Bamboo Sushi — Restaurant in Portland

Looking for a novelty Japanese-themed dining experience? Appreciate ultra-modern decor, and have an appetite for medium-high prices? Not particularly attached to the fish component of your sushi? Then Bamboo might be for you! This restaurant is ideal for someone trying to hit the highlights, looking for Portland's much-discussed trend of breaking from culinary tradition at all costs. Business trippers with money to toss around (or an expense account to abuse) might find Bamboo just the place to make a memorable impression before returning from wherever they came. On my last visit I had the bad luck to be there on day one of a new pay-at-the-table point of sale system, which had the wait staff tied in knots as they tried to learn the system on the fly. Our server was quite personable despite the chaos, but the runners had a pathological inability to bring the dishes to the right end of the table. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and chalk it up to the new computers. The food menu is somewhat limited, constrained primarily to sashimi and nigiri, and a modest selection is rolls. The drink menu is a bit more generous, with a long list of sake (sadly not annotated with any tasting notes, but our server was able to provide some information) and some genuinely creative cocktails. Cocktail drinkers beware, the Thai chili-infused drinks are not "white people spicy". If you can't handle a spicy curry, these drinks may not be for you. For serious gastronomers who are willing to take the time to find truly exceptional sushi... you can do better. Bamboo makes it's brand on their environmentally-conscious ingredient sourcing, picking prime locations, sharp interior decorating, and novel arrangements of ingredients (apple sushi, anyone?), but while they're busy working out the trendy highlights, the culinary mastery falls by the wayside. Small menus with limited selections sometimes indicate a head chef who wants to double down on execution to produce the finest dishes possible, but alas not here. Most of their rolls are so busy showing off things that by rights have no business being in sushi, that the fish barely makes an impression on the tongue. When it does, it's nothing special. If you're the sort that goes out to sushi alone so as not to be bothered by chattering friends distracting you from your intimate moments with your tuna sashimi, try Shigezo or Samurai Blue -- your tongue...

I visited for a happy hour, , which included for my friend and I

Daily Hand Roll and cocktail of the day... what you don't see is that I already consumed the complimentary edamame bowl. Shh don't tell my friend. From their signature cocktail menu, the drink Purple Haze. with fresh blackberry puree shaken with vodka and lemon-lime juice, served on the rocks Imo koroshi—“potato killer” roasted yam press box, garlic-soy-butter, sesame chili powder, $4 instead of $6 at happy hour. Tastes as wonderful as it looks. From House Signature Roll section: Green Machine Roll (vegetarian) of tempura fried asparagus and green onions topped with avocado and cilantro sweet chili aioli. Amazing. $6 instead of $10 at Bamboo Sushi Happy Hour: “karashi” hanger, a marinated and grilled St Helens hanger steak with asian mustard mushrooms and puffed rice Also on the happy hour menu, char grilled shishito peppers tossed with miso butter and bacon and topped with bonito flakes, $4 instead of $6 at happy hour Okonomiyaki, a traditional Japanese savory pancake with shrimp and mushrooms, topped with fried oysters, drizzled with aioli and eel sauce, $5 instead of $8 at happy hour

I was thrilled to see the variety of items on the happy hour menu and could have easily ordered more. I didn't even get any sashimi because I was so tempted by all these other options!

For happy hour there were 17 options there for food, of which more than half were vegetarian or could be vegetarian by omitting bonito flakes, one choice can even be made gluten free! The rest of the menu includes more of the same so that anyone with any diet can dine at Bamboo Sushi happily.

It does get busy and has a hip, trendy vibe, so prepare your arrival/eating time accordingly. It's obviously not going to be priced like a conveyor belt sushi place- but I think their cause is worth it. If you have the opportunity, come support this great local business with a conscience and enjoy incredible food for happy...

I love bamboo sushi and have been going to the cedar hills location for a while now. I am always impressed by the quality of food and the amazing service provided. However this location was a disappointment. My boyfriend and I came here on Valentine’s Day and had a reservation at 4:00. We came on time and both hostess were very welcoming and kind. The same can’t be said for our waiter. He wasn’t out right rude, but you could tell he didn’t want to be there. He seemed very annoyed and when we said we still needed a minute to decide he seemed agitated and walked off to go talk to the hostesses. He didn’t return for a strangely long time. The menus and chop sticks we were given were also dirty and covered in little bits of food. I know they leave water on the tables for us to pour but even at the cedar hills location they would put you the first glass because that’s what good service is. When the food was ready he brought out my boyfriend’s roll first and it was another ten minutes until I got mine. It wasn’t a huge deal but it was really strange and awkward. He than brought out my roll and we were finally able to enjoy our food. It wasn’t remarkable. The food was fine but now that his had been sitting out it wasn’t amazing quality and for $18 a roll it it didn’t feel worth it. The kitchen brought out our small plates later and the women who brought it out did deliver the experience I was used to. However the fried cauliflower was cold. Overall it was disappointing to spend almost $100 on Valentine’s Day and receive such a subpar experience. I will continue to visit...