We've been taking out of towners to Murata for years but recently, I had one of the best meals I've had there. I ordered the chirashi dinner set and it was more than enough food.. i was stuffed but I couldn't stop eating. The chirashi bowl has always been and will always be my favorite no matter where I go. I've been able to compare a couple place's chirashis and Murata is definitely in the top 2. The location is great and they have free valet as well (make sure to tip!!) the prices may be a bit steep but when it comes to sushi, you get what you pay for. You can really taste the difference in fish quality. Would 10/10 recommend

I've been to nearly every Japanese restaurant in Portland, and this is the most authentic dining experience I've had. The workers are actually Japanese and wear kimonos as their uniforms-I love that! It adds so much to your experience here. The restaurant isn't overdone. No glitz and glamour, no modern chic design. It's a Japanese restaurant and that's it, which is exactly how I like it. That's how you know they're not trying to distract you from the possibly not so high quality food because the fish here is AMAZING. my boyfriend and I ordered your classic salmon roll, fatty tuna roll, king salmon nigiri, and eel avocado rolls. Man they were delicious. I highly recommend the fatty tuna-this is a rare find! The fish just melts in your mouth with immense flavor. Every bite is so incredibly satisfying. I cannot wait to come back here. I alternate between coming here and bamboo. I gotta say though, I enjoy the authenticity of this place, like yes, take me to Tip: make reservations! They have limited seating and this place books out every night! Edit: here I am for the billionth time. This time, I got room seating, which was a cool experience. Shoes off just like it is traditionally. I am always amazed by the quality of service here. The ladies have so much charisma and they really bring me to Japan. Tried the origin uni nigiri and although uni isn't my favorite, this is the best I've had!

Japanese hospitality at its best, at least in Portland. It was a lot higher end place than I anticipated. I happened to attend a concert next door and remembered about this place being in my bookmark for a long time. Upon entering, I saw there were a few tables for groups of 4 or 5. All of them are marked reserved. I was by myself, so they let me in and seated me at the sushi bar. All of the sushi chefs were Japanese, and I think the majority if not all the servers are also Japanese. They have private dining rooms on the side with tatamis. All the interior makes you feel like you are in Tokyo. They immediately gave me the menu. I went in for the dinner set. Everything is $23.5 and there are a few options for the entree. I went for the broiled salmon. Server brought appetizer first, it was three mini vegetables. Then, comes the miso soup. It was savory and good. Then my entree came. It was 3 pieces with broiled salmon and rice. Comfort food is the best. The gentleman who was dining next to me had sushi set and he complimented the chefs that it was the best sushi he ever had. I think it's the highest compliment a restaurant can get. I am taking 1 star off because you have to have reservation for guaranteed seating if you come with at least one more person. Other than that, it'a somewhere I would take someone special to for some high end Japanese dining experience.

Very fresh sushi selection. I was at Bamboo Sushi the night before and I ordered the same exact nigiri and this place wins my belly, by far. The entire staff is Japanese and they dress up in kimono. There's a huge traditional Japanese dining area for private/large party events. They give you three small plates of appetizer (edamame, boiled squash and aged tofu) and also a slice of melon for free. Highly recommend!

It was a bit tough to write this review. I had to consider a lot of things. But before I proceed, please note that I feel that this place deserves a 3.5 instead of a 3. However, I chose a 3 because it really didn't deserve a 4 in my opinion. Alright, onto the review. We came here for the first time because of the high reviews and because we were craving sushi. This was our experience: we walked in but it took a while before the lady even looked at us. We asked her to write our name down on the waitlist and she nodded. After about 20 minutes, she finally asked us for our name so that she could write it down. I believe we waited almost an hour before we were seated and during that hour, we watched her run around flustered and confused. It seemed like she wasn't used to multi-tasking or working fast at all. After one of the tables left, it was left there for the longest time before the staff actually started cleaning it. After what felt like ages, we were finally seated! The moment we were seated, there were no more hiccups. Our server was extremely pleasant and friendly. She also smiled a lot and made us feel welcomed. We ordered Sushi A, Sushi B, and two rolls. The food was pretty good. We felt like the Salmon tasted a bit off but other than that, the sushi was tasty. The eel was REALLY delicious. However, we felt that the price was slightly high for what we got. Regardless, the food was good enough to satisfy us even with that horribly long wait! This was our first experience here and I am torn because I feel like I would give this place another try but I don't know whether or not I should recommend it... I suppose you could stop by here if you are okay with a long wait.

Came here for lunch a little before the lunch rush. The restaurant is fairly empty. I was greeted and seated promptly and order was taken within 5 mins of sitting down. I ordered the Hakate-age (fried chicken) and Chirashi. The chirashi was beautifully presented. It came with a nice assortment of raw fish. A few pieces of fish were not cut well so it was falling apart. But on the most part, it was a decent dish. The friend chicken was a bit greasy and. Tad over salted. Over all, food is not bad, but for the price tag that came with it, I expected better. Portland does not have a lot of great sushi place. I don't know if I will find better sushi in Portland, but for the same quality, I know I can find cheaper for sure. Kudos on validating parking. It does make eating downtown slightly less hazardous.

Came after a meeting on Friday afternoon, and they were kind enough to find me a spot at the sushi bar. I always recommend sitting at the sushi bar if you can, as you can talk directly to the chefs and hear about everything that they recommend that day. Had the special lunch 4-piece spicy tuna roll, classic yellowtail roll, and a (really well fried) soft-shelled crab roll. All the rolls were carefully put together by the sushi chef, and had a delicacy and freshness to them. The soft-shelled crab was excellent, though each piece was so big it was a difficult item to eat. I guess, in the grand scheme of things, this isn't so terrible a problem to have. Also, had a wonderful bowl of miso soup, which was perfect for a rainy day, and some sliced cucumber in sushi vinegar. It was a wonderful lunch served by kind and attentive people. Couldn't have asked for a nicer Friday afternoon!

Was so excited to try this place after hearing great things! Came here on a Wednesday evening around 6pm with my boyfriend without making reservations and they were booked until 7:30! If we had known how popular the restaurant was, we would've booked in advance. As it turns out, there was an event right across the street, so that might've explained the busy Wednesday. We walked around the downtown area and came back for a table. I loved that they have a traditional seating area in the back of the restaurant, which I personally would have loved to sit at. I got one of the sushi combinations that came with a tuna roll and nigiri. My partner got a bento box combo, and we shared a tempura dish. Everything was delicious and so authentic! Felt like we were back in Japan! Overall, a great place to eat for authentic Japanese food. Looking forward to coming back!

Many sushi joints try very hard to portray that theirs is the hip place to be. Thankfully, Murata is not one of them. This is an unpretentious little restaurant that is pretty damn close to a traditional Japanese restaurant. The fish was fresh, it was cut to a proper size (most Americans would find the cuts too small, but that's because we're pigs, haha) and the rice was nicely cooked and seasoned. One criticism is that the blue fin o-toro was not at all marbled and way overpriced. However, this is still not enough to knock Murata out of my my 5 star impression. The service was solid and friendly. What a gem!

Small restaurant with not many seating capacity. I made reservations for two in their tatami rooms and they did inform me that we would be sharing a room with another group when I made the reservations over the phone. I said it's okay but in reality, it was quite uncomfortable. The tables weren't too close together but because you're in a somewhat enclosed room together, I had a hard time not eavesdropping on the other tables conversations and I can tell when they were doing the same. The service was okay but maybe because we came at a busy time(Tuesday night at 7:30) it was slow to receive any service. I don't remember them checking in on us to see how the foods were tasting either. They served two bite sized portions of miso eggplant and some kind of greens and 3 edamame pods before our meal came. We ordered several rolls of sushi. The smoked salmon was dry, flaky and too cooked so it's not something I would order again. The ume shiso roll wasn't impressive either as there was barely any ume paste in each roll so you couldn't really get a ume taste and the rice in the rolls were too mushy because too much rice were packed in and rolled up, therefore making each bite too chewy. I would expect better sushi from what seemed like a more authentic Japanese restaurant. I know most of the workers were Japanese as I heard them speaking Japanese but I was not impressed with the food or service. Unsure if I'd come back again or recommend this place.

Very good sushi. Wait was a little long because it was a Friday night and very busy. Very friendly staff. Would go back again.

This is honestly a little hidden gem in Portland. My boyfriend and I were a little hesitant trying another Japanese restaurant in Portland, since bamboo sushi was so terrible. Murata is as authentic as it gets in this city. Customer service: 5/5 Everyone there is super friendly and helpful. I had read some reviews about how their service wasn't too good, but I had a great experience. King salmon: 5/5 The salmon was super fresh and literally melts into your mouth. I definitely recommend ordering this dish Ikura: 5/5 Not fishy at all. If you like salmon eggs, I would definitely order this as well. Marination process was definitely on point. Uni (Chile): 4/5 This was my first time trying uni from Chile, unfortunately it wouldn't be my go to. It's very fresh, but this particular uni is very strong in taste. I usually like Hokkaido and Santa Barbra, which is usually more on the sweeter side. O-toro: 2/5 As you can see in my picture below, the toros quality was not that great. It had a soft, but chewy texture. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a toro connoisseur, but I've had my fair share of o-toro. Usually o-toro is supposed to melt in your mouth from the fattiness. (I will give this one more try since I came here late) Ama ebi: 5/5 The shrimp was super fresh! It was literally still moving in my mouth fresh. They also fry the head for you when you order this dish, which is also a plus in my book! (This nigiri is more on the slimy side) Yamakake: 5/5 Many places do not sell this dish, so whenever I see it on the menu I always order this! Yamakake is basically food topped with mountain yam (This was maguro topped with mountain yam). This is also a slimy dish, so if you don't do slimy, don't order it! Salmon skin roll: 5/5 This is a simple but flavorful dish! Perfectly crisp from the skin, and perfect amount of skin to rice Samurai roll: 4/5 The white fish on top was very fresh and delicious, but it had a little bitterness from the shishito that I did not like very much. My boyfriend thought it was fine though! Salmon cheek: 5/5 Omg they cooked this so perfectly, not too fatty nor dry! The meat literally fell off the bone, and it was seasoned so perfectly. All in all, many of the dishes we had today were fantastic except for the toro. I will be coming back here to retry the toro next time for another update. Price wise is decent, not expensive at all. Our bill summed up to 98$, but we're dying full (I literally have to unbuckle my pants to breathe right now).

Phenomenal! A real, japanese-owned, unassuming sushi house in Portland. An absolute gem, and my favorite sushi restaurant in the Pacific Northwest. Abalone, Monk Fish Liver, Amber Jack, all the stuff you don't find in many of the other sushi places around are here.

I LOVE MURATA!! I've come here a couple time here is what I think: the tempura is outstanding. It is perfectly prepared and I love the dipping salt it comes with. The teriyaki chicken and teriyaki salmon are also excellent, particularly the salmon. I've also tried the agedashi tofu, which was very good and the edamame was pretty good but not amazing. The miso soup is the best I have had and I would highly recommend. The service and help staff are amazing too. While some may feel that it is slightly overpriced, the quality and quantity of food you get certainly justifies it. Overall a standout place

Came here for dinner with my husband since it was my birthday and I was feeling Japanese. Overall it definitely had the feel of Japan when we entered, service wise as well as presentation. The sashimi as well as the cooked dishes tasted very fresh and well seasoned. There's a tiny bit of lack in communication with each server since they asked us the same questions over and over instead of relying the message to each other. Portions were also nice for the price point of the dishes and we had so much we needed a doggy bag for our left overs. But the point I'm getting to is, leftovers were still delicious and moist after the microwave the next day. Some foods tend to dry out (like salmon) but ours tasted like it was fresh off the stove top. It's a nice place to even get to experience a but of the Japanese culture. My husband wished we got the privacy rooms but it didnt bother me too much. If you have a larger party I think those rooms would be really beneficial for your group. That way you can have your own space.

Hands down the best Japanese sushi I've ever had! This is seriously now my favorite sushi place! Wow! That says a lot as I'm kind of a sushi snob. I also had their fried chicken, and I was pretty blown away. The service was great. The staff is very detailed with clearing up your space, presentation of your plates, and explaining the food and how to best enjoy it. I sat at the bar and watched the sushi chefs prepare the plates, and they did it with such meticulous expertise. It's a small place, so either come right when it opens or make a reservation. It's not the cheapest, but it was amazing!

Great lunch options. Service was quick, store was very clean and food quality and presentation were exceptional. Great Job!!!

I came here for lunch by word of a co-worker. I did not get to sit and enjoy I had to order out. The people were very nice, the restaurant was clean. I knew what I wanted so I didn't need any help. It was pretty busy as it was the lunch hour time. I suggest making a reservation or calling in your order if on a slim time line. When I got back to my desk to enjoy my food it was great. I love the size of the rolls not an overload of rice. The rice was also very good and not sticky in the wrong way(strarchy). I got the yellow tail roll with green onion, and a tuna roll. I know it's not fancy but if the fish is good why mess it up. The fish was great, fresh not fishy. I also had a miso soup, that was great as well. I will def be eating here again.

Restaurant Murata felt so different from a lot of sushi places we have visited. You can tell right away this is not a place you order California and shrimp tempura rolls. We wandered in on a Friday evening and were lucky to get a spot as a lot of tables were reserved. It felt kind of empty at first but later we noticed all those tables and the bar filled up. We love sushi and sashimi and we had amazing dishes, but Murata also has a lot of other Japanese entrees that looked really interesting. We tried the shime saba, mackerel marinated in vinegar, and it was some of the best mackerel we have ever had outside of Japan. The prices were a bit higher than we expected, but it was a great evening.

As usual the best and most authentic Japanese restaurant in Oregon. I have been coming here more than 40 years. Where do you find any Japanese restaurant in Oregon where all chefs and staffs only speak Japanese ? Only in LA and NYC