Murata - Portland

I was looking for a sushi location near my hotel and came across this restaurant on my google map . I went there at 1:30 Pm. The place was still pretty full and people continue to come in even though lunch service was supposed to close at 2:30 ? . I sat at the counter and ordered several of sushi daily specials and some on the regular menu. All of them were fresh and I could tasted the “sweetness “ of the fish because of how fresh they were. You could tell there are regulars and new customers . The price may not be the cheapest according to the Portland couple who sat next to me. They were there to celebrate a birthday. For me, it was a lot cheaper than comparable quality in my home town. Also, the quality justified the price. Last but not least, the wait staff was also very attentive . The place isn’t big but definitely make reservations. I got lucky as a walk in .

One of the best I’ve ever had, if not the best. Comparable to sushi ota in San Diego. If you like traditional Japanese style this is it. None of those disgusting sauces. Walked in and entire restaurant had reserved on every table and bar spot but they squeezed me in. Incredible service. Can’t wait to go back w/ my wife! Thank you!

Will definitely be back! I didn't really like the fatty tuna but other options we picked were delicious! I had the Eel.

This was such a great find! Visiting from LA and I wanted to make sure we got to eat some sushi while in Portland. I found this place and was able to make a reservation by calling. The parking situation is a bit interesting. There is a structure attached to the building the restaurant was in and when we went in for dinner we paid while going into the structure, and then there are 2 receipts that it gives you. One is to be left on the dashboard of your car and the other you can give to your server and they give you cash back for paying for parking! Thought that was interesting. The servers were all very kind and helpful There is a wide range of options on the menu and everything we got was so good! I ordered the chawanmushi which was really good! We ordered our meals from the selected dinner options. They came with a salad, miso soup, rice, and some tsukemonos. My boyfriend got the combination entree with the tonkatsu and sushi combination. The tonkatsu was a good portion size but tasted like just another tonkatsu I have had. The sushi came with a variety of nigiri and a tekka maki (tuna cut roll). I ordered the single entree with the sashimi. This sashimi was one of the best I have ever had, outside of Japan! The cuts were very thick and all of the fish tasted so fresh. We also ordered some salmon, otoro (fatty tuna), and hamachi (yellow tail) nigiri and wow they were all so good! The toro was the favorite for how buttery and soft it was. We loved all the sushi so much we came back aging for lunch on our trip! I would definitely stop here if you like sushi. The prices were all very reasonable for the quality of food!

The chicken in the bento box (takeout) was dry. This was an amateur move. Suggestion to the business owner chef: If you're going to serve chicken breast meat instead of chicken thigh leg in your bento box, at least brine the chicken breast so it's juicy and not dry.