We were looking for a Japanese restaurant in the Division/Clinton neighborhood of Portland, but we wanted someplace that had some more unique dishes and not just sushi. This restaurant was perfect! Their decor is really cool, with plenty of seating at the sushi bar, the beverages bar, booths, and a small patio courtyard (not much of a view outside, though). Service was good & quick, with a variety of servers bringing us our dishes. We started with sharing a sake flight (3 very different sakes for $22), and later ordered another glass of sake to share. For our food we had the seaweed salad, Bo Gyoza (long pan-fried dumplings), grilled Mackerel fish, a side of rice, and the "Tampopo" Omu-Rice dish. Everything was cooked perfectly & absolutely delicious! The Omu-Rice dish was quite unique, with small pieces pork & veggies atop a bed of rice that's been seasoned with ketchup, and on top of it all is a perfect fluffy Japanese egg omelet - so freakin' yummy! The food comes out in whatever order it's ready, as is typical at a Japanese restaurant, so if you want something first, be sure to let your server know. Prices were reasonable, especially considering the high quality of the ingredients & preparation, which was a plus. They don't take reservations, so depending on when you arrive there might be a wait (I think they used to take reservations but their website currently says they do not). Can't wait to come back and try more! read more

Yataimura Maru - Enjoying a sake flight & the really cool atmosphere here. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Me and a friend were wanting Japanese as the weather was a bit warmer and we were in between two different happenings with a 2 hour dinner window. Event one was Clinton Street area so all the stuff there gets a bit crowded. Next event was right by the stadium and it was a Timbers night - F that! And the Saturday before mom's day. I stumbled on Yataimura Maru doing some google hunting. I was amazed I had not heard of it. We got in shortly before 5pm and it did get much busier but we continued to get such great service! When we arrived, it was just before happy hour was concluding and she let us know so we could order off that menu before it finished. My friend opted to order some happy hour gyoza and a small curry so she could try it. We then ordered off the regular menu. I personally tried one of her veggie gyoza {which was delicious and VERY crispy} and ordered sushi. I ordered salmon nigiri, hoso-maki hamachi, the tempura shrimp roll {shrimp tempura, avocado, cucumber, sesame seeds & unagi sauce} and the Frenchy roll {spicy tuna, krab salad, & avocado, topped salmon, spicy mayo, house made unagi sauce & fried onion}. It was all amazing! Sadly, their sodas do not come with refills but that was our only negative. The décor is fantastic and you feel like you are in a far fancier restaurant. I also love that even when the restaurant was fairly full I did not feel like I was dining with the others in the restaurant. I wandered into the restroom and found that they have Japanese toilets. They also have a seat by the sink if you need that. read more

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Big fan of this restaurant group which also includes the Shigezo eatery downtown. Maru is a less formal offshoot of that place, more izakaya-style, with a nice assortment of small plates -- gyoza, chicken karaage, edamame and such --- but also a good variety of sushi, rice and other seafood. Spicy tuna roll we had was sublime, the mackerel (saba) perfectly cooked, and the steamed rice with veggies, served piping hot...divine. Cocktails, sake beer and wine are all available and the service is super informative, attentive and friendly; we really dig the authentic urban-style Japanese decor, which is funky in a good way and very casual -- the vibe is just very welcoming. Street parking is your only option, BTW. read more

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All noodles are hand crafted at the restaurant. If you eat them, you can taste the difference. read more

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Love this place. Probably the best sushi in the neighborhood, fresh sushi, good service, really convenient. Decently priced and good indoor/outdoor seating. Love all the wooden booths inside and the big windows. Looking forward to trying more things on the menu! read more

Yataimura Maru - Miso Soup - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The Sunday happy hour menu is amazing. Fried gyoza was delicious, spicy poke, chicken katsu were both delicious too. Chicken katsu doesn't come with a huge amount of chicken but it's very true to how it would be served in Japan. read more

The chicken katsu curry was very good, I was expecting more chicken to be honest but what chicken was there was good. The sizzling salmon rice was mediocre, honestly did not have much flavor. I can't remember the two other dishes we had but they were also good, but nothing crazy. NO CHERRIES IN THE SHIRLEY TEMPLE!!! A crime in my opinion but yah. The ambiance is really nice though it's a really cute place and I love the decor Service was nice, food arrived fast and server was very very nice. Cannot remember his name but he was a white guy with a ponytail. Shoutout read more

Good good ramen. Perfect for a misty fall Portland day. Service was incredibly quick, servers were kind and knowledgeable, and most importantly the food was phenomenal! read more

This is a great place for lunch if you're an annoying white suburbanite with a screaming baby and want to bond with other annoying white suburbanites and their screaming babies. Also, the chicken karaage is chewy. read more

Chicken katsu curry was okay. Ramen was okay. Both lacked a bit of flavor. Sushi was very good. Lots of flies in that place, though.

Great food. Great service with attention to detail. Parking is hard to come by so plan ahead.

Great happy hour at this cozy little Japanese restaurant on Division! The Ramen and dumplings we tried were yummy and our waiter was excellent--very helpful and accommodating, and unobtrusive. I'm sure it gets crowded and noisy sometimes, but at 4PM I appreciated the quiet for talking. read more

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Ehh.. mediocre food but still good for just drinks and basic bites. I visited their sister restaurant, Izakaya Kichinto which had about the same level of food but a bit more variety and a bit cooler interior. I went in a group of 4 and we were all pretty hungry but after looking through their menu (which seemed to have been reduced a lot) decided to only get 2 entrees and an appetizer to share as nothing sounded that good even with us being hungry. We looked thru their pretty short sushi menu and quickly decided that they didn't seem like a sushi spot bc their nigiri menu only had 5 fish and the rolls were all pretty uncreative/fried. We got the katsu curry, yuzu shio ramen and I honestly forgot the appetizer. The katsu curry was pretty good, ramen was ok and appetizer obviously unmemorable. So overall ok, I would say not a food destination but will do the spot if you're just lookin for drinks and snacks. read more

Yataimura Maru - Katsu Curry - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Had the fried oysters, grilled fish collars and chicken katsu curry, all which was incredible Will be back to try everything else. Gochisousama!!! read more

Yataimura Maru - Katsu Chicken Curry, Fried Oysters, Grilled fish collar. All incredibleI destroyed everything - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

When I say I'm obsessed with this place, I mean I'M OBSESSED. I went here with friends one night because it was nearby and looked good, and I've gone back so many times since. Not only is their atmosphere and decor nice but their food is also amazing. I'm absolutely in love with their abu udon with chili oil on the side. I haven't had many ramen/udon without broth and you mix a sauce in, so when I tried this for the first time, it was an absolute game changer. I also love their karaage, appetizers, and curry. Their rolls are alright in my opinion--nothing special, but I mostly come here for their ramen anyways. Try to get reservations if you can on the weekend, because there will almost always be a wait for dinner! :) read more

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I love this place! Weekly happy hour for me and my partner. Their hand rolls, and ramen are delicious and they're so kind. I'm not sure why the lower stars. Definitely a well kept secret on division. read more

Lucked into this place for an early dinner for 2 on a Sunday about 5pm. It was busy but we got a table in the back in less than 5 minutes. The service was quick and warm. The first hint we were in for a treat was the respectably rich and nuanced miso soup. It was perfect paired with the salty, simple, fresh edamame. Then the ramen arrived. The Veggie Ramen was truly 10/10, the best I've ever had. The small serving of tempura crumbs blended seemlessly into the handmade noodles and a broth that was out of this world smooth. The tonkatsu was solid, but not as sublime. We will no doubt return when we're back in the neighborhood. read more

Welp, Yelp...last night's attempt to dine at Yataimura Maru was the final nail in the coffin. Learning from my previous failed attempt (see earlier reviews), I checked Yelp to see if the waitlist was up and working, and found the message "Waitlist is closed." Alright, no problem; fortunately, it listed current wait times were ~5 minutes. We jumped in the car and sped down to the restaurant. When we arrived, there were several parties milling outside. When I approached the hosts' table, I could see the Yelp Waitlist tablet adjacent to it, claiming wait times were between 45-60 minutes. Initially dismayed, I noticed the handwritten sign below that said "these times are not accurate, please check in with the host". When I inquired, the host claimed that wait times were...you guessed it, 45-60 minutes, and then asked "Are you on the list?" When I informed him that Yelp's waitlist was "closed", he replied, "Oh yeah, we don't use that anymore." "What list are you talking about, then?" "Did you call ahead?" No, I did not, and explained why. He apologized, and asked if we wanted to get on the list. Absolutely not. Good riddance to what used to be my favorite restaurant in Portland. Heartbreaking. read more

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Great selection of authentic izakaya options including ramen, gyoza, and traditional roll sushi. Service was pretty good for a busy happy hour on Saturday evening. read more

We are staying in the area and decided to give them a try. Their ramen selection is small but unique. They had a chicken, a salmon and a dry ramen as options. We tried the Sapporo and the Abu Ramen. Along with the squid jerky, bacon wrapped quail eggs and shishito peppers. The Sapporo was a very light broth with notes of seafood in it. Subtle enough for someone who doesn't like seafood to be ok with. The toppings were great - the butter added this decadence to it that was nice. The abu ramen is a dry plate, made with udon noodles. The flavor was absolutely incredible! I loved the chili and garlic oil, it coated the noodles perfectly. The fried gyoza topping was spectacular and added that textural variety I liked. The squid jerky apparently had good texture and flavor but he said he wished it had more spice to it. The peppers had an incredible sweet and salty flavor to them. I would eat 900 more of those. The bacon wrapped quail eggs were fantastic too. The eggs were perfectly creamy and the saltiness from the bacon really was a perfect balance. Would order those again 100% Atmosphere was great, staff was super helpful and attentive. Would go back for sure read more

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Kickback atmosphere with amazing food and great waitstaff. Highly recommend. Wish they had more regular hours.

I love the interior of this place. Dark wood, the booths, the bar. Lunch special is king here -- sushi & a half bowl of ramen. The Tokyo shoyu ramen is possibly my favorite ramen that I've had anywhere. They allow you to build your own, but the default bowl of noodles, rich soy sauce tare, smoky dashi & chicken broth topped with with the green onion is so simple but so deep. I may detect a hint of citrus and togarashi in the tare. This is how I want all of my ramen. read more

Yataimura Maru - Tokyo Shoyu Ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

One of my favorite Izakaya in the city!! People complaining that dishes "come out in a haphazard fashion" clearly don't understand the concept of an Izakaya and clearly did not read the menu. An Izakaya is the Japanese equivalent of a pub - its bar food and it comes out when it's ready in no particular order. This isn't some super fancy reservation type place. This is a humble authentic casual Japanese spot with impressive options. The decor and vibe here is authentic and warm! The food is always fantastic and the flavors are varied depending if you want sushi, ramen, and a great selection of smaller dishes. This is my regular spot! read more

I love this place. I love the variety, the ambiance and of course the food. The resturant has different small kitchen's that specialize in different sections of the menu. You can see the employees actively working. I like places with open kitchen's where you can see them preparing your meals. Its like dinner and a show. My friend andbI had come here for lunch. We haven't been here since the whole COVID thing started in the US where alot of our favorite restaurants have shut down, started togos only or modified thier menu. We were happy to see this place was still open, doing dine in or to go but this menu has changed and is a little smaller then what it used to be. They still had a good amount of different dishes to choose from and everything we were craving was still on the menu so it was good for us. We got a little bit of everything and shared. We were hungry an excited and ordered too much that we overly stuffed ourselves on all the goodness. We shared a large ramen, rainbow roll, tobiko and the chicken kaarage. All of it was fantastic. The ramen broth is full of flavor, the sushi was fresh and the chicken had a nice batter. I'm glad to see this place is still alive and thriving. read more

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I love the sushi here They are open for indoor & outdoor dining. I asked about whether they are going to be open for dining during this month of November and they said yes. Back to the food: I'm here with my friend Keiko (who's from ) because this is her favorite restaurant. Today we had Salmon Handrolls Frenchy Roll with seared salmon and tuna (Keiko's favorite) Rainbow Roll BTW the green tea is excellent. read more

Yataimura Maru - Rainbow Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I was in town for literally six or so hours, so when we got to the area we needed to be in, we searched for some lunch nearby. I was craving sushi, and Yataimura Maru had promising photos and reviews. Bonus - they've got Yelp waitlist! You can hop on their waitlist no matter where you are, right on your Yelp app. That is, when we're able to dine in at restaurants again... We were seated within 10 minutes or so on a Sunday during lunch time, which isn't bad. I went with the combo order - half order of ramen and a Real Crab California Roll. The Tokyo Ramen was really good. The broth was very rich and packed full of flavor. Noodles were a great texture and the pork was good. The Real Crab California Roll fell short for me. For starters - we asked for a side of spicy mayo, and they drizzled the TINIEST amount underneath the rolls. When I asked again for an actual side of it after this was presented, the waiter was like, "It's right there. Under the roll," to which I replied, I knew, but I wanted a side since there was barely any on the plate. He came back with the TINIEST AMOUNT EVER. I guess spicy mayo is rationed here? Or maybe he just really didn't want me to have any? Not sure. Outside of that, the roll could've been better. The crab itself tasted dry and not entirely fresh. Decent experience but could've been better. read more

Yataimura Maru - Real Crab California Rolls - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I'm a single parent and taking the kiddo out to dinner can be a complicated affair for all the obvious reasons. Add some hunger to the mix and being served relatively promptly is vital. Our server neglected to record my kiddos order (udon) and when we enquired after 25+ minutes she insisted we had never ordered it- odd, given we had stopped by *specifically* for the udon. Rather than apologizing and expediting the solution, she doubled down and insisted any error was our fault. Thankfully we had an appetizer to tide us over but the server's failure to appreciate the situation for what it was turned this visit into a fail. Didn't love it. read more

Quite a bit has changed since pre-COVID at this place. Food and service is still really good, but all yakitori items appear to have been dropped from the menu. It definitely feels more like a regular ramen and sushi restaurant now, rather than an izakaya where small plates are shared. I definitely miss the bacon-wrapped quail eggs and the unique experience you used to get here, but the prices are fair and food is still good! Also noticed a lot of the decorations that were present prior (Shinto masks, etc.) have been removed. Not sure why- they definitely added a bit to the overall look of the place! read more

Unfortunately the items marked gluten free are not gluten free. I believe they switched the noodles to be so, but did not look into what ingredients contain gluten and also put fried tofu in the ramen that was contaminated with gluten from other items in their menu. I would not trust this restaurant to provide gluten free options even if they are marked. As someone with celiac disease, I left the restaurants swollen and the next day still unable to speak due to my throat closing. The waiter had let us know that the ramen I ordered would be gluten free and it was marked on the menu that way. read more

Stumbled upon this restaurant via Yelp and we were blown away. Abu ramen - 5/5 it was a hot day, so no broth sounded like an opportune time to try something new. My wife originally wanted Hiyashi ramen, but they had run out. Rather than be sad, she tried the abu and it has risen to the top of her list for favorite ramen in PDX (not yet all time, but she really liked it). The soft egg helps coat the noodles a la carbonara, harmonizing the ingredients into one tasty "pasta" dish. Poke Don - 3/5 - fish was fresh, but the pieces were pretty small. I'm not sure how I felt about the raw spinach just in there with no seasoning, so it gets docked a couple points for that. Shio Kaarage - 4/5 - light and flavorful batter, and the chicken is at the forefront of the dish (not caked behind a thick batter). The chicken is moist and the dipping sauce has the perfect balance of umami (god, I hate using this word) and tang (with the lemon). The inside is meant to resemble a Japanese street alley where izakayas are often found sprinkled throughout prefectures. Its got that hipster Portlandia sprinkled into the mix, but its authentic and satisfying. Quite possibly our favorite Japanese restaurant in the city - which we've been searching for for quite some time. read more

Yataimura Maru - Shio (salt) kaarage - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Everything about our meal was terrible, service was slow, food came in a haphazard fashion. Order soup and edamame, came in middle of meal. 2 things we ordered never came, never brought our drinks. Sushi rolls were tasteless, crappy wasabi. When I complained, was told that they had no control of how food came out, in other words, tough shit. Nothing was good about the experience read more

Our favorite thing here was the cold noodles. Definitely the most delicious thing we had. Everything else was pretty much average. Nice staff and atmosphere. Would probably go again if I was in the area to try other things and see if it could get the rating higher for me. But probably wouldn't seek it out on my own. read more

I've been on a poke & sushi craze for a few weeks now on the east and west coast, this place had fresh fish and was a good spot to eat. If you're looking for a place to get some sushi and know it's at least good this is the place! The only issue I had was the their management of the customers waiting outside. If you come late be ready to wait or just quit and order take out. They gave off an understaffed vibe and when I was able to put my name on the waitlist they failed to mention that I might not get a table if I wasn't seated by 10:30. Unfortunately, I waited 40 minutes and then they told me I wouldn't be seated!! I would've been ok with this if they had told me this was possible in the beginning. For that I give this spot 4 stars , good/decent food. Their service is a little spotty. read more

Yataimura Maru - Rainbow roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Very nice little sushi spot in Portland, the decor was very unique and fitting! We ordered sushi and ramen, the ramen looked so good we couldn't resist, it was perfect for the rainy day outside. The sushi was fresh and flavorful. Spicy salmon roll, tofu ramen and a bottle of Pino Grigio $10 for a glass or $16 a bottle. That was a no brainer. Clean and friendly setting, perfect for a laughter filled night with friends read more

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The food was not the best sushi, sashimi, and nigiri I have ever had, but better than 3/4 of many other places I have tried around the country. The flavors were great and the menu choices excellent. Great place to go for authentic Japanese dishes even if you have people joining you who don't like sushi, since there is also ramen, udon, chicken katsu, teriyaki dishes, gyoza, tempura, etc. not a full bar, though you can get beer, wine, well drinks and things like margaritas. I love that it is not a chain, but is local, and Japanese family owned. Service was excellent, and the atmosphere is great for evenings, not the cold, square, modern strip mall decor of most sushi restaurants. read more

First ordered the Tokyo ramen. Broth was average at best, the ramen noodles were overly soggy and the chashu was dry and chewy. While not the worst ramen I've had, it lacks the complimentary trifecta (broth/noodles/chashu) you'd find at a quality ramen shop in bigger US cities such as LA's Little Tokyo or San Francisco Japan Town. Also tried the broth-less Abu ramen/udon. It was decent, but nothing memorable. Strangely it almost came off like a watered down "Japanese" version of pad thai due to the flat style noodles. Yet it lacked the bite and flavor you'd get from the popular Thai dish. For a place that tries to come off as authentic with it's rustic Japanese decor and ambiance, the food just wasn't there for me lacking the essential basics that make quality ramen. read more

Yataimura Maru - Abu ramen - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I've been here many times and always thoroughly enjoy the food. I can't speak to how the menu was in the past, but everything I've had has been delicious. I especially enjoy the shio-abu ramen and the "sizzling salmon rice." Also want to mention how nice it was that they had ozoni for New Year's, good stuff. It's a great place to just sit and take in the ambience, and the staff are all very nice. As far as I can tell, the cooking (minus the sushi) is all done by one guy, so I tip my hat to him. Maybe that means longer wait times than if there were more kitchen staff, but it's not like I'm in a hurry. Just sit back and have some sake or a tall frothy mug of Kirin and relax. read more

I had such high hopes for this spot, but was left disappointed and later sick. I had booked a spot between Hawthorne and Division specifically for the food options, and one that immediately attracted me was Yataimura Maru. The pictures looked gorgeous, the interior very authentic looking, the reviews sounded good, and the menu being a mix of ramen, donburi, and rolls sounded great. We arrived out of the pouring rain and fortunately were immediately seated. We were given the menus and we took some time over them, as stated above, there is a lot to pick from. My friend's wife is vegetarian, so she had more than a few options, and eventually we went with an order of agedashi tofu and vegetable gyoza for the table; she went with the V.V.G. Don; my friend got the chicken teriyaki donburi and I went with a Tokyo Ramen and California Hand Roll for me. The appetizers came quickly and were fine. Nothing to write home about. Then my friend got his chicken teriyaki. I did try a piece and it was solid! A few minutes later I received the first of my Tokyo Ramens. I ordered a regular, and due to a mistake in the kitchen, it was split into 2 smalls. The broth was honestly just okay, but I did enjoy the chashu pork. Now what took forever was my friend's wife's V.V.G. Don. Like ridiculously long. As in we had to check with the staff multiple times because everything else had been delivered save this veggie bowl. And every time the staff gave a vague response. Ultimately she did get it and eat it, but the experience was on the down turn. Now all that, I would have left this a 2 star, but the next day in the afternoon I had to run to the bathroom and ended up using it 3 times over the course of an hour. My friend's wife did not join us for our walk about as she was sick as well. Given the other positive reviews, I have to assume this was an off night that we went given the issues with food, service, and quality. But I feel like there are better Japanese spots in the area you could go to instead. read more

This used to be my favorite spot in Portland for vegetarian ramen. It was the only place I could find that had vegetarian Tokyo style broth. I went last week and they don't have it anymore. Other classic Maru menu items are gone too. So sad! Hoping they bring back the Tokyo style broth, and other favorites too! read more

An extremely hearty yes to the Ramen here. The people are friendly, the food is to die for. I had a Ramen that even for a regular size, made me content. Had a delicious Kirin in a very frosty mug. This is as much of an authentic taste of Japan. It's the best I've had outside of Tokyo itself. You will need to check the hours, as they are still recovering from the pandemic. We were served by Yuki, who appears to be an owner. She was fun, and kind. It's just a part of a wonderful experience. Go there and enjoy. It's a neat version of Japanese culture, but much cheaper than a plane ticket! read more