AFURI IZAKAYA SE PORTLAND — Restaurant in Portland

This restaurant pays attention to small exterior details. For example, their bottles and cups have their logo printed beautifully with a mountain scenery background, which enhances the overall vibe of the restaurant. When I asked about the nationality of the owner or chef, I was told the owner was Japanese, which gave me a sense of assurance and raised my expectations. So, I ordered drinks and food, but except for the Carpaccio, the rest of the food was absolutely disappointing.

The Yakitori—both chicken and vegetable skewers—was served either long after being cooked or pre-grilled and reheated. The outside was burnt while the inside was cold, and the natural juice of the ingredients was completely absent. Instead of showcasing the original flavors of the ingredients, all I could taste was teriyaki sauce. The next dish, salmon special cuts, was also heavily burnt on the outside and undercooked inside. The texture was poor, and the dish failed to deliver its nutty and savory essence. Because of this, I decided not to order the planned sashimi and left after eating only one remaining dish, opting for a different restaurant instead. The uni chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) lacked any tension in texture. When scooped with a spoon, the custard fell apart completely. The uni was steamed along with the egg, resulting in overcooking, no aroma, and an entirely melted, textureless consistency. Typically, eggs are partially steamed first, followed by uni lightly steamed just before serving, or fresh uni is added as a topping later. I believe the cooking methods were the major problem here. When I asked where the Japanese chef was, I was told they were in the office, which further highlighted the lack of supervision over the kitchen. Open kitchens were staffed entirely by Americans, and there seemed to be nobody overseeing the quality of the food. Proper supervision and understanding of food are crucial to maintaining quality standards. Additionally, the tables were too close to each other, reflecting more of a focus on maximizing revenue than providing a comfortable dining experience for guests. Despite having good infrastructure, this restaurant left much to be desired. I don't plan to visit again and will look for a more appealing alternative. While the ambiance is decent and may be suitable for a date, I would not recommend this place to anyone seeking authentic...

I feel real sad to have to write this. I had been the biggest fan and come to the SE location maybe once or twice a month since it opened. I have eaten at least 20 chirachi bowls here and it had always been amazing. Well, not anymore. Not on this menu. We spent over $300 here and left very very hungry, and my $38 chirachi bowl is now more like a poke bowl with chopped up little pieces of fish and two twigs of microgreens . The rolls went from small and exquisite to ——minuscule—— and “still good”. The ramen used to be much much better and now it’s TINY. So tiny it only had two small lettuce leaves, two tiny beans of edamame, and two sad wedges of tomatoes. What we also ate a bunch of rolls with it and was still super hungry.

Again, let me say that price is no issue, we have been spending so much money here. However, we do expect quality with this kind of price.

We gave the staff the feedback that they should inform us that 20% have already been added to the bill (which is no problem) because the interface is super confusing. The reaction from the first staff we told was combative, saying that it is printed on the menu. No problem, 20% is no problem, many of us work in restaurant and run restaurants ourselves, but we don’t appreciate feeling like we are getting tricked. We had $50 added to the bill and it was NOT obvious even if you read the whole bill.

If someone cares, and you are not just turning into some chain with no soul, please take this feedback with grace. I had been a fan, but surely a bit taken...

I rarely do reviews on Google, but I was compelled to do so. I travel for work and I make it a point to come to Afuri as a tradition. So this is not easy for me to write this.

Okay, let me start with the good – the food was seriously fantastic. I absolutely devoured the Yuzu Shio Ramen; it was incredible. The karaage and the chef’s flight was seriously delectable. Our server, Angelina, was genuinely a 5 star server. She was so friendly and attentive.

But honestly, that’s where the experience took a really noticeable turn. Two years ago, I used to come here pretty regularly, often with clients and friends, and back then, the vibe was fantastic – the servers and bartenders were consistently top-tier; I've rarely encountered a group so energetic and skilled.

Unfortunately, things have shifted dramatically. It feels like a completely different place now. I barely recognized anyone, not even the busboy with the man-bun who used to always be around. It’s disheartening to see such a decline in standards. There were moments where it felt like staff were distracted, with people on their phones, and I saw a significant amount of interaction happening around the bar. It was a bit concerning to see someone working on a laptop the whole time we were there. Also the beverages seem off.

Honestly, I can’t really recommend this place at the moment. It’s a shame because the potential was clearly there, but the current atmosphere and apparent drop in overall service quality make it difficult to get behind. I hope...