Mirakutei Sushi & Ramen — Restaurant in Portland

Here’s my personal prescription for when you are feeling cold and stuffed up for cheering yourself up.

Step 1. Go to Mirakutei at 536 E Burnside Street. It’s a small little cute place that only seats maybe 40, so best if you are in a party of 4 or less. If you are truly not feeling well, it would be best to go alone and not get anyone else sick and also don’t have to try to make conversation while eating, you can just focus on slurping as messily as you want.

Step 2. Order some sushi and sashimi.

If you nose and sinuses are stuffed up, be a little generous with the wasabi that you dip the end of your chopstick into and mix into your soy sauce to clear your sinuses. Pour very little soy sauce because you want to make sure you taste the fish, not the soy sauce. In fact, it’s best if the reason you are having soy sauce and wasabi is to after you eat a sushi, then a little taste of wasabi + soy sauce, and then a piece of ginger. And then a sip of water. Then the next piece.

Step 3. Make sure that you instruct the servers to not bring you your ramen until you signal completion of your sushi and/or sashimi course. Perhaps if you came with friends, you might want to also get some yakitori, or gyoza too. But now it’s time for Genki Ramen or Tonkatsu Ramen. Genki Ramen at Mirakutei, which is white miso based and has shredded ground char siu and scrambled egg

I like the Genki one that sacrifices having the chashu pork for a mass of shredded chair siu pork and scrambled egg that you can break up and get little floating pieces of deliciousness as a reward for spoonfuls of the ramen broth, rather than one big piece of meat. They are both valid, good choices- it’s sort of the equivalent in my head of asking for pasta with marinara and big meatballs or pasta with a meaty ragu that is full of little chunks of meat all over.

Don’t be shy about if you can’t finish all the broth, asking to take it home...

Update: 06/21/2022

Food is still amazing.

Service not so much… was told I had to show proof to bring my service dog inside. We were up for the day from Washington and had planned this lunch stop based and the fantastic service and food we received on our last visit.

But still that wasn’t really a problem as they had outside seating ( be prepared for a large houseless person presence) and it was a beautiful sunny day.

The vibe was just off and awkward. We honestly weren’t sure if the server was just having an off day. Gave her a $20 tip for bringing my service dog water. Which we greatly appreciated.

Unfortunately service did not improve. I can’t use chopsticks and never got a chance to ask for a fork as the server never returned.

Opted to cash out and bag meal up Togo. This was our monthly date night and it kinda sucked as we had hope to enjoy a sake flight and some sushi as well.

We didn’t … since the server didn’t come back.

Overall coulda just been a bad day. But as a mixed race couple we felt extremely unwelcome. Which we weren’t sure if it’s was race, the dog or what.

Final verdict is food is AMAZING. But to minimize contact and unpleasant experiences. We will find a different ramen shop.

I really hope things improve here, but I’m not willing to waste my time or money waiting to find out.

Oh* special bonus the outside seating isn’t cleaned and nothing was wiped down before we were seated. My husbands jeans were ruined by some strange substance. Pics attached. When he went in to inform the server. No cleaning supplies were offered or provided… she just stared at him.

While we were there 3 other groups were also seated outside. At no time was a rag, towel or any cleaning supply produced before guests were seated.

Still...

Last Saturday, I celebrated my wedding anniversary at Mirakutei Sushi with my wife, indulging in their Omakase menu. Chef Hiro San (Hiroshi San) hasn't fully retired yet; he's in a semi-retired state, only serving Omakase on Fridays and Saturdays.

Exceptional Sushi Quality The quality of sushi served was truly one of the best experiences I've ever had. The fish was marinated for hours before dinner in the traditional way, allowing me to savor the distinct flavors of each variety, including tuna, salmon, tuna belly, eel, and calamari.

Chef Hiro San's Culinary Mastery Unlike some cheaper sushi restaurants that overuse lemon, making all fish taste similar, Hiro San's creations were exquisitely delicious. Each piece of sushi was prepared fresh on the spot, showcasing his dedication to quality and craftsmanship.

A Satisfying Dining Experience After enjoying the appetizer course and sushi, my wife and I were comfortably full and thoroughly satisfied with the exceptional quality of the food. Even the dessert was perfect - we ordered sesame ice cream and green tea cheesecake, which provided a delightful end to our meal.

Highly Recommended I wholeheartedly recommend visiting Mirakutei Sushi while Chef Hiro San is still actively serving customers. His skill and attention to detail make for an unforgettable dining experience. We will definitely be returning for more of his...