served as repository for family heirlooms that were left behind during that embarrassing and tragic period of American history. The joy of dining at Maneki goes well beyond the restaurant's incomparable history. The traditional Japanese menu has something for every taste, from delicious Nigiri and Maki Sushi to noodle dishes and local seafood. Pair your meal with a classic Japanese cocktail or a cold bottle of Sake, and you'll understand why this is one of Seattle's best culinary experiences. Highly recommended. read more

Torn between rounding a 3.5 for this historic Seattle restaurant, but ultimately leaning towards down because of service. Food was excellent, price is slightly on the steeper side but food quality is also high. We arrived at 6 sharp as a walk-in and were told they could seat us if we finish by 7:30 for a reservation. That's a good amount of time, no worry there. The entire time we dined we were reminded about the time and how we had to hurry up. As soon as we sat, we were introduced to the menu which was great, but then told to put in certain orders now because of "that 7:30 reservation." Throughout the dining experience when we were checked on or given food, they'd allude to the time. We finished up around 6:50 and were asked about dessert and decided we should just leave and get some sweets elsewhere because of the rush. Miso Dengaku Eggplant - these are a favorite around here for good reason. Soft and delicate eggplant paired with a flavorful sauce. Slightly sweet, savory, and salty mixed with the perfect umami. Eggplants are great at absorbing flavor and really made use of the sauce. Spicy Cod Karaage - cod was rich in flavor, soft in texture. Not too spicy, but just enough to enhance the buttery fish meat and fried outer layer with another flavor. Overall great to share. Black Cod Collar Miso - one of their famous dishes for good reason. Extremely soft cod that falls off the bone and is easy to tear apart. Miso glaze that is all three parts savory, salty, and umami. Worth ordering over and over. Beef Yakiudon - one of the more basic dishes built for filling up the group. Beef was tender, yakisoba udon noodles and vegetables were standard. Sauce was a bit on the sweeter side, but this had a good amount of carbs to pair with the delicate seafood and fill us up. Kama Meshi Unagi - I'll start by saying this is tasty, but man is it pricey. Supposedly feeds two which we collectively thought was laughable. Unagi was super soft and tender, using the word delicate again would be accurate. Rice was well sweetened and marinated with unagi juices. Worth trying but definitely don't expect this to be filling. Spicy Tuna and Sassy Salmon Rolls - while seemingly basic, these rolls were on the tangy, sour side. Primarily the fish, which tasted like it was doused in vinegar. Would honestly skip these rolls in favor of actual fish dishes here. read more

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Very old and traditional restaurant in Japantown! It was very easy and quick to get a reservation via text with the number on their website! If you reserve, you can get a tatami room where you have to take your shoes off and step in. The food was wonderful and they have specials daily! Their bar was down at the time that we went in, so no cocktails or liquor. read more

Maneki - Miso cod - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Maneki is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle and they serve many traditions dishes and different kind of sushi and sashimi. They also have daily specials. I had their Chirashi Don and Otoro Sushi. They were very fresh and tasty. The price is affordable compare to other famous Japanese restaurants. All the staff were very nice from the moment they greeted me. They have a regular dining tables and also have traditional tatami rooms. The interior is neat and has a traditional vibe. I would highly recommend to visit Maneki if you are in Seattle. read more

Maneki - Chirashi Don and Otoro Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

For my birthday dinner, my sister referred this restaurant for me as I had a taste for Japanese food in Seattle! This was the first time that I had try this restaurant so I did not know what to expect. I was informed that this is the oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle. According to my husband you must make a reservation in advance- this restaurant is very small. Making a reservation is a bit old school- you send a text and they respond if they can accommodate you or not. We made a reservation a couple of weeks in advance. We were there on a Sunday night at 6:30, and it was full. The restaurant is maybe not the place to go if you want a lively or romantic night. The walls are painted a pale yellow and the lighting is not the best. Tables are super close together as well. The ambiance could be better- with that said, if you coming for the food, rather than the ambiance you are in the right place. Definitely an old school vibe/ If you seek more privacy as you are with a group of people- they do have tatami rooms for four or more people. This could be a fun adventure. When we sat down, we were informed some time later (15 minutes later), than if you seek food now, you should order cold food, as the kitchen is behind so it could take at least 30 minutes to get food-- This almost seemed like a ploy to order sushi. As we were told, that the California rolls had real crab, we decided to get them, otherwise I would of skipped this sushi choice. Beyond the sushi, we order octopus balls, dumplings and a meat and noodle dish. All were good, but nothing blew my mind....We have eaten at a lot of Japanese restaurants. Service was ok, but not excellent. read more

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I cannot say enough how wonderful the staff is here at Maneki! Make sure you call to make a reservation because it is definitely difficult to get a walk in seat. My partner and I were super lucky last weekend when we walked in and were able to be seated because there was a spot that they were able to squeeze us in! There are daily specials on the wall, so make sure you take a photo before you sit down. The menu is pretty extensive and we loved everything we tried. The prices were all really reasonable and after tip, our bill came out to be roughly $120 which isn't bad at all for six dishes! The sushi tasted super fresh and the karaage was fried to perfection. It came with a cabbage slaw and a really nutty/savory dressing that was absolutely delicious. Really looking forward to coming again next time I'm in Seattle (with a reservation in advance)! read more

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Portion sizes for the chicken teriyaki was huge. Food was home style and excellent. Fried tempura was crispy read more

Maneki - Tempura - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We ordered the popular sashimi set, the black cod dish, and the unagi bowl. More than enough food for two! The black cod dish surprised us the most. Very buttery and flavorful, I would definitely come back for this dish alone. One of the best fried fish we've ever tasted, and it was only $17! We loved every piece of the popular sashimi set. the main difference from the basic set is that the popular set comes with fatty tuna. It is quite pricey, and alot of food, we would be happy just getting the basic set next time. The unagi set was typical. Flavor was mild, the dish is mostly rice. read more

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Came here on a Saturday night with a reservation for 6. We were seated in one of the private rooms with floor mat seating which made the experience feel cozy and unique. The service was amazing. Chloe was so attentive and detailed with her recommendations, sharing both the bestsellers and her personal favorites. Before talking about the food, I have to mention the tea. It was so good and warm. The staff refilled it multiple times for our party of six. I ordered the salmon namban which was pretty tasty. The sassy salmon was also delicious, though I personally prefer spicy salmon with sriracha mayo instead of chili sauce. The friends all enjoyed their food and we were all happy and full folks by the end of dinner. I highly recommend checking this place out, but make sure to place a reservation! read more

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Want to dine at the oldest Japanese restaurant in Seattle? Make sure to text to reserve a seat 2 weeks prior - I saw 6 parties turned away at 7:45pm on a Saturday. Also, the tatami rooms are only for parties of 4 or more. There is metered parking across the street and they have nice clean restrooms inside. Logistics aside, you can't go wrong with anything on their menu! - Black cod collar miso: $17: mouthwateringly succulent, fatty and crispy. There were only 2 pieces. The pickled burdock was interesting. - Unagi kama meshi: $38: a popular dish that I would not recommend due to the price point. It was much smaller than expected. The unagi was indeed tender with a subtle rich nutty flavor, but the rice was bland, which made this dish just ok. - Chicken yakiudon: $21: the bouncy noodles and spiced, almost cinnamon-y teriyaki sauce gave it a great texture and flavor! This was delicious. Next time, I would love to try their beef sukiyaki, ankimo (monk fish liver), and 2 day cured mackerel. read more

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Maneki is a great place to check out in the CID, especially if you can sit in one of the cute tatami rooms. I'd recommend calling for a reservation, because they do get busy. We were lucky enough to get some reservations! For food, they have wide range of offerings. I had the Sakana Dinner, which came with miso soup, tempura, sashimi, rice and salmon, which I got teriyaki style. My wife had the pork katsu beef curry special. Both meals were extremely filling and super delicious. The service was great! Our server was super friendly, very attentive, and even got an order out for our friend's toddler out quicker so he wouldn't have to wait. The ambiance is super casual, but cute. The tatami room that we got to sit in was definitely a great experience and a nice change. Definitely would come back and encourage people to give them a try too! read more

Maneki - Salmon Teriyaki - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I ordered grilled sanma (Pacific Saury) shioyaki which was served dry and overcooked. What surprised me was that I had to order a separate bowl of rice as it did not come with the fish. read more

This restaurant has a long history and is extremely busy, so reservations are a must. It closes at 8 PM. If you arrive late, the staff will remind you the kitchen is about to shut down when you order。but food is very delicious. read more

Maneki - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Reserved a table via text. We visited on a rainy Friday evening. The place was clean and the staff was kind. All our food was delicious except I did find the teriyaki sauce for the salmon a bit salty. All dishes tasted fresh. Prices a bit on the higher side. read more

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What's not to love about the oldest Japanese family-owned restaurant in Seattle. Step in the door and you feel like you're shuttled back in time. The owner greets you at the door and there are around 15 tables that seat four or two with three tatami rooms (that can fit up to eight). The servers are fantastic and your food gets out in a timely manner. Yes, now on to the food which reminds me of what my grandmother used to make. The menu is quite extensive and amazing. We started off with apps of kinpira gobo - aka burdock root in a tasty shoyu infused - dish, chicken karaage and homemade croquette (both are a must have!), and an order of spicy salmon roll and spider roll sushi. For mains we had the beef teriyaki and tempura combo, the salmon teriyaki bento, and two sukiyaki and tempura combos. Each comes with miso soup and a bowl of rice. The salmon bento also had a side of shrimp sunomono and a plate of tuna and ahi sashimi plus miso soup and rice. If you've got room at the end get the Maneki Ice Cream Supreme which is matcha ice cream with poppyseed cake drenched in tempura batter and flash deep fried, a truly unforgettable dessert! Reservations are a must to grab a table and they're only open for dinner from 5-9pm daily. read more

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5 stars for food and 4 stars for services. I think they are doing good enough. Price is a bit on the high side but it's worth it for the food. Grill black cod miso fish is my favorite. Sashimi quality is good and fresh. This is my second time here and I will be back soon. read more

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Maneki is a solid Japanese restaurant! Stepping into the restaurant feels like stepping back in time: the old-school Japanese decor and ambiance, with photos since 1904, giving it such a unique and nostalgic charm. What an experience! The food was outstanding across the board. Our favorite was the kama meshi which I'd say is a must try! It's flavorful, and beautifully cooked. We also loved the black cod collar miso, which was rich and buttery. We also had the ika garlic betayaki, chicken karaage, agedashi tofu and the asari sakamushi (in the order of the dishes we love the most to the least, which was still amazing). It's easy to see why Maneki has stood the test of time. If you're looking for an authentic Japanese dining experience in Seattle, this place shouldn't be overlooked! read more

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Such an experience!!! The authenticity and history of the restaurant was super cool, and I enjoyed my visit here. The service was great -- everyone was super nice! For food, we ordered a Lucky Cat Beer (we tried to also order a cocktail but the bar was unfortunately under maintenance), salmon nigiri, tuna nigiri, sea urchin nigiri, Miso Dengaku Eggplant, Black Cod Collar Miso, and Kama Meshi Unagi. The beer was good! We've been getting into beers lately haha. If I had to rank my favorite foods with my most favorite being first, I'd say: 1) sea urchin nigiri, 2) tuna nigiri, 3) salmon nigiri, 4) Kama Meshi Unagi, 5) Black Cod Collar Miso, 6) Miso Dengaku Eggplant. In the previous times I have tried uni, I had never liked it, but today I took a chance, and I now love it! The Kama Meshi Unagi was soooo yummy! I loved the flavors and the texture of that dish. The Black Cod Collar Miso and Miso Dengaku were good, but the flavors were just a little too similar haha (unsurprisingly). Loved it here!!! Would love to come back on future visits to Seattle! read more

Maneki - Lucky Cat Beer - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Our visit to Maneki was a treat for my adult son's birthday. It is authentic and no frills. Comforting. Securing a reservation was straightforward. Yes, you have to text but they respond within a few hours. We sat in a tatami room and ordered the sukiyaki, miso black cod, and several sushi rolls and nigiri. Everything was fresh and well made and prices were fair and reasonable. Service is attentive and the decor is a walk back through its Seattle history. Take your time and stroll the mementos on the shelves and walls. This place is modest and humble. There is a narrative there that you will have to piece together yourself. read more

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Reservation is a must! My friend and I were walk-in guest on a weekday! We were lucky to be seated as the restaurant was full. I assumed that we got there early enough to snag a seat. The restaurant has a charming atmosphere and is located quite close to the link station which makes it very easy to get to! There is also street parking but can be difficult to find in the international district! The service was extremely friendly and the serve gave us great pointers about the menu! We ordered a spicy tuna roll to share along with gyoza! The tuna roll was nothing too special but the gyoza was amazing! I highly recommend getting some to start! I ordered the chirashi bowl for myself! The bowl was loaded with a great variety of fresh fish. It was really good but quite pricey. I enjoyed visiting this place but I don't think I would return anytime soon due to the higher price. It is a good spot for a special occasion meal! read more

While visiting Seattle, we ate at Maneki. I text to make a reservation in advance as it's difficult to get into without one. We arrived shortly before they opened at 5:00 and people were already waiting out front. That's a good sign! Our reservation was at 5 and we were kindly greeted and seated promptly. We enjoyed the fried donuts filled with octopus and some sushi rolls. The fresh sushi was delicious! read more

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This is a very traditional sushi restaurant, so if you are looking for all the crazy rolls and sauces, this isn't your spot. But if you are looking for excellent sushi, it's awesome. Not cheap...be prepared to spend some money. Service was excellent read more

This is the oldest Japanese restaurant in the area?? That's what I read. We have been many times but I just never update the review. Today we made the reservations and got one of the rooms which was nice since we have a one month old baby. We ordered the sukiyaki with tempura combo. Along with chicken karaage chirashi bowl and salmon. The karaage taste like Taiwanese popcorn chicken not saying it was bad but just jumbo popcorn chicken. The beef sukiyaki was goo it had mix noodles some yam and some other noodles. I wrote ten years ago that I like it sweeter and I have to say the same thing that I still like it sweeter. The salmon was cooked nicely with salt. We had reservations at 5 and it was completely full when we left. The yelp page says open at 4:30. It it is 5:00 and no sooner. You need reservations to get seating here at least that's what the sign says to make reservations. It said completely booked tonight when we walked in. Service was decent not excellent but not bad. read more

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Loved it- came from out of town on recommendation by Reddit and it was wonderful. Love the feeling of history, and the food was excellent. We ordered the black cod collar, chirashi, salmon ochazuke, Sakura salad and agedashi tofu. The most important thing to me is the quality of the fish and it was fresh. Service is attentive. So thankful to have found this place - probably my favorite meal of my trip. read more

Maneki is the oldest sushi restaurant in Seattle. They have private tatami rooms that you can reserve for a fun experience. Tatami rooms are traditional Japanese-style rooms with tatami mats as flooring, which require you to remove your shoes before sitting cross-legged. Maneki also has an extensive menu, so you're bound to discover something you like. We ordered some of their popular dishes like Beef Sukiyaki, Kama Meshi Unagi, and Black Cod Collar Miso. But I think you can't go wrong with anything you order. Maneki is in the heart of Japantown in the C-ID with street parking available. read more

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Very cute spot in Japantown! Loved how it seemed like a family ran business and the chicken katsu curry was warm and comforting. It was an extremely large portion and I would've been happy and full if I shared it with my partner. Definitely would come again when I visit! read more

Maneki - Chicken Katsu Curry - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I can never say anything bad about maneki. Food is always perfect, staff is always delightful, ambience is like your friend's house. We ordered the big mouth roll, mushroom and scallops, and the 2-day cured mackerel. The mackerel came out and we were so surprised at how big it was. The texture of the fish was like butter. Heavenly! Food here is very affordable too. Great introduction to Seattle and Japanese food if you have out of town family and friend. Reservations is by text only. They are very responsive. Street parking in this area read more

Maneki - Mackerel! - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Authentic Japanese Spot This place was a gem! The decor is charmingly Japanese with a simple, retro feel. They even have a few tatami rooms, and true to its name, the restaurant is filled with all kinds of lucky cats. The sashimi and sushi is fantastic! The uni and toro were incredibly thick and flavorful. The uni was from Hokkaido, and it was so sweat. Even the sushi rice was on point (They use Japanese sushi rice). The miso black cod collar was amazing. Other dishes like sukiyaki, unagi rice, and tempura were more on the classic, home-style side--very satisfying. To make a reservation, you have to text them. We booked for dinner around noon at the same day, luckily we still got a seat read more

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Maneki is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in Seattle! It's popular and doesn't have a ton of seating, so reservations are basically a must. Just text their number to request a table. My go-to dishes are the beef sukiyaki, the spicy tuna roll, the gyoza, and the black miso cod. Honestly I've never been disappointed by any of the dishes I've tried, but the sukiyaki and miso cod are must-try's. I'm still dreaming about the cod especially. Definitely worth a visit. read more

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This is a really popular spot, but honestly I found it a bit underwhelming. We made a reservation through text a couple weeks in advance which I would recommend doing, since it seemed like most people had reservations. The inside is very well decorated, and they even have tatami rooms but I'm not sure how you get those ones. We were sat at a side table which was nice, and were able to order pretty quickly. We got the salmon nigiri, miso black cod collar, and the unagi rice. I was excited especially for the unagi rice, and it took around 40 minutes to prepare. Since we had other items, the steady flow was fine with us. I thought the salmon nigiri was a bit tough - it wasn't smooth and buttery like normal ones, and the miso black cod was a tad too salty. When the unagi rice came out I was shocked by how tiny it was. While it was deep with a decent amount of rice, I wouldn't emphasize that it feeds 2 since if it's the only thing you order it can definitely feed just 1. The sauce of it was good but I did get a little frustrated picking through all the bones. Overall, not the best but not a bad dining experience either. I'm glad I was able to try it though being the oldest Japanese restaurant here in Seattle! read more

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The service was friendly and the seating arrangement interesting. However, it was a huge disappointment that the vegan tempura, while crispy, was far too greasy. This happens when the frying oil hasn't been changed for a long time. You can taste it in fries too, if the oil isn't changed in time. read more

The prices for what you get is actually absurd. I understand this place has history but it doesn't justify how tiny the portions are for what you get . And it doesn't make up in quality either because the sushi quality was under average. And the beer was almost room temperature. read more

Food is a bit pricey but tastes good. - Sashimi Moriawase, Popular ($65): the fish is cut into thick pieces and tastes good and fresh. They said the Classic for $45 had fewer pieces of fish and did not include the fattier tuna. - Unagi Don ($28): good amount of unagi, comes with two pieces of tamago, and a side of miso soup. This tasted pretty good. My friends ordered a salmon skin roll for $13, which was surprisingly tiny. They also ordered a chicken teriyaki combo for $23, which took a while to prepare and got to our table last. These dishes looked good, and my friends liked them, but keep in mind the portion size and prep/cook time, respectively, if you are considering ordering them. Going by how the sashimi tasted, I am fairly sure the nigiri (2pcs and $10 each order) tasted great and the fish sizes looked generous as well. This place is usually popular, so make a reservation if you can. Luckily, they had a table for a party of 4 available for about an hour when I arrived with my friends, so we were able to get seated. read more

Maneki - Unagi Don ($28) - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The food was as good as I remembered after all these years. They're remodeling so the bar's not ready and we couldn't order cocktails. Loved the popular sashimi set as well as the black cod. read more

Maneki - Japanese Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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So happy we got to try this place after all these years! The place is small but nicely kept. The service was very attentive. Food tasted very authentic. Not so fancy, but it's a great home-cooked food. read more

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Food: 5/5, the black cod collar miso was amazingly savory. Service: 4/5 Ambiance: 5/5 read more

One of my absolute favorite restaurants in Seattle. Everything is so tasty. Service is quick. You just have to make sure to make a reservation ahead of time since the place is always packed. read more

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You can make reservations via text and they will text you back, it took a day for a response. They book up quickly, so plan in advance to get a time slot. Black miso cod was the best dish. Smooth tasty, slightly charred deliciousness. read more

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I came here for an anniversary dinner with my partner and everything was so delicious! It was my first time and the portion sizes were big! We tried many different items and felt like the menu was endless. I loved my chirashi bowl and felt like all the fish included was fresh! Additionally the other appetizers we tried like the eggplant was a pleasant surprise! I'd love to try it again. The service was friendly and warm and I felt very welcomed by their workers. It was such a special dinner and can't wait to come back again one day! read more

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