The Hat trick and Jaded Lady are my favorite rolls and a must get every time you visit. The staff is always very friendly as well which is nice to see. There is a reason this place is always busy. read more

I absolutely loved this place. We got sushi rolls, gyoza, and edamame. Everything was delicious and our waitress was unbelievably prompt and kind. I LOVE that they let you sit on the floor on the elevated platforms and their little seats. Boyfriend paid so I cannot speak on how expensive it was but it's probably pretty comparable to other Portland spots. THEY HAVE STREET PARKING which if you know me is my biggest deal in Portland. Would definitely recommend. Loved it. read more

Yosaku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

If I'm getting sushi I always seem to come here. Menu options and prices are great and the vibe is so good in there. I love the low traditional tables. Never have been disappointed here read more

Yosaku - Godzilla roll and salmon roll - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

I Yosaku. While I don't normally go in the winter I always opt for summertime visits. I absolutely adore their outdoor patio it feels like such a zone of serenity in Portland. The food here is incredible and fresh. I always opt for some sort of bento box because I love many things. I always see other tables ordering sushi boats. My mouth waters every time. read more

Yosaku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

Very good Japanese food. Tried Donkatsu, Bento Box, nicely done sushi (great sushi rail) attentive service and over all a gem of a find. Great outdoor space and even some floor level seating for those who want more of a traditional experience. read more

See all

Excellent evening, delicious sushi and great service! We were seated at a tatami table, shoes are placed underneath and it was a first for both of us. Now, we are looking forward to finding the same experience on the west coast. Our service was quick, very attentive and our server was patient with our questions. The restaurant was comfortable, not too loud and very welcoming. We ordered the cold noodles, saki trio and the sakura platter, plenty of food for us but we wanted to try a few different dishes. This restaurant is located towards the end of town but easily walkable from many of the hotels. Parking is difficult in the area, so walking is definitely preferred. We had originally had a reservation for 9pm, but decided to try walking in at 7pm, and to our luck, they had a table available. We highly recommend enjoying a meal here. We would love to come back one day and will talk about this experience for many years! Cheers! read more

See all

Always a delicious meal when I come here! I've been craving sushi and haven't been here in awhile. We decided to splurge and get the Ume sushi platter! Perfect for two people. My only recommendation during the busy season is to try and book a reservation! read more

Yosaku - Ume - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

Table for 1!! Sashimi! Sashimi! Sashimi!! Has to be one of my favorite lunches, light, bright and delicious! Sushi is definitely a lazy lunch. It relaxes you, no hurry, it's quiet and calm. Toro and ankimo in season you can't really go wrong. The sushi at Yosaku never disappoints, it is always fresh and delicious. Sashimi is probably my favorite because you really get to taste the fish. You wouldn't know that salmon has a lovely natural nutty flavor when you don't dose it in sauces. Another great thing about ordering sashimi is they give you real wasabi with it, not that overwhelming green play-dough. Scallop, two kinds of salmon, tuna, Toro, yellowtail. Uni w/quail egg, ankimo w/quail egg and eel sushi for dessert. I ordered an extra eel because it was so good! read more

See all

LOVE LOVE LOVE. The Tuna sampler was amazing and reasonably priced. Loved the saki flight, posted a picture of my favorite saki. Lemon drop martini was delicious. Everything was great and worth the price. Service was great as well. Definitely will be back. read more

See all

As always the staff was friendly and helpful. On a cold January night, nothing is better than Niku sliced beef, onion, scallion hand made fresh soba. Awesome broth and perfect noodles. Also ordered Tuna and Scallop sashimi. Super fresh and great flavor. The scallop (Hotate) has become a favorite of mine, but I would only get it here at Yasaku. Constantly busy and a place we've return to many times. read more

Yosaku - Niku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

I had the Oroshi Sansai udon bowl it was delicious! Our server was also so friendly and pleasant. Great food and service!

I've been here for work lunch several times, and it has consistently been delicious. The interior is really spacious, and we've never had trouble finding a table. They also have a really large outdoor patio for nicer days. The service has always been prompt and warm. As for food: Yosaku has a great lunch deal that gets you a salad, dumplings, your choice of sushi roll, and a rotating protein, all for $16. Every item is tasty and it's a nice assortment of different dishes - I usually order the una-avo roll, and the unagi is tender and well-cooked. The only downside is you're not able to substitute out the protein for a vegetarian/vegan option, but they do have other veggie dishes on the menu. Overall: a lovely spot for lunch. I'll definitely be back again, hopefully to enjoy their patio when the weather's a bit warmer! read more

I love this place! Me ands my dad used to come here a lot but I hadn't been back for a while- I remembered it being good but it was the best sushi I've had in a long time! We got 3 rolls (Gokudo, Hat trick, and another I can't remember) all super good! We also shared a bento box and I WISH I got a picture it was so good!! The miso soup was also great! The tea was pretty watery but all in all I love it here. It's pretty inside and the outside seating is very nice too! :) they have heaters! read more

Yosaku - Hat Trick, Gokudo, another I can't remember but very good! - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

Delicious!!! Great service and atmosphere. Lots of variety on the menu and some things that were new to us read more

Yosaku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Yosaku is THE spot for sushi! This place is fantastic and one of our favorite spots to grab the yummiest sushi in town. We first discovered Yosaku last spring, and I'm honestly a bit sad we haven't gone back more often. The sushi is so fresh and creative -- they offer the classics, like spicy tuna and California rolls, but also fun rolls you won't find anywhere else. The rolls are enormous; 5-6 rolls for two people is more than enough (and honestly, you might have leftovers). They also offer noodles, delicious appetizers, and everything you'd expect at a sushi place. Seriously, the menu is about six pages long. We've never tried anything at Yosaku that we didn't love. My favorite thing, though? The ambiance and the value. Yosaku offers outdoor seating under a beautiful tree, which is lovely during the spring and summer. Their indoor ambiance is just as nice and cozy. The value at Yosaku is unmatched. There are few places in town where you can get delicious, fresh sushi for this price. 4-5 rolls usually cost us $60 or so, a steal for Downtown Portland. Never change, Yosaku. read more

Yosaku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Great food, prices, staff, and atmosphere! The lunch special prices are amazing. I love the vegetarian maki roll selection. read more

Yosaku - Avo-Kyu, Inari, Gobo, Sweet Potato, and Ume-Kyu. - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

The owner and staff are THE best and are super friendly and welcoming! The owner sat down with us and had some drinks and 'extra' sushi brought over and talked about cuisine. He knows a ton and even makes his own Soba noodles! The food is amazing! Best sushi in Maine! read more

The sushi is so good here. Super fresh! The price tag can add up quick so be mindful but it's definitely worth the splurge. Their lemon drops are a favorite of mine and they have such a good selection of sake. They can get super busy so there's sometimes a wait- they churn out online/doordash/takeout orders and also seat people but it's worth it. The server I got last time was so nice and everything came out relatively quickly. read more

Yosaku's patio space is very pleasant overall, with a lovely Japanese-style garden including a waterfall and a stone lantern. A downside to the outdoor seating is that only alternating tables on the street side area of the patio (i.e., every other one) have lighting. We were on the unlucky side of these 50/50 odds, and could barely see our lovely food when it arrived at 7:30 pm (August 7) -- see my dark photo of a nigiri platter. This set-up is unfortunate, and a really fixable situation! Our server was knowledgeable about what fish was locally caught. We enjoyed the avocado maguro ae -- a bit like a don bowl without the rice -- and the tempura shrimp as shared appetizers. We also had the nigiri dinner platter, kitsune (fried tofu) udon, and soba. All were very close to dishes you will get in Japan, i.e., not "Americanized" or made "fusion" as too many Japanese restaurants tend to want to do. It was handy that we could take home the sake we had not drunk in the bottle it came in. Friends who go to Japan regularly recommended Yosaku to us as the most authentic in Portland, and so far we agree. read more

Yosaku - Tempura shrimp appetizer -- photo taken with flash. - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Amazing sushi! This restaurant transported me to Japan. I love the bentos, they are so cute. And all of the food came quickly.

Came for birthday lunch with my old roomie. I'd heard great things about the restaurant and had high expectations. The food was fresh and our waitress was attentive. We sat in the area where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. It's nice they have seats with backs, but my feet definitely fell asleep so be conscious of this if you're with a big group and can't stretch your legs out. Thankfully it was just the two of us so we had some room to spread out. The miso soup was delicious and the roll were fresh. I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu. There's some street parking in front and a small lot right past the restaurant. read more

Yosaku - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

This was a very underwhelming experience. I would like to say we were expecting some American sushi. We received what seemed to be very authentic sushi, but they were very small rolls, not stuffed much and a lot of rice. I ordered the special market price crab and did not realize the crab was fried. I was hoping for the fresh market catch and instead received a fried complete crab inside a 6 piece sushi roll. It was honestly pretty underwhelming. We took it to go and the staff seemed very nice. Not sure if our expectations were too high, but it really wasn't great food. Outdoor patio had a good ambiance. read more

Yosaku - Shiitake Sweet Potato Miso Soup Crab Sushi Roll - Market Price - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

the BEST sushi and noodles we've ever had. Coming up here from Boston, maybe that says a lot? Have been looking for this kind of ramen/udon forever and never would have thought I'd find it in Portland, ME! Broth sublime, shaved steak delicious, both sushi rolls were super fresh and tasty. Everyone very friendly, very courteous, and service was prompt and food came out fairly quickly, especially for lunch time on a Saturday. We sat at the sushi bar, which was a neat experience. The sushi chefs were all friendly, they greeted us when we sat down. There were low tables with pillows or seats to lean on, and an area under neath to put shoes. Will definitely come here again the next time we're in Portland! read more

See all

The staff were very friendly and nice and the food was delicious. My husband and I are vegan and we were able to order the hot soba noodles with tofu and have the broth made vegan. The soba noodles are home made daily and were incredible. We also had an array of vegetable/vegan sushi which is listed separately on their menu which we appreciated. All of the sushi was divine. I could eat there daily but I don't live in the area but I will 100 be back when I am in town. I see they have a gorgeous outside seating area with a Japanese garden which looks lovely for summer. read more

I am shocked at how crazy busy this place is. Every time we have called in for take out or come to dine in, it is the dictionary definition of "full house". The folks here work hard and we have never had a negative experience here. We are known to come at 8:30 but their hours reduced to closing at 9 and they no longer open on Sundays. They used to always have plenty of room to accommodate but nowadays we have to wait! I will once again shout out their amazing soba noodles -- handmade with Maine grown buckwheat and it is the perfect dish for summer (cold) or winter (hot). Their sushi bar is what people come here for, and I don't disagree -- I don't think I would bother going elsewhere. Their fish is top notch and the rolls, nigiri, and sashimi are all excellent, with plenty of "less adventurous" options available. They have a very enthusiastic serving/hosting crew and they are probably the ones who brought Yosaku to Instagram, so check that out for their specials. Lastly, I know I shouted out their soba, but that doesn't mean you should get it. Of all the times I have ordered it, last night was the first time they ran out. I sobbed quite hard because I can never resist getting a choko soba. read more

See all

Seafood is surprisingly fresh and UMAI. The scallops are the champion of the night, 200% delicious. Recommend to order one for trial, if the batch is fresh, you may order more. The vegetables are also fresh, barely seasoned but you can taste the natural sweetness from the sweet potato and pumpkin (also the right season food in Autumn). Broiled salmon is kinda overcooked, maybe the cheek is too big that some juice was grilled away. The rice for the salmon don has larger grain size than the Nigiri rice, and I like the grain of the Nigiri rice better. Salmon sashimi is also not as juicy as the scallops and sweet shrimp. Overall, it's a large restaurant that can accommodate different size of groups, and the raw material is also good, recommend to other weekend visitors in Portland. read more

See all

They gave me wrong order and I needed to wait for so long to get mine. Tastes was awful and worst roll ever.

Easy reservation, friendly hosts & chefs. Beautiful patio. Nice sake selection, however the waitress was seemingly not very educated on the menu, there was one sake she probably recommends to everyone- and I got it and it was good, but I probably would have spent the money on a nicer bottle had she guided me. The fish was fresh and tasty. Food comes out family style / as it's ready. Food was 4/5 Service 3/5 Solid sushi place, has been around forever, maybe best for families / casual dates / friend outings. Not so much a spot for special occasions. read more

Ram is now the new owner! Ask him for the seasonal best and he will give you a short list of the fish that is in its prime. On this visit it was Tuna toro, scallops and King Salmon. The scallops were on point--tacky, tender, snappy-sweet and luscious. Ram was also flexing his soba making skills. Springy, slightly chewy bite and smooth nutty dough made this a deceptively simple but addictive treat that I thought was reserved for Japan... taste and tell me if you agree. read more

See all

I had a horrible experience here. The sushi was good but not worth this. We get seated with no problems and no reservations. The server then tells us before we order that they are super busy and it's going to take 30-45 minutes to get our food. Not the server's fault, but this should be a caveat before you seat people. Or, don't seat people knowing that the kitchen is super behind and let the poor cooks catch up. So we order. We get our miso soup, and then one hour passes. The server comes out and asks if we want our grilled food to come out before our dinner. This should have been asked way sooner. By the time we got it, it was super cold. It also only was salted. It was cold and the blandest food I have ever tasted, and one of the most expensive things on the menu, and I waited an hour for it. The sushi came out after another 10 or so minutes and it was good but that was the worst customer experience I have ever seen. read more

I have not been to Yosaku in quite a while, partly out of an impression that it's very popular and tends to be crowded. However I took off on a Monday for my birthday and came here for dinner. very happy I did. Shrimp tempura was excellent as I remember - giant prawns, super fresh and delicious. I got a caterpillar roll which was great - the avocado kept slipping off the pieces though. Also got inari nigiri which is a personal fave. A little disappointed that it was just one piece, but it was a very large one to be fair. Service was good, though perhaps a bit too attentive - a busboy must have checked my table 10 times during my meal to see if I was done with my dishes. read more

Yosaku - shrimp tempura - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

For what you pay, it's okay. Kinda mid, wait times were relatively long for a few rolls (30ish minutes). The sushi was pretty good, but the sweet potato tempura felt like it wasn't really fresh (stale tempura). It's better than some options in the area for food. I would come back again if I'm in the area! Great ambiance outside and inside. read more

Yosaku - Sushi - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

What an awesome experience! Fantastic sushi with EXTREMELY fresh fish that melts in your mouth. They also were very accommodating for a gluten allergy. The prices are very reasonable. Definitely give this place a try. Tip: if your looking to have a cool eating experience try sitting sieza (sitting traditionally on the floor) read more

See all

Great sushi place, well priced food. Ambiance is more on the family side, with outdoor patio. Shrimp tempura was amazing, but everything we got was good. read more

This place is VERY busy, so do make reservations. They have a set of tables where you sit on the floor with a back rest - really wonderful, so do sit there if you have the opportunity. Yosaku has some service issues. Several servers dropped items when emerging from the kitchen - very nerve wracking. One person in our party of 4 ordered a cocktail, and it didn't arrive until we were almost ready to leave. Their food is quite good, but I found the nigiri to be a bit smaller than in the sushi restaurants I am accustomed to, though. I had the Sushi Nigiri dinner and the fish was wonderful, but the rice was a bit dry and not as "sticky" as it is in the best sushi restaurants. As pictured in the photo below, this is a lot of sushi! I love soft shell crab, so I ordered a roll with fresh (not frozen) crab. It was possibly the best soft shell crab roll I have ever had, and I do order one almost every time I have sushi; the crab was just perfect. So mixed results - good fish, rice needs to be stickier, service needs some work. All in all, we had a nice evening! read more

Yosaku - Nigiri dinner + soft shell crab roll - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

Yosaku is solid -- it has very consistent, good, basic sushi and sake. The staff is always kind and the food comes out promptly. The restaurant itself is really nice and has many different seating options: at the sushi bar, regular dining tables, tatami seating, and outdoor seating (with heating!). Always a very pleasant experience for us - we love bringing the whole family and guests from out of town. read more

while the seating was definitely cramped and it felt loud due to how tight it was, the food was definitely fresh and filling! i really enjoyed the udon noodles and almost wish i had ordered them without the broth and just let spicy mayo do its job in spicing it up! tamago was so yummy. service definitely could be quicker and more attentive, there were some long periods of waiting for a water refill and needing to remind the waiter when our glasses were empty. read more

Honestly this place has such a large spot in my heart. I come here all the time with my friends. The Tanuki Udon is my favorite dish, it's incredibly affordable and the shrimp shumai has gotten me through a lot. So many inside jokes have been made here, I've been coming here for years. The service is personable and kind, and very understanding. The seating has a wide variety, with a bar in front of the sushi chefs. There is also fun raised seating where you take your shoes off and everything. While it can get very busy, it is honestly a staple in my restaurant rotation. read more

See all

Extremely POOR SERVICE. Very mid food. Greeted by a snubby waitress. Made a reservation and was waiting at the door, but was refused to use bathroom. And she said "customer only" with the most snubbish voice you can imagine. When serving food, the waiter was moving so unecessarily fast like he was hurrying us. And he flipped a soup all over one of our friends' pants, unapoligetically. After that, he got our orders wrong and accused us for forgetting. What an utter joke this guy is. Food is mid, at best. And the amount is scarce. But no fine dine I know smells like dog piss as this one does. Don't come, my dear customers. You deserve much better than this. Unless they deliberately discriminated us. read more

Yosaku - 30$ 'eel rice', as the waiter said. - Japanese Near Me - Portland, Maine

Me and my boyfriend stopped by here on the recommendation of a friend. The food was delicious! I was kinda surprised how big their menu was. It's definitely more expensive to get full entrees per person rather than ordering an assortment of sushi. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have a bidet in their customer restroom. Super random but I'm not complaining :P Everything tasted fresh and we will definitely be back in the future! read more