This one slapped. It's a simple review, honestly. The service was perfect. Tight, friendly, timely, and well done by serval different servers that made it seem seamless. The sushi is top notch! Fresh, creative, not the same unagi sauce or spicy mayo drenched on every roll. Beautiful specials, all available in either sashimi or nigiri - love that! It has a cool vibe right downtown next to Voodoo... I like the brick interior. Homerun, Kaizen! read more

Miso soup Sushi Ceviche Water We opted to sit outside because the weather was nice. Immediately seated. Our waitress was great, timing her interactions pretty good. The ceviche was pretty good. The miso soup was good. But the sushi is definitely the star! Get the Kaizen if you only order one roll! read more

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My boyfriend and I were in the area doing a local ghost tour. We were both craving sushi and landed here. We started off with the salmon flight. You get four pieces of salmon which was good but it would have been nice if each of the pieces were cut smaller for sharing. We made it work. We ordered the spicy scallops roll and the dynamite salmon roll. Please note I am dairy and gluten free. The waitress gave me a menu that was allergen friendly labeled to review before ordering. I appreciated this a lot and had no reaction. Please note I am not celiac so I can't comment on this. Overall, it is a smaller restaurant so you during busy times you may want to see about reservations. The quality and service was good. read more

My partner and I went here as a little treat for him because we rarely go to sushi (I am a vegetarian, so it often doesn't make sense). We had a wonderful time, and I was really impressed by the offerings. The restaurant is located right by the Voodoo Donuts in the little pedestrian zone where all the cute lights and restaurants are, which makes for a lovely spot in the middle of Old Town. The ambiance of Kaizen is quiet, clean, and intimate. We went fairly late in the evening (~7:00 PM) so there weren't too many other people there. Our server was friendly and attentive, and our food came pretty fast. The food itself was excellent. We ordered the edamame and devoured it almost immediately. My partner ate most of the sunomono we ordered, as I am not a huge fan of cucumbers. For our mains, I was pleased to see that have an entire vegetarian/vegan section of their menu, and it isn't skimpy! I loved the inari, and my avocado rolls were incredible. My partner ordered salmon and hamachi nigiri and an Oregon roll-- both of which he loved. To drink, I had a lovely cocktail with that purple pea blossom that gives such a nice, vibrant color and a glass of sake. My partner got their NA Himalayan. Overall, we had a wonderful time and a delicious meal, and I would love to come back. read more

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Great sushi and even better service in downtown Portland! I found Kaizen as I was in the area to visit Voodoo Doughnut. The host was super friendly and welcoming, as well as Carlos, the sushi chef. I was seated immediately, given time to browse the menu, and received my order quickly. I had the sunshine roll which was tasty and had a bit of a kick with the wasabi aioli. Fish was fresh. Prices were reasonable. Would come back! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Sunshine (8) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It took us a while to find parking, and we ended up arriving just before closing. I was pleasantly surprised that the staff were still happy to accommodate us. I felt a little awkward about keeping them past hours, but they immediately put me at ease. Needless to say, we were very thankful and did our best to order and eat quickly. The food was fantastic, the service was good, and the location and ambience were great. Parking, however, was a challenge--so plan extra time for that. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed the food, the staff, and the experience. The hostess was very friendly and gave us great recommendations for sake sampling. We reserved the sushi bar so we could watch the sushi being prepared and order as we went along. It was very enjoyable! read more

Best sushi, ever! Says a lot from world traveler! Get the chefs sampler! Dragon roll excellent! Pricey, but a lot of seafood! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Chefs sampler - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I immediately melted it into the ambience , I felt like they valued my business !!! I Tend to like sushi establishments with a more mature serving staff Because of well... their Professionalism. But the young kids are running this place are incredibly professional, pleasant and engaging My hot sake came promptly as well , as dud my two little appetizers. I might add that the edamame Was received quite warm almost hot. I loved it. My litmus test for a sushi restaurant is chiriashi It Gives the chef a chance to be inventive and artistic He did a fantastic job. Bits of salmon roe, Bits of vegetable. Bits of radish root If a sushi restaurant crank out a good Shishi, I usually don't return Almost definitely will return next time. I'm in town. Stand-up job guys first class five stars Thank you for the exceptional customer service. Incentive. Complex Chiriashi. Try it. It the sushi chefs chance to be creative!!! Go for it read more

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I brought my niece here, it was her first time having sushi and I'm so glad we stumbled across this place. The food was amazing and so fresh! The server was very attentive and we had a great experience, will definitely be back soon! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We ate at Kaizen Sushi on Sunday night and had such a great experience thanks to our server, Rebecca. She was super friendly, attentive, and really knew the menu. Her recommendations were perfect, and she checked in just the right amount without being overbearing. Rebecca made the whole night easy and enjoyable and honestly made our meal even better. If you're going to Kaizen, definitely ask for her! read more

Took the kids here last night, very very good sushi for Portland. We're home based in nyc so the bar is set very high for sushi. Service was great. Our server was Jordan and he did great with some of the Asian etiquettes. Good ambiance for date night. I wish they have room for a larger group. read more

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4.5 stars. Great fish, solid execution, wonderful service, pricey, beautiful plate decor (dry ice added some drama) and elegant dishware, but an uninspired interior. Well the kraken-like wall art almost has some Japanese whimsy but lacks the necessary humor. This is my second time here, first was some time back. I want to love them and give them that extra star, but for some hard to define reason, something is missing. Like the miso, quite solid but lacking the umami intensity of the miso at say, Nimblefish. It's fine, not excellent. Being able to order unusual nigiri flown in from Japanese waters is a benefit. The rolls had a minimum of rice. Respectable sake list. Although there's a final stretch they need to reach the top echelon, Kaizen is still one of Portland's top-tier sushi joints in a slightly sketch neighborhood that may keep some people away. But it shouldn't. This place deserves to thrive. read more

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Wow, fresh and amazing rolls. Great miso soup and great customer service. Cute restaurant, I love the koi mural on the wall. I hope to come back and try some more rolls. Highly recommend the Trailblazers roll and the Keep Portland weird roll. read more

Kaizen Sushi - Trailblazers roll and Keep Portland Weird - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best sushi I've ever had outside of Japan and Little Tokyo, Los Angeles. Service was fine. Ambiance is fine. Don't worry about none of that. Just know that this is the best sushi I've ever had outside of Japan and LA. And I've been to dozens of spots in PDX and hundreds around the world. The scallops and uni appetizer was amazing, the sauce was perfect. Fatty tuna sashimi was just like the ones I've had in Japan, super fresh and you can tell immediately it was never frozen. The chef's choice nigiri was also so good, good mix of the usual fish -- tuna, salmon, scallop, yellowtail, seam bream... and some seasonal specials- Spanish mackerel and horse mackerel. And they had real, freshly grated, fresh wasabi. Not no fake stuff or packaged stuff. Freshly grated rhizome just like the best restaurants in Japan. 10/10 read more

The salmon with grapefruit was the best sushi I've ever had! Everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. It's a small and intimate location. read more

Affordable sushi/izakaya spot with very fresh seafood and good portion. The ambience is cozy and romantic, perfect for a date night. We shared a bunch of rolls and some nigiris. Availability for the different seafood may varies from day to day. We loved the Albacore Roll which was sooo tender and delicious. The Spicy Scallops and Unagi, Avocado, Cucumber Roll were also 10/10. The B-Side didn't quite wow us, too strong of yuzu flavor and the tuna and scallop didn't go too well together. For nigiris, we got the Tamago (not housemade tamago so I'd skip this) and Amaebi which was decent. Service was great. We're sat on the mezzanine and it felt like private dining! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Unagi, Avocado, Cucumber Roll and Amaebi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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My husband and I were in a bit of a hurry and found this upscale Japanese restaurant. I ordered the 55 which was so smooth! Great recommendation by the server. Everything was delicious and would come back here again! read more

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My sister and I went and had a nice experience. The food was fresh and the host and staff were very attentive.

Awesome ambiance, excellent service, food presentation was memorable. Not a good option for a quick meal as it's worth savoring the food and the vibe. read more

We had sushi for lunch on a Saturday and were pleasantly surprised to find no wait. The ambiance was great! With the open kitchen feel. The service was impeccable, and the staff were both attentive and friendly. The fish was incredibly fresh, and our server recommendations for drinks were spot on--each one perfectly complementing our meal. We savored a variety of roll dishes and the edamame, which has become a staple in my sushi orders. The overall experience was delightful, and this place has now secured a spot in my top three sushi spots! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Edamame - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place was so good! We ordered the kaizen roll, dragon roll, and a few nigiris as well. The place is smaller & more intimate & located right by VooDoo donuts. Parking is street parking only since it is located in downtown. Our server was friendly & helpful when we asked for her recommendations. My favorite was the kaizen roll. But everything was delicious. Their dragon roll has a bit of a twist with having shrimp tempura & salmon inside. The creamy spicy scallop was great since the scallops were cut in bigger pieces compared to most places that almost mince it. I believe I also saw real wasabi on the menu as well that can be ordered separately. Overall, a great sushi place. Not the best I've ever had but a great spot nonetheless, great for an intimate date night or to catch up with 2-3 friends. Is on the pricier side but they had cuts of fish that I don't see at more affordable places & the quality of fish is better than your average sushi joint. Would love to return & try more of their speciality rolls! read more

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[FOOD]: 5/5 * We did the omakase and it was everything and more than what I was expecting. Each course was unique and masterfully put together by the chef and his former mentor. Everything was soooo yummy in their own ways and was complimented very well with a bottle of their more floral sake. I was really impressed that much of the fish was from Nagasaki and from different parts of Japan! The star of the show for me personally, was the scallop and uni, it was unlike anything I've tasted before.Not to mention the beautiful presentation! [SERVICE]: 5/5 * When we came in, we were very pleasantly greeted by the staff and our chef. Our omakase chef Jason did a spectacular job at explaining each and every course, where the fish is from, why he had prepared it the way he did, the whole nine yards. Overall, it was just a pleasure to have him as our chef. The other staff were really sweet and attentive as well, checking in with us often. [AMBIANCE]: 5/5 * Such a cool decor, just a beautiful vibe of minimalistic Japanese style with cool lighting and wall art! read more

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Place small cozy and service was great. Chef Oscar was very friendly and food was good. read more

Kaizen Sushi - Chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The quality and presentation of the sushi is unmatched! Came here to celebrate my birthday with some friends, all of the sushi was amazing, and it was so nice that they put it on a boat for us. The presentation was great and it even tasted better. An abundance of selections for sake, and I enjoyed my cocktail (I forgot what it was called). Minus one star because we asked our server to put my bday cake in the fridge for us, and they kindly cut and served us the plate which we thanked them by giving the staff the rest of our cake. But they failed to mention the $20 cake fee? Not a huge deal, but I feel like they should've said something beforehand. I would still come back regardless because the sushi was great quality, and their service was still good! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Amazing sushi so fresh!!! Great rolls and mains. The cod was amazing the scallops were to die for.

We ate outside with our new puppy and the waitstaff was very nice to the dog and to us. We had a roll with a cucumber outside and it was really delicious. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this restaurant. Prices were cheaper than CA, presentation was top notch, and most importantly, food was delicious! We got a bunch of nigiri and couple of rolls and everything was tasty and fresh. Definitely will go back. A bit hard to find: the entrance is by voodoo doughnuts side, so if you see afuri ramen, go to the left and you'll see a small entrance. read more

Kaizen Sushi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Delicious food and upscale atmosphere. Definitely expensive but service was top-notch. Clean and gorgeous. Food presentation was amazing.

Located near the Chinatown and next to Voodoo doughnuts, my boyfriend and I wanted to try this restaurant out after trying out in a club (yes, there was sushi at a club!). Walking into the sushi joint, the inside is very clean, nicely decorated, with a calm atmosphere. Service was so kind the entire time Their menu was fairly large, however, when we tried to get their Japanese uni or toro, they had unfortunately run out. Nonetheless, we ordered a number of their other nigiris and a couple appetizers. Everything was delicious. I had tried their grapefruit salmon which was a really unique dish, and although I didn't really like it, I can see how others would! Their scallop was also so fresh and I highly recommend. Overall, it was good sushi spot and although not my favorite, I wouldn't mind coming back and trying a couple of their other specialty dishes! read more

Kaizen Sushi - Nigiri - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This is a wonderful place to go if you're a solo diner. Such a calm and inviting atmosphere, and the sushi is so fresh! Makayla was my server, and she was such a delight. Very friendly and anticipated my every need before I ever asked for anything. So nice to feel taken care of when roaming alone in the city! I will absolutely be back. Maybe next time, with friends...but I think I'll keep it all to myself. read more

I recently enjoyed an Omakase dinner here. This was my first time trying Omakase and the experience was amazing. When I called to make a reservation, the waiter was very accommodating. We had nice conversation with our sushi chef, and got to sit at a special part of the bar. It was very good sushi. The only think I would change is more food. While it was delicious, I could've eaten quite a bit more. The price was $125 per person read more

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Fantastic spot in Portland!!! This was by far one of my favorite meals while in town. I ordered the Pacific NW Roll and omg!!! It was one of the best rolls I've had in years. We also had a bowl of their miso soup and it was incredible, so flavorful and delicious!!! The service was excellent and the space itself was immaculately cleaned! I wish I could've had more from the menu or gone back. If you're in Portland this place is a must for some amazing sushi!!! read more

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amazing service, great quality food at a reasonable price, amazing vibes all around. The greeter was very polite and welcoming. We had jordan as our server, and he was extremely knowledgeable on the menu and had great recommendations! The poke on the starters menu is amazing. read more

Kaizen is a small restaurant, very cozy and good looking. We went to celebrate our anniversary on a Thursday night, there were a few tables with costumers, and only one server and someone cooking, both were nice to us. We had to wait a little bit for the food, but it was really good, you can really taste how fresh the fish is.. the rolls had very interesting combination of flavors. Would definitely come back read more

Kaizen Sushi - Dragon Roll B-Side 6 Roll Crunch Roll Keep Portland Wierd Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Dropped in after a show for dinner, early on a Saturday night. We didn't have to wait and our server was efficient and super attentive. The fish was fresh and delicious, with beautifully presented food on nice dishes. I really wanted to love this place and have it become my next downtown sushi spot, but the rice wasn't quite right. It was on the hard side and didn't have enough vinegar/seasoning, what makes "sushi". This is a problem with a lot of Portland places these days but given the more upscale experience and prices they are slinging here, I expected better sushi rice. All in all, we got a glass of sake each, a few nigiri and shared a roll. It was pretty expensive, but good quality fish and we did enjoy the uni scallop appetizer a lot. The nigiri were fresh and nicely bite sized. The ikura was really good, but then the tamago seemed like the frozen, ready made kind - which is fine for a conveyor but not for finer dining. Cocktails are also $18+ here which seems a lot, given the neighborhood - sure, it's downtown, but it's not in a hotel and it's right off Burnside, not a great area. We were definitely eager to get out of here as it got darker... I think Kaizen will do just fine, given the number of people just looking for a pretty picture and the tourists coming in after their insane waits at Voodoo next door, but this definitely seems more like an out of towner spot. read more

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After 2 visits I can say this is my favorite sushi in town. Excellent selection, special chef's choices. Their cocktails are pretty good, but I would go with sake instead which would not normally be my preference. The different servers had distinct presentation styles but each was polished, professional while still approachable. read more

Arrived to the restaurant around 3:50PM, there was a sign on the door stating they're on lunch from 3-4PM. They weren't ready to let customers in until 4:20PM. Other customers were also confused about the schedule on the door/ online, which wasn't consistent. (Docking off 1 star for that reason) Once we were seated, our waiter gave us menus and water. We ordered the following: Salmon Flight: 9/10 ; I'm such a salmon fan but the wild sockeye was not it:/ Oregon Roll: 15/10 ; it may look plain but it was so flavorful Mirakukei Roll: 9/10 Hamachi Nigiri: 10/10 Shima Aji Nigiri: 15/10 ; so fresh and melt in your mouth Salmon Belly Aburi Nigiri: 10/10 Overall my experience was great! The waiter was very personal and attentive. The ambiance was nice, looked clean and well put. Food was amazing!! I highly recommend this restaurant if you're looking for high end sushi. read more

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I have been wanting to try this spot for a while but the area of town is not one that I like to frequent. But it was truly worth it. The service was great but we were the only ones there since we arrived right when they opened for lunch. the fish was fresh and every bite was savored with eyes closed. I enjoyed myself immensely read more

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This is my favorite sushi place in Portland. They have really really good Nigerian sashimi and always seem to have some special fish that has come from Japan, which is unique and makes the experience even more special. read more