Bamboo Sushi

As is evidenced by the distinctly labeled menu and the exhaustively informative website, Bamboo Sushi is the first sustainable “Certified Green” sushi restaurant in the United States, and they want you to read all about it—until your eyes glaze over faster than a dead wild Alaskan coho salmon. Don’t get me wrong, I think Bamboo Sushi’s commitment to sustainability is wonderful and I’m not at all surprised that this concept is being pioneered in green, greenier, greenest Portland, but the most important question is: is the food good? Definitely.

…the finless skinless fellow so expertly chopped up in my spicy tuna roll was given the A-OK by none other than the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program…

I could not tell you by tasting it that my sashimi is sliced from the greenest fish in the sea or that the finless skinless fellow so expertly chopped up in my spicy tuna roll was given the A-OK by none other than the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program, but Bamboo’s food is sparklingly fresh and expertly prepared, and the menu an expansive blend of flawless sashimi, artful sushi rolls, deliciously simple salads, and uniquely flavorful entrees like the grilled kobe flank with sweet potato and sauteed garlic greens with bacon, pickled mushrooms and herbed momiji sauce.   

The dining room is contemporary and sophisticated, you might not expect such a sleek interior when surveying the lovably shabby chic neighborhood. The dinner bill can add up fast, so if you want a side of budget-friendly with your emerald-green meal, go for happy hour – $5 nigiri and select half price rolls and small plates are all the tastier for being sustainable and cost-effective. And, you get a free Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Pocket Guide with your bill.

Details

Cuisine: Japanese

Head Sushi Chef: Brandon Hill

Atmosphere: Sleek, sustainable, sophisticated, sustainable, modern, sustainable

Outdoor seating: A few tables for four line the outside of the building facing SE 28th

Best Seat: The sushi bar is dark and intimate, a table in the front window is lovely too, particularly when the windows are open on a warm spring or summer day

Noise Level: Normal to Energetic, depending on how full the restaurant is

Bring the Kids: No

Bathrooms: Back of the restaurant, left hand side, down the hall, super cool hand dryers

Parking: Free and easy to find on SE 28th and surrounding side streets

Cocktails: Signature cocktails $8

Beer: Sapporo, Bridgeport, Deschutes on tap ($4.50), Asahi, Kirin, and Morimoto Soba Ale & more by the bottle ($3-$10)

Wine: A concise and carefully chosen list of bubblies, whites, and reds, by the glass ($6-$10), or by the bottle ($24-$40)

Sake: Extensive sake list, $7-$15/glass, $40-$105/bottle, sake can be also purchased for takeaway

Corkage: $10 per 750mL bottle

Teetotalers: House-brewed iced tea, green tea, Lemonade, Limeade, Cranberry and Grapefruit juices

Coffee: No

Tea: Tazo

Ideal Meal: A mixed organic greens salad with champagne miso-mustard vinaigrette, sashimi, spicy tuna roll, grilled kobe flank steak with sweet potato

Vegetarian Friendly: Yes

Vegan Friendly: Yes

Good for the following occasions: Romantic Date, Out With Friends, Impress the Client (Especially if they are a Sustainability Consultant)

Group/Private Party Details: Bamboo Sushi will cater any event, call for more info.

Reservations: Reservations are accepted Sun-Thu for parties of 7 or more only

Take-Out: Yes

Delivery: No