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17 Portland Sushi Restaurants You Should Try

Portland stands out for its eco-friendly urbanity and as the beacon of hipster culture. Shrouded by the majestic shadow of Mount Hood and traversed by rushing waters of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, Oregon takes full advantage of its natural bounty with its countless city parks, hiking trails, bike paths, and gardens.

variety of sushi at portland oregon sushi restaurant

Portland’s proximity to Oregon’s west coast also makes it a prime destination for wonderful seafood, not to mention a large Asian influence that, combined, results in an incredible sushi scene.

Fresh seafood sourced from the nearby Pacific waters blends with traditional Japanese cooking techniques and Portland’s characteristic edginess to create a selection of sushi restaurants like no other.

Whether you want to grab a bento box to-go for a flavorful picnic in Washington Park, or you want the full fine-dining Omakase experience, sushi in Portland is suitable for every occasion.

During my most recent trip to Portland, I explored every sushi bar and Japanese eatery around town to come up with an eclectic list of my favorite spots.


Masu Sushi

406 SW 13th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
Phone: 503-221-6278
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Teetering between Downtown Portland and the famous Pearl District, Masu Sushi is a lovely sushi and sake bar inside a modern space with natural accents like a stone wall and giant French windows surrounded by trees.

They have nearly fifty kinds of sake along with a robust wine, whiskey, and imported Japanese beer list to accompany traditional sushi dishes or hot dishes from the open kitchen.

Their selection of maki is over the top, and they have a full section of vegan sushi rolls. I recommend the St. Helen’s Volcano Maki with snapper, crab salad, scallop, shrimp, avocado, and cucumber, baked with Japanese aioli and finished with eel sauce, smoked bonito, and togarashi.


Saburo’s Sushi House Restaurant

1667 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland, OR 97202
Phone: 503-236-4237
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Owned by Japanese Chef Saburo Nakajima, Saburo’s Sushi House restaurant has been a beloved Sellwood staple for authentic and affordable sushi for over 30 years.

The ultra-casual, almost hole-in-the-wall sushi bar and eatery evoke the fast-casual sushi bars in the bustling markets of Tokyo. In a nod to Portland pride, Saburo’s also features stunning artwork from famed Portland muralist Joseph R Cotter.

Saburo’s has an ample list of infused, unfiltered, and cold sakes along with imported Japanese beers on draft and even Japanese sodas.

I loved their selection of fried appetizers like the deep-fried octopus or Karaage, Japanese fried chicken. You won’t find a more affordable selection of high-quality nigiri and sushi.


Murata Restaurant

200 SW Market St, Portland, OR 97201
Phone: 503-227-0080
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Family owned and operated since 1988, Murata Japanese restaurant is a true Portland gem in the heart of downtown between Keller Fountain Park and Pettygrove Park, The small, casual dining space has an open kitchen and sushi bar where you can watch three generations cooking side by side in an endearing yet impressive culinary performance.

They have great, affordable lunch specials featuring freshly fried or broiled fish and shellfish with rice and miso soup or a bento of select California rolls and nigiri.

You can also buy sushi dinner combos or a la carte rolls, sashimi, and nigiri, not to mention hot Japanese specialties like Teriyaki or Japanese rice soup called Zosui.

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Yama Sushi & Sake Bar

926 NW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-841-5463
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Located in the Pearl District’s Old Chinatown a block from the Willamette River, Yama Sushi and Sake Bar is a small, traditional sushi and sake bar with a long counter with a glass partition where customers watch the master sushi Chefs prepare beautiful rolls and cuts of sashimi in real-time.

Yama uses the freshest catches from the Pacific and Atlantic to create seasonal and sustainable menus.

They have one of the most extensive selections of sake on my list with Japanese and locally brewed sake, not to mention a selection of plum wine, soju, and imported Japanese beers.

The food menu has small hot and cold plates, tempura, entrees, and sushi and sashimi combos. I recommend their authentic Curry Tonkatsu with pork cutlets.


Bamboo Sushi

Multiple locations
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With locations in Buckman Neighborhood, Vernon, The Pearl District, and Northwest District, Bamboo Sushi is a hip, modern sushi eatery that is the nation’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant.

Their lofty achievements as an eco-friendly conservationist establishment while also offering world-class sushi has received rave reviews from culinary, business, and eco-friendly publications like Food and Wine, Forbes, and Outside.

They have a creative menu of modern sushi creations along with bowls, burgers, and their signature crispy rice nigiri. I loved their vegetarian Green Machine rolls with tempura-fried green beans and green onion topped with avocado and cilantro sweet chili aioli.


Sho

10100 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503-977-3100
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Sho is a family-owned and family-friendly casual yet elegant sushi bar and Japanese restaurant in West Portland Park.

All broths, sauces, and dishes at Sho are scratch-made using ingredients sourced from local Oregon and West Coast purveyors. The ample dining space has family-style booths, a sushi counter, and a lovely patio overlooking a Japanese garden.

The varied menu at Sho features ramen, udon, Katsu, Teriyaki, curry, Gohan, and sushi combos. I loved their unique signature rolls, my favorite being the spicy Yokozuna roll with bluefin tuna, king salmon, shrimp, ikura, shiso, Tamago, and tobiko with yuzu kosho.


Sushi Ichiban

24 NW Broadway, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-224-3417

Located in a cute, casual eatery with a circular sushi bar in Old Chinatown, Sushi Ichiban is an affordable and friendly sushi bar offering a simple yet authentic menu of rolls, sashimi, and nigiri.

I enjoyed the open kitchen with a full circular counter where customers can watch the theatrics of sushi preparation.

The menu has the best prices in town with each set of two or three sushi pieces well under 5$, making it easy to sample a wide variety of sashimi, nigiri, and rolls.

I enjoyed the seared salmon and the decadent tempura Philadelphia roll stuffed with fresh salmon and cream cheese.


Zilla Sake

1806 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR 97211
Phone: 503-288-8372
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Owned by Executive Chef Kate Koo, Zilla Sake originated as Portland’s first sake bar in 2007, adding a world-renown sushi bar under Chef Koo 9 years later.

Located in Vernon, Zilla Sake is a high-end sushi and sake bar with affordable pricing and an emphasis on cultural education through culinary exploration.

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Zilla’s selection of over 90 sakes along with a creative and stunning sushi selection has won accolades in Forbes, Eater, and Drinkable Globe to name a few.

I recommend their saltwater ell nigiri if you want a sweet, meaty flavor and texture. My favorite specialty roll was the lobster maki with tobiko, cucumber, Negi, and black garlic-miso kewpie.


Yoshi’s Sushi

3530 SW Multnomah Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
Phone: 503-833-2940
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Yoshi’s Sushi is a wildly popular sushi food truck located in the Multnomah Village French Quarter.

Owned and operated by second-generation Japanese sushi Chef Yoshi Ikeda who uses his years as a high-end sushi chef in nationally acclaimed restaurants, Yoshi’s Sushi has quickly gained a faithful following and has been deemed a “street food icon” by Vice Magazine.

Everything on the small yet wonderfully curated menu is made to order, and there’s always a list of daily specials that you must ask about when you go to place your order.

I loved the Inari, made with fried marinated tofu wrapped around perfectly cooked, sticky sushi rice.


Bluefin Tuna & Sushi

1337 NE Broadway, Portland, OR 97232
Phone: 503-281-6804
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Bluefin Tuna & Sushi is a sushi and sake bar that originated in South Korea where owners developed a stunning menu of Japanese and Korean specialties to bring authentic and colorful Eastern dishes to the west coast.

The beautiful, natural-chic dining space is an intimate wooden bar with modern wood furniture and hanging plants in the Irvington neighborhood.

The plating at Bluefin Tuna and Sushi is a stunning example of culinary artistry that Japanese culture is famous for.

The vast menu features Udon soups and hot rice bowls as well as a full a la carte sushi menu and Bluefin specialty menu featuring extravagant sushi, sashimi, and nigiri combinations presented in exquisite wooden bento boxes. 


Fish & Rice

2332 NW Westover Rd, Portland, OR 97210
Phone: 503-954-1270
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Fish & Rice is a casual counter-service sushi eatery in Nob Hill right in front of the stunning Portland Japanese Garden.

True to their name, Fish & Rice features a simple menu of every fish and rice combination represented in Japanese cuisine including sushi rolls, nigiri, sashimi, and poke bowls.

The bright and airy dining room makes for a lovely dine-in experience, but they also run a popular takeout service. Their specialty rolls are the most elaborate I’ve seen.

My favorite roll is the Red Panda with Albacore tataki, cucumber, radish, sprouts, takuan, and kampyo topped with salmon, avocado, gochujang sauce, basil oil, and a spicy salad.


Nimblefish

1524 SE 20th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Phone: 503-719-4064
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Nimblefish is a high-end Omakase sushi eatery and sake bar in a warm, cozy, and intimate dining space on the northeast corner of Ladd’s Addition.

In authentic Omakase fashion, a small group of customers sits around the Chef’s sushi station as he prepares a multi-course tasting menu utilizing the very best cuts of fish.

Nimblefish is a very special dining experience that is sure to suit a special occasion. The Chef’s tasting menu is a seven-course meal that changes depending on the seasonality of ingredients.

I loved their Uni featuring green urchin from the Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido. There is also an authentic sake, wine, beer, and whisky menu to pair with your meal.


Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant

2878 SE Gladstone St, Portland, OR 97202
Phone: 503-736-9228

Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant has been a Reed neighborhood favorite for over 30 years, serving authentic sushi from an open counter along with hot Japanese specialties in a trendy, modern dining room with an awesome giant fish installation on the wall. The casual and friendly atmosphere combines nicely with its fashionably modern ambiance.

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The dishes are served in simple yet aesthetic presentations at affordable prices. I loved their Agedashi Dofu crispy fried tofu with sweet sauce to start.

My favorite sushi roll is the soft-shell crab roll with fried whole soft-shelled crab, cucumber, green onions, and sprouts.


Departure Restaurant + Lounge

525 SW Morrison St 15th Floor, Portland, OR 97204
Phone: 503-802-5370
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Located inside a stunning modern dining space on the top floor of Downtown Portland’s Meier and Frank Building, Departure Restaurant and Lounge is a high-end fine dining Pan Asian restaurant and cocktail lounge.

Departure uses Portland’s west coast bounty to create a culinary tour of Asian culinary culture, from street food to traditional family-style dishes.

The cocktail and sake menu is as cutting-edge and innovative as the incredible dining space, offering a wide variety of creative craft cocktails to enjoy with the Arrival menu of shareable dishes like sashimi platters or Northwest Oysters in Vietnamese sambal. Their dim sum steamed buns with wagyu meatball, tamarind and cabbage were incredible.


Mirakutei Sushi & Ramen

536 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
Phone: 503-467-7501
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Founded by legendary sushi chef and Japanese native Hiro Ikegaya as the last of his many famed Portland restaurants, Mirakutei Sushi and Ramen is a beloved East Burnside Izakaya restaurant with Omakase experiences to boot.

Chef Hiro trained and employed the current owners, brothers, and chef duo Nicolas and Job Martinez who carry on Hiro’s authentic cooking tradition.

Mirakutei has the best Ramen in town, hands down with the most flavorful house-made paitan-style broth that combines pork and chicken bones, anchovies, yellow onions, scallions, carrots, ginger roots, and dried kelp.

Try the House Tonkatsu Ramen with roasted pork slices, boiled egg, king trumpet, and shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, and white onion topped with bean sprouts and Negi.


Uchu Sushi & Fried Chicken

3940 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97227
Phone: 503-281-8248
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Uchu Sushi and Fried Chicken is a hipster hole-in-the-wall Izakaya in the Mississippi neighborhood.

The dingy exposed beamed dining space offers the most creative Portland take on the Japanese street-food and cocktail bar scene, offering a wildly innovative menu of incredible cocktails to accompany equally creative sushi and Japanese fried chicken menu.

They have a wide selection of sake and locally brewed beer on tap, but you must try at least one of the perfect, spicy, and tropical cocktails.

I recommend starting with their signature Karaage fried chicken. The creamy scallops nigiri and Mackerel sashimi were my favorite sushi selections.


Yataimura Maru

3810 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202
Phone: 503-841-5527
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Yataimura Maru is an authentic Japanese Izakaya in a wooden and bamboo bar space that will transport you to a typical alleyway bar in the heart of Tokyo without leaving Portland’s Richmond neighborhood.

They make all ingredients from scratch, whether it be ramen broth, noodles, fried chicken, or hand-rolled gyozas.

Their authentic list of imported beers, sake, and cocktails further authenticate the Izakaya dining experience. Along with Japanese bar fares like fried chicken, ramen, udon, and curry, they also have inventive hand-rolled sushi.

I loved the Alba-to Roll with fried shishito, tempura puffs, and avocado topped with seared albacore, sesame oil, blackened shichimi, and ponzu sauce.


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Written by Brian Nagele

Brian attended West Virginia University, then started his career in the IT industry before following his passion for marketing and hospitality. He has over 20 years experience in the restaurant and bar industry.

As a former restaurant owner, he knows about running a food business and loves to eat and enjoy cocktails on a regular basis. He constantly travels to new cities tasting and reviewing the most popular spots.

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