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Masu Sushi
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
406 SW 13th AvePortland, OR 97205
Neighborhood: Downtown
(503) 221-6278
Announcement
We now validate parking after 5pm in the Indigo garage on SW 12th between Washington and Stark!
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 11 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 12 am
Sat 5 pm - 12 am
Sun 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street, Validated
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
178 reviews for Masu Sushi
Review Highlights
"Hands down my favorite sushi happy hour in Portland."
(in 24 reviews)
"...blackberry puree shaken with vodka and lemon-lime juice."
(in 3 reviews)
"...with seared hamachi, cilantro and red jalapeno on top."
(in 3 reviews)
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178 reviews in English
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Review from Olivia O.
Portland, OR
2/8/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Masu's secret: they have an amazing happy hour cheese burger, only instead of bacon it has a sliver of pork belly in the middle, served with a side of kim chi.
Masu itself seems a bit of secret, as it's got a simple entrance, a door leading to stairs, and then a floor above street level, you have the beautiful box-shaped restaurant. There is even a mobile of bamboo boxes hanging from the ceiling.
The sushi here is amazing, and the atmosphere is even better. The service is especially great. And the music. I always like to add something about the music. This place plays interesting simple music. They were playing Ok Computer when I went in today.
It's a great place to study or bring a date or meet a few friends. It's very zen and the perfect downtown restaurant. -
Review from kim p.
San Diego, CA
2/8/2012
such a cool space! its upstairs of sorts and the lighting is low and intimate.
the sushi is top of the line and generously portioned! being used to san diego's high prices, i didnt think it was too expensive here. a full meal for two of sushi and cut fish and a lotus roll and to top it off, a large carafe of saki only netted about 65 dollars. so with saki id say you could get a really delicious experience on 30 bucks per person.
its an easy walk from the Westin or the Nines. its pretty dead on week nights but thats kinda good if you dont want to feel crowded or have to wait for servers to get to your table -
Review from Kris C.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Okay...this is the place of ramen heaven. I am a huge fan of Tonkotsu ramen and let me tell you this place brings it. They actually boil the pork bones for three days to make the broth. The toppings are amazing and in true Portland fashion you can order an appetizer of some pickled yumminess to go with it.
The also serve one of my top five most favorite things to eat, black cod. And frankly, they do a bang up job of it. I could see myself flying up here for a weekend just to eat the food here. It really is that good. -
Review from Don B.
1/10/2012 1 Check-in Here
Masu sushi is your high-end raw-fish option in the downtown/SW area. It used to be partnered up with Bamboo Sushi (when it was Masu East) but is no longer attached (as of a couple of years ago). It has a somewhat similar style as far as sushi goes minus the sustainability angle. Small, well-crafted cuts of high-end fish on well-made sushi rice. You pay a lot for the fish here but it's high quality. And if you go for the more expensive options and combos they give you real wasabi instead of the powdered shit.
I stopped in here for a late lunch and the place was totally deserted. The sushi combo option on the lunch menu is not cheap - over $20 for not a ton of fish. I wouldn't file this under cheap eats by any stretch, but again, real wasabi...
The space has that sort of minimalist-modern Japanese feel to it. Definitely hip/upscale. Not the same concept as Bamboo with all of its wood tones on the eastside, but it stands out as nicer than your average hole in the wall sushi joint.
While I was impressed with the quality of the fish, the rice, and the friendly service I can't say I was totally wowed enough to want to come running back for more. It could be that I went for lunch instead of my usual over-the-top omakase dinner where money is less of an issue, but the tab did chafe a bit.
If you're picky about your fish, Masu definitely serves up the good stuff. If you're in the market for more discount fish, head elsewhere. -
Review from Kelly R.
Sherwood, OR
2/4/2012
Went here for my birthday last night and while the food was amazing, the drinks yummy and the staff very friendly, I was shocked to see that they charged us $12 to cut my own cake!!! My friend made it, we brought it with us and not only did they charge a ridiculous "cutting" fee, they didnt give us the rest of the cake! Hope they enjoyed my amazing birthday cake...of which I had one tiny piece.
Comment from Jeff B. of Masu Sushi 2/4/2012
hi kelly. we do have a cake cutting fee of $2 per person… More » -
Review from Angie Q.
1/7/2012
I'm so glad I found this place! The location, atmosphere and decor is right up my alley. Came here with a group of 8 on a Friday night (with reservations). Service was great, attentive, and patient. The group tried a variety of sushi items as well as numerous bowls of ramen. The ultimate goal of the night was to try the ramen.
Given this is not a ramen joint, the ramen was delicious! Broth was light and savory (though more fat would have made it tastier), pork was tender and juicy, and the noodles had the perfect texture. With analysis from a friend who lived in Japan, the noodles may be handmade..? Oh and the egg was delicious!! Give this place a try if you love ramen! It was featured in a Japanese newslettter recently. -
Review from Mei Mei S.
Happy Valley, OR
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I was brought here by one of my Japanese friends and had a delicious dinner. We sat at the bar and chatted with the Sushi Chef. She was very nice. We had several dishes. But the fish collar was amazing and the Uni melted in my mouth! I would defiantly come here again.
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Review from Chelsea A.
Portland, OR
10/9/2011
Oh Masu, why do you have to be so amazing? Why do you have to serve my favorite sake ever (Yuki No Bosha)? AND why am I incapable of learning a lesson in the regards to sake and hangovers. WHY?!
Nevermind, you can't answer those questions. And really, the point of dining out on sushi is not to get drunk. Really, it isn't. The greater issue of partaking too much when eating at Masu's is that you don't really get to experience how amazing Masu's sushi is. I can't claim any extensive knowledge of raw fish in my mouth I do know what tastes good. The Japanista Roll was fantastic (and not only for the Japanese mayo which I love). All the nigiri tasted sublime (do people still use that word?) and the regular rolls were spot on.
Service to a fairly large (and kinda rowdy) table was efficient, nice and very helpful.
I love Masu, I love the door on the street and the steps you have to walk up. I love the mural that changes constantly and low back chairs in the lounge section. I love the bar and the sushi bar and the lanterns shaped like rice box.
I love Masu so much that I'd marry it if I could. I'd probably turn into a rice fat drunk, but god what a wonderful marriage it would be. -
Review from Lily T.
Oakland, CA
11/28/2011
Great food, friendly service, and a cozy atmosphere full of interesting modern decor. Little pricey for sushi but worth it.
Definitely try the unique appetizers! I don't remember the names of any of the ones I ordered, but generally their menu includes some interesting concepts. Great flavor, lots of texture. Mmm! -
Review from Joyce H.
11/7/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I had a great time at Masu Sushi when I was in Portland. I went to there for dinner with my family.
I shared the "Lotus," a six piece roll with tuna, crab and avocado tempura fried and finished with hana sauce and eel sauce ($15), the "Pearl," a eight piece roll with shrimp tempura, avocado, and crab topped with spicy tuna and sweet chili sauce ($15), and the "Transformer" an 8 piece roll with softshell crab, cucumber, spicy tuna and avocado with spicy serrano dipping sauce ($15). Of those, my favorite was the "Pearl."
We received a sake cup of warm edamame for free and it was perfectly salted and delicious.
I also had a nice warm cup of miso soup ($2) and a cocktail called "Hello Kitty," which consisted of fresh blackberry puree shaken with vodka and lemon-lime juice, served on the rocks. ($8)
The service was great and the staff was nice. The atmosphere is a trendy- Asian style but not overly pretentious.
I would definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in Portland. -
Review from Alexis L.
New York, NY
9/17/2011 Seated via OpenTable 2 Check-ins Here
What I had: daily sashimi, a spicy clam and shiso handroll, uni onigiri plus 2 masu of sake (1 junmai daiginjo and 1 namazake).
The sashimi's salmon was really good. Salmon is ususally a good indicator of fish quality. Most places serve farned salmon with highly visible fat layers. At Masu the salmon was lean.
So you're not in Japan, but Masu rivals with the high-end NY sushi bars, at a price that remains under control. -
Review from DM W.
Seattle, WA
12/18/2011
Wow! Awesome! Fresh, delicious sushi.Creative and tasty rolls! Our server, Saki was the BEST! Really!! And the bartender concoted Awesome cocktails! All around - beyond fantastic service and food!!!
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Review from Eva Y.
Oakland, CA
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for a second dinner of the night. Lots of eating tonight in Portland.
Here is my take on this place:
Pluses: nice decor, sushi quality is pretty yummy, and the price point is decent. Also their service is excellent. Nice cushy place for HH for sure.
So-so: their nigiri is a bit looser than other sushi places so picking it up could be hard.
Eh: they are located on the second floor..... not easily accessible if u have a hard time climbing stairs, and I mean a full flight of stairs. -
Review from Jen O.
Portland, OR
12/16/2011
We've been here several times and we always like it.
The food is delicious! Their miso soup is some of the best I've had, and their sushi is always good quality. They have all sorts of delicious and inventive rolls, too (but not too inventive -- they never seem to sacrifice good flavor combos for "inventiveness" like some places...ahem...Saburro's)
They also are one of the hidden gems in town for great drinks. Their cocktails are fun and tasty, but they also usually have a couple of good beers on tap, and of course a bunch of sake options.
The atmosphere is good too. It would be a great date spot, or it could be a great spot for a group. Very versatile. Comfy, trendy, but cozy too. -
Review from Vivi Y.
Seattle, WA
I'm from Seattle and I came here for the weekend before heading back home. Found this on yelp, and thank you yelpers, this was a pretty good experience!
The atmosphere is pretty good, can get noisy at times. The food..similar to the decent restaurants in Seattle, but the price is probably a bit cheaper (since it's without tax)
Service is pretty good too, I'll definitely be back if I'm in Portland again:) -
Review from Rachel H.
Portland, OR
11/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
Booooooo. Greasy everything. Sushi was unremarkable. Dining room had about 5 empty tables the whole time that we sat of to the side, eating in the "lounge" area, awkwardly off of a side table. Cute decor; but wouldn't ever go back. I mean, it's not so bad I spit anything out, but that is really the best I can say about it. Disappointing.
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Review from J. M.
Philadelphia, PA
9/8/2011
I solicited advice from some PDX locals - friends of friends that live there - in anticipation of our recent five day vacation in Portland. I specifically sought food guidance, and had a few consistent themes from my insiders... eat poutine, definitely visit food carts, don't miss Stumptown coffee, and absolutely go out for sushi. One adviser, an ex-east coast transplant living in Portland, said he considered sushi to be Portland's specialty (like cheesesteaks are to Philly).
Well, on our first night in town, after an exhaustingly long flight with a layover in Dallas, my wife and I decided to go for west coast sushi. Our concierge recommended Masu, and that turned out to an excellent choice.
Like other reviewers have mentioned, it's a 2nd floor dining room up a long flight of stairs. Somewhat minimal decor outside of the bar and mural, the scene was dim, and modern, giving the restaurant a very hip and sexy vibe.
We were sat by a friendly manager (owner?) named Jeff, who immediately smelled the "outsider" on us and asked if we were visiting. We mentioned that we'd just arrived from Philly, and, ironically, it turns out that Jeff is a Temple U. grad and huge Phillies fan. Jeff chatted with us for a few moments after we sat, talking baseball, and discussing how much he thought Philly has improved since his college days in the early 90's (based on a recent trip back east). He even raved about his meal at Amada. Throughout our dinner at Masu, Jeff visited between courses in an extremely friendly and casual way to chat with us. He wound up providing us with a list of excellent Portland tips, many of which we acted on and really enjoyed.
Onto the food -- everything was top shelf. The sauteed calamari with garlic and hot peppers was probably the best calamari preparation/ dish I've ever tasted, and the sashimi and maki were out of this world. I've been to a lot of good sushi spots here (Morimoto, Izumi, Pod, etc.), but this west coast fish was on a whole other level. Specifically, the sockeye salmon... it practically melts in your mouth.
There's not much else I can say. Masu was so good, we went back there for dinner on the last night of our trip (two visits in five days). The food was just as good on the second trip, so there's the 5-star consistency. Maybe there's even MORE amazing sushi spots in Portland, but I'll have to find out on my next trip. In short, Masu's sushi blew this east coaster's mind, and that calamari appetizer will haunt my dreams for months.
One last note, the service at Masu is superb. Jeff, although he wasn't our server, really made us feel comfortable and welcome, and his advice really enhanced our visit to Portland. Our other servers, who had different service styles, were both excellent and on top of their game. -
Review from Danielle D.
Portland, OR
7/26/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Let me preface this with saying, I am a cook and I've worked in this industry long enough to know that when someone mentions a food allergy, you PAY ATTENTION.
So - my momma-in-law was in town with us from the East coast, and we wanted to take her out somewhere nice for sushi on her last night in town. A friend suggested Masu (over Bamboo) so I made a reservation via Opentable, and we showed up right on time. There was a momentary wait while they set us up, then we were whisked off to our table. I ordered tea for 3, and when it arrived one of the cups had a chipped edge. We pointed it out, and the host said to my fiance', "You can handle it, you're a man." Hm. Wrong attitude, guy. He drank from the other side when his tea was poured.
So we proceed with our ordering. Momma H has a shellfish allergy, so I noted this on the menu we wrote our order on, as well as verbally to the server. We ordered the sushi sampler without shellfish, and a few rolls. One of the rolls we chose was a volcano roll for the hubs and I, and the server did note that it had crab in it, and would be put on a separate plate.
The food itself was glorious - the sea vegetable salad was light and refreshing, the tsukemono was all delicious (though not nearly enough of it for the $8 price) and we loved the miso soup. The rolls came and we dug in, but were surprised at the array of the sushi sampler. I immediately noticed the ama ebi (sweet shrimp), and upon closer inspection realized that the plate also included mirugai (sea clam). In any other instance I'd be pleased a punch because I LOVE sea clam, but it's a SHELLFISH and was touching other fish on the plate which our shellfish-allergic momma was planning to eat off of.
Damn.
After repeated attempts to flag down the passing host and servers, we finally got our server's attention long enough to inform her of the error. She removed the dish and offered to bring us something else. We waited about five minutes before a new menu was brought, and another ten minutes until she returned to ask if we'd made a decision. By that point, we were done with fish, so we asked for the check and hightailed it out for gelato.
The server admitted that she should have double-checked, and this was reflected in her tip. Momma-in-law was disappointed that she didn't get her nice sushi dinner, and we were disappointed in the service overall. If you're paying a premium for your dinner, the service should match. I will not recommend Masu to anyone. -
Review from Andrea S.
Portland, OR
12/5/2011 Seated via OpenTable
The place definitely had a trendy, modern vibe, and would be a great place to grab some drinks with friends. I had a virgin mojito and it may have been one of the best Ive ever had. The sushi was pretty great (but kind of heavy tasting) and the miso soup was yummy. The seaweed/seafood salad was interesting, in that it combined a lot of unique ingredients but didn't really have that seaweed salad-vinegary taste that I like. I don't think I'd order it again. I've noticed other places in Portland tend to do the less vinegar style seaweed salad, which I'm not a huge fan of....Overall though, pretty good, but I'm not itching to go back.
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Review from tammy h.
San Francisco, CA
Wild Salmon, awesome!
Servers were cool, even replaced the piece of sushi he caused to fly off the plate when he was collecting our dishes to box for us.
Vaulted ceiling, always a plus in my book.
The cooked fish dishes were quite tasty, didn't expect that.
One thing--
Not wheelchair friendly, from what I observed. It's located on the second floor and I believe there is no other way but the semi-steep case of stairs to get to and from there. Just FYI for those with band joints, have a hard time walking, can't walk, etc.Comment from Jeff B. of Masu Sushi 8/17/2011
Hi Tammy, FYI...we do have an elevator that is available for… More » -
Review from Olga P.
Beaverton, OR
9/21/2011
PROS: Nice ambiance, lighting decor and staff. Location is good.
CONS: Average sushi at best. The sashimi was not fresh and it tasted mushy and watery, had been on ice for too long. Way overpriced. The rolls were nothing special.
I really liked the decor but overall this place is nothing special and the sushi was unimpressive. I have had far superior sushi for much less. Basically you are paying to eat in a trendy restaurant. I wouldn't go back. -
Review from Joe W.
Portland, OR
8/31/2011
Vietnamese serrano & garlic calamari salad!!!!!
I always enjoy going to Masu... good sushi, great sake selection (served in those awesome Masu boxes) and decent atmosphere. Some consider it a bit on the pretentious side, but I don't think it's over the top.
My date and I (I know, I can't believe it either!!) shared edamame, a roll, a few orders of nigiri and the serrano/garlic calamari salad appetizer.
I know what you're thinking, "serrano & garlic on a date... no wonder your dating life is pathetic!!" But if you've not had the pleasure, I can't recommend it enough. In fact it may well be worth an evening of abstinence, but I suppose that's more of a personal decision.
The roll was good, shrimp tempura on the inside and various white fish and salmon on the outside. Fresh and tasty, but not knock your socks off tasty.
Aside from the calamari, I always enjoy the nigiri and sashimi at Masu. I know it's probably overly simplistic and perhaps doesn't give the best idea of their culinary prowess, but they always have super fresh yellowtail and horse mackeral (aji, not the pickled stuff).
The service was good and attentive, perhaps more so than usual, although it was a Monday night. Either way, another good experience from Masu! -
Review from Mandy C.
6/26/2011 4 photos
FIVE STAR AWESOMENESS!
We were meandering around town and came across Masu on complete accident. The small sign, the flower decal on the door, the stairs that led up to a swanky sushi bar, lit by the large open oversized windows (as we had walked in late afternoon).
We were greeted warmly and sat quickly by the most awesome waiter. If only I remembered his name because he was super awesome.
US: Is it happy hour?
WAITER: Indeed it is the hour of 'happy!'
So we ordered from the happy hour menu :)
SUSHI ROLL: St. Helen's Volcano (6pieces for $12)
DRINK: Tokyo Drop ($7)
I admit the prices are still a little steep, steeper than what we're used to in Seattle at least, but the sushi and presentation tasted aaaaaamaaaaazing!!! I mean come on, sushi arranged on a plate surrounding a mound of salt lit on fire? Come on.... COME ON!!! Did I mention the sushi tasted amazing? I bet I did........
amazing......
-PS. Happy hour, you cannot have 'take-home' leftovers. Just a little heads up.Listed in: THE FIVE STARS, Happy Hour Hopping, Oregon, WHAT?!
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Review from Ted C.
6/25/2011
Quiet and sunny late afternoon on a mellow vibe Saturday. After climbing the 'Machu Picchu' stairway to the Sushi Holy land, we were greeted with a warm and trendy environment where the staff smiled and eased us into a nice two person table next to a window.
We ordered Nemo Roll, Holladay Roll, Spicy Tuna Roll, Vegi Maki, Yellow Tail, Albacore, and Smoked Chinook Nigiri. Two bowls of Miso and edamame were the warm ups and they were excellent! The miso was not too salty and had a complexity of flavors and the edamame was well seasoned, warm, and delicious.
All the rolls were super nova explosions of coolness! I was blown away by the Holladay Roll which was a mamenori wrapped roll with a tempura jalapeno heart of spicy gold! It came out with a special dipping sauce called "special dipping sauce topped with peanuts". I call it "super amazing liquid of zeus sauce"! I like my name better.
All of the fish was so buttery tender, that I could have ate it with no teeth in my purty mouth.
The waiter was surprised we ate so much. I guess we've gone to Sushi land too often, because we were stacking our plates too...
Expensive place that the GF and I will make a destination on special occasions because A: We can't financially afford to go too often & B: If we climb that flight of stairs too often, I'll start to think I'm going to the gym...
Bravo fish gods! You gone done a good job. -
Review from Julie E.
Rohnert Park, CA
7/8/2011
Wow. My partner and I found ourselves starving and the mood for a steak so we stopped by a place that was recommended. I do not remember the place but it was so dark we couldn't read the menu. Good thing we had a flashlight (literally!). WE left when we realized how ridiculous it was.
We drove around for awhile looking for places in our GPS for food and we were so hungry we could not decide. We finally settled on Masu. I figured our craving was for protein so why no fish?
I have to say it was not a smart idea to go for sushi when we were so hungry. On the other side of the coin it was the BEST freshest sushi I have EVER had. The waiter was AMAZING and place was very very pleasant.
We left with happy stomaches and we left completely satisfied. It is pricey but if it means the freshest fish I have ever had then A OK! -
Review from brie p.
7/8/2011
Happy hour was excellent!
The sushi was flavorful full and just a word of warning when they describe a dish as spicy. They are not kidding -
Review from Makenna C.
Portland, OR
5/29/2011
Nice atmosphere (especially at night, in my opinion), higher priced sushi for Portland - the fish is usually better quality, but you aren't going to get the bang (or creativity) for your buck as many others have complained.
The treasures here as far as I'm concerned are on the "food" menu - the pork belly, the ramen (some of the best in Portland as far as I'm concerned, very porky and delicious), and especially the yellowtail collar with a simple bowl of white rice (at only $8) will leave you satisfied.
A friend of mine working the sushi counter also sent over some treats, one was a spicy, salty squid salad with green onion and jalepeno that I was in love with. Ask about it. :) -
Review from Adam G.
Portland, OR
5/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Guys, ever gone on a date with a girl and come home thinking "She's really sweet"? Ladies, you know that guy you went out with who was "really nice"? Well that's Masu.
Oh, I'll go there again. I'll even enjoy my time with Masu. Masu is a very nice place. The decor is nice. The service is nice. The food is nice. Even the bill was nice. Everything was nice. I have plenty of good things to say about Masu. But then, those nice guys and sweet girls do have lots of friends.
A friend of mine from out of town went for lunch. I had miso soup ($2) and the 9 piece chef's choice nigiri ($21). The miso soup was good, especially sitting near the window overlooking the street on a cloudy, drippy day.
The nigiri was pretty basic, and good. The portions were very consistent between different fishes, which is actually pretty impressive. No really, each piece was virtually identically sized to the one net to it. The visual of the whole plate was good, and the server made sure to walk us through exactly what each piece was.
We can be friends, Masu, but that's all we'll ever be.
META-REVIEW: in 128 (now 129) reviews, no one has mentioned omakase. In a sense, this means that we (myself included) have not given the sushi chefs here a fair shot at truly shining. But it also speaks to the nature of the restaurant. Something about Masu is playing it safe, and I think that reflects in the experience. Omakase can be a risk, because it is 100% on the chef if the patrons don't enjoy the experience. But with that risk, comes the opportunity to truly distinguish yourself. -
Review from Jacob R.
Portland, OR
9/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The Fiance and I were downtown on our three anniversary and were looking for a good place to eat. So I busted out my handy dandy Yelp app on my phone and searched for sushi places. Masu Sushi was pretty high up on the list, I think four or five stars, but it had that dreaded multiple dollar sign rating. Dun Dun Dun.
Well I figured its our anniversary so lets go big, why not right? So we walked the couple of blocks up the street from where we were (Ground Kontrol). It's located a few blocks away from Powells book store on the second story of an old building.
So right away you climb some stairs and then you come up into this really hip, trendy sushi place. They have both a sushi bar and a drink bar that you can choose to sit at, as well as a full dinning room full of tables. The decor is really minimal and still works really well. Most everything is done in this like wood brick effect that is really cool. And then the whole back wall is this mural painting of a little Asian girl giving this HUGE sumo a tattoo. It's really cute and gives the place a younger brighter vibe.
The waitstaff was really nice and answers any questions you may have without making you feel stupid or unwelcome. I don't know if this is normal but one of the owners was the one who met us at the top of the stairs and showed us to our table. Almost as soon as we sat down the waiter gave us our water that had cucumber slices in it and a very generous portion of Edamame.
So I wouldn't say that this place was cheap but it wasn't deal breaking expensive either. Including the tip it was around $30-$35. I got some Unagi nigiri, a caterpillar roll, and a spicy tuna roll. The Fiance got the vegetarian platter, which is a pretty good deal actually, it came with an eight piece vegi roll, two pieces of inari, and two pieces of avocado nigiri for eleven dollars.
The flavors were spot on and the portions were only a fraction small. All in all a good experience. We would definitely recommend this place to others as a downtown sushi place. -
Review from Elliot N.
6/22/2011
Cool modern sushi place in downtown Portland. We asked many people what the best sushi place was and everyone said Masu. We ate at the bar that had room for about five or six. I like the small sushi bar.
The miso soup was piping hot and delicious. They also don't give you spoon. So we drank that old school style. Complimentary edamame also came out which was appreciated.
A few rolls and my go to Ikura were all great. Although one roll had a giant bone in it, and another one was just not that great.
Bill was reasonable, if not cheap. Portland OREGON son!
This place has a very friendly owner. I told him everyone said he had the best sushi joint in town and we talked about Portland for a bit. Nice guy. -
Review from wendy s.
10/13/2011
Been wanting to go here for some time and was NOT disappointed. The service, the food and the sake selection was amazing. Our waiter was very knowledgeable about the sake list as well as the ingredients in some of the dishes we ordered. It is defintiely one of the best sushi places I have eatten at so far in Portland and easy access in the Pearl.
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Review from jason c.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
Pros: lighting, ambience, decor, food (most dishes)
Cons: service was a disaster -
Review from Jim S.
5/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to be a fan, but their performance was lackluster. Maybe Sushi on a Sunday night is just a bad idea which is why most of the higher end places are closed Sunday/Monday. Regardless I found it pricey, uninspired and a little too straight forward.
Meh.. -
Review from Vi B.
Updated - 1/13/2011 2 photos
LATE NIGHT HAPPY HOUR. HIGH-END GOURMET FOOD.
I feel as if I HAVE to open with this, because whenever I come here on late nights for cheap eats there are never that many people there. Which is strange, because I can almost guarantee that if I wandered down the street to Henry's that place would be packed!
Why, then, Yelpers, is this place so bare at night? With the beautifull decor, classy ambiance, and delicious (and note: CHEAP) food, why am I not being swarmed by others when I get here? A california roll for $4, and the same for a plate of Japanese-style chicken.
I don't know, but I'll give you guys the benefit of the doubt and say that it's because you didn't know about it.
So now you know. No excuses. I expect to see you there, soon!3 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/7/2011
Dang, Masu- you've pulled me back in.
The last time I was here I waited a hideously horribly long… Read more »
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Review from Aimee C.
San Francisco, CA
6/19/2011
If you really love fine sushi, I recommend the omakase here. The rice is served in the same style as Sushi Sasabune or Nozawa in Los Angeles, warm and soft. The fish is room temperature, not cold. The temperature and texture is carefully considered in every dish.
I was nervous after reading the reviews, but chose the omakase to let the chef show us what he has, and let me tell you, he has it. First dish, local albacore sashimi in ponzu style sauce, just like Nozawa would do. Then there was a small pickle dish with crab and uni and some crazy gelatinous seaweed, then a sashimi dish with tuna, mushroom, pickled lotus blossom, amberjack belly and octopus (which is cooked there, and as tender and savory as it gets). Then giant clam with morels in miso butter... Now the order gets fuzzy, but we had black cod, and then nigiri of salmon, anago, maguro, uni, and mackerel, and there are other dishes that I'm forgetting. Every single bite was handcrafted, every sauce made onsite. The whole meal was a fantastic experience.
So, I'm really confused by some of the people who weren't satisfied. This is on par with some of the leading sushi chefs in the country. The chef is beautifully trained, personable, meticulous. If you really want to judge him, get the omakase, sit at the bar, and have a conversation about what you're eating. I don't think you'll be disappointed. For the price, this meal was a *steal*. -
Review from Justin C.
Portland, OR
3/11/2011
I had the calamari which I really think is **best in Portland**. It was a bit different than most calamari, but damn was it good. Same with the Ahi Tuna -- like butta. Salmon was excellent as well. Waiters are friendly but not fawning. Serene atmosphere, good music choices.
This place is pretty quiet at lunch time. Might be a good time to go if you want to try it out.
Cons: it is expensive. With fish you really do get what you pay for. -
Review from Puu S.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2010
I was the experience at Masu sushi in the day before Thanksgiving with all my friend ( we all Asian) .This this the first time for us in Portland and that night. I m searching for nice sushi place over there for dinner. when we got there i felt very cozy about the atmosphere of the. UNTIL! we got the table!!!! The server who was served us was SO RUDE!!!!!! I can say this because all my life I never met the server like this before!!! He is the white guy, wear glasses tall and he was work on Wednesday night!!!!!
At first, he gave us the menu and we all super hungry, So we order a lot. BUT he come and said he s not gonna order anything if we r did not order the drink first!!!!! Actually we all the Japanese food lover then we totally know what we going to order even no look at the menu. So, we order the tea and SAKE and one of my friend start to order the food, the server said we were order too much! So my friend decided to order just one item per order, the server said back to her " Oh you know it s gonna be expensive right" WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM ??? I don't understand???
Second, after we all got miso soup, one of my friend tired to ask him to take a photo for us BUT the word that we heard from him is " I do not have time" and left.That time the restaurant is not busy AT ALL! just my table and one more table!!! and in case if the restaurant busy you should not say something like this to the customer because it's RUDE!!! i can see from his another co-worker who came to help him served MIso soup. She feel bad when he said that to us ( she is the host) During the dinner we always keep asking about refiled hot tea but take too much time to get it!!
Third, one of my friend can't eat raw fish that much. She desired to order a noodle by raise her hand to call him ( at first she tired to call him but he never do care even he saw her called but he walked to other tables without say anything). Finally he s walked to her and get her order and my friend ask for another bowl to share with her boyfriend but he said the noodle is big but it s not enough to shared. In this point I think no matter customer want to shared or not shared it s not your business, i have to said this because he keep telling her "it s not enough to shared many times" !!!!!!! Until my friend getting mad, he asked my friend "why you mad at me?" I cant believe HOW come YOU ASK CUSTOMER LIKE THIS?????
So when we all done! he bring us the bill, and it was included the service charge 19% already. So my friend was signed and we were still chatting on the table, He went and grabbed the tab "WITHOUT SAY THANK YOU AT ALL"
I don't know may be other customer had a good experience in this restaurant BUT for me and all my friends. We will not gonna come back in here anymore!!!!!!!!!!! In my opinion MASU Sushi is a great restaurant, I really like all decoration and atmosphere BUT if you still have the server like this GUY one day you will get more complain from customer. I have to register to be yelp customer to speak out the story that i had in this restaurant because I am Asian people, we eat Asian food and you do Asian restaurant, you should know how to take care the customer.
I m so disappoint!!! -
Review from Jennifer M.
Seattle, WA
11/18/2011
I am always in the mood for sushi! I have thought about going on a strict sushi diet numerous times. You may think I would eventually tire of eating raw fish day in and day out, but I assure you, you are wrong. There were several places that popped up on my phone when I entered a search for "best sushi in Portland." This included Bamboo, Shigezo, Yakuza, Mio and the list goes on. My boyfriend knows I am very particular about my sushi and being that it was my birthday he did not question my final decision to go to Masu Sushi. The restaurant is located on the second level. I really loved the entrance! Something about going up a clean straight flight of stairs reminded me of a few restaurants in Tokyo and I just thought it was a really cool restaurant feature. So we went up maroon carpeted stairs where you can hear the voices of the guests as you approach the top and we were welcomed by the host/floor manager as we walked in. There is a small sushi bar to your right and the dining room to the left. It was pretty low key that night but we secured the last two seats at the sushi bar. We were brought edamame and greeted by a really nice server right away. Specials were explained to us and we were given a great sake recommendation: fukucho "moon on the water" junmai ginjo. We were left alone and given the perfect amount of time to study the menu. We were told the moment we sat down a server would take our drink order but we would order our sushi through the chef; customary. I normally would have thought this is great and more traditional, but would have probably preferred to order through our server, as the sushi chef wasn't the friendliest. He was not rude, just didn't express much joy to be there or to take any time to exchange any small talk. No smile, but did thank us at the end after we paid. So moving on to the sushi. We ordered a bunch as we like to do! Uni, Amaebi, Ika, Sake, Mirugai, Suzuki, Saba, all of our favorites. The ika was not fresh. It was slimy and chewy. It was also forgotten when the rest of our sashimi was presented. Saba was ok. A little disappointed because it is my absolute favorite! Probably my favorite was the Amaebi which I don't normally order on a regular occasion and ordered very last in hopes to end on a satisfied note. Overall, sushi was pretty good. I think I would have been happier had the sushi chef been more pleasant. Our mirugai batayaki which I raved about to my boyfriend was good, but a bit small for its price and a little over-sauced. Highlights: tako sunomono a dish they give to you on the house as a little appetizer (I would assume only at sushi bar,) and our sake! Would I come back? Maybe! I'd like to try another sushi bar in Portland so I could compare the place to something else besides the favorite spots I have in Seattle. I definitely would recommend Masu as the only sushi place I've been to in Portland to others.
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Review from E D.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/27/2011
Yum!!
+ : nice atmosphere, wide selection, tasty food - must try: "Death by Sushi", variety of sake, friendly service
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Review from Michelle Pearl G.
Portland, OR
I've been coming to Masu since 2005 and it's only gotten better with age. It has a special place in my little-food-loving-heart as it was the first to break my raw-fish-virgin-seal.
They have this Ahi Poke Salad (not on the menu but ask the server and it'll be out in it's beautiful presentation waiting for first bite). The Ahi is so tender and fresh, the seaweed is dressed in a delicious marinade dashed with seeds for the added crunch.
And if you're not one of those traditionals that think deep fried sushi is a slap in the face. I'll give you three words: Death. By. Sushi. They couldn't have named it better -- with a burst of flavors erupting in your mouth, the crunchy shell helps keep the textures diverse. Some deep fried rolls tend to be a bit mushy, not with this one. I'm positive you wont regret this order.
Now lets talk about the ambiance. Can we say sleek, hip and vibrant? When you walk up the stairs you are welcomed by square padded maroon walls, over the sushi bar they use their wooden edamame boxes to form shapes and art. The wall to you left is often turned into a projector screen showing Anime or videos on the weekends. The back wall has a large, colorful mural whose description I'll leave to your eyes first glance. Also a DJ spins upbeat tunes at night keeping it lively. Not to mention the hand dryers. *Did she just say hand dryers?* Yes, yes I did. Apparently Mitsubishi makes full force state of the art hand dryers ... they kind of make your night. Especially after having one of their wonderfully mixed beverages or one of their many sakes. If you like mojitos, they make one with pineapple juice and it's wonderful. The HH is a steal as well.
Though it's not the best sushi in town, it's great and the friendly service and fantastic atmosphere make up for the lack of such in the few better sushi grade joints.
Come here. Enjoy. And make sure to wear bottoms without a tight waist band.
