I have been dreading having to write this review, but feel it is my duty both as an avid fan of…read moreJapanese food and a third-generation Japanese person. If I were considering dining at Maru, this is what I would want to know. The staff here are so welcoming, they have really nice chopsticks, and the service is friendly. Beyond that, it is straight downhill. To call this a Japanese-food restaurant is not accurate. Besides the sushi, the food seems to be a mishmash of Chinese and American cuisine with Japanese names. We started out with an order of so-called chicken karaage. Imagine my shock when the server delivered a dish of deep-fried chicken strips with a bright orange sauce on top. This dish tasted exactly like Chinese sweet and sour chicken minus the sour. Instead of pieces of thigh meat, it appeared to be sliced chicken breast. This was clearly prepared by someone who has never seen or eaten chicken karaage. My husband ordered the bento box. I wanted to order one but all four options contained chicken teriyaki and shrimp tempura neither of which I wanted. Hubs went ahead and got one with an assortment of sushi. It also had salad (which was a small handful of mixed greens) Can you think of what was missing? Yeah, rice! He had to order and pay for rice as a side dish for a bento box!! WTH?? No self-respecting Japanese cook would serve a bento box without rice!! I sampled the chicken teri. Oh my god, so dry and tasteless. It also appeared to be sliced chicken breast which explained the dry texture. Hubs said the sushi was fine, fish fresh and rice tasted okay. Oh heavens, now onto my sad dish. I ordered the unagi bowl, clarifying with the server that rice was included. It wasn't visible from the menu picture. She enthusiastically confirmed it was, and that the bowl had a ginger dressing. Yum, I thought. That was the last time for the rest of the meal the word "Yum" came to mind. What was placed before me was this: A wide, shallow bowl with a small amount of rice in the bowl part. It was covered with mixed greens and spinach straight out of a package, not prepared in any way. The unagi was sliced thinly and laid on top. All over the lettuce and seeping unpleasantly throughout the rice was a creamy white dressing with no discernible flavor. Like a drab ranch. NOT the promised ginger dressing. Unfortunately for them, I avoid creamy dressings and mayonnaise. It was a nightmare on a plate. The unagi was okay but a bit chewy indicating either a poor quality or undercooking. I tried to eat the rice and salad part but the dressing just overpowered the whole dish. I left most of it after picking off the unagi. Finally, the rice was not cooked long enough or was not Japanese rice. I felt so sorry for our server. She noticed I hadn't eaten most of my dish and asked me how I like it. I just said I don't like creamy dressings and left it at that. She was so sweet but clearly knows nothing about Japanese cuisine. And her cooks know even less. If you want good Japanese food, stick with Syun Izakaya, their sister restaurant, Sawa's, or Mio Sushi. If you want to play Asian food roulette palate-wise, you might have fun here.

Really enjoy this lovely Japanese restaurant. Its so quiet and peaceful in the evenings. The…read moreservice is excellent from the friendly greeting to the frequent check ins. The food is really good! I have twice gotten the chicken and beef combo and it is just amazing. The beef is tender and so flavorful. The chicken is cooked to perfection never dry and the sauce is delicious. I also enjoy the salad with their special dressing. Its all so good! I tried the sushi as well. Fresh and scrumptious! Highly recommended!

Gyoza: 9.5 Spicy tuna roll: 10…read moreCalifornia roll: 10 Golden roll: 6 Steak Hibachi: 7 Service: Helpful and fast. The server presented each item well. The ambiance feels like a fast food restaurant. You can throw away plates and utensils easily into trash on your way out. I think this place is perfect for a quick meal.

The scallop hibachi was so good. The scallops were cooked perfectly. I didn't love the corn and…read morepeas in the fried rice but the flavors were good. My coworkers had the shrimp and they enjoyed it but their shrimp was slightly overcooked.

super good wasn't busy because it was really hot outside that day but the broth was really goodread more

Great service and tasty dishes, I have been coming here since they opened and the staff continues…read moreto deliver a great experience over and over.

Great service; family run and food is excellent. Always get the teriyaki chicken and extra Giyoza.read more

This is the best teriyaki chicken I've had in a very long time! Seemed generally like a take out…read morespot but we dined in. Even still, met with smiles and table service! The chicken was tender and smothered in sauce! Just the way I like it! This hole in the wall spot is not a place you want to pass up!

Aiden made our experience exceptional from start to finish. He was incredibly knowledgeable about…read moreboth the menu and the sake selection, and his recommendations were spot on. You can tell he has a genuine passion for Japanese cuisine and culture, which made the experience even more enjoyable. He mentioned that he hopes to travel to Japan someday, and it's easy to see why--his enthusiasm, curiosity, and dedication really stand out. If you have the chance, ask for Aiden. He'll make sure you have a great meal and an even better experience. We'll definitely be back!

Great place to try out different sakes, especially if you want a quieter environment…read more Aiden, the bartender, is fantastic and will help you decide what to try, and even has a chart breaking down the different sakes. Of course you can always have beer if that's what you prefer. The portion size of the Yakitori Assortment was bigger than expected, so the $20 price was reasonable.

Great service, very pleasant and wow! Awesome rolls! Recommend for sure..spicy tuna was great!read more

We were out in Hillsboro and decided to give this place a try. My husband really enjoyed the bento…read moreand said it was very tasty! I enjoyed the Chirashi bowl but wished the fish was fresh and not previously frozen. The texture is just not the same once the fish is frozen and then thawed. Our server was new, stating it was only her second day working there. She really tried hard to go above and beyond, even offering to change the music to make us more comfortable. (The music was fine) Her personality brought this from three stars to four. I guess I'm just spoiled being from Hawaii where the fish is always fresh and never frozen.

Oh my god this place is amazing. First time ever having a sushi burrito and I don't think I will…read morewant to eat regular sushi again unless this place is closed lol. Go here and just try it! Sooo good!

Sweet chili, Hawaiian, Crazy Monkey~ why have just one?! I love this place!!!!…read moreAlways super friendly tooooooo! Thanks fellas for an amazing lunch, again!

I went to Vivi's for the first time about 10 years ago and haven't stopped thinking about it since…read more Unfortunately, it's pretty far and out of the way from where I live, but every time I pass through the area and am hungry for Vietnamese food, I'm hungry for Vivi's. Over the years, I've brought friends and family here, talking it up enough that they're willing to make the journey with me. I always recommend the tofu vermicelli bowl. The fact that my tofu-skeptical father sang its praises after I made him try it is a testament to its flavor. I still think of it as the gold standard of tofu. I was recently in the area for the first time in 5 or 6 years and decided to go back to Vivi's with my mom. It was the first thing that popped into both of our minds-a real jinks moment. I was nervous that it wouldn't live up to our memory. Vivi's had moved around the corner from their old location-a cute, cozy little cafe-but their new restaurant is more spacious, hopefully to accommodate the flocks of diners that their food merits. I got the tofu vermicelli, which was exactly as I remembered, equally flavorful and generous in portion size for $15. My mom got the papaya salad for $5.50. I previously thought I didn't like papaya-I was mistaken. It was a unique and refreshing dish that I would 100% go back for. Vivi's food tastes fresh and nourishing and at the same time satisfying and rich. We were short on time and were prepared to have to take it to go, but our food was out in 10 minutes. I don't usually write reviews, but after so many great experiences over the years it felt long overdue. A small business that has maintained their quality at reasonable prices over the years deserves to be recognized with a recommendation. Give Vivi's a try!

Great Ambience for being in a standard shopping plaza, hidden behind the Burgerville. Nice and warm…read moreon a cold day. Bonus points for being in walking distance of Next Level Pinball Museum. Meal came out quick with warning its very spicy (It wasn't that spicy but it had a decent kick compared to the usual dish I've had in the Portland Area!) Staff are friendly, soup was genuinely one of the best I've had in years, the Limade was also a killer and I recommend getting it to pair along with. All-in-all, was a fantastic place to contribute to my late birthday outing.