Yuki Japanese Restaurant
930 N.W. 23rd Avenue
Portland, OR 97210 (503) 525-8807
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
17 Reviews for Yuki Japanese Restaurant
I was in Buenos Aires, in my friend's sushi restaurant after hours, trying to explain to the exceedingly patient cook how a Yuki's Crunchy Arizona Roll was made, with only my broken Spanish and hand gestures to aid me.
The sad truth was that I was in withdrawal. After 9 months in Argentina, I was having dreams, fantasies, and daytime hallucinations involving the seemingly innocuous sushi roll.
South America offered no substitute.
Now, back in Portland, I'm happy to say that my symptoms have disappeared. However, I visit Yuki's at least twice a month, and though my counselor and I have discussed a gradual weaning off period, I have yet to find the courage.
I dare you to try it.
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I like the new definition of 3 star: "A-OK". It didn't suck, and it didn't blow my mind. Service was a little slow due to the many people sitting outside, but whatever. Once our order was in, the food came out pretty quick, and the sushi and rolls were good.
I don't live nearby, so won't make it a destination.
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Sometimes I wish there were 1/2 stars...
Had Lunch at Yuki today. Actually I had tried **2** other Yelp places, but both did not open until 5PM (Sunday, don't y know) and I was starving. This is a small restaurant, with floor standing dividers that give the small tables a surprising amount of privacy - though voices do carry (credit:'Till Tuesday). It's not a place you go for ambiance really, but it was clean, and...did I mention I was starving?
Bento Boxes looked good, but I was in the mood for Sushi.
I got Sake, Hamachi, and Hotate Nigiri (salmon, yellow tail, and scallop), Spicy Tekka Maki, and a Vegetarian roll (cucumber, carrot and avocado).
So, the sushi quality was decent - not best of the best but far from skeery. Nigiri rice didn't stick perfectly, and there was no wasabi between he fish and the rice (surprise!!!!) but otherwise fine. The size of the sushi was perfect - 8 smaller pieces. I don't care for restaurants that make HUGE maki rolls - how are you supposed to eat them with the chop sticks?!
I tend to like my spicy tuna with tobiko (salmon eggs), and it didn't come out this way, but I'm sure they would have done it for me had I thought to ask. The vegetable roll was fine (sesame seeds, just the way I like it!), but this one I did have to ask them to make special. They gladly did - the service was good.
Best part of the meal was the check - which did take a few seconds long to come out, but hey, it's Sunday, I was in no rush: with 5 total orders and 1 drink...only $20.85! Not bad, really. It wold have been great if they gave you a tiny seaweed salad or a few edemame while you wait, but that's what makes this place a 3* rather than a 4 or 5*
Summary: small venue, decent sushi, at a very decent price
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Stopped in here for dinner. The katsu curry was not that great. The katsu was really good. The curry sauce was a little cold and had absolutely no spice to it at all.
Amy had a seafood hot pot...almost like sukiyaki but with seafood. It needed noodles.
Overall was OK...but not someplace I would seek out or make a point of going.
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Nothing too fantastic about this place. It's nice that you can sit outside and enjoy your meal when the weather permits so thats a plus. Portions are usually more than plenty and their lunch menu is priced at a steal for the amount of food you get.
If you're in the mood for some quick Yakisoba or sushi then this is the place. Totally Americanized so you don't have to worry about not finding something there you wont like.
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Had a late dinner here one night, the food was good but typical, nothing really stood out as far as quality and creativeness but nothing was bad either. The service was ok, the interior is nice enough...good for a sushi fix but there is better to be had.
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Nice, tasty Japanese fare in a good old neighborhood standby. Yuki serves up sushi, which I have heard is quite fresh and delicious though I've yet to try it myself (mostly because I am from landlocked Ohio and just haven't broken all of my old pedestrian tastes in food). I usually get the Yuki Box which is a great value--a smorgasbord sampler of teriyaki, rice, salad, miso soup, and fried veggies. Their gyoza is luscious, too. Yummy! The service is always friendly, if not always the fastest. Generally speaking, a nice solid restaurant.
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Decent sushi, but overpriced. Their green tea isn't great, and if you can't get that right, you've got problems. They have a nice and interesting variety of rolls to try, but often the descriptions don't perfectly match what you end up getting. The location is great, but that might be part of the problem-- a lot of places in this neighborhood seem to rely on the reputation of the street and jack their prices up accordingly without paying proper attention to the quality and service. Sadly, Yuki suffers from this mistake. Still, this is a good place to meet up with friends (they have ample tables) and eat some yummy sushi. But if it's just you and a couple other people, head a few blocks down to Sushiville.
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I love SUSHI!!! I would probably eat it everyday if I didn't worry so much about eating that much fish. I have been to many sushi restaurants around the world and to be honest I LOVE Yuki.
They give great suggestions on what fish is extra fresh. Uni (sea urchin) and mackrel here are some of the best I have tasted. I always ask what is new and what they suggest and they never steer me wrong. The rolls are tasty I always get the "Spider", "Rainbow Fever", and for the spicy tuna fans you can't go wrong with the "Sake Bomb". The nigri are nicely sliced with thick fresh pieces of fish.
The service is great I have been here at least a dozen times, water comes quick, food moves fast, the beer and sake come quickly and I always look forward to my next visit.
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Although the service is consistently slow, I come here often and really love this place. The lunch specials kick ass...$5.95-$7.95 for a huge portion of chicken, beef or salmon that is served with rice or noodles.
Check out the picnic tables in front of the restaurant on a hot summer day. Perfect spot to sip sake and nosh on sushi as you watch peeps on trendy-third walk by.
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I want to give this place at least four stars, but I can't. I just can't after the experience I had. Maybe it'll change after I try it again. It's at least good enough to warrant that.
The food was great. I loved my spicy tuna and veggie gyoza. So great! The service was terrible. I understand they were busy--it was super crowded, but seriously 25 minutes to get my water refilled when the table beside us was getting lots of love really isn't tolerable. Two other tables also got their sushi before me when they ordered AFTER me. It was really disappointing. I probably should have said something, but I'm not the type. The decor was minimal and cute, a much better setup than Mio Sushi and their sushi tasted fresher. Can't beat that. The prices are good and the food delish. It's why I want to go back, and give that crappy service a second chance.
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For sushi this place is above average if you are in NW. I have eaten here many times and never had a disappointing experience. The best part is the outdoor patio at night--- in summertime.
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went for lunch.
fish was fresh. good tuna.
thought the one with the maraschino cherry needed some work, no real flavor. supposed to have a peanut sauce on it, but could not taste it.
I usually enjoy sitting at the bar and watching the sushi chefs, but they seemed uncomfortable with the attention-maybe too early for them?
the waitresses were not friendly. I asked a few questions about their drinks and bentos and was looked at like a freak!
I'd showered that day so I'm not sure what the look was for...
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A group of friends strolled by Yuki and we sat outside for satisfying sushi dinner. It was my first trip to Portland and I liked it. The neighborhood (NW as some locals told me) had a nice feel to it. Reminds me of the Rockridge area of Berkeley/Oakland. The food itself was also good. Our server kept our water and tea full, and the sushi was delicious. The Hawaiian roll with mango was something different for me and I think it worked.
Mmmm sushi. I hadn't had sushi in a while and we went to this place because it was close to our houses. They have a wide array of sushi rolls to choose from. I chose the California Trouble roll and the Dallas roll. I can't quite remember what exactly was in each but they were both damn tasty. Nicely done. I do remember the California Trouble roll had crunchy tempura flakes on top which I like a lot. I had a small bottle of the Ozeki Dry sake, which was just okay, not as crisp as I was wanting. Overall good sushi at very reasonable prices. The service was great as well, very accomodating when we asked to split the bill 4 ways (eep!). And she was great about checking back with the table to see if we wanted more.
This place is great. I know in NW everyone raves about how good Mio is, but for me, I much prefer Yuki. The fish is always fresh, and delicious. The service is exceptional. The servers are always friendly and smiling, and attentive to whatever you need. The menu is varied and they have a ton of specialty rolls. It is comfortable and inviting, with a mellow vibe. Perfect little spot to just relax over a great meal with some friends. The house hot sake is really good as well. I havent tried the location over in NE, but if you're in the NW section of Portland, opt for this spot for a positive experience.
I got a chance to catch lunch here before leaving Portland, and it turned out to be a great send off. The outside seating is perfect on sunny days, with just enough shade from the trees. The staff was very friendly and quick with the service. The menu was a fresh change from what I normally see in the Berkeley/Oakland area. I tried a modified version of a lion king roll (baked salmon/scallop on cali), which had shrimp tempura cut into pieces and scattered over a cali roll and covered with a spicy sauce. Forget the name, but it was pretty good! I also had a cherry blossom roll, which had mainly cherry and mango inside it. It was a nice change of pace. I would definitely check this place out again if passing through Portland.
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