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
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