Marinepolis Sushi Land - Beaverton

When I'm not busy being a sushi-snob at all the fine Japanese restaurants around Portland I can always fall back on Sushiland. Been dining here for well over two decades, take out orders are welcome. Sure, it's not what most would consider as high-end authentic sushi inspired by master chefs from Okinawa, but for certain bites they've always been consistent and are definitely my favorite in the conveyor belt sushi world. Shhh, don't tell my sushi purist friends. So what keeps me coming back? Salmon Mayo! It's salmon nigiri topped with thinly slice red onion and drizzled with mayonnaise. It used to be on the regular menu, but seems to have gone missing as of lately. Luckily staff and chefs still know what it is when asked to order. If not, I just make the additions myself at home. Each nigiri order includes two pieces over rice. Salmon is consistently a flavorful cut and tempura(s) are light and crispy. When you want some simple sushi staples Sushiland is hard to beat.They also will often make your requests if you have them, along with custom hand rolls and specialty combos. Fish quality has always been clean and bright, better than some fine dining establishments believe it or not, no sour or old aftertaste. The conveyor belt scans each plate and if it ends up on the rotating display for too long an automatic arm kicks it off the line so you can feel comfortable knowing your dish isn't left over from hours ago. Pricing is some of the most affordable for sushi. Quality, no complaints.

This restaurant used to be one of my favorites, but lately, I've noticed a decline in quality and fewer customers. For example, the tempura shrimp has been coming out soggy and rubbery, and the sushi rolls on the conveyor belt don't seem as fresh as they used to be, so I now prefer to order directly from the waitress. On the positive side, the staff are fantastic and consistently provide excellent service!

On Easter Sunday evening I took my teen and her buddy to Uwajimaya to spend their holiday/ allowance money and afterwards they clamored for sushi, as they do. Our favorite track was too far, so we went here, despite the somewhat mixed reviews. The people who work here were very nice, attentive, and on top of things. After a seating issue we had to move and the place was a bit busy) we settled in and the girls ordered piles of inari. They tried a few other things but felt that was the best item. The girls were a bit unruly/giggly as my daughter was teaching her friend how to use chopsticks and it's a smaller tight kind of place for that. Maybe leave unruly 15 yo girls at home, idk. They definitely got some admonishing looks from me too of course, with a whispered lecture, duh) until they settled down to eat. Oy. None of us liked the sunomono, it was limp, tasted fishy, and was full of kelp. My daughter ate her miso and her friend's, stating that was fine. Kids reported the tamago tasted funny, and rice was icky on radish roll. Princess was disappointed there was no mochi available. I had one nigiri that was likely farmed salmon. It had a completely different look and texture than the sake nigiri I get elsewhere. It was not so good. I had calimari that was fine, a California roll that was fine, and a jalapeno popper kind of thing stuffed with Krab and cream cheese. It was tasty. Pretty spicy though, I'd say the seeds were left in. I think this place is ok, especially if you order fresh stuff as the sushi makers were happy to get stuff for patrons that wasn't on the belt, but we prefer some of our other sushi places a bit better.

Unfortunately, the quality and portion sizes at this restaurant have declined over time, while prices have more than doubled in just a year. For instance, a 4-piece salmon skin roll that used to cost $1.00 is now only 2-3 slices for $2.00. Mackerel went from $1.00 to $2.00, and tuna has jumped from $1.50 to $3.00. I used to get a decent amount of sushi for $9, but after spending $14 now, I still leave hungry and regretting that I didn’t choose a different place where I could get more for my money. It’s really disappointing because this used to be a great spot, but now the prices are simply too high. It’s not just me who feels this way—there used to be lines out the door, but now the restaurant is nearly empty every time I visit. It’s a shame, as this was once my favorite spot for a weekly lunch.

Update: 9/27/19 I hope people start to support this place again. JInWa is closed so if you're close, stop by. All the fish was fresh and the place is clean! Used to wait in line to sit here. Now it's so light that they're waiting for customers. Great chance to build a comeback!!!!