Yoko's Japanese Restaurant

11/01/09

Great service,Fresh Sushi,Fantastic atmosphere

by true2portland

I have been to sushi all over portland and this is by far the best sushi i have had. Our waitress was so helpful and the service was great!!! i would def recommend this place to sushi lovers

• Pros: Not a chain
• Cons: sometimes a bit of a wait because it so delicious

09/27/09

best sushi in town, delightful place, yoko rocks!

by hamtom70

best. sushi, ever.

i go to yokos for the freshest best sushi in town, honestly i go for the BAT MAN ROLL! its sooo freaking good. seriously, a non-traditional combination- but so inspired and delicious...

i have been a loyal yoko's patron for the past 8 years, i've NEVER had a bad customer service experience. sure you have to wait, but they have like 10 tables, they cant help it, plus there is a bar across the street and next door...

Also where can you find high quality sushi, made fresh, by the business owner herself right in front of you... yoko is awesome, and adorable!

• Pros: best sushi ever, atmosphere, vibe
• Cons: ... they dont deliver..

02/09/09

!!!!Takas Tuna Oh my god!!!!!

by TetsuyaOno

Well besides the place being Slammed to the wall busy I thought the service was decent though the food was amazing. Their is no other sushi bar in this small little city that offers such creative food with a casual atmosphere, you can go anywhere for your traditional sushi but Yoko's stands alone. I my self have been a sushi chef for the last six years in the Portland area and this is where I go when I want Sashimi, Salmon,Hamachi and they always have the most fresh Tuna. Every sushi bar in town knows of Yokos trust me they are so busy. thats why they have the best fish. You have to try the Takas tuna and the Poki roll, Oh my God!! And they have the best Kara-age in town. Plus Yoko is so cute you will want to put her in your pocket and take her home. Its the sushi bar you HAVE to go to once at least...........

• Pros: Their is a cool bar next store
• Cons: No parking

11/18/08

Bad Vibe

by lawyer684799

Very sad. I am new to the area and live around the corner and was looking forward to eating here. I have walked over twice, once with a friend and once solo, both times I felt unwanted and as if the wait was some kind of test if your hip enough to eat there. I will not go back, as a customer I should not feel so uncomfortable. Its not the wait thats the problem its the vibe.

• Pros: Bar next store
• Cons: only good food in area

11/13/08

Friend suggested...

by dipstick5000

Lot's of negative ratings...i'm surprised! Funny how people take things so personal.

We went on a friend's recommendation at 6:00 pm on a Saturday night. There were two parties ahead of us and we waited 15 minutes tops. Not bad, IMO. Our server was pleasant. She recommended a few items some of which we went with, others we passed. The food was B+ because it was different than what I typically order. The fried rice Nigiri with spicy tuna and avocado was interesting and tasty - I'm glad I tried it, but it isn't something I'd order again. I'm a traditionalist and I like my rice soft, not crispy. Of the more traditional Nigiri, the fish was fresh, adequately portioned and the rice was a nice complement. I'd go back again and try other menu items. There are other Sushi Restaurants in Portland I can't say I would try again.

My only complaint was that our table was the closest table to the potty. About, 3-4 feet too close. I'd wait for another table next time.

10/27/08

Amazing Food, so what if you dont get your ego massaged!!!!

by cabada

I like to think that I'm a good judge of food. I grew up eating all kinds of cuisines in new york, sushi being one of them. moving to Portland, it was easy to find OK Japanese cuisine, mio is just fine for a quick bite, Masu has good fish and kind of overambitious food if you wanna dress up, But Yoko's to me is the best of the best.

The food is exceptional. as for the fish, i NEVER get that 'not so fresh" feeling. the creativity of the menu transcends all other sushi restaurants Ive been to in portland, from the perfectly broiled hamachi collar, to the taka's tuna, your looking at some amazing plays on Japanese cuisine. fun and pretty to look at, the portions are also huge, more like a good burger at a bar than a tapas.

Look, the staff is not going to kiss you a**, they are busy and they get their job done. unless you get to this place at 5 your probably gonna have to wait anywhere up to an hour to eat. there is a nice bar next door that you can have yoko's call you at when your table is ready.

if your starving, go elsewhere. going out to eat is an occasion, and this is in no way fast food. neither is Les Halles, or Babbo. you go for the experience of the food, its very good, the chefs are personable when you sit at the bar, the atmosphere allows for jeans and a tee shirt, but never feels cheap. its the perfect mix of calm and quality.

if you think resturants like Koji and Todi and Fuji are OK, then stick to these. they will serve you questionable fish on the cheap and super fast. the staff will be super bubbly! you can savor this instead of the food. I prefer to preserve the integrity of my palate and my lower intestine, so i will be sticking to Yoko's!

• Pros: Upscale qality at avrage prices, low key.
• Cons: the wait, expect it, and you will be fine!

10/23/08

Sushi Worth waiting for!

by matildajoseph

I had to write a review after reading many of the 1 star ratings that have been posted. I am a regular at Yoko's and am surprised by how many reviewers think the service is surly and rude. I have never had this experience. The servers are not the fake smiling, nod in agreement to everything you say such as when you go to a chain restaurant but they are nice and get their job done. I go to Yoko's for the sushi, not to be friendly with the wait staff. One thing to remember, Portland in general is known as a city that has restaurants with great food but slow service.

Yes, there is always a wait, but for sushi that is as fresh, tasty and inventive as Yoko's is, it is worth it. The Poki roll is phenomenal and the sashimi is always fresh.

I find it extremely convenient that they will call you on your cell phone to inform you that your table is ready. The music is loud but I found that a simple request to lower the volume worked wonders. They were very accommodating when it came to the volume of the music.

It is a very small restaurant that is very popular, expect a wait unless you get there right a 5.

The food is absolutely worth it!!!!

• Pros: Fresh sushi, great fish tank, great choice for saki
• Cons: long wait

10/04/08

They have a reputation for being jerks and they sure live up to it. Skip Yoko's.

by gabrielsm

Earlier this week, my friend and I decided to go to Yoko's.

He lives right around the corner, and has been a pretty devoted patron of the place for a while now.

Before going to Yoko's that night, when I voiced my concerns about their (widespread) reputation for rudeness and a general disregard for customers, he assured me that my experiences were not an accurate reflection of the restaurant.

So, we went in, and signed our names up and waited.

When he thought our names were coming up, my friend, an excitable type, said to the woman seating (a blonde woman with glasses), "I think we're next."

She looked at the list, gave him a scowl, told him that someone else was actually before us and then added, "Isn't it too bad that there are other people in the world."

Needless to say, we walked out after that.

Look, Yoko's: I know you guys are popular, but to treat your customers like s***, like they're not actually making a choice to patronize your establishment, and like they're not worthy of basic respect, is a bad move.

As hipsters making sushi, maybe you guys have some private rationale for being insulting to your customers. It's a mystery to me.

If you're reading this, and are contemplating going to Yoko's, I'd recommend going to another sushi restaurant in Portland that values your business and that values you as a person.

• Pros: Supposedly, fresh fish.
• Cons: Why sacrifice your dignity to eat fresh fish?

08/20/08

not like it used to be

by foamer

For one, I live around the corner from Yokos. We walk there every once in a while, we used to eat there often. The problems (I thought) were contained to monday and tuesday, when the regular crew was not there. Seems that is not the case. with friends in town late today and looking for a quick bite, My wife and our guests walked around the corner just before nine hoping to get a carryout. The Dreadful twerp trying to pass as someone in CUSTOMER SERVICE was rude and if I was his mother I would have slapped him. Tonight was the 3rd strike for Yokos. Once before we waited in C bar for a table 2hours. When a taxi pulled up and five people got out and were seated, I inquired as to our table. Blank stare as to who we were was all I received. Maybe they don't give a sh%t, and maybe they don't need my business. I work hard for my money, as does everyone else. Sorry Yoko, but until things change you will never see me or my money again. One would think you would want the locals. Get rid of the angst ridden hipster dufuss and hire some decent help. Maybe it's Yokos pool boy, who knows. I don't think she really cares. If she does they are pullin wool

• Pros: fresh
• Cons: hipster dufuss staff

08/18/08

...Hmmm really tasty food, minus professionalism equals.... a poorly run business with good food???

by JUNKANDSTUFF

...No reason to pull the wait list at 8:45, especially if there are only two groups of three waiting. Just because a place closes at 9:30 doesn't mean they have to stop seating in order to get everyone out by 9:30... Every table had food and some were about to clear out, they could have seated us and had us served in no time. And the guy that mouthed off (dare I call him a hostess, cause he was a little b****) didn't have to be jerked chicken about it. "...We're closed..." AS he turns and walks away is not an acceptable answer when clearly the posted hours say they're open, just flipping rude. They're open for 4.5 hours a day, they can't maintain some level of courtesy for that long?

If their list is full enough at 8:00 to keep them busy until past 9:30, why not change the hours to close at 8? That way, when people are looking for places to eat they won't assume that, just because it's 8:45 and the place closes at 9:30, they'll get a seat...

I'm not saying I won't ever go back, in fact I'll attempt it tonight, but just because I'm curious to see if there's any consistency in their demeanor and (lack of) professionalism.

Oh, by the way, the food is really tasty!

• Pros: great sushi; rolls, sashimi, everything
• Cons: The staff has the worst interpersonal relation skills, bad business model