moto-i
Twin Cities, Minnesota
3.5 / 3 votes
Japanese bar with homemade saki
Restaurant, Bar
This new Japanese bar features chic atmosphere, some vegan-friendly small plates, noodle and rice dishes, as well as one vegan dessert. There is ample seating at the bar and a number of small booths. The top floor will also feature a bar and an open space either for more tables or standing-room. The rooftop features an excellent view of downtown Minneapolis.
What's special about moto-i is that it is one of only two restaurants in the world that makes and serves its own sake on-site (the other place is in Okinawa). They currently have three types of sake, but will soon expand to nine types.
Happy Hour is 2:20 p.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Also from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday-Thursday.
Added by conde.kedar on Oct 26 08 (last updated Dec 18 08)
Most Recent Reviews
conde.kedar
May 25 09
vaxjo
Dec 24 08
I found Moto-I to be pretty much as I expected it to be. It's quite good (but where is the agedashi tofu?) with a little room for improvement. I'll be more excited about it when they can offer more than 3 varieties of sake.
Neighborhood
Lyn-LakeDirections
On the northwest corner of Lyndale Avenue S. and W. Lake Street.
Non-Smoking
Accepts Reservations
Wheelchair Accessible
Prices
$$ - average
Payment
Cuisines
- Japanese
- Thai
Features
- Happy Hour
- Large Group-Friendly
- Outdoor Seating
UPDATE: I've been to moto-i more than a few times since it opened back in October 2008. Their rooftop deck is nice, though I was bothered that they allow people to smoke up there, which killed a lot of the enjoyment of being outdoors on a summer day with fresh sake.
The sake menu has expanded, though I find myself less and less impressed with the sake as time goes on. I'm not sure why. Maybe their quality control has gone down? In any case, this is still one of the edgier places in the Twin Cities, and the US at large, as it brews its own sake on-site; good luck finding something like that anywhere else in the country. I must give moto-i credit for its sense of courage to try something new and keep Minneapolis firmly in innovative territory.
The food here is passable, at best, however. Make sure to ask lots of questions if you're vegan or vegetarian, as many dishes seem to contain fish or fish flakes. Based on what I've had, the ponzu broccoli tofu bun was bland and had a weird sweet sauce. The coconut lemongrass stir-fry was one of the most flavor-less dishes I've ever had; I had to douse it in soy sauce to get any sort of flavor.
The shirito pepper appetizer was pretty good though, if a bit too salty.
The free peanuts that came with the dish, which are cooked in lemongrass and chili, also pack a tasty kick, much more so than anything else on the menu.
The service is friendly. The bartender walked us through the various sakes they offer and how they're made. There are three levels of space to occupy, from the bustling ground floor, to the quiet, laid-back lounge area on the second floor, to the spacious rooftop deck.
All in all, this is a cool place, but the food is extremely bland and needs better labeling for vegan options. That said, any place that serves its own sake deserves recognition.