A homey izakaya in Hillsboro, Syun offers quality sushi as well. Artfully laid-out plates of sashimi, cut generously, are a real draw at Syun, as well as its flashy maki stuffed with crab or blanketed with seared scallop. The assorted plates and donburi — many featuring raw seafood — really shine here. For example, the Hokkaido chirashi offers a particularly artful spread of salmon, crab, scallops, sea urchin, and salmon roe.

Tucked away near the main strip of downtown Beaverton, Yuubi is one of the west side’s hidden gems for sushi. Chef Ricky Tam orders bluefin tuna and amberjack directly from Japan and dry ages fish to achieve a rich umami taste. Yuubi has a spacious patio, but diners who opt for indoor seating will get a view of the week’s shipment hanging inside the dry ager. Fruit figures into the restaurant’s uramaki — peaches are tucked inside the Ora King salmon-topped Finity roll while key lime juice is squeezed over the Yuki roll.

This sushi spot in downtown Beaverton serves a sizable menu full of fun appetizers, Japanese classics, and sushi. Although Koya has a tremendous amount of rolls on the menu, the tempura rolls are the clear draw, ranging from a surf-and-turf roll with seared Kobe beef and shrimp to a lobster roll with avocado. This is also a spot that offers baked sushi, filled with everything from crab to scallops.

Working in a small Multnomah Village cart doesn’t stop Yoshi Ikeda, a former Bamboo Sushi chef, from serving high-caliber nigiri and maki. Yoshi’s offers a small menu of innovative rolls and rotating nigiri, as well as sporadic omakase dinners and and the occasional handroll, but specials like the meticulously seared scallop nigiri with yuzu pepper marmalade continue to be the star of the show. Yoshi’s is currently slinging takeout via phone orders only, but there’s onsite dining at the Multnomah Village French Quarter pod.

On the Portland State University campus, diners sit down to pairs of aburi (seared) nigiri, including bruleed tamago, or carry out creations like the Hamachizilla, which includes yellowtail both inside and on top of the roll. Fish lovers are catered to with the variety of a 10-piece nigiri set or chirashi. For special occasions — or a treat-yourself dinner — visitors can order custom platters of artfully arranged sashimi with advance notice of a day ahead.

This little traditional Japanese mainstay can be found right across from the Keller Auditorium, serving everything from Japanese hotpot dishes to house-cured mackerel. Murata’s greatest strengths lie in the sushi sets and fish selection, allowing diners to either hand over control to the chef or pick their favorites a la carte.

Conveyor belt sushi has its devotees, and the Old Town staple Sushi Ichiban has been one of the city’s favorites for decades. The fish is fresh, well-priced, and generous in its portions, trailing behind a toy train engine on a continuously spinning track. This isn’t the spot for omakase, but when looking for a slab of salmon nigiri, spicy tuna hand rolls, or creamy scallops, Sushi Ichiban delivers — via a tiny train car.

From the same owners as Portland sushi standby Mirakutei, this downtown sushi restaurant not only offers Oregon Dungeness sashimi and a variety of salmon and mackerel cuts; it also heads into inventive territory, topping maki with garlic butter or yuzu tobiko. Start with the restaurant’s distinctive ponzu “ceviche,” before opting for a salmon flight — a round of salmon belly, salmon aburi, ocean trout, and wild sockeye nigiri. Those who love the super-involved rolls should finish with the Pacific NW roll, which tops Dungeness crab and spicy albacore with more albacore, pesto, tempura, and eel sauce.

The stylish Afuri is really known as a ramen bar, more than anything; people don’t often think of it as an obvious choice for sushi night. This is a mistake. The menu’s tight selection of nigiri, sashimi, and rolls is curated more than anything, only highlighting impeccably cut, flavorful fish. The house-cured ikura is particularly special, as is the flight of bluefin tuna, when available.

This Sellwood spot comes from two veteran sushi chefs, who have cut and rolled sushi all over the world before landing in Portland. Fish here is flown in fresh from Japanese sushi markets, whether it’s a spear squid topped with uni or bluefin marinated in jalapeno soy sauce. It’s best to order off of the specials card that arrives with the main menu, though the restaurant also offers omakase-style options and sushi combinations. Reservations are required.

Originally from South Korea, Bluefin Tuna and Sushi expanded into Northeast Portland in 2020. Bluefin is probably most recognizable by the cute round sushi it serves, offering a different aesthetic than most sushi places in Portland. The name “Bluefin Tuna” isn’t just for show either: Bluefin slings various cuts of bluefin tuna at market price. The move is to hit up Bluefin during happy hour, when six-piece maki sets clock in at $6; happy hour runs daily from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Portland’s very own Edomae-style sushi restaurant, Nimblefish serves stunning cured and fresh fish in its most traditional form of nigiri or sashimi in a tight-quarters cafe. Fish rotates seasonally and shows off a variety of curing techniques, as well as simple, fresh slices of fish. When stopping in for omakase, it’s worth it to add on specialty options like Bafun uni or A5 wagyu that’s seared with a hand-torch just until the fat begins to render.

This cozy, first-date-friendly Division sushi bar is one of those spots that works well for a wide range of sushi enthusiasts. Those seeking simply adorned, beautiful cuts of fresh or aged fish — maybe cut and arranged to look like a rose — will find that in spades. Those who want an elaborate maki drizzled with mango sauce or topped with seared salmon are also well taken care of here. Specials can be ornate and flashy, like grilled mussels topped with salmon belly, and vegetarians will have plenty of options, as well.

Gladstone institution Yoko’s has held a cult following for decades, delightfully old-school with a range of reasonably priced nigiri and elaborate maki. Yoko’s offers a wide selection of salmon, from ikura to skin to smoked, as well as fan favorites like the poki roll, ahi, and albacore — seared and raw — over a cucumber-avocado roll. For a heartier option, opt for the restaurant’s generous chirashi.

The sushi and yakitori restaurant serves standard rolls like spicy tuna and futomaki, but the menu gets creative with specialty rolls rooted in a sense of place, like the seared wagyu beef Plains roll or the vegetarian Valley roll, which brims with grilled shishitos and zucchini. Diners will also find seasons reflected in rolls, like the refreshing Spring (yellowtail, yuzu dressing, micro cilantro) or crisp Winter (snow crab, apple, scallop, orange marmalade).