Sushi One — Restaurant in Portland

TL;DR sushi was acceptable, if a tad on the expensive side, service is extremely lacking.

We love going to Mojo’s or Izakaya in NE and the kitschy Ichiban when downtown. But we wanted to try a new place close to home for dinner and settled on Sushi One.

Upon arrival, it didn’t look to busy inside but it took a couple minutes to be acknowledged, including the servers and cooks awkwardly avoiding eye contact as we waited alongside a few other couples. After finally being acknowledged and seated, another couple minutes passed before we got menus, then a few more for water, then even longer to order. We almost left at this point.

After ordering, it took about 30 minutes to receive our first roll, which a different server attempted to give to another table. The next rolls came quickly enough while the couple who were seated a couple minutes after us, still hadn’t received anything. The Ocean Roll was lacking with only 6 pieces for $16. The nigiri plate with the California roll was good, nothing special.

All in all, about an hour and 15 minutes after we arrived, I had to finally go ask for my check. The woman who ran my card accidentally charged a different table’s bill ($120) then spent 5 minutes attempting to reverse the charge before finally asking for help.

If you’re extremely patient, this place might have some good food but fortunately there are other options for sushi where you don’t have to test...

This place is a diamond in the rough. One of the last sushi places in Portland that isn’t loud and crowded, but features high quality food, an excellent atmosphere and elite service. The staff deserve their own review, frankly. The waitresses are incredible, knowledgeable and friendly. The chefs working behind the sushi bar and in the kitchen are fantastic. It doesn’t matter if you order a sashimi bowl in the front of the house, or a chicken kara-age dish from the back, you’re going to receive an excellent quality dish in a generous serving size. The Ikura was fresh and spot-on (rare). The rice, which is the most important part, is as good as it gets. I can’t remember the last time I received service this good from front house staff who are smiling, happy and working together. They don’t look stressed out, overwhelmed or overworked. This is truly one of the last great neighborhood spots in Portland. Enjoy it while it lasts because we desperately need dinner options like this in a gentrifying city.

PS - Sushi One has the most competitive pricing in sit-down sushi restaurants in Portland, without any sacrifices in food quality. This is incredibly rare in 2018 outside of inferior conveyor belt sushi spots. Would love to see this spot on the ‘best of portland’...

i never EVER leave reviews, but this place was so delicious - i just have to. i have never ever had sushi so fresh before. the presentation was beautiful, and the escolar sashimi was cut so thick — it was jaw dropping!! the calamari was so fresh and the batter was sooo light and crispy. our server was so attentive and friendly, genuinely one of the best servers we’ve had since moving to portland. i came here for my birthday dinner and i am sooo glad i did. i’m eating the leftovers a day later and it is still so delicious. you wouldn’t expect this out of a place hidden behind a little corner store! i’ve told everybody i know about this place, and i will definitely be returning. thank you sushi one for an excellent...