Portland has a swath of great sushi places, but this article is about the best places with sushi trains: those magical little conveyor belts that bring sushi right to your table. There’s just something about those colorful, delicate little pieces of fish floating by your table. They go by just fast enough to trick you into grabbing something that looks good before you have time to give it a second thought.
First on my list is Sushi Ohana. Located at 1422 NE Broadway, right by Lloyd Center Mall, this place gives mall sushi a good name. It’s not the best, but not the worst. With lots of options–including vegetarian and plates between $2-$4–it makes for a nice quick lunch spot, especially if you work in the area. It can get pretty crowded, so if you have a bigger group try to snag one of the booths. Otherwise, you’ll likely sit next to a stranger at the bar.
Next up is Sensei Sushi Bar & Grill at 710 SW 2nd Ave. Another good lunch spot if you work near the financial district. Nicest decor out of all the places on this list and usually doesn’t get too busy despite the decent food and good service. Prices aren’t too bad either with $2-$5 plates. The best thing on the belt would probably be the Rainbow Roll or, again, the Dragon Roll. They also have a happy hour menu from 3-6 P.M. on weekdays.
Sushi Chiyo located at 4029 NE Sandy Blvd is my new favorite. It’s one of the newer restaurants on this list, so the decor is still new and shiny. It’s a corner spot with a nice view of Sand Blvd. that wraps around the restaurant but still feels intimate and cozy. They had the most vegetarian options from what I could tell, and the selection from the train had a good mix of things. The belt itself had a floral pattern; details like that add to the overall experience. The peppered tuna was my favorite.
I have mixed feelings about Sushi Ichiban at 24 NW Broadway. On one hand, they feel the most authentic, from the location in Old Chinatown to the dark wood interior. I feel like I’m at a little hole-in-the-wall sushi place in Japan. They also have a bunch of Japanese toys. The piece de resistance – the sushi train is an actual model train. Here is where they both win me over and lose me. It is charming, but it doesn’t keep the sushi cold as traditional sushi belts should. There’s something about room temp sushi that grosses me out, even if it is how sushi is traditionally served.
Fujiyama Sushi Bar & Grill at 4124 SE 82nd Ave is the go-to sushi train place on 82nd Ave. This place is one of the classier establishments this neighborhood has to offer. It’s more of a date night spot for people that live in this area. They have a second location at 10308 SE Washington St.
