Must try: Kao's Special #1 and #2! Why: Solid sushi train with chefs taking orders in front of you! I grabbed a couple plates off the super fun looking train and submitted an order of Kao's Special, Salmon, Scallop, Eel, and Salmon Skin Handroll. My favs were: Kao's Special #1 was Smoked Salmon with Asparagus and #2 was Seared Salmon with Avocado, both with house special sauce. It was saucy and fat nigiri pieces. The other nigiri also hit the spot. Salmon Skin had a nice crispy crunch and was filled in the Handroll. Fresh, affordable, and delicious! I washed it all down with a Sapporo. Notes: The restaurant was only a couple blocks from my hotel and they had good reviews so figured I get my fill of sushi. I came on a weeknight around 7:30pm and was able to seat myself immediately. The worker was friendly, attentive, and welcomed me. He provided water and took my Sapporo order. I then grabbed a couple trays from the awesome looking train and started checking off my order on paper to give to chef. Chefs were quick to make each dish. Chill and fun dining experience! read more

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This sushi spot was within a short walking distance from our hotel and I was craving something light so we decided to eat here. It had a sushi train (conveyor belt) which is always fun at a restaurant. Prices were great and this fulfilled my craving. Staff were helpful and quick to welcome you. It was pretty quiet inside and the interior was roomy but not super spacious. Sushi was good! I especially liked the cucumber salad which was nice and tangy. Also - great prices. Our total came to $23. read more

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Sushi Ichiban Haiku honestly love it love the train, love the fishes. take my breath away i really loved this place, great vibe inside, workers were awesome and super on top of it service wise. don't let the area discourage you from coming here, it truly is not as bad as reviews make it seem. the fish here is high quality and i didn't have any fishy pieces. the train is super cute! read more

My husband had a work trip in Portland, so we stayed a few extra days and went on the hunt for a sushi spot that wouldn't break the bank. That's how we found Sushi Ichiban a conveyor belt sushi spot that had UNI. Yes... conveyor belt + uni We were intrigued and figured, why not? And let me tell you we were SO glad we stopped by. The food quality was legit really good. You know how conveyor belt sushi can be hit or miss? This place was hitting. Especially the uni super fresh, not fishy, not metallic at all. Just chef's kiss. Everything we ordered was worth every bite... and honestly, we basically ordered all their uni no regrets. I love that they used every part of the shrimp. They deep-fry the head, which I always appreciate when sushi spots do that. The only things we didn't really care for were the calamari. Service was great, and the night we went it wasn't too busy. The ambiance was chill people kind of mind their own business, which I loved. It's mostly a bar-style setup with maybe one or two booths, from what I remember, but overall it's a pretty cool vibe. If you're ever in the area and looking for a quick bite or a casual dinner, definitely give this spot a try! read more

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Meh. The staff was very friendly and that was definitely the best part of the experience, the food was average, the the price was fairly reasonable, the restaurant itself was pretty rundown and in a very sketchy neighborhood. I honestly wouldn't eat there again mostly due to the unsafe conditions in the area. read more

Absolutely love this place so we had to return on our second trip to Portland. Fun decor with anime and video game characters, super nice staff, fun music playing, and the SUSHI TRAIN!!! Everything was good, but our favorite items were: - Dynamite hand roll - Rocket hand roll - Plager roll Very affordable for sushi, and you can try a number of things without breaking the bank because they come in smaller portions. Nicer than commiting to 8-10pcs of an expensive $15 specialty roll or whatever. WE LOVE SUSHI ICHIBAN read more

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Amazing sushi, fantastic service, great price and the most comfortable atmosphere. A little train drives around and brings you sushi or select your own freshly prepared from the knowledgeable chefs in the 'pit'. I've been coming here since 2006 and it's never disappointed. read more

TL;DR: pros: train is awesome, kid loved it. Prices are good. Mid: Sushi is sub par, staff are nice but hard to find. Cons: Location is sketch at best...don't go in the evenings/night. Parking is whatever you can find on the street. Absolutely great for kids, my little guys LOVED the train! He asks to go back daily. They are also super accommodating. The sushi is.....well, rough. For example...there's a rainbow-esque roll and all it had inside was a chunk of tuna. No cucumber or anything else. Their avocado roll is exactly that. Chunk of avocado rolled in rice. It's not necessarily bad but it's not good. The prices are phenomenal though. Some of the cheapest I've seen. Staff is accommodating but are rarely around. The menus don't give you any onsite to what is in the rolls. There's really no way to know. You have to guess. Although, I saw one guy as I was leaving looking at the online menu. Maybe that's the problem tip. We will definitely go again. Our guy loved it and the price was right. If I wanted good conveyor belt sushi I'd go to hada and if I wanted quality I'd hit up Yama but neither have his favorite read more

Very cute little train going around. As much as I love this place for novelty I find that the sushi is pretty good. Nothing crazy but good! Took my boyfriend here when he visited Portland and (he may be biased because he's a train nerd but) he loved the train. Great selection of different kinds and you can order whatever you like. Great staff and overall a fun time. read more

are you kidding me. SUSHI ON A TRAIN? i would've eaten so much if i wasn't remembering every plate was $3+ very reasonably priced all things considered but don't let those plates get away from you! you can ask for any of the plates you don't see on the train and they will make it in front of you. i'm never forgetting this experience. so fun!!!! read more

Came here with a friend for an early dinner around 5pm, to eat some food before we had to catch a flight home. We just looked up "sushi" on yelp and found this place and were curious about trying out a conveyor belt restaurant in the area (we're used to Kura and other similar places). I had low expectations since I don't really expect fantastic Asian food in Portland, but I was actually very pleasantly surprised! Pros: - pretty transparent plate prices posted on the walls - and it was actually very reasonable compared to some other sushi places. All were about $2.50 to $5 range. - you can order from a menu too, you just might have to ask for it (we originally didn't know that and thought we could only grab from the conveyor) - My favorites were the salmon belly, seared salmon, and ikura. Actually great quality! - not bad prices for nigiri - all the chefs and staff were very nice (although at some moments it almost felt like they were overstaffed, but maybe they were preparing for the dinner rush) Cons: - weirdly the toilet seat of the bathroom was VERY STICKY... - definitely a lot of little flies flying around inside the restaurant - if you're from out of town and not used to the area, it can feel sketchy (lots of homeless people outside who tried to talk to us) - I was not used to having asparagus in my Alaska roll Overall, wouldn't mind coming back for the prices, but I would definitely only order the nigiri and handrolls and skip everything else. read more

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Located in Chinatown, the outside of Sushi Ichiban can be a bit unassuming, but the inside is much larger than it appears! They have a huge bar area for you to sit around the conveyor belt and a pretty good selection of sushi. Service here is pretty quick. I came here after seeing the cute train acting as the conveyor belt on TikTok and had to go. They have a pretty nice selection of sushi--including uni. My boyfriend and I tried a bunch of nigiri out--both from the conveyor belt and from putting in direct orders. Overall, the spot is pretty decent. The sushi won't be the best you'll find in Portland, however, for its price, I haven't found many better spots. I would definitely come back if I was craving conveyor belt sushi. read more

Sushi Ichiban - Conveyor Belt Sushi Train! - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Casual and fun spot for sushi delivered on a train circling the sushi bar served fresh alongside old school hip hop soundtrack! Don't let the location deter you. Worth it! read more

Sushi Ichiban - Sushi express - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I just learned they are closing down in April... such a sad news. This was the go to place with my son every Thursday (almost) after picking him up from school. We were always cherishing that moment. Everytime we arrived we felt at home, our favorite drinks arrived a moment later without asking. Food was always fresh and consistently good. The train was an amusement for my son and I. The staff is very friendly. The prices are very fair. Such a loss. I'm so mad that our city is not taking care of our small businesses. So many have closed down in Portland due to desertification from feeling insecure out there. What a waste. 31 years in business. Please come North Portland. We will welcome you with open arms. read more

I forget if I've reviewed this place before, but so be it. Hands-down my favorite sushi place, literally in the world. Sure their places that have much more fancy dishes, and many more options, but for freshness of fish, Price, friendliness of staff, and overall experience, this is the best. When I say the best in the world, at least that I've had, that's all across this country, West Coast, East Coast, Canada, Europe, admittedly never Japan... So I will say obviously with those qualifiers. Anyway, love this place love this place love this place. They're so good they don't need a website or any information lol. You just show up and have amazing fish. read more

The area is a bit sketchy, but we came by when the area was enveloped in the starlight parade. Was immediately greeted by a staff member who was highly motivated, but he was the only one. The remaining staff seemed as if they did want to be there. The food, however, was very good and we struggled through sticky counters and spotty service to enjoy decent sushi. Hard to say if we'll return, but if you're in the area, might be a good stop when you're craving sushi. read more

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Having a quick dinner out as we're about to hit a show at a nearby theater. Stopped in to try them out. It's a great little place. A cute train rolls by about once every two minutes, with about 25 plates trailing. Occasionally there was something good on it but we found it best to just order fresh from the little paper scribble menus. Quality of fish was very good for the conveyor style. Fresh, tasty, and the prices aren't too bad for modern times. The two of us ate until we were stuffed and the total came to under $50 which wasn't bad at all. Great little place. We'll hit it again next time we're down this way. read more

Sushi Ichiban - Trail of plates being pulled by the train. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I love this place for sushi. Best value in Portland that has quality. I love the divey-ness of it and the train driving around is unique. I think the salmon nigiri is great, especially at the price. I kind of want to keep this place a secret but it deserves to do well. Please check it out! read more

Love this conveyor belt style sushi location. The fish slices are thick and fresh. Service is always good. Love the little decorated sushi train. Super cute. read more

Sushi Ichiban - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I have been going to this place (formerly Sushi Takahashi) since I was in my early teens, I'm 39 now. The sushi is fresh and made with care. Their tempura oyster nigiri is unique and what I order every time I come along with their salmon skin hand roll, amazing. I love that their sushi is simple (I'm in no way saying without flavor), not smothered in eel sauce and/or sriracha mayo. It is hands down my favorite "conveyor belt" sushi in Portland. If you haven't tried it, you're really missing out. read more

I've been going there for years, always friendly staff and affordable options are plentiful. The steamed buns are a must-try!

staff is funny and chill. food is freaking amazing esp their fried sushi. super kid friendly. the vibe is like if your favorite comic book/manga store from when you were a kid was a sushi restaurant. The bathroom isnt the best and the area surrounding the restaurant is definitely kinda scary but no one will hurt you and its not the restaurants fault for being in a bad area. read more

We've been frequenting Sushi Ichiban for 25+ years. It's a total dive sushi spot, with fresh, satisfying great food at totally reasonable prices. Fantastic value. There's zero fanfare, the neighborhood is sketchy (not their fault) but the sushi is reliably simple and on point, and their rice is always good too. The owners and workers are welcoming and accommodating. I hope to have the opportunity to frequent this spot for another 25+ years. read more

First off.. this place is a dive. Do not come here expecting to have a fancy dining experience. Nothing beats a four to five star dive. Just sayin'!! The only reason this guy is not getting five stars from me is because of the location. Unfortunately, it is in the absolute worst part of Portland. Dangerous, filthy, you name it. But if you like that dive vibe, I highly highly recommend. They have a sign right on the door that says they're not bougie, and they are not lying. But it's part of the charm of this little place. As soon as we sat down at the bar, I noticed the actual train that's pulling their tasty treats around the seating area, which I loved because I love trains. Staff were friendly, sushi is perfect temperature and easy to eat, and absolutely delicious. I hope I come back someday, but I will never intentionally be in that area again. If I am though, this is first on my list. read more

The food is good, fresh (we just order) and we get the fresh wasabi. Busy on a Saturday night but food and service is and the prices are reasonable. Been coming here for eighteen or nineteen years. Part of what we like is the mix of people that have at least one thing in common...a fondness for good, reasonable priced Japanese food. read more

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Call me a sucker but I'm very amused by this place, but I think you need to come here with a somewhat not high expectation. And I don't mean to say that because the food isn't bad, it is good and the service was decent. However, the restaurant is not exactly located in a good area a terrible area actually and the inner decor is well kind of very bare and somewhat outdated. But for me, I really enjoyed the kind of homely ambience of the restaurant, and I absolutely love the little train that goes around the bar portion of the restaurant. It gives me really hole in the wall type feels. So if you're looking for a sushi train experience in Portland, that's got a little extra uniqueness to it then I would definitely recommend coming here. read more

Not impressed by the food or service. Poor Choice tonight unfortunately for my daughter's birthday. There are much better carousel slush places in town. read more

This place is surprisingly very good for conveyor belt sushi. The fish is fresh, service is good and there's a wait on Saturday. Glad I found this place. I ordered salmon, yellowtail nigiri, oyster hand roll , yellowtail hand roll, creamy scallop, all were very yummy. I loved how they give you very little rice and the fish just drapes nicely over it. Will come here again for sure! read more

Sushi Ichiban - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Pretty mediocre, nothing horrible but also nothing to write home about. I'd pick Sensei Sushi a couple of blocks away over this spot any days. Their quality was average and so was their variety. Portion was also small. Although, they have a nice relaxing ambience and the staffs were really nice. read more

Quality has gone down since the last time I visited (around 2022), perhaps another casualty of inflation. Had the fishiest mackerel nigiri of my life, tasted like canned tuna fish. Tonkatsu was challenging to eat, and a lot of the sushi rolls included some combination of avocado, cucumber and imitation crab to save on costs. Perhaps the saddest thing was that the train was struggling to run and had to be assisted a few times to get it going again. read more

Sushi Ichiban - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We popped in before a jazz show and were glad we did. Nothing was remarkable- no crazy rolls, no fabulous decor but that's ok with me! There is a little - literal- train with some offerings that rolls around the bar; you can also order from a complete, albeit modest menu. Our servers & the sushi chefs were all friendly, accommodating and warm and service was quick. We had a large Sapporo, the sashimi plate, miso soup and cucumber salad, also grabbing a few rolls (usually 2-3 pieces) from the train. It didn't rock my world, but I also have zero complaints. This is a great, affordable little sushi spot that's perfect when you're short on time and need your sushi craving sated. I originally gave 4 stars but decided: does fanciness alone merit 5 stars? No. This spot is simple and does its job... and that should be applauded. read more

From the outside this place looks closed or at least highly suspicious. But the interior is nice and friendly, and the sushi is good and extremely reasonably priced. It's one of those "revolving sushi" setups, so some items just keep coming around because no one wants them, and you may have to wait a little for something interesting to appear, but ultimately we were very satisfied. read more

Nice server amazing food new favorite restaurant so cool how the train goes around! overall, best restaurant ever.

The reason why this spot gets a four star, there's nothing fancy. In a town of FUSION Food and that lack authenticity, this place has been around since the 90's. Still staying true. Many love the ambiance and swanky vibe in Portland. The Hipsters Town! If so, this spot is not for you. If you want some quick and decent sushi, this is it. I went to an expensive sushi spot and this place is much better -- as far as food. The location looks sketchy since homelessness has risen and Portland approved of drug use. I like that the rolls here are not drowning it Sauces! The fish is decent quality, that's why it doesn't need to drown in sauces. The folks who work here are down to earth. No hipsters with fake vibes. It's inexpensive and you get your money worth. It's a staple in the area. I ate more nigiri than rolls. Which means the fish is not bad at all! Nothing fancy about this place. You will not find Toro. It's legit. Reminds me of Japan vibes actually. You come, eat and drink with friends while sitting around the train that brings the sushi to you. The service was excellent. Cool folks behind making the sushi and lady serving drinks. I would definitely come back here again. So far, this is the spot that provided the best service. Portland has a fake vibe. It's like the "I'm an undercover republican but I'll portray myself as a democrat vibe." At this spot, it's as real as it gets. read more

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Food is fantastic. Go there during their specials on Wednesday or Saturday for the best bang for your buck (dine in only). I really love that all of their hand rolls are completely filled to the brim with fish. They don't skimp out on the portions. Be careful around the area. Though I haven't had any problems yet, it's not the best neighborhood. read more

The interior is cute and service people are nice but that's kind of where things stop. The rice. I couldn't get over the rice. It was gummy from excess starch that wasn't rinsed off (or is it just poor quality rice?) and the seasoning is way too sour (and I'm a fan of vinegar!). It threw the sweet to sour ratio way off. The fish was also not fresh. One roll with spicy tuna was extremely fishy. Wish we had sent that one back instead of eating it. The Salmon was pretty good -- but it's hard to mess salmon up. The rolls were kinda sad too. The rainbow roll was the saddest rainbow roll I've ever had, with tiny slivers of fish on top. There was also no classic California roll, and what is called a California roll had a sliver (like 1/5-1/6) of the imitation crab meat stick in it. The train is cute but because all the plates come around at the same time in fast succession, the entire experience is a bit stressful (gotta pick what you want now or you'll have to wait -- kinda mentality). I also noticed the rolls that they make for you (picking off the menu) we're actually better than the ones going around on the train -- maybe no one really picks things off the train? Hence those rolls are old and not as tasty? The restaurant also has that weird smell of really old buildings/things. :( Anyway, unfortunately an underwhelming experience. :( Hopefully this comes across as constructive feedback... read more

Sushi Ichiban - Sliver of crab in the California roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My boyfriend and I stumbled across this spot about a month into living in Portland, and we're so glad we did! Very kitschy interior with a fun twist on a sushi conveyor belt: a model choo-choo train! If you're not into what's coming down the tracks, you can order something bespoke from the menu. Soft drinks are not free on the refills, but a manager or server tends to the crowd and will bring hot entrees or beverages to you. This is the exact sort of Portland esotericism that had us falling in love with the city. read more

This sushi shop is located in the "not so nice" area near the "China town". I passed it many many times and never thought of visiting until I read the yelp reviews. Since I'm still on the search of finding reasonable priced sushi establishments, I figured I should at least give it a try! The shop definitely had it's casual/inviting vibe. Things were clean and the staff+chefs were friendly and attentive. I hadn't seen a sushi train since my childhood, so it was fun and mesmerizing to watch it went by again and again. We ordered a bunch of rolls while my bf grabbed a few plates from the train. Everything tasted good and fresh. My bf ordered a plate of vegetable tempura and it's served hot and fresh! My personal favorites were seared salmon, spider roll, shrimp boat and the tempura plate. They were nothing fancy, but they surly hit the spot! If you are on the fence of trying this little shop, I will definitely recommend it. read more

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Not the best sushi I have ever had, but it was a good experience. The Spider roll was pretty good, along with the shrimp tempura roll. The selection was pretty good and one of the best conveyor belt style sushi restaurants I have been to in the United States! I thought only server working did a fantastic job and was a super server. The sushi chefs were rlly nice! I liked the ambiance as well! read more

Sushi Ichiban - Spider roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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5 Stars. I can honestly say that eating at Sushi Ichiban was a life changing experience for me. The salmon really took me to another dimension. I'm not kidding. PLUS, the prices are amazing. I was worried about overspending with the revolving sushi setup, but I left with a full tummy and no hole in my wallet. Currently thinking about moving to Portland just to eat here more often. read more