Ichidai Restaurant
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Southeast Portland5714 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97206 (503) 771-4648
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu 5:00 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Fri 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sat-Sun 5:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
10 Reviews for Ichidai Restaurant
What I've found is that for sukiyaki this is one of the best places to go. The broth is savory and sweet. The portions are large so two people can share it.
Other items are good too. Tempura, fried tofu, sushi. So overall this Japanese restaurant is up there for me.
It is hard to find and is in an odd spot. Otherwise check this place out.
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I have dined at Ichidai on several visits to Portland. It has always been quite excellent. Last night I hope was an exception. They were not busy (which is an indication that things may have changed). Took almost 20 minutes just to get a glass of wine. The server said she was not old enough to serve it, and I would have to wait until there was someone available.
Seaweed salad was extremely small and nott at all tasty. Sushi was just OK. The bento box dinners were good, but nothing special about them, and tempura was exceptionally greasy, and tasting of overused oil.
I have been to this restaurant at least 6 other times, and would have rated it 3-4 star every time. But things appear to have changed a bit.
I've been to a lot of sushi restaurants, and Ichidai is by far my favorite.
The sushi is fresh and ALL the food is delicious.
Sometimes it can get busy, but not intolerably so.
It's in an office building(off 57th and Powell), so it's sometimes hard to find for newcomers, but it's the highest quality.
So far, this is my favorite sushi restaurant in Portland. Now, I haven't been here all that long, and I dare say I'm only a student of Japanese cuisine. For what I've read, this is some of the most authentic sushi around.
I've never had better sashimi. The selections on the special board are usually what I stick too, and I have yet to be disappointed.
The also have Onigiri. Why is this dish so hard to find in Portland? Their soups are all great too, if you're in the mood for a warmer dish.
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When people come to tell me about how great Mio is, or how awesome YOKO's is (fucking hate that place), or how awesome saburo's is, I just sort of shake my head. Go ahead! Eat crappy rolls and mediocre fish! That is totally YOUR perogative. Those places have struck me as being pure mediocrity, though saburo's evokes significant sentimental memories for me. But this reivew is about Ichidai.
On most occassions that I go, I gently touch the rice. IT'S SLIGHTLY WARM. That means that they are making relatively fresh rice, and it's at least one indication that they are doing things right there. See those conveyor-belt joints with the machines that pop out little rice turds automatically? You won't find them here. Their seafood on the whole is of very high quality, such that they won't deign to drench it in salad dressing, like I've had at Mio. I mean, is there something to hide? Apart from the regular fish suspects, they also have some nice offerings on the specials board. Kanpachi is a fish you don't normally see in area sushi bars (though closely related to hamachi). Kohada (shad) also makes an appearance. Best of all is "ankimo", which I believe is anglerfish pate (or monkfish, can't remember). THAT shit you won't find at yoko's. The food from the kitchen is prett decent, and pretty standard. One nice thing is that you can easily order tonkatsu a la cart. They fry up a mean chicken kara-age, and the hamachi kama (yellowtail collar) is done well. In all honesty I've yet to see a place fuck up a hamachi kama.
Rarely a wait, ample parking, and nice staff. They might be a touch pokey on occasion, but I've never had serious problems with a wait.
The worst timeI had there was when we sat next to a booth full of loud french people. Nothing puts me off my food quicker and worse than a couple of french brats singing allouette or some bulls shit. I was seriously about to walk out. I've been there when there were kids, but seriously that put me over the edge.
PS Brandy gets kudos about the music comment. Seriously it's the same cd over and over again, with the birds, sheep, and babbling brook. In spite of all this, this is one of my favorite sushi joints on the east side (Kappaya is also great, that'll be for next episode)!
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Wow, several weeks ago I went in to order to go. While waiting, several groups actually came and went....After asking about my order, they realized it was just sitting there. After reviewing the order that staggeringly came to $75 for two....(The sushi was fine, but NOT that great) they had to add two missing selections.
Even though they may be one of the few Sushi spots open on Sunday, we may just not eat sushi on Sunday any more....oh well.
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Has excellent sushi and it's very fresh. First time I tried this place, I fell in love. I also love their Kara Age Ramen. They have fried chicken (not like KFC style) in it and it just adds a lotta flavor to the soup. The chickens themselves also absorbs the soup nicely into it, giving you an explosion of soup and flavor when you bite into it. My only gripe is that they don't have more ramens on their menu, but oh well.
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In search of GOOD sushi in Portland, hubby and I have ventured to try a couple places ... but so far ... not much luck. So we were excited to find Ichidai with a good review and hoped for bitesize pieces.
As we walked up to the non-descript building (it's tucked away in a small office complex on SE Powell and 57th) hubby said "I hope we like this cuz if it sucks I don't have anyone to blame but myself."
Well -- we got lucky. The food was pretty darn good. We had spicy tuna roll, tai snapper sashimi, Oregon Salmon roll (DELICIOUS), Spider and tuna & avocado. All of the rolls were very tasty -- and just the right size.
The downsides to this place are that they play music (much like Brandy says below) that's a little weird -- I think it was birds singing in our case. The service is E X T R E M E L Y S L O W . . . which is good if you're not hungry -- but come on people ... who goes to dinner BEFORE they're hungry. The other strange thing was that when you sit down you're given an menu (with many non-sushi options - tempura, teriyaki & such) a paper offering their dinner special - three rolls, miso soup and cucumber salad for $13.25 (three rolls/person is actually a lot of food -- we ordered 5 rolls and were pretty stuffed) ... then under the glass on your table they have their drink menu, "special" rolls menu and an Sapporo picture menu (these pictured items are apparently also available for consumption).
Anyways ... once you get past the confusion and accept that your food will arrive about 1/2 hour after you're starving ... it's pretty damn good stuff.
Arigato
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I can't breathe!!! A major food coma is coming on. Got a take out order of a spicy lobster & scallop roll, tempura udon & a #15 dinner special. The special was the most expensive compare with the other specials but the price is very reasonable for the amount of food you get:
-plate of veggie tempura & 2 shrimp tempura,
-california roll,
-4 pieces of tuna shashimi,
-broiled salmon,
-seaweed salad,
-2 pieces of tamago,
-1 piece of a rectangular rice w/shrimp on top & egg roe in the middle),
-1 piece of chicken karage,
-miso soup,
-small cup of sour cucumber
-rice,
-beef teriyaki.
That is alot of food for $15.
The tempura udon came with a plate of 2 shrimp tempura & veggie tempura, and a choice of Inari-zushi or cucumber roll. This place has the best prices. I liked the udon, california roll & lobster roll. The food while not the best, the value is the best I've seen in a japanese that has pretty good food. Their butter clams is delicious.
This is the best sushi/Japanese restaurant in town that won't bankrupt you. It is really hard to find a reasonably priced sushi place that doesn't stink (literally).
If you are on a date, I highly recommend splitting the dinner special: shrimp/vegi tempura, chicken katsu, miso soup, salad, and a California roll - all for $12. Then you can stock up on sushi!
Only downside: Their music selection. A strange blend of classical music with a layer of bleating sheep and mooing cows in the background. You can usually ignore it.
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