Ichidai Restaurant

ten years ago while traveling for work i was posted in portland . for the love of sushi i tried many that they do have in oregon and found in yes an off beat area ""ichidai"". traveling past a few times on powell to work and back i made a mental note to stop, at that time they were still open for lunch and i had the time to go in. being greeted with a great smile was whome i came to know as aki the owner, when asked what i would like i simply asked lets start with what's good. to this day i don't remember ever having to order but another beer or saki to complement the awesome freshness and care that is taken at this fine restuarant, do go there. more

I was disappointed after being recommended to Ichidai by a friend. My rolls were more mayo than fish, which was disgusting as well as disappointing. At least it was cheap? If you want sushi in Southeast, go to Saburo's for cheap sushi, and Sushi Mazi on 22nd and Division for really good fish and rolls. Pros: cheap Cons: not great sushi more

I wrote a review about this place in 2005 under the username, ""jad49"". Five years later, Ichidai remains the sushi restaurant I deem best in Portland. I have never been disappointed by any one of their variety of sushi rolls. The restaurant has a very authentic feel to it with a relaxed and inviting atmosphere. Although Ichidai is classy and has great ambience, I do not consider it to be the most romantic. The atmosphere is more family-friendly and an ideal place for professional meetings. Their miso soup is hard to beat. The taste of the miso they use is delicious with the addition of just a little bit of green onions and small tofu cubes, it is the perfect little bowl of heaven that you can't leave the restaurant without getting. I have yet to find another sushi place in Oregon that has better tasting miso soup. Their sashimi and nigiri are always fresh. The sushi rolls are well-made and has great texture that just melts in your mouth. The experienced chefs use a perfect balance of all the ingredients. The spicy salmon Oregon roll is to die for. Aside from the superb sushi, is a selection of mouth-watering bento dishes. Ichidai has been around for a long time now and the fact that they continually get good business while being in a somewhat hard to spot location is evident that their food is good enough to keep people coming back for more! Pros: Quality of food, ambiance, friendliness of staff Cons: Inconspicuous location, hardly romantic more

Ichidai is a lot of fun. My GF and I go here when we want to kick back and relax while we eat sushi. We stuff our faces with decent sushi for a good price. We never worry about how much we are ordering here, we eat a lot, and we've never spent more than $60... and that includes beer and sake. I think it's the best value for your money among PDX sushi houses. Pros: fun and relaxing, sushi is decent more

My husband lived in Misawa, Japan for about 8 years, and when we visited Ichidai based on reviews, he almost cried when he tasted the food. I am a Japanese food amateur, but we both loved everything. They have a full sushi menu, but we stuck to the entrees. My husband ordered kara-age ramen (best ramen we've found in the portland metro area!) and I ordered beef sukiyaki. It was to die for!! We also had green tea, and Sapporo beer. Everything was so authentic. You know it's a good sign when the wait staff, decorations, and customers are Japanese. We were the only caucasians in the whole place! =) Fairly inexpensive, we were stuffed, and took home leftovers. We plan to be regulars, and try the mochi and adzuki ice cream next time. It is a little hard to find, because it's located in an office building (my husband informs me that is pretty authentic as well, haha) on SE Powell. It could be tricky finding parking, but we arrived early, and had no problem. A totally worthwhile experience! Pros: authentic and sincere food and service Cons: a little hard to find more

A perfect example of ""city"" food. You can try Takahashi for the 'country' style of Japanese cuisine. The food is a bit more risque with the different salads they present. I may not eat everything on the plate, in this case. But the main courses that I do order, such as the bread pork 'tonkatsu"" is perfect. Crispy, and delicious. Served with raw cabbage and a plum sauce, which compliments it perfectly. Pros: Always quality food. Cons: Not as relaxed as a country style restaurant. Not open many hours, so difficult to get to. Small restaurant. more

Our favorite sushi place in Portland. Lately they went through small redecoration and it is very cozy now. Exceptional sushi (fresh!!!) and the best tempura at reasonable prices. When the restaurant is full, the service tends to be on the slower side, but even then everyone is super friendly. For such a small place it is very versatile: we have had there both romantic dinners as well as gets together with friends (and their kids). Highly recommended! Pros: Delicous sushi, kids friendly, good parking more

Hours on listing is wrong. The restaurant is not open for lunch anymore. Pros: Good food Cons: No luch more

The sushi is superb, generously portioned, and reasonably priced. Their miso, edamame, and tempura are awesome. The waitresses are friendly and attentive, and the food always arrives quickly. Parking can sometimes be funky, but I don't usually have to walk that far from my car. Also, I don't particularly care for the chirping bird music playing -- it's a little weird, but if you're with friends it's not that noticeable. more

Just tried Ichidai for the first time last night. First the food. I only sampled a small amount from their large menu. The spicy seaweed salad was absolutely delicious. It was served at the perfect temp. and had a wonderful texture. The miso soup was one of the best I've had (top 3). I had 1 roll, the Philly roll. It was scrumptrelescent...it almost melted in your mouth. I had two pieces of the hokkigai (surf clam). They were extremely fresh with a crisp, almost sweet taste. Lastly, I had two pieces of maguro. The best I've had at any other sushi house. I found that even the wasabi is better here...fresh, flavorful, spicy. Now let's talk service...we (2) were seated with our menus for what seemed like an eternity (20mins. 1 other party in restaurant). I hopped in my DeLorean and travelled back in time to fetch our server. The food was served in a timely fashion, without my tea I had ordered. After we had eaten our meal and read War and Peace cover-to-cover, our server finally arrived back at our table. I had forgotten that I was still hungry so I ordered nothing more. PLEASE PLEASE ICHIDAI>>>>>>>>better your service so I can call you my favorite restaurant in Portland. Oh and P.S. ditch the music with the nayying goats in the background. It's...well...weird (not in a good way). Pros: best sushi, large menu, freshy fresh! Cons: slow and forgetful service, petting zoo soundtrack played in dining area more

We have been going to Ichidai's for many years and have always had great service. We have tried several other Japanese Restaurants and have always gone back. There is a friendly atmosphere and the people are fantastic. Our son has grown up going to Ichidai's. Pros: Very good Sushi Cons: Needs more Parking more

I have heard great things about this place, but they are never open. I always call first, and they are always closed. They are not open at all on Mondays, and close in the middle of the day every day. Twice in my attempts over the past few months, they have shut down for an entire week altogether. Pros: I'll never know Cons: Never open more

This is a great place to eat. I HIGHLY recommend it, and will be going back often. The service and food were both excellent. more

I have eaten here a few times. For the most part it's good sushi with a small restaurant feel. I ate there last night and have not had a dining experience so bad in a long long time. After being seated we waited over 15 minutes for the waitress to bring over water. By this time we had chosen our rolls and were ready to eat. She took our order. After the length of time it took to get our water, I had to look at the clock to time the sushi. Cons: Parking, service more

Yummmm! I was Very impressed! Could use more (and better) parking. A little too bright inside, they should work on that. Everything was great........ check them out! Pros: Great food at a fair price Cons: A little too bright more

went for the first time a couple weeks ago and loved it. good selection of rolls and great presentation. Very fresh tasting, nice atmosphere. Staff was very friendly, attentive and able to answer questions. Check this place out!!! Pros: Fresh sushi, Fun Cons: very bright inside more

This place's sushi is pretty good, but their deep-fried menu is great. I wish their blue crab was cheaper b/c they'd be all I'd order. But at $6.95 a pop it'd be too easy to go overboard and have 10 of the deliciously buttery crab morsels. The staff is pretty friendly, I'd go for the lunch specials though, it can get pretty pricey eating there for supper. The chicken karaage is inconsistent but when it's good, it's great. Tonkatsu's hard to mess up and they didn't, and their tempura is done well. Pros: blue crab more

Ichidai is the by far, the best sushi place in Portland! The sushi is always fresh, delicious, and beautifully prepared. There is an abundant selection of sushi and you can get the special -- three selected rolls of sushi for (currently) $12.75. It comes with cucumber salad and miso soup. The other items on the menu are absolutely superb. Order one of their delectable ice cream for dessert. I recommend the green tea ice cream and mochi ice cream of any flavor -- it's a little piece of heaven! The service is fast enough for such amazing sushi. The servers and cooks are always so friendly and attentive. The ambience is just right. The prices are extremely reasonable. The only con I can think of is their business hours. I wish they were open more often! I have gone to other sushi places and no place can compare to Ichidai. Pros: Delicious food, Nice selection, Friendly environment Cons: Business hours more

I've eaten here for years. The sushi is some of Portland's best (it's here or Restaurant Murata). My favorites include spicy-squid tempura roll (amazing textures), the spanish mackarel and the fresh oysters. Aki gets the best salmon Toro in town, too. Beyond the fish, it's the small things that set this sushi apart, the rice is firm and tart, not too sweet. The nori is crisp and nutty. Even the wasabi seems extra fresh and radishy. The tempura and the noodle dishes are delicious. I've never had any cooked fish here, never could find a reason to. The service is courteous, pleasant and unobtrusive. It's not always fast; good food takes time. The only negative about Ichidai is that it is brightly lit with flourescent lights. I wish Aki had more time to think about ambience, but as long as he's behind the bar preparing sushi, I'm happy. Pros: fresh, delicious, expansive menu Cons: flourescent lights more

Ichidai is the best sushi, period, in Portland. The service and the office-building atmoshpere might not be all that inviting, but it is well worth it. I live just a couple of blocks from Saburo's and NEVER eat there. Ichidai is just so much better...Get the cold unfiltered sake to enjoy while the service is slow. I highly recommend their Lobster Scallop roll, the creamy scallops, and the seaweed salad. Even the miso is extra good! Pros: Never a Wait, Great food more