The 20 Best Sushi Restaurants in Portland, OR
Portland is a famous food destination that knows its way around sushi for its access to high-quality seafood and Japanese foods. The fresh fish and seafood from the nearby Pacific Ocean go well with Portland’s distinctive edginess and traditional Japanese cooking methods to create a wide range of sushi restaurants like no other. So, if you can’t get enough sushi, you will have limitless choices in Portland foodie city. From the casual Japanese pubs to the high-end dine-in restaurants and sustainably sourced ingredients, here is a review of the 20 best sushi restaurants in Portland, OR in 2022.
20. Bluefin Tuna & Sushi $$ (1337 NE Broadway)
Bluefin Tuna & Sushi is one of the best Sushi restaurants in Portland in 2022. This sushi and sake bar is originally from South Korea, where owners came up with a splendid menu of Korean and Japanese specialties to bring colorful and authentic Eastern dishes to the west coast. The natural-chic, elegant dining space is a modern bar with beautiful wood furniture and hanging plants in the Irvington neighborhood. Even better, it has a vast sushi menu featuring hot rice bowls, Udon soups, la carte sushi, and a Bluefin specialty menu. You will get delicious sashimi, sushi, and nigiri combinations packaged in gorgeous wooden bento packets.
19. Mirakutei Sushi & Ramen $$ (536 E Burnside St)
Mirakutei Sushi & Ramen is a legendary Portland sushi restaurant and is still great even in 2022. The restaurant was a former home to popular chefs such as Hiro Ikegaya before it was bought by its longtime employees and brothers Job and Nicolas Martinez. Here you will find dishes like salmon sushi, Hamachi belly sashimi, and Dungeness crab nigiri. It also offers the best ramen in town and flavorful house-made broth, which combines chicken and pork bones, yellow onions, anchovies, dried kelp, scallions, and ginger roots. The restaurant also has an appetizer menu that includes several raw seafood preparations such as scallops with uni and salmon belly with grapefruit.
18. Sushi Ichiban $$ (24 NW Broadway)
For decades, Sushi Ichiban has been the favorite spot for conveyor belt sushi devotees. Situated in a lovely, casual eatery with a circular sushi bar in Old Chinatown, the restaurant is a friendly and affordable sushi bar providing a simple but authentic menu of sashimi, rolls, and nigiri. They offer fresh, affordable, large-portioned fish. They have one of the best-priced menus in the city, with each set of three sushi going below $5. This makes it easy for you to sample a range of rolls, nigiri, and sashimi. Generally, when searching for a slab of spicy tuna hand rolls, salmon nigiri, or creamy scallops, Sushi Ichiban won’t disappoint. It’s open for takeout and dine-in.
17. Yataimura Maru $$ (3810 SE Division St)
Next on the list of best Sushi restaurants, Yataimura Maru is an elegant Japanese Izakaya placed in a bamboo and wooden bar space. This restaurant will take you to a casual alleyway bar in Tokyo, Japan, without physically leaving Portland. Here, the chefs prepare all the ingredients from scratch, including noodles, ramen broth, hand-rolled gyozas, or dried chicken. Your Izakaya dining experience will be further authenticated by their list of imported sake, beers, and cocktails. Yataimura Maru provides inventive hand-rolled sushi and other Japanese bar fares like Ramen, curry, fried chicken, and udon.
16. Uchu Sushi & Fried Chicken $$ (3940 N Mississippi Ave)
Uchu Sushi & Fried Chicken is a great hipster, hole-in-the-wall sushi spot. Located in the Mississippi neighborhood, this dining space provides one of the most creative Japanese street food and cocktail bar scenes in Portland. Uchu Sushi features an innovative menu of great cocktails, unique sushi, and a Japanese fried chicken menu. It has a variety of sake, locally brewed beer, and tropical cocktails. Some favorite sushi selections include the Mackerel sashimi and the scallops nigiri.
15. Kaizen Sushi $$ (536 E Burnside St)
Kaizen is another popular downtown sushi joint in Portland. According to their official website, the restaurant serves a wide range of mackerel and salmon cuts. It even goes above the board to coat maki with garlic butter or yuzu tobiko. Here, their chefs love to show their sushi preparation skills to the clients. Every chef’s unique personality is clear in every dish they prepare. When you visit the Kaizen Sushi restaurant, ensure to try out a Pacific NW roll, especially if you love sushi rolls.
14. Afuri Izakaya $$ (923 SE 7th Ave)
Afuri Izakaya is a Japanese eatery popular for its excellent Ramen of hand-rolled noodles. The eatery features a wide-ranging nigiri menu, a clean bincho, and Oregon’s cris. Unagi is another house specialty at Afuri, gently and meaty seasoned, unlike the overly sugary versions. You can choose to eat the Unagi indoors or as a takeaway. Portland offers Afuri what is impossible in other American cities. It uses high-quality soft water from the nearby spring that allows them to cook the best Japanese sushi.
13. Mitate $$ (3612 SE 82nd Ave)
Sushi rolls are mostly prepared with sushi rice and fish. So, what occurs when you remove the fish, gluten, and mayo? Here is where the Mitate restaurant comes in. It provides vegan and gluten-free sushi, which has made it very popular in Portland. The head chef and the team have used seafood sushi to create trademark rolls, such as the artichoke Meadow Roll with garlic mayo flavor. Head out here for some tasty vegan sushi.
12. Yoshi’s Sushi $$ (3530 SW Multnomah Blvd)
Although Yoshi Ikeda, a former chef at Bamboo sushi restaurant, operates from a small Multnomah Village cart, it doesn’t stop him from preparing and serving high-end sushi. Yoshi’s Sushi restaurant has gained a genuine following and has been referred to as a street food icon by Vice Magazine. Everything is small but amazingly curated menu made to order that includes a list of daily specials you must inquire about when you place the order. According to their website, one of the favorites for many is the marinated fried tofu enveloped around well-cooked, sushi sticky rice.
11. Sho $$ (10100 SW Barbur Blvd)
Sho is a family-friendly and family-owned casual as well as an elegant sushi bar and Japanese restaurant in West Portland Park. All sauces, broths, and dishes at Sho are prepared with ingredients from West Coast purveyors and local Oregon. The restaurant also has ample dining space, a sushi counter, family-style booths, and an elegant potion that overlooks a Japanese garden. The menu at Sho features; udon, Ramen, curry, Teriyaki, Katsu, Gohan, and sushi combos. You will love their delicious signature rolls.
10. Zilla Sake $$ (1806 NE Alberta St)
Zilla Sake is owned by Chef Kate Koo and was the first sake bar in Portland, established in 2007. Situated in Vernon, Zilla Sake is a top and affordable sushi and sake bar emphasizing cultural education via culinary exploration. Popular for its ethical sourcing and great sushi options, the casual and cool Zilla has become a must-go destination for fresh sushi and rare sake. Their selection of more than 90 sakes and special sushi selection has won awards in Eater, Forbes, Drinkable Globe, etc. Chef Kate Koo serves fun peculiarities such as wild fluke and monkfish liver in addition to classic sushi options such as tuna and salmon.
9. Yama Sushi and Sake Bar $$ (926 NW 10th Ave)
Yama Sushi and Sake Bar is another sushi restaurant worth visiting. The spot is renowned for balancing its spices and ingredients when preparing its sushi dishes to ensure all the elements perfectly result in a delicious taste of umami. According to Uber Eats, you can inquire about their catering services if you would want their delicious sushi at your special event.
8. Saburo’s sushi House Restaurant $$ (1667 SE Bybee Blvd)
Owned by renowned Japanese Chef Saburo Nakajima, this restaurant has been a beloved spot for affordable and authentic sushi for over thirty years. This ultra-casual eatery that looks like a hole-in-the-wall is similar to the fast-casual sushi bars in the bustling streets of Japan. You will also love their perfect selection of fried appetizers such as the Karaage, deep-fried octopus, and Japanese fried chicken. You won’t find more delicious and affordable sushi and nigiri.
7. Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar $$ (2878 SE Gladstone St)
Yoko’s Japanese Restaurant & Sushi Bar has been a favorite sushi spot for over thirty years. It serves authentic sushi on an open counter in combination with hot Japanese specialties in a modernly designed dining room with a breathtaking giant fish installed on the wall. Its friendly and casual atmosphere combines remarkably well with its modern and fashionable ambiance. Yoko’s provides a variety of salmon dishes ranging from skin and ikura to smoked. This restaurant is also open to dining in.
6. Fish & Rice $$ (2332 NW Westover Rd)
Fish & Rice is a casual counter-service sushi café in Nob Hill, opposite the fabulous Portland Japanese Garden. Like its name, the restaurant has a simple menu of fish and rice combinations in Japanese cuisine, including poke bowls, nigiri, and sushi rolls. At Fish & Rice, diners will experience gorgeous plants, well-priced counter-service sushi, and a curated list of wine, craft beer, whiskey, and sake. The menu foundation includes an immense list of rolls, but the highlights are normally found on the special menu, including the Miyazaki Wagyu nigiri and the yellowtail color. At Fish & Rice, you can get takeout, indoor dining, and delivery.
5. Murata Restaurant $$ (200 SW Market St)
Murata is a family-owned Japanese restaurant, a real Portland gem located in the heart of downtown between Pettygrove Park and Keller Fountain Park. This casual dining space features an open kitchen and sushi bar where you can witness three generations cooking side by side in an endearing but incredible culinary presentation. They offer affordable and great lunch specials such as broiled or fried fish and shellfish with miso soup and Rice or a side of bento, particularly California nigiri and rolls. You can also purchase sushi dinner combos, nigiri, and sashimi, as well as hot Japanese specialties like Japanese rice soup or Teriyaki.
4. Nimblefish $$ (1524 SE 20th Ave)
Next on the list of the best sushi restaurants in Portland is Nimblefish. This high-end sushi eatery features a sake bar and provides a cozy and warm dining space situated on Ladd’s northeast corner Addition. Designed in an authentic Omakase fashion, customers sit around the Chef’s sushi station as he prepares a multi-course tasting menu using the best fish cuts. This seven-course meal tasting menu changes based on the seasonality of ingredients. Nimblefish offers a special dining experience, perfect for a special occasion. The restaurant also offers an authentic wine, sake, beer, and whisky menu to pair with the tasty sushi.
3. Departure Restaurant and Lounge $$$ (525 SW Morrison St 15th Floor)
Departure Restaurant and Lounge is a high-end Pan Asian cocktail lounge and restaurant situated in a superb modern dining space on the top floor of the Meier and Frank Building in Portland. Like the remarkable dining space, Departure restaurant has an innovative and cutting-edge sake and cocktail menu. It offers a variety of creative craft cocktails to enjoy with the shareable menu and dishes like Northwest Oysters or sashimi platters. Other incredible meals include; tamarind, cabbage, and dim sum steamed buns with wagyu meatballs.
2. Bamboo Sushi $$$ (836 NW 23rd Ave)
Bamboo Sushi is one of the city’s most popular sushi restaurants. The restaurant is transparent about where they source all the ingredients, including kanpachi, Rice, seaweed, and fish. Some sushi dishes use albacore fish fresh from the Oregon coast, giving you a delicious taste of the local area when you visit. Their seaweed is harvested from a Californian company with a low carbon footprint to ensure the remaining seaweed wildlife continues to thrive. The restaurant also has a patio and sidewalk seating for people-watching. The restaurant is open daily from 4 pm to 9 pm.
1. Masu Sushi $$$ (406 SW 13th Ave)
Situated between the popular Pearl District and Downtown Portland, Masu Sushi is a striking sushi and sake bar in a modern location with natural accents like large French windows, stone walls, and surrounding trees. The restaurant provides a wide variety of sake and a robust list of whiskey, wine, and imported Japanese beer. This goes along with the traditional hot sushi dishes prepared in the open kitchen. They have a great maki selection and a wide selection of vegan sushi rolls. We recommend you try out St. Helens Volcano Maki, served with crab salad, snapper, shrimp, avocado, scallop, and cucumber seared using Japanese aioli and topped with smoked bonito and togarashi.
Bottom Line
That’s it. You now know the best sushi restaurants in Portland, OR for your next dine-in or takeaway sushi. These Sushi restaurants in Portland have an incredible mix of contemporary and traditional takes on Japanese cuisine and special dining experiences. All unique and diverse, you won’t be disappointed if you visit any of these 20 best sushi restaurants in Portland, OR.
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