at Bamboo Sushi in Portland, Oregon

Bamboo Sushi is tucked away in a neighborhood on the East Bank of the Willamette River. Don’t be alarmed by the number of minivans and Subaru hatchbacks as you search the quiet streets for parking. The crowd inside Bamboo is anything but suburban. This little nook of nosh entertained romantic couples, cliques of happy hour chicks, men still in suits, and our party: a fun 20-something assortment of sushi novices and aficionados.

Sushi: Our amenable sushi virgin sampled his first California Roll and soon braved the more advanced signature rolls including Chasing the Dragon, Highway 35, and Lucky 13. His assessment was, “Good.” Let’s delve a bit deeper…Chasing the Dragon had a delightful blend of textures, including a nice crunch from the fish eggs. As with most, the spicy tuna didn’t have much of a spicy kick, but I was amazed with the flavor. Highway 35’s sake poached pears made a fan out of me. On the menu there appeared to be too many ingredients in Highway 35, but on the palette it was perfection.

Dragon Roll pictured above

Sashimi: Piper, the sushitarian of the group, ordered us each to try the salmon sashimi with lemon on it and togarashi to dip in. It was delicious, even for the less-than-zealous-sashimi samplers (okay one of them was me).

Cooked Food: For vegetarians or those who don’t like sushi, there is a wide assortment of non-fish and/or cooked foods, including edamame that is brought out with the water. We only sampled one (I mean we were at a sushi restaurant), but it was a masterpiece:

“Seared sesame crusted tuna with caramelized eggplant and roasted garlic chili emulsion.”

This spicy dish is not for the faint tongued (nor the faint hearted as tuna may have been injured in the making of it). They nailed this dish in texture, taste and originality. You’ve heard of the saying “finger lickin good?” I have an amended version I am known to use, “It’s so good I would lick it off trash.” So if you find this delight in a dumpster, you know who to email!

Drinks: I had the coco chanel drink (vodka and crème de cocao, with a splash of kahlua served with half paprika sugared rim) ,of which nobody at our table was a fan. Surely there is someone out there who would enjoy it, but that person would have to like to drink paprika. That person is not me. The drink would’ve probably been perfection without the paprika, but unfortunately it fell from rim to drink before I could confirm. I would have tried another, but the tiny cocktails were a hefty $8. Piper and Mollie enjoyed the Ponzi Pinot Gris, Oregon 2007, which they said was sharp but refreshing. Full bar, sake, a decent beer selection and a few wines filled out the alcohol selection.

Price: Sushi signature rolls ranged from $11-17. Sashimi is $4.50-6 for two pieces. For those who love sushi, the prices are worth it. For those looking for an inexpensive night out with friends, go elsewhere. Great date place: cozy, loud enough to help the first date nerves, quiet enough to chat without shouting.

Rating: /5

Contact: http://bamboosushipdx.com or 503.232.5255