Parking is still sketchy in the area. Nevertheless, their rice texture is perfect. Sushi fresh, service excellent & hardworking owners makes this a repeat spot. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Spicy Tuna Maki ;) - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Had a great visit to Wa Kitchen Kuu! The service was great. Our server was friendly, made suggestions when we asked, and made sure we had everything we needed at all times. The restaurant itself has a small entryway and as you go further into the restaurant, it opens up. In the back of the restaurant, there is lots of space and tables. It's beautifully decorated. About the food: it was my first time having Udon in a restaurant. I had a hard time choosing just one because most of the Udon dishes sounded amazing. I don't remember the name of the Udon I chose, but it was full of veggies and tofu. It was delicious. I couldn't finish it all so I took the leftovers home and savored it. I highly recommend this restaurant. It has one downside: street parking. It wasn't terribly hard to find at lunch time, but required me to walk about a block in the rain. read more

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I think this might be the best udon place I've tried in Portland so far! I got their tempura udon and my partner got the chicken kama-age udon with the kama-tama (soft boiled egg). Their tempura udon was delicious. The broth was clean and the noodles had a good texture. Their tempura is so so so good - the shrimp meat to batter ratio is perfect! The kama-age udon was also really good. We've tried their grilled mackerel before and it is one of the best grilled mackerels I've had in Portland. It was grilled to perfection and tasted super fresh. They also have rotating lunch specials that changes everyday. Next time I go here, I am definitely getting that. Ambient wise, the place is super laid back. The vibes inside are easygoing and the staff are patient and friendly. You will need to fine street parking near the restaurant, which can be easy or hard depending on the time and day you are visiting. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Chicken Kama-age Udon - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Had been craving udon. This did not disappoint. The broth is so good. The noodles were perfect. Service was phenomenal. The ambience is so chic. Amazing vibes. read more

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Everything I had here was flavorful and fresh. I really enjoyed the tuna and the soup. The server was on the ball and very friendly. Would def return here to try more. read more

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I absolutely recommend this place! I went to Portland for a road trip and was watching the Trail Blazers vs Bucks game at the Moda Center- this restaurant is located 8 minutes from the center! I was looking for food nearby and came across this restaurant. The food was surprisingly delicious! We ordered the chicken katsu curry, kama-age udon (hokkai miso soup), and the kama-meshi seafood. The chicken katsu was cooked perfectly: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside! The sauce also was the perfect texture and taste. My favorite was the kama-age udon with the hokkai miso soup. I love udon but sometimes don't like how thick it is because it fills you up faster and is harder to digest, the udon here is thinner which I fell in love with! It's soft and chewy and the perfect thickness: you dip it on the soup when you eat it. I also loved the soup, I usually have leftover soup when eat noodles, but I finished every last sip! Definitely recommend this dish if you were to only order one item! We also ordered the kama-meshi seafood. I thought this one tasted okay! The flavors of the seafood come through, but I personally like stronger and heavier flavors. It was worth a try! Parking: This restaurant is in downtown portland so it was difficult to find parking. We ended up parking at a nearby garage and paid for parking. They do have a few street parking spots near the restaurant if you want to test your luck! Seating and service: We were seated really quickly as we went on a weekday! They have several tables and a large table that can be reserved as well as bar spots. The restaurant overall looks really nice and is pretty spacious. The servers were really nice and fast to get you what you need! A side note: they have heated toilet seats in their restroom so that's always a plus! read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Kama-meshi seafood - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We came here with a friend and the fam (partner and 4 yr old kiddo) before we went to Fathom. It was quite easy to park as we went on a Wed, and the ambience was nice. The restaurant was nice and quiet since we were there eating a late lunch. We ordered a chicken katsu curry and the tempura udon. Don't get me wrong, the flavors were there but it was just extremely overpriced for a bowl of udon with tempura and my partner D said the katsu curry was just ok, nothing really special. Service was good and attentive, but sadly there are too many better Japanese restaurants more affordable and tastier so we most likely won't be back. read more

The staff is great and I love the space. I stopped in for a quick lunch because I was in the neighborhood and had always wanted to try it. I ordered the Seafood Don and LOVED IT! The chef is busy in the kitchen, you can see her through the window behind the steaming pots of broth. They are known for their Udon - every table had a bowl. I will definitely have to come back. Pro tip- bring friends who don't mind sharing their food, the menu is great and you will want to try everything. I know I do! read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - View from the entrance. - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I would give the food 3.5-4 stars for the fresh udon and flavorful broth and unique presentation. The tempura was delicious and crispy as well. However the spider sushi roll was super small and really simple. Felt like a roll I could've whipped up at home with frozen tempura and wasn't worth the cost. The portion sizes are extremely tiny too. Seems like shrinkflation judging by the other reviews I've read. If it wasn't for the appetizers I would've been starving after eating this tiny serving of chicken udon. Would also note there were barely any pieces of chicken toppings. Even in these trying times a decent size bowl of noodles and broth shouldn't be hard to obtain. I could easily make some frozen udon and broth with more abundant toppings at home. The udon and experience here isn't wow enough for me to pay extra for. read more

I've been here twice now and I am happy to say they have continued to delight and surprise me. The service of the chefs to the bussers, and waitstaff is kind, courteous and helpful. The ambiance is simple and understated in a very complimentary way. And the food is always high quality and reasonably priced, last time I was here in January and there was an *excellent* salmon belly Udon that I will never forget. I will continue to come back and see what they have to offer happily. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Chirashi - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The restaurant ambiance is amazing. Makes you feel like you're in Japan! Udon was so fresh and the chicken katsu curry was very flavorful. Sushi didn't impress us for what it's priced at. Other than that, we had a good experience! read more

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This place is one of many Japanese restaurants in the Portland area. When I first walked in I had an amazing ambiance and it felt like I had walked into Japan. It's a very cozy feeling inside and it's very warm and welcoming and you can just take your time to eat your food. Now the waiter was very accommodating and he answered all of our questions was very nice and welcoming. I would definitely recommend this waiter. But for the food, this is the reason why it is a three-star review the food. At first it was decent priced right like $16 for a Katsu Curry but when we got the curry it was very small and nothing special. Most of the food we got here and the sushi and a udon was very typical of a Japanese restaurant so I would have given it a four rating but the servings were way too small and we left feeling very hungry. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I stopped into Wa Kitchen Kuu briefly for a small bite (tofu and poké salad). Their menu is actually quite extensive, from noodles to rice to sushi to curry to tempura, not to mention sake and cocktails. So I did not get the full picture of what they offer and would be happy to come back to try more. But I enjoyed the little bit that I saw and tasted! They're located off MLK Jr Blvd so parking may be tricky, but they are a good option post-event at the Convention Center. The decor is traditional Japanese. They have counter seats, high tops, and low tops. Service was polite. read more

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Everything excellent! Food! Staff! Atmosphere! Would definitely return to this lovely establishment!

Very a cozy and cute environment! S/o to our server chance who was very attentive and very friendly because it was our first night in Portland for vacation! First time having soba and is very delicious and cannot go wrong with tempura!! read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Tempura Udon with soba noodles instead of. - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I love this place's decor. It feels like you are walking in Japan and turned into a small restaurant on the side of the road. The vibe was great and I enjoyed eating here. The service was decent but I think cause of the time we went everything was winding down and that affected the food and service a lot. The staff was not that attentive as I think they were doing end of shift work. About the food....The okra was slightly under fried so the dough still felt slightly soft. The peppers were grilled ok but seems like it was over high heat so it was slightly under cooked. And it was under seasoned unless that was the taste they were going for. The curry was thick and felt like maybe end of day bottom of pot sort of sauce? The tempura and udon was decent and was probably the best dish of the night. I see a lot of other really great reviews so either I'm too picky or end of shift really made an impact on food and service. read more

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Wow! Maybe the most authentic udon in PDX? Enjoyed sushi and mentaiko udon, refreshed by Kirin draft beer! Will try other dishes later with my family. The service was very friendly, attentive, and quick! read more

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Delicious Katsu and Sushi! I think we caught the tail-end of a rush because the staff were a little abrupt with us, but once we were sat, it was fine. They were out of several menu items, which they told us up front but was still disappointing. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu was disappointing and overpriced. I didn't realize until after I got home and discussed with my friend and did some research of other Japanese restaurants in the area HOW overpriced it was although we left feeling upset and hungry. We ordered Edamame $6, Miso Soup $4 and Veggie Don $18 add tofu (4 small pieces) and the Grilled Salmon Roll $14. The server was extremely helpful and accommodating to my questions and request of adding soft tofu which I really appreciated, overall my Veggie Don was flavorful and yummy. The miso was rich and the edamame was edamame. Unfortunately, my friends Grilled Salmon Roll was forgotten and I was done with my dinner before we checked in and asked about her roll, the restaurant is completely empty at this point (around 8pm on Saturday night). They were forthcoming and said they had forgotten to put the roll in but didn't apologize. When her roll came out it was either the wrong roll or completely not what she was expecting- she was expecting the grilled salmon laid over the roll but instead it was minced and inside with no recognition that it may or may not be grilled, she was bummed about her roll. I paid $35 with tip for veggies and rice, edamame and miso soup. I looked up other Japanese restaurants close by and what they are charging for miso and edamame. Its 2025, i know the days have past when these two things used to be complimentary at some Japanese restaurants however other restaurants were on average charging $4 for Edamame and $2-3 for miso. This is not a FANCY Japanese restaurant its cozy and has a great ambiance but it sucks to pay so much for simple sides when you can walk a couple blocks any direction and pay 1/3 of the price. Our experience wasn't great, we wont be back. read more

Brief Summary: - Busy during lunch - Felt quieter during dinner time - Rotating lunch has good portions This review contains two visits: one during dinner time, when the restaurant just opened, and the other time during peak lunch hours. The first visit was in the early evening after some hours of shopping and burning under the sun for the most part. The restaurant is spacious with tables, chairs, bar area, and also the Japanese styled room. We chose one of the tables near the Japanese styled room. We ordered a couple of dishes for dinner: kama-age udon, mentaiko udon, a roll of spicy tuna sushi, and the kama meshi (vegetable). The sushi arrived first and then the other dishes arrived at once. The udon was a soft chew and thinner in the kama-age udon. For the cold mentaiko udon, these noodles are flat. I liked how I got to mix the contents inside. The taste reminds me of home cooked meals, so it was a pleasant meal experience. The second part of the meal was during lunch time. We arrived probably exactly at 12pm. There were a few guests waiting at the entrance. There also appeared to be a convention event nearby, so guests with lanyards were lining up with us too. However, some of them trickled away due to the wait time, so we were closer to getting a table. All of the tables were filled that day, so we managed to get seats by the bar table. We viewed the menu ahead of time, so we chose the rotating lunch. I've grown to acknowledge that waiting times in Portland restaurants are long, so I didn't take most of the places into consideration. However, there was a significantly longer wait time during lunch than dinner. It could be that there was only one to two staff members spread wide and thin to accommodate for the guests, but the pacing of the food influx felt slower as well. After some waiting, the lunch arrived at the same time for us. Upon skimming over the servings, it is a mystery to me on what would have caused the food to take a while to arrive. The light assumption I could think of was the rice. Maybe a new back needed to be cooked. This lunch dish was delicious too. The portions were just right, and the rice to meal ratio was balanced too, so nothing was left over near the end of the meal. The only negative I had was the miso soup; the miso content was strong. Based on the two experiences, I liked the dinnertime food experience mostly because of the timing and the food choices we chose. Possible additional bias that we chose udon noodles for dinner, which is my favorite dish. read more

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Lovely place for dinner. Once you step foot inside it feels like you're in Japan - they even have bathroom bidets! Street parking might be a little tricky because if you miss your chance to park, you might end up driving across the bridge before you can U-turn back to the area lol. The Mentaiko Kama-tama Udon is a fan favorite and must-get. The different flavors and textures of the seaweed, seasoning, and tempura puffs combined blended so well together and it was definitely the better dish of the two we ordered. The Curry Noodle Udon was good, though I will probably try curry without noodles next time and order Katsu curry instead since that seemed like another popular item. The staff is very nice. There was a sign up front stating that the restaurant was unexpectedly understaffed that day, but I felt like we were still taken care of! read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Curry Udon (top), Mentaiko Kama-tama Udon (bottom, FAVE) - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The restaurant was completely empty when my boyfriend, my brother, and I went, as it was pretty early. One of the waiters brought over our food...it was just two rolls initially, and he didn't even point out which was which. After some awkward silence and exchanged glances, he slowly set the plates down and just slid them over to us, claiming that he was 'brand new'. I thought that was kind of a weird thing to do/say. The takoyaki was excellent, and our sushi rolls (salmon/krab roll/firecracker roll/spicy salmon) were delicious. I would never order the nigiri uni here ever again, because it was nowhere near the quality of that of other restaurants that I've been to. The service was not very friendly, attentive, or quick. read more

I ordered the firecracker roll, a seasonal special, and it was delicious! Fresh and tasty! The portion and price felt good. We came after lunch time on a Saturday and pretty much had the back area all to ourselves. Staff greeted us and took our order promptly. The area was cute with Japanese style decorations and wood. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Firecracker and TKS - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I loved this place sooo much, definitely the best udon i've tried! I recommend the pork gyoza, spicy beef udon & the shrimp tempura if you've never been. My bf and I had this 2 nights in a row because of how yummy it was, definitely was sad when we couldnt comeback before leaving back home since we were just visiting from Texas, but now I know where to stop as soon as I land in oregon! Give this place a try read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Spicy beef udon + shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm an udon soup lover, I would choose udon soup over ramen any day! I was so glad I found this place on our last day in Portland. I was overwhelmed by all the options mainly because I wanted to try them all! Ended up choosing ebiten shio. I was expecting a noodle soup, but it came out as a brothless udon where you mix it with a little sauce at the bottom, which was disappointing because I'm a soup person, HOWEVER.... the flavor was sooo good, I was a little less disappointed and ate it all! Would definitely come back and order it again but with a side soup. Paid street parking is on a busy street, just FYI. read more

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This place is a great find! We went out of our way to visit this place and it was absolutely worth the thirty min of traffic we were stuck in to get there! First off, cute place - well designed and has a good vibe. Really friendly staff too. At first, we got the veggie gyoza, veggie roll and rotating lunch special which had the salmon. Everything was perfectly prepared and there's not a bad thing to say about any of it. The veggie gyoza was crispy and not greasy and just little bites of deliciousness. The veggie roll was fresh and I loved the addition of herbs on top of the avocado and cucumber. We were still a little peckish after that, so we got the spicy salmon roll and the yodare tofu. The husband pronounced the spicy salmon roll as perfection but the real winner of the entire meal was the tofu eggplant dish. Beautifully seared and yet soft alternating slices of eggplant and tofu immersed in the best sauce on the planet and topped with fresh herbs and green onions. This is a dish that I will continue to dream about and hopelessly try to recreate. Every bite of that dish was worth sitting in thirty min of traffic for and that's the highest praise I can think of! I love that this place has so many vegetarian options (there is a veggie option almost in each category) and those options include something as epic as the yodare tofu. A lot of places do not put effort into their vegetarian options, so hats off to the insanely talented chef who created this! 11/10 would visit again and order two plates of that eggplant tofu. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Spicy salmon roll - half eaten - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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the mentaiko kama-tama udon with natto is insane ! this felt like such a treasure to find and i might just get this every time

This restaurant served the BEST udon I've ever had in my life. The broth was so fresh and the noodles were so chewy. I already want to come back the firecracker sushi? Fire. 10000/10 read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Tempura Udon - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was in search for decent udon and I think I found it. Also sushi was very good IMHO. In the sea of Japanese and sushi restaurants I keep coming back here. PARKING: Street parking because downtown Portland. It's a small restaurant, a little difficult to spot but we had no problem finding a spot on a Wednesday evening. AMBIANC: Such a well thought out concept. There is open shelving with the alcohol bottles that gives it a modern look. There is a sushi bar when you walk in with Japanese decor. There is light wood and large open windows making it feel bright and open inside despite it being a relatively narrow space. There is a front and back portion of the restaurant with high tops, and regular tables in the back. You can even see the kitchen from the front of the restaurant if you sit at the high tops. SERVICE: We were seated and greeted quickly, although the restaurant was mostly empty. Staff was friendly and answered our questions. Overall was pleased with the attention we received. FOOD: Like I mentioned, I have had the udon here and I LOVED it. I'm super picky with udon because I've had really great experiences not only in Japan but also back in California. When I came here the first time, I had their tempura udon which hit the spot. Clear and flavourful broth with perfectly cooked udon noodles. It's a seemingly simple dish but the simpler they are, the easier to find mistakes and I found none. We ordered sushi here including hoso-maki salmon, avocado, tuna which were fresh and the rice was well seasoned. I also had a special roll called the Yukari Salmon Roll. It had fresh and cooked salmon with a red shiso powder on top that have it some sour notes which was actually really good. This was apparently the chef's childhood recipe and I love when the chefs share their memories through food. Always a nice experience. OVERALL: A solid meal. No fuss. Just simple flavours. I know people complain about the prices but it's a small restaurant and I'm happy to support small business with simple.and delicious food that I can count on always being good. read more

what a lovely place to have dinner...we were pleasantly surprised and loved the vibe for our date, it was really great food and so many choices, the staff were great, great service and friendly. we want to come back :)! read more

One of my favorite places to eat in Portland, which is unsurprising because I LOVE udon. I was in town to attend a conference and ended up eating here for dinner 2 of the 3 nights I was in town since it was across the street from my hotel. This place surpassed my expectations serving up a hot delicious bowl of udon for both visits. They have a sushi bar area as well as tables and a traditional seating area for larger groups. Although it was busy both nights, I was quickly sat at the sushi bar. Service can be slow since it was busy but I didn't really mind since I was excited to eat. They have a mix of hot and cold udon on their menu along with a variety of appetizers to choose from. I ordered the tempura and hokkai-miso udon. The traditional broth here that they used for most of their udon is a dark soy and it was definitely super tasty without being too salty. I definitely am obsessed and will eat here any time I'm in Portland. I highly recommend this place, it was delicious and on par with the udon shops I frequented in Gardenia/Torrance in LA when I lived there with my family. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Tempura Udon ($19) - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I love the ambiance of this restaurant. The service was great and my server was very attentive. I ordered the kimchi beef brisket udon and daigakuimo (candied sweet potatoes). The udon was perfectly warm on a rainy day, not too spicy, and came with an onsen egg, yum! The daigakuimo was deliciously sweet without being overpowering and I also had it alongside the house green tea. The house green tea is smooth with a nutty aftertaste and helped to cut the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. Definitely order it to accompany your meal! I will be back for more. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Daigakuimo - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This was my first time here, and the udon really hit the spot on a cool, cloudy day in Portland. I tried the Hokkai-miso udon. I love that they make their own udon in-house! The broth was good without being too salty, and felt like a warm, nourishing meal. It's bright, clean, and modern. Service is very polite/friendly. If you're here for a conference, it's an easy walk from the Convention center. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Hokkai-miso Udon - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The server is so kind and not pretentious. The food was made by the Japanese lady I heard she was speaking in Japanese near our table. We sat on the tall chairs near the windows, and it was fun to do people-watching while eating the delicious dishes. read more

Wa Kitchen Kuu - Seafood kama meshi - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Fantastic Japanese restaurant just a couple blocks from the convention center. We got a mix of curry, poke, sushi, and more and it was all excellent. Highly recommended if you want great Japanese food in Portland. read more

Pretty bummed.... Went in to enjoy a nice bowl of Udon with a friend. No one acknowledged us for 15 minutes. A server// employee had walked past us a few times too. Decided to leave ---I don't mind waiting. Bummer in service. Especially when the food os pretty delicious. read more

What a wonderful bowl of udon. Quiet and warming to the touch, perfect balance of flavors wanting more after completion. Until another cold Friday night dinner with Wa Kitchen Kuu. read more

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The food is incredible. I love all the dishes I have had there. It's the perfect place to go to get good comfort food on a cold day.

OMG a Japanese restaurant that isn't a ramen or sushi restaurant! (They have some sushi but I wouldn't call them a sushi spot). After a brief look at the menu we decided kitchen over sushi was the way to go. The style here seems to be kind of home-style cooking, Japanese comfort food focusing on udon & steamed donburis. We tried the Kama-Age udon special w/ Hokkai miso broth which was like a hearty seafood broth. The noodles and toppings are served on the side so you can garnish as you go. We got the Kama-tama egg option (soy soft-boiled egg) as well which made it even more savory. We also got the Kama-meshi specialty rice w/ seafood but be warned this one does take longer to prepare. The dessert was fun too, it was those puffy fish-shaped bread stuffed w/ red bean paste & served w/ green tea ice cream. We really enjoyed both, there wasn't anything that new or wild flavor wise, just mild and comforting and tasty. The inside is pretty cool, kind of modern clean old-style wood decor. read more

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Slow to being sat, slow to take order, slow to serve food, slow everything. Food is decent, price is decent. But requires patience to enjoy.