Portland Sushi Saburos｜Old-School Spot with Insane Portions 🤯

Finally checked out Saburos, the legendary Portland sushi spot I’d seen hyped a million times—locals swear by it, with some eating here since childhood. Turns out the hype’s real: from fried dishes to sushi, every bite’s fresh enough to taste the ocean. The only "problem"? Portions so huge, we could not finish. 🏮 Vibe: DT Charm with a Side of Parking Chaos Tucked into a Downtown street, the storefront’s understated, but step in and you’re hit with tempura oil aroma and sushi vinegar tang. Chefs in white hats hustle behind the wooden bar, old photos line the walls—immediately feels like a "neighborhood staple." Parking hack: There’s a lot next door, but good luck at peak hours 🚗. Better to street-park nearby and walk 5 minutes—great prep for the feast ahead. 🍤 Appetizers: Tempura Worth Writing Home About, Fried Bites Packed with Flavor Went in planning "light apps," but ended up hooked: Fried Japanese tofu: Crust crisp as thin glass, inside jiggly-soft. Dip in soy, and the umami hits hard. Fried baby octopus: Octopus bounces on the tongue, batter so thin it’s barely there—crunchy, briny, even my fried-food-hating friend ate three. Tempura platter: Chef’s kiss. Shrimp tempura has a batter like tissue paper—"crack" when bitten, with a shrimp so big it fills your mouth, juicy and sweet 🦐. Veggie tempura’s no slouch: pumpkin creamy, eggplant oil-kissed but not greasy, dipped in light tentsuyu sauce—refreshing enough for seconds. Fried soft-shell crab: Shell crisp enough to chew, crab meat tender and juicy, tossed in a mild spicy sauce. One bite: salty, sweet, spicy—pure joy. Tempura udon: Thought it’d be "filler," but wow—udon chewy, tempura crumbs sprinkled on top, dashi broth with a hint of bonito. Slurped every drop. 🍣 Sushi Shock: Giant Pieces—One = 5 at Normal Spots, Fresh as "Just Off the Boat" Got greedy with sushi: "One of each, two of the faves"—then froze when two huge platters arrived. Portions so massive, it looked like a party spread. Even nearby diners glanced over, silence for a sec 🤫. Each piece is huge: normal sushi’s "one bite," here you gotta open wide. Fish thick enough to see texture, rice minimal (no filler): Unagi: Teriyaki glaze sweet but not cloying, eel meat tender enough to mash, skin slightly charred. + fishy goodness = (eyes-closed) happy. Torched salmon: Seared surface has smoky crunch, fish still bouncy. Fatty aroma + charred bits—wish I could borrow the chef’s torch. Tuna & Toro: Tuna firm with a bite, toro (fatty tuna) marbled like snow, melts on the tongue. Rich, briny, sweet—tastes like the ocean. Sweet shrimp: Pink, jiggly, shelled to perfection. Dip in wasabi, and the sweet-briny-spicy combo has us sucking shrimp heads clean. 💸 The Bill: $250 = "We Went Crazy," $100 Normally Fills You With tip, we hit $250+—but that’s on us: too many apps, double orders of sushi. The chef laughed, "Regulars know—we’re generous. Skip extra apps, focus on sushi, $100 for two fills you." Packed a whole box to go; microwaved (don’t judge) next day, still fresh! Old spots earn their fame with "fresh" and "honest portions." Left with stuffed bellies, friend summed it up: "Decades of love? Makes sense." Tempura’s textbook crispy, sushi’s "seafood market on a plate," portions no joke. Next time: restrain myself—fewer apps, more sushi, no doggy bag (maybe). 📍 Saburos（Downtown core—menu/address in pics 14-15, look for the "old-school sushi" sign） #PortlandSushi #TempuraHeaven #LegendaryEats