don't come here for the matcha, it's not good at all, but the sandwiches were good and great breakfast! a little pricy though

Loved the overall vibe at Tanaka, and the toys for little kids were such a nice touch, got my toddler stay occupied while eating. The staff were also very nice. My SIL and I really enjoyed the chicken katsu sandos with spicy katsu sauce. However, my husband was kinda disappointed with the curry rice. The pork was tasty and good amount, but the curry sauce was only in a corner of the plate. For Japanese curry rice, you normally expect a much more generous amount of curry served with or over the rice, so it felt pretty skimpy which we find odd because curry is probably the cheapest ingredient in that dish. The drinks looked great but were underwhelming. My ube matcha was bland, and my SIL's matcha latte was just okay. Overall, great atmosphere and sandos, but the curry and drinks could be better. read more

Tanaka - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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The pork katsu was extremely juicy and exactly what I was looking for. The matcha drinks I would skip because it was very chunky and not mixed well. I would say if you gonna make matcha maybe whisk it more for the matcha powder to be blended well instead of having powder chunks floating in the drink. The fruit sandwich was refreshing. read more

Tanaka - Matcha Latte Matcha Latte Ube Pork Katsu Sando Strawberry sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This spot has been part of our regular Portland rotations for a few trips - we liked it so much I even bought their shirt. But lately, it hasn't been as good. The matcha drink and tofu katsu sandwich are my favorite items here. However, they do have misses at times. The pork cutlet sandwich is okay, a little dry in my opinion, and the sauce doesn't quite come together. The strawberry cream sandwich is a miss. I would save your sugar intake for something else! The service can also be lukewarm at times, depending on the staff. The bathrooms are a bit of a disaster (sticky floors, toilet paper strewn everywhere), and the lock is not intuitive (you need to press a button to lock it), so I witnessed two instances of people not locking the bathroom when I was waiting to use the bathroom. I asked my companion afterwards, and they thought it was an auto-lock, but really, anyone with the code can enter if you don't press the lock button. I might give this spot another try but probably need a break for awhile. read more

Really enjoyed this sandwich. Orders the chicken and egg one and it was delicious. The iced vanilla oat milk latte was a little too milky for my taste, would not order again. read more

Tanaka - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Came here for a katsu sandwich and it was delicious! We got the portk katsu sandwich and made it a combo with a matcha upgrade. We chose fries as our side and an iced matcha. You order up front so it's easy and good service. There are also a lot of seats. Would come back for an easy lunch. read more

Tanaka - pork katsu sandwich combo - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The pork sandos tasted amazing! With the right crunchiness and the shredded cabbage, and the small amount of katsu sauce makes this a really great sandwich. It is highly recommended. The ube cream matcha was just okay, but the original is where the money is at. You can taste the matcha and the sweetness. It's very yummy. The strawberry sando brings it home though. Wonderful flavors. We will definitely come back and try some other sandos. When you get here, you order at the kiosk and get a number. Then you can find a seat with your number. There is a large table for community seating with very few individual tables that are usually full. read more

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I got a katsu sandwich that was raw. Suffered immense pain and suffering from food poisoning the day I ate it. It's a shame that it was good, just raw which is an absolute no. Never again. I'm so sick from the carelessness of Tanaka. read more

Tanaka - Chicken & Egg Katsu - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Really nice sandwich! Good ambiance inside, friendly staff. I was scared it would be too much chicken stuff but the egg salad was super good and unique read more

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I was so excited to try this place but I left dissapointed. The girl who took our order wasn't friendly and that started the visit off on the wrong foot. I ordered the Taro cream matcha and it was one of the worst matchas i've ever had. The taro cream was flavorless and chunky and the matcha tasted just like milk. It began separating after a few mins. I had to leave almost my whole drink as it wasn't drinkable. for $8.50 that's crazy! read more

Tanaka - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Found this place on tiktok and was amazingly surprised it was as good as the hype. I got the chicken katsu and yuzu egg salad sando combo with fries and drink (an option to upgrade to matcha latte) between 2 of us. It was a great balance of sweetness and citrusy zing. The fries unexpectedly came with a delicious curry dip. There's a lot of seating inside for a quick meal. I went around 5 pm and they were no longer serving matcha :( . Many of their pastries were running low so if you want any, would recommend going earlier in the day. read more

Tanaka - Chicken katsu and yuzu egg salad with fries - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

TL:DR A flavorful, beautiful change of pace with a tasteful blend of surroundings Truthfully I've been looking at some of the lower reviews and I do see some merit of what the masses have been saying, the food was absolutely delightful. Even if it's a little higher on the price, for me recognizing that things are more expensive due to things beyond our control (within reason) shouldn't disappoint the overall experience of the food. Enough about the general hellscape of society though, I genuinely loved the taste of food and at least for my party of four it was delicious, salty, different and flavorful. The highlight of course was their mustard/curry sauce paired with their fries which can honestly stand out on its own. I ordered the chicken and egg sando, and even though the spicy sauce was not at all spicy the sandwich was definitely strong enough on its own to merit another visit. In terms of the service, it was standard, what did stand out to me is that they were willing to accommodate an influencer and help film/photograph her review. Regardless it's worth a visit, for me I am more than willing to come back and try another menu item. My friends and I also had similar things to reciprocate. It was delicious, and different from what I'm use to having. read more

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A bright, open corner space with high ceilings - it was a nice stop for lunch in downtown. Short order style with lots of seating, some shared long tables. The staff were quick to take our order. We ordered the classic chicken katsu sandwich with fries and the curry rice plate with pork katsu. The sandwich is what you would hope - crispy chicken, veggies, yummy sauce on white bread - solid overall. You get soooo many fries and they are phenomenal! The curry aioli was a nice dip. The pork curry plate was good - very classic Japanese curry. I think the katsu plate with the beef consommé is my next choice! Unlimited soda fountain! Baked goods were scarce by late afternoon. I will go back for more, recommend you try it. read more

Tanaka - Pork Katsu Curry Plate - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I have been wanting to come here after seeing the Portland location and it was great! Chicken katsu was delicious and tender. Really yummy breading. I loved that it came with a kale slaw although there were too many onions for me in it but still good. The bread was really fluffy and soft. I didn't get any pastries or treats but those also looked amazing. Especially the cream donut and the strawberry sando. Will have to come back! Sandwhich was 14$ which was pretty reasonable. Service is pretty fast as well. Nice indoor seating and some outdoor. read more

Tanaka - Chicken katsu sandwhich - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We stopped by Tanaka Katsu Sandwiches for lunch and it did not disappoint! We ordered the Chicken & Egg Sando (which was their popular item) in spicy and got the chicken curry plate to try, and then a refreshing iced sencha. If you do the meal for the sando, it includes any of the drinks listed on their menu such as their matchas, senchas, etc. I definitely recommend getting the combo since the fries and the sauce it came with did not disappoint! The chicken & egg sando was so good! It was juicy, the chicken was cooked well and it wasn't dry, the egg and mayo was amazing and added a creamy factor to the sando, and the shredded cabbage/slaw added the perfect crunch. The bread was toasted just right! I would recommend getting this if you are unsure of what to pick, I would go back and try another sando, if only I had extra stomachs to try more than one. The fries were so crispy and you definitely get enough fries for two people to share, the sauce it came with is like a mayo mixed with some curry spices which was a perfect combo. If you are a potato lover get the fries, they were golden and crunchy! The chicken and curry plate was okay, didn't have anything really that stood out. It definitely has a different curry flavor than what I have had at other katsu curry plates, and felt more heavy on the curry spices. I got the iced sencha which was very refreshing and a perfect balance for the savory and carb heavy food we had ordered. read more

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Walking around downtown Portland, we were hungry and wanted something affordable yet tasty. We came across Tanaka Katsu and decided to give them a try. Walking in, it didn't seem too busy, though we appreciated the industrial interior of the place. We looked at the menu and ordered a pork sandu with fries and a pork katsu with rice. After waiting about 10 minutes, our food came out hot. We were impressed by the presentation of the food on the plates. Both the pork sandu and the pork katsu were very good. They gave us a generous portion of fries, which made our meal even more enjoyable. We were stuffed full after we finished. There is ample natural lighting in this restaurant, which made it particularly pleasant. We had chosen a booth next to the windows, and we were able to converse quietly to ourselves. There's a bit of a quiet ambiance to the place. We saw a few people working there and about the same amount of people simply dining there like us. This overall was a 5-star experience and an excellent value for the money paid. We'd happily go back to try out their other options if we're ever in the area! read more

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Absolute banger of a casual eatery located on a super convenient streetside corner with a great view of half the block. Plenty of seating options. Good spot for a casual lunch or grab & go for solo or groups. I was staying at the Hyatt around the corner & popped in once they opened for a lunchtime beer, katsu sandwhich & strawberry sandwhich to tuck in the hotel fridge for an evening snack. Sandwhich was really good & provided plenty of energy for an extended walk around town. Staff was nice. The person working the counter even attempted to locate an XL shirt for me to no avail but i appreciated the effort. Anywhere you can grab a beer & a good japanese style sandwhich before 11am on a weekday is ok with me. Worth a stop. read more

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Five stars mofos!!! As a vegetarian I have always longed for a chance to experience the wonders of a katsu sando. It seemed impossible to me until I stumbled upon this establishment. Not only was there a vegetarian option, but according to my gf who had the shrimp katsu, it holds its ground against the meat options. We also had some miso and matcha cookies which were the perfect sweet treat to finish our meal with! The natural light and big windows allow for some fun people watching while you enjoy your food. It can get a little noisy but that's to be expected in a spot with such tall ceilings. The employees are very kind, friendly, and generous (iykyk). Will definitely be returning next time I'm in Portland. read more

Tanaka - Tofu Katsu - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

No vegan options so couldn't really try the food :( I got the strawberry matcha and the strawberry syrup was incredibly sweet. The matcha itself was not bad, I would try it again without the strawberry. read more

Tanaka's management reached out after my review, apologized, and made it right by giving me a refund. When I'm in town again, I'll definitely be by to give them another shot. read more

Tanaka - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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Japanese sandwich spot - the fries were *slightly* too salty but the matcha cream donut was super fun, sandwich was good. Staff was very kind and helpful! read more

Tanaka - Fries, sandwich, matcha donut - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Friendly workers. I got the shrimp sandwich, it was really good! It definitely has a lighter flavor but it's just enough and pairs well with the cabbage. I enjoyed the fries as well with the curry aioli. Nice ambiance and spacious but can get busy during lunch. Will come again. read more

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These katsu sandwiches are really delicious. Sometimes I dream about them. From the soft, pillow bread, to the crunch of the katsu, and the freshness from the slaw, you can't go wrong. The service is fast and friendly, so it's a great weekday lunch if you're in the mood for something fried and carb heavy. read more

Tanaka - Eggplant - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I was recently in Portland and I saw Tanaka on social media. It looked awesome so my group headed there. The interior is so clean and modern. There's quite a bit of seating and even outdoor dining available. You walk up to place your order and they bring it out to you. Everyone we interacted with was lovely. They have coffee and soft drinks but they also have different teas. My group all got a different seasonal offering. I ended up with the white peach ginger black iced tea and I was thrilled. It was refreshing without being overly sweet. I ordered the Pork Katsu with the spicy sauce: Pork Loin, Cabbage, Karashi Mayo, Tanaka Katsu Sauce, Milk Bread. It was delicious. Highly recommend. This was my first Katsu sandwich so I don't have a reference point, but I'd definitely eat this again. The pork was juicy and tender but also crunchy. And the sauce wasn't overly spicy. Just a nice kiss of heat. For a side, I opted for the Miso Tomato Soup. Again, delicious, no complaints. That and grilled cheese on a rainy day would be perfection. My boyfriend ordered the Chicken and Egg Katsu with the classic sauce: Chicken Breast Katsu, Cabbage, Yuzu Egg Salad, Karashi Mayo, Tanaka Katsu Sauce, Milk Bread. I took half of his sandwich and he took half of mine, so I also tried a lot of this! Again, it was good. I'm not usually a fan of egg salad but I enjoyed this one. I'd definitely recommend. I also sampled the dirty fries from a dining companion: Crispy Fries, Smoked Pulled Pork, Curry Sauce, American Cheese, Fried Shishitos, Cilantro, Togarashi. The curry sauce wasn't overly spicy money. The portion was huge, it could easily be a meal on its own. After trying it, I really wanted a bowl of their curry which I'm sure is amazing. They also have dessert which is probably amazing because everything I sampled was! I wish we had a restaurant like this in KC and y'all are lucky in the PNW. I will definitely return the next time I'm in town because this was one of my top favorite meals of my trip! read more

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We stopped in on a holiday Monday and there was quite a big line. We've been in a few times before and always enjoyed it. Unfortunately today was a little rough. I felt really bad for the guy taking orders because he was also running food, making drinks, dishing soup and sandwiches, and also taking orders. There were 4 or 5 other guys cooking and doing various other things, but they weren't super busy despite the line. It took a good 15 to 20 minutes to get to the register even when one of the guys finally starting running food. I went with the chicken caesar salad which is a really generous portion. I enjoyed the dressing, though it can be a bit heavily dressed, and the chicken on top was fried to perfection. My daughter got the pork katsu sandwich and enjoyed it. I do love that they make their own bread. We also got a side of fries. I did notice that the chicken and the fries were not as hot as I would have expected. I had a view of the kitchen and saw that they cooked a bunch of fries and put them in a bowl to serve from that wasn't under the heat lights, which is why they were just barely warm but not hot. I will say that the guy who jumped in to help run the food still needed help from the guy at the register finding some of the tables, he gave us our salads with no forks, and fries with no ketchup. There was no self service option for those things so we had to go back up and ask for them. I do enjoy the food here, but the experience was a little rough. The service was good, the guy working the register apologized for the wait and was super friendly and I did really feel for him. read more

Parking is limited and difficult to find being located in Downtown Portland. The interior is bustling and noise level is average. There's a good amount of seating too. Chicken katsu (4/5): ingredients were really flavorful. The katsu wasn't as crispy as I'd hoped. Sandwich was nice and warm though. Tap to pay is accepted. Food took a while though. Overall, Tanaka Katsu Sandwiches makes some yummy sandwiches but I'd prob opt for takeout. read more

I've enjoyed both locations of Tanaka but this one has matcha and it seems you can pay an up charge to sub your fountain drink for a cafe drink! It's also nice that it's a short walk to many stores including Powell's. The pork katsu sando is moist and tender. The egg salad was unique with the yuzu twist! Both locations are cafeteria style so you have to find a spot with open seating but for the most part it hasn't been an issue for me. read more

Tanaka - Pork Katsu and Egg Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Wow! This place is awesome! Great service. Nice area. Only street parking. There's seats inside and outside for this place. The pork katsu sando was delicious. Also got it with the classic katsu sauce and some fries which came with curry aioli sauce which gave the fries a good texture to it. They bring out the food to you if you're dining in. The food came out pretty quick. I'll say less than 10 minutes and you're fed. Definitely will be back to try other things here. Keep up the good work! read more

Tanaka - Pork katsu sando - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I love a good katsu sandwich, so I was really excited to try Tanaka, but unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. The atmosphere: The space is clean and spacious with plenty of seating. You order at the register, take a number, and they bring your food to your table. The setup is casual and efficient. The food: I ordered the Chicken & Egg Katsu Sandwich combo, which came with fries and a drink. The honey mustard served with the fries was a standout. It was more flavorful than I expected and a nice twist on the usual. For the sandwich, I chose the spicy katsu sauce, but it wasn't very spicy. While the sandwich looked great and had decent flavor, it was on the dry side. Even with the sauce and toppings, I felt pretty done after just half. The service: Was smooth overall. There's not much to comment on, but the food came out in about 10 minutes and was brought to the table without issue. read more

Tanaka - Pork Katsu, Chicken & Egg Katsu - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I'm a huge fan of katsu sandos and this place did not disappoint. PARKING: Take to the streets once again! A little tough because it's downtown but doable for sure. AMBIANCE: A casual eatery with plenty of seating. Great big windows with lots of natural light and great views of the church across the street. Great for people watching and a casual bite to eat to catch up with friends. SERVICE: Counter service. Guy at the register was nice. He did forget part of my order however. Also, just a side note, they run out of things sometimes and have a limited menu at certain times. FOOD: Pork Katsu Sando: That crispy pork was delicious. The crunch factor was off the chart and it was not dry at all. The sauce and fries were great. Pork Katsu Curry: The curry had great deep flavours and was thick, not runny at all. This was probably one of our favourite Japanese style curries in the PDX area to be honest. Fries: Curry ailoi is a huge yes. Their fries are crispy and fried to perfection. Fluffy on the inside and crispy on the inside. OVERALL: A good option for a casual meal and solid Japanese curry. The Katsu was so crispy and juicy and I would absolutely come back again (and I did). read more

Order: Spicy Chicken Katsu Pros: The sandwich was the star!!! It wasnt as spicy though and im very sensitive to spicy food. There was so much balanced flavor that I would def come back to try other options. Cons: it does take a little bit of time to get your food. Frys were unfortunately cold. read more

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The sandos were super yummy! If you're coming here for the food I think you'll be fine. We got the pork sando & breakfast sando, both were an 8.5/10! Would definitely order again. However, where they fell super short was the matcha. We ordered the matcha latte & Ube matcha latte. Both I would rate a 1/10. Im visiting here for the first time from California & have visited Japan multiple times, so I'm used to really good matcha, but this matcha was watery/milky, not whisked well, and very separated. Matcha lattes should be creamy/thick and be a dark green color. These were not. I could tell as soon as they set the drinks down that they weren't going to be very good bc I could already see the matcha separated and in clumps. It also was pretty bitter & I didn't see any options on the menu to add sweetener/honey or adjust sweetness. I sadly had to toss them away and I hate wasting food :( read more

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Ordered 3 sandwiches and a Caesar salad. The sandwiches were pretty good! my chicken katsu sandwich came with slaw and it really tied the sandwich together. The chicken/egg and pork katsu we ordered were pretty good too. So why 3*? A pretty big fly at the bottom of the salad eww read more

Tanaka - fly at the bottom of the salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

3.2/5 I spent the day in Portland and was really excited to hit Tokyo Sando PDX, but of all the days they're closed, it was the Tuesday I'm in town. No worries found another Japanese Sando shop to scratch the itch. Ambiance - very nice. Wide open space with plenty of seating, HUGE open kitchen and back area. They've got a glass case full of delicious looking pastry's and beverages, AND they have beer and cocktails! Service - service was great with everyone I interacted with. They even brought my food to my table even though it's a "bus your own table spot." Only issue is I placed my order online, directly through their website and was annoyed to walk in and see that it was almost 4 dollars cheaper in store :/ Food - I really wanted to love this place but the food was just ok for me. It's definitely more western influenced Japanese sandos. The spicy Katsu sando was decent. There was something in the kale slaw that had a slight sweetness which I loved and was probably the only form of kale I've ever enjoyed, but the chicken cutlet was small and there wasn't much spice to it. The egg sandwich I didn't like at all. There was no salt and it had a strange tang to it that I wasn't a fan of. Thankfully I ordered a side of curry sauce for dipping, which btw "side curry" should be available everywhere. The fries were killer and loved the curry aioli it's served with. Not a bad spot and they have 3 locations across Oregon. But they definitely heavy western influence. Overall it'll scratch the itch but won't go out of my way for it. read more

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Great quick little pitstop in downtown Portland. Stopped by before our flight. Was very busy during lunch, had to wait around for a seat to open up. By 11:30 am a lot of the options for the dessert sandos were already sold out ): read more

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What a fun place! We loved all orders including matcha drink! Very creamy and thick consistency- yum! Katsu Sando was great with fresh baked shokupan !! We needed more sauce on it but it definitely hits the spot!! Will come back for donuts next time! read more

Tanaka - Interior - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I got the spicy pork sandwich and it was excellent. I wish it was even a little spicier, but it was still very tasty and well flavored. The fries were decent, nothing special but good portion size. We went at the end of the day near closing time, so it's likely that was a contributing factor, but we found many of the items we wanted to order were out of stock for the day. It was a little frustrating that we weren't told that up front, and we found out because the receipt listed a totally different item than what we intended to order. The food preparation and service was also a little slow, but this could be due to winding down for the day. The space itself is nice and open with the long table seating. read more

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I've wanted to try a Japanese sando for a while now and a hike around the beautiful Hoyt Arboretum presented a great opportunity to try one. I got the tofu katsu sando. I loved the crunchy panko crust and a bit of tang from the kewpie mayo! The sandwich is surprisingly filling. esp. w the crusty milk bread. I'd get this sando again. read more

Tanaka - Tofu Katsu - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My meal was just ok. Nothing special and no complaints for the price paid. But...the ube cream donut, instant foodgasm! I didn't have much expectations for it but wow. I ate the whole thing. The donut was soft and not overly sweet. The cream was fluffy. I loved the ube flavor. read more

Tanaka - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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I'm had a work meeting in the Pearl on a Saturday morning so I stopped in here for breakfast. I was thrilled to see that their full menu was available, not just brunch items. I ordered the spicy fish sandwich, curry dipping sauce, and a coffee. The sandwich took a while to come out--there were only two other tables, but I wasn't in a rush so I didn't mind. I figured it meant that my sandwich was going to be very fresh, and it was. My meal was delicious. My only suggestion to the restaurant is to reduce the size of the side of curry and charge a buck less. Some of the sauce went to waste because the portion was large--too much for one sandwich. It would be a good size for two to share for sandwich dipping. I look forward to trying some other sandos on their menu! read more

Tanaka - Spicy fish sando with curry dipping sauce - Sandwiches Near Me - Portland, Oregon