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A combo plate with onigiri, croquettes, salad, and dipping sauces.
The combo at Obon Shokudo.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Where to Find Jaw-Dropping Japanese Food in Portland and Beyond

Bite into fluffy shokupan sandwiches and slurp springy udon at these restaurants

by Janey Wong
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The combo at Obon Shokudo.
| Janey Wong/Eater Portland
by Janey Wong

When it comes to Japanese food, sushi or ramen are often top-of-mind for Portland diners, thanks to the sheer number of restaurants specializing in either dish. However, the city and its outskirts are home to plenty of places that offer a wider breadth of Japanese cuisine, including baked goods, comfort foods, and pub fare found in izakayas.

Portlanders can find restaurants to suit different styles of dining, whether the situation calls for impromptu tea and treats at a cafe or multi-course dinners in a traditional tatami room. Japanese restaurants across the city import seafood from the “Land of the Rising Sun” for peak freshness, and make other ingredients from scratch, like springy textured udon noodles or fluffy shokupan. Here are some of the best places to find those dishes, among the many other facets of Japanese cuisine. For izakayas specifically, this map may help.

Note: Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.

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Syun Izakaya

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At this izakaya, housed in the former Hillsboro library building, diners can find everything from cold small plates to filling dishes like seafood-packed Hokkaido chirashi. Sushi and sashimi take up sizable sections of the menu, but the restaurant also serves harder-to-find dishes like asari sakamushi, or clams steamed in sake. Chawanmushi, a silky and savory egg custard, arrives with morsels of shrimp, chicken, and sliced fish cake here. As is standard practice at an izakaya, order some beer, sake, or Japanese whisky to accompany your food.

209 NE Lincoln St, Hillsboro, OR 97124
(503) 640-3131
(503) 640-3131

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Oyatsupan Bakers

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Although Oyatsupan’s shokupan (milk bread) and baked goods can be found in select markets and restaurants around the city, pastry pursuers head to its Beaverton bakery to buy crunchy kare doughnuts and slices of red bean cheesecake fresh from the source. Oyatsupan’s fluffy shokupan supports a variety of sandwiches, in varieties like egg-and-cucumber and tonkatsu; they’re available by the whole or half. The bakery’s name is a compound word; “oyatsu” means “snack,” and “pan” is the Japanese word for bread.

16025 SW Regatta Ln, Beaverton, OR 97006
(503) 941-5251
(503) 941-5251

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Ikenohana

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Rice paper lamps and shoji screens fill the dining room at this old-school Beaverton restaurant. Here, loyal regulars often opt for the generous bento, including the classic makunouchi-style bento served in traditional sectionalized trays. Check the specials boards for things like the surprise roll (yamaimo, tuna, and oba), father and son roll (salmon and ikura atop a California roll), and spicy baked scallops.

14308 SW Allen Blvd #4403, Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 646-1267
(503) 646-1267

SHO | Japanese Restaurant

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Specials like ahi tempura donburi and una jyu lure regulars into this family-friendly restaurant, but the handmade gyoza are delicate, juicy, and a deliciously repeatable addition to any order. SHO boasts an extensive sake and Japanese whisky list, which can be ordered in flights or by the glass, katakuchi (spouted bowl), or bottle. The restaurant bottles its sauces, like teriyaki-garlic sauce and sesame-yuzu dressing, which are available for purchase.

10100 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
(503) 977-3100
(503) 977-3100

Takibi

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Tucked in the back of Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak’s flagship U.S. store, Takibi’s modern dining room feels straight out of Tokyo. The restaurant utilizes kitchenware from the brand and focuses on seasonal Japanese-meets-Pacific Northwestern cooking using its wood-burning hearth. Chef Cody Auger is well known for his lauded sushi restaurant Nimblefish, but at Takibi, grilled fish like saba shioyaki, miso-topped black cod, and masu yuan yaki (shoyu-marinated) McFarland trout share the stage with sashimi.

2275 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97210
(971) 888-5713
(971) 888-5713

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Behind The Museum Cafe

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This tranquil, light-filled cafe is the perfect pre- or post-Portland Art Museum stop. Cafe-goers sip cups of sencha or hojicha lattes while enjoying light dishes from owner and baker Tomoe Horibuchi, such as salmon-mayo onigiri or chikara cake. Coffee drinks use Extracto beans, but tea is the focus here — customers can order their matcha tea ceremony-style, and for a sweet treat, try the matcha or hojicha soft serve with optional toppings such as azuki or brownies or in a parfait. 

1229 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 477-6625
(503) 477-6625

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Tanaka

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At this sandwich and pastry shop from the team behind Japanese ramen import Afuri, a pastry case filled with desserts — squares of matcha opera cake, yuzu tarts, black sesame-and-raspberry Paris Brests — entices diners on their way to the counter, to order the restaurant’s signature sandwiches and savory fare. Ingredients such as pork loin, Oregon rockfish, and eggplant get the katsu treatment before they’re sandwiched between two slices of Tanaka’s house-made shokupan. Fruit-and-whipped cream sandwiches are another fun option here.

678 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 914-3326
(503) 914-3326

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Murata Restaurant

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Family owned since 1988, this downtown restaurant is an ideal spot to enjoy a meal before heading over to the Keller Auditorium for a show or concert. Sushi chefs in pristine white coats work with different cuts of tuna, and in the kitchen, steaming pots of ochazuke and zosui are made with a fish-based broth. For something a little different, try Murata’s sweet vinegar marinated dishes — the sunomono moriawase (assorted seafood) is the way to go.

200 SW Market St, Portland, OR 97201
(503) 227-0080
(503) 227-0080

Also featured in:

Wa Kitchen Kuu

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Like its sibling restaurants — Shigezo, Kichinto, and Yataimura Maru — Wa Kitchen Kuu serves izakaya standards such as takoyaki and chicken karaage. But the restaurant’s udon dishes, which use noodles made in-house daily, are must-orders. Options are plentiful, including kamaage udon or mentaiko kamatama udon — for the latter dish, diners stir spicy tarako roe and a soft-boiled egg into a tangle of thin udon noodles.

125 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232
(503) 477-9383
(503) 477-9383
Noodles in a bowl with an egg.
Mentaiko kamatama udon from Wa Kitchen Kuu.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Also featured in:

Obon Shokudo

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Serving vegan homestyle food, Obon Shokudo uses a variety of fermented ingredients made by owners Humiko Hozumi and Jason Duffany. Onigiri, or rice balls wrapped with seaweed, are popular in Japan for their portability. At Obon, onigiri are made with sprouted brown rice and filled with toasted miso in flavors like buddha’s hand with hominy and yuzu with pumpkin seed — they can be “made unseemly,” aka deep fried. First-timers should go with the combo, which includes a wide selection of menu items: two onigiri of your choice, a giant panko-crusted tater tot, a korroke, a kakiage, and a small salad.

720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 206-7967
(503) 206-7967

Also featured in:

Tokio Table - Japanese Steakhouse

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Cooking becomes performance art as Tokio Table’s teppanyaki chefs entertain diners with skillful swerves of their spatulas, setting ingredients aflame and tossing them through the air. Entrees like hibachi scallops and filet mignon come straight off the grill and onto diners’ plates, where they’re enjoyed piping hot with various dipping sauces and sides.

4768 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 515-8917
(503) 515-8917

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Takahashi

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The sister restaurant to downtown sushi spot Ichiban, Takahashi is chock-full of tchotchkes brought from Japan by original owner Seiji Takahashi. Special dinner sets allow diners to get a taste of varied items like kushikatsu (deep-fried pork skewers), tempura, and fried rice — or go the comfort-food route with classic Japanese dishes like curry rice or oyakodon.

10324 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland, OR 97266
(503) 760-8135
(503) 760-8135

Also featured in:

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Syun Izakaya

209 NE Lincoln St, Hillsboro, OR 97124

At this izakaya, housed in the former Hillsboro library building, diners can find everything from cold small plates to filling dishes like seafood-packed Hokkaido chirashi. Sushi and sashimi take up sizable sections of the menu, but the restaurant also serves harder-to-find dishes like asari sakamushi, or clams steamed in sake. Chawanmushi, a silky and savory egg custard, arrives with morsels of shrimp, chicken, and sliced fish cake here. As is standard practice at an izakaya, order some beer, sake, or Japanese whisky to accompany your food.

209 NE Lincoln St, Hillsboro, OR 97124
(503) 640-3131
(503) 640-3131

Oyatsupan Bakers

16025 SW Regatta Ln, Beaverton, OR 97006

Although Oyatsupan’s shokupan (milk bread) and baked goods can be found in select markets and restaurants around the city, pastry pursuers head to its Beaverton bakery to buy crunchy kare doughnuts and slices of red bean cheesecake fresh from the source. Oyatsupan’s fluffy shokupan supports a variety of sandwiches, in varieties like egg-and-cucumber and tonkatsu; they’re available by the whole or half. The bakery’s name is a compound word; “oyatsu” means “snack,” and “pan” is the Japanese word for bread.

16025 SW Regatta Ln, Beaverton, OR 97006
(503) 941-5251
(503) 941-5251

Ikenohana

14308 SW Allen Blvd #4403, Beaverton, OR 97005

Rice paper lamps and shoji screens fill the dining room at this old-school Beaverton restaurant. Here, loyal regulars often opt for the generous bento, including the classic makunouchi-style bento served in traditional sectionalized trays. Check the specials boards for things like the surprise roll (yamaimo, tuna, and oba), father and son roll (salmon and ikura atop a California roll), and spicy baked scallops.

14308 SW Allen Blvd #4403, Beaverton, OR 97005
(503) 646-1267
(503) 646-1267

SHO | Japanese Restaurant

10100 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219

Specials like ahi tempura donburi and una jyu lure regulars into this family-friendly restaurant, but the handmade gyoza are delicate, juicy, and a deliciously repeatable addition to any order. SHO boasts an extensive sake and Japanese whisky list, which can be ordered in flights or by the glass, katakuchi (spouted bowl), or bottle. The restaurant bottles its sauces, like teriyaki-garlic sauce and sesame-yuzu dressing, which are available for purchase.

10100 SW Barbur Blvd, Portland, OR 97219
(503) 977-3100
(503) 977-3100

Takibi

2275 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97210

Tucked in the back of Japanese outdoor brand Snow Peak’s flagship U.S. store, Takibi’s modern dining room feels straight out of Tokyo. The restaurant utilizes kitchenware from the brand and focuses on seasonal Japanese-meets-Pacific Northwestern cooking using its wood-burning hearth. Chef Cody Auger is well known for his lauded sushi restaurant Nimblefish, but at Takibi, grilled fish like saba shioyaki, miso-topped black cod, and masu yuan yaki (shoyu-marinated) McFarland trout share the stage with sashimi.

2275 NW Flanders St, Portland, OR 97210
(971) 888-5713
(971) 888-5713

Behind The Museum Cafe

1229 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

This tranquil, light-filled cafe is the perfect pre- or post-Portland Art Museum stop. Cafe-goers sip cups of sencha or hojicha lattes while enjoying light dishes from owner and baker Tomoe Horibuchi, such as salmon-mayo onigiri or chikara cake. Coffee drinks use Extracto beans, but tea is the focus here — customers can order their matcha tea ceremony-style, and for a sweet treat, try the matcha or hojicha soft serve with optional toppings such as azuki or brownies or in a parfait. 

1229 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 477-6625
(503) 477-6625

Tanaka

678 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205

At this sandwich and pastry shop from the team behind Japanese ramen import Afuri, a pastry case filled with desserts — squares of matcha opera cake, yuzu tarts, black sesame-and-raspberry Paris Brests — entices diners on their way to the counter, to order the restaurant’s signature sandwiches and savory fare. Ingredients such as pork loin, Oregon rockfish, and eggplant get the katsu treatment before they’re sandwiched between two slices of Tanaka’s house-made shokupan. Fruit-and-whipped cream sandwiches are another fun option here.

678 SW 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
(503) 914-3326
(503) 914-3326

Murata Restaurant

200 SW Market St, Portland, OR 97201

Family owned since 1988, this downtown restaurant is an ideal spot to enjoy a meal before heading over to the Keller Auditorium for a show or concert. Sushi chefs in pristine white coats work with different cuts of tuna, and in the kitchen, steaming pots of ochazuke and zosui are made with a fish-based broth. For something a little different, try Murata’s sweet vinegar marinated dishes — the sunomono moriawase (assorted seafood) is the way to go.

200 SW Market St, Portland, OR 97201
(503) 227-0080
(503) 227-0080

Wa Kitchen Kuu

125 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232

Like its sibling restaurants — Shigezo, Kichinto, and Yataimura Maru — Wa Kitchen Kuu serves izakaya standards such as takoyaki and chicken karaage. But the restaurant’s udon dishes, which use noodles made in-house daily, are must-orders. Options are plentiful, including kamaage udon or mentaiko kamatama udon — for the latter dish, diners stir spicy tarako roe and a soft-boiled egg into a tangle of thin udon noodles.

125 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Portland, OR 97232
(503) 477-9383
(503) 477-9383
Noodles in a bowl with an egg.
Mentaiko kamatama udon from Wa Kitchen Kuu.
Janey Wong/Eater Portland

Obon Shokudo

720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Serving vegan homestyle food, Obon Shokudo uses a variety of fermented ingredients made by owners Humiko Hozumi and Jason Duffany. Onigiri, or rice balls wrapped with seaweed, are popular in Japan for their portability. At Obon, onigiri are made with sprouted brown rice and filled with toasted miso in flavors like buddha’s hand with hominy and yuzu with pumpkin seed — they can be “made unseemly,” aka deep fried. First-timers should go with the combo, which includes a wide selection of menu items: two onigiri of your choice, a giant panko-crusted tater tot, a korroke, a kakiage, and a small salad.

720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 206-7967
(503) 206-7967

Tokio Table - Japanese Steakhouse

4768 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206

Cooking becomes performance art as Tokio Table’s teppanyaki chefs entertain diners with skillful swerves of their spatulas, setting ingredients aflame and tossing them through the air. Entrees like hibachi scallops and filet mignon come straight off the grill and onto diners’ plates, where they’re enjoyed piping hot with various dipping sauces and sides.

4768 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 515-8917
(503) 515-8917

Takahashi

10324 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland, OR 97266

The sister restaurant to downtown sushi spot Ichiban, Takahashi is chock-full of tchotchkes brought from Japan by original owner Seiji Takahashi. Special dinner sets allow diners to get a taste of varied items like kushikatsu (deep-fried pork skewers), tempura, and fried rice — or go the comfort-food route with classic Japanese dishes like curry rice or oyakodon.

10324 SE Holgate Blvd, Portland, OR 97266
(503) 760-8135
(503) 760-8135

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