As soon as you enter Mami—formerly the mobile Japanese-food eatery that has turned from truck chassis to brick and mortar opened recently on Fore Street at Boothby Square—it looks like you’ve entered a college-dorm lounge, leaving you to look for the dining room.
The front lounge
It’s there, sort of, in the rear of the restaurant where there’s a half-dozen desultory tables, from two-tops to larger spreads for groups. The front room has sofas and tables where people are sipping or hunched over nibbling. I wasn’t quite sure what to do or if I would even stay to have lunch. The drill is to go to the front desk, order your food and drink and pick out a place to eat. At first I asked that it be wrapped up to go to take back to my office—at lunchtime, take-out seems to be a popular option–and then I changed my mind and stayed.
Mami menu and view from upstairs dining area
I wonder why they didn’t have a bar counter for dining or even to sip on beer, tea or a shot? There are a few tables around the front room mingling with the sofas, chairs and a bench with coffee tables to put your snacks or drinks on. Basically it’s an abbreviated version of Izakaya Minato, the full-scale Japanese restaurant that’s such a smash hit on Washington Avenue.
Even though the space is so venially casual, one thing that has carried over from its food truck days is the quality of the cooking. This is izakaya style fare that’s done well. The menu has snacks and large dishes including the most intriguing burger: beef and Japanese spreads and cheese sandwiched on a black squid ink bun. This high-mounted tower of beef looks ominous but is one of the most popular dishes there. It was a special at the food truck that would sell out in minutes.
The upper level dining area
I considered several of the snack plates for lunch, dishes like a steamed bun filled with lamb, a hot dog with nori and scallions or grilled octopus balls. But I opted for the standard bearer of izakaya fare, okonomiyaki—the pancake spread with cabbage, seasonal veggies, katsuobushi, benishoga, okonomi sauce and kewpie.
The cabbage pancake
Since I was by myself I didn’t have the option of sharing the plate-size pancake, the thing to do with a dish that large. But I wolfed it down anyway to the last drop and crumb and loved it.
This is an intriguing place for lunch or dinner, layout idiosyncrasies aside, and it will probably turn out to be as popular as their food truck.
Mami, 339 Fore St., Portland, ME 207-536-4702 www.mamifoodtruck.com/restaurant
Rating: excellent rendition of Japanese street food otherwise known as izakaya cooking
Ambiance: as casual as a college-dorm lounge
Tables: a few table, sofas and bench seating
$$$: moderate, big dishes in the $10 to $14 range; snacks, single digits
Parking: on street
