Janken Reviews

10/10 for me! The staff are so friendly, drinks kept getting better and better as the server recommended certain cocktails with our food. The food was creative and dynamic when it came to flavours and presentation (great job Chef!). Whoever designed this restaurant really tied everything together perfectly! Congratulations on opening such a unique establishment 👌🏽

Janken is very wonderful fusion of Japanese and Korean restaurant. It has a very good customer service. The team members are super nice and very well staffed. The beautiful cheery tree in the middle is so unique and feels so relaxed and welcomed. We ordered Shrimp Tempura, Dragon Maki, Hamachi Crispy Rice, Lobster Rolls, Mushroom Bao Buns, and Pork Sticky Ribs. They are so amazing. Highly Recommend: Mushroom Bao Buns, Lobster Rolls, and Hamachi Crispy Rice.

Restaurant has an incredible vibe with amazing Japanese-Korean fusion dishes which are some of the best dishes i ever head. The sushi rolls were super fresh and the bao buns were incredible. The rib-eye was perfectly cooked and service on point!

The best things about this place is the lovely dining room with a large faux cherry tree in the center. It creates a lovely ambience for the room. Also the staff is impeccable and well-trained on menu items and sake selections. They are very attentive without being overbearing, and Connor was our server and he was particularly gracious. What was not so good was the food. As other reviews have noted it is very expensive. It would be difficult to order food for two under $200, with drinks. your bill will easily surpass $250 or more. There is an automatic gratuity of 20% added to all bills, which is fine but It’s there. We went on a Sunday evening and the scallops had a very distinct fish odor and taste to them, as did the black cod. Good sushi and good fish should have the taste and smell of the ocean not the taste and smell of a fish cooler. The brussels sprouts and green beans were wonderful and the fried rice dish was our favorite. This is made tableside and is utterly delicious. Overall, we liked things from the sod better than the sea. We rounded out the evening with the green tea timramitsu which was delicious but the texture a bit different than traditional tiramisu. More custard like than cake like. You can’t go wrong with the service and the ambience and perhaps if we came on a day when the fish was fresher, it would’ve been a better experience. For the prices you expect impeccably fresh fish every night and so that was our disappointment. Also, if anyone in your party is hard of hearing, this is not the place for you. The music is relatively loud, especially for older individuals with hearing loss and it can cause them to feel isolated.

Everyone wants to be hangin' with the cool kids at this place, which clearly must be doing its media on Instagram because almost no one in the restaurant was over 35. And the lack of understanding of good food shows in the early reviews. We were there on a Saturday, and the staff were attentive (perhaps overly so, almost anxious about how they were doing) but the food still wasn't moving out of the kitchen at a well-paced speed. We had four items. One, the crispy rice with hamachi, was superb and different and a marvelous blend of textures and flavors. The other three items consisted of two fairly average dishes -- twenty six bucks of Korean noodles??? -- and one, the octopus, that was so rubbery we had to complain. Octopus is tricky, but I've done it at home. If you can't properly pressure cook it, don't put it on the menu. And even after they comped us on that, three small plates, two beers and a sake came to well over 100 bucks! And they don't tell you they automatically add a 20% gratuity, which I have no argument with if you tell me in advance, but they didn't. I'm sure this place will continue to pile up accolades from the see and be seen crowd, but people interested in the food should find somewhere else to spend (a lot) of their dining dollars, like, perhaps, the ever-excellent Mediterranean Exploration Company just across the street.

We, as a party of 3, went to eat at Janken's last evening. It was fantastic! Great service Great Food with excellent flavor . Plates were beautifully presented. Dining room Decor is 5 stars! Chef, owner came to our table and was so gracious . Will certainly go back! I will certainly be recommending to others!!!

Drinks were incredible, especially the Pineapple Express, and the food was delicious. My favorites were the wagyu gyoza, the whole duck, sticky ribs, and the black cod. Go with a group so you can try a few dishes, but really impressed with the new spot!

Beautiful restaurant with incredible food and mind blowing cocktails. So much attention to every detail. Highly recommend

I have dined here twice and will continue to come back! This restaurant has something for everyone! I love all of their seafood options and my partner loves their steaks and meat dishes. With the beautiful silk blossomed cherry tree as your backdrop, dining here is super romantic and special. The wine and sake selection is impressive and the cocktails are hand crafted to perfection!

Great place for specialized japanese cuisine. I was seated at the bar, where I had a great attending by Lucas (and thanks for that, man!) Good food, good drinks, great enviroment and prices expected for a top notch place. Definitely would recommend and come back

The meal was creative and delicious. Service was relaxed and we didn’t didn’t feel rushed. Staff are friendly and answered our questions. Unique cocktails (try the smoked pineapple)

One of the best, if not, THE BEST place to dine in Portland. The vibe is top tier, the food also TOP TIER, and the service went above and beyond to meet my expectations. They really love what they do and they make it a point to serve and put you, the consumer, at the center of the whole experience. PORTLAND NEEDED THIS! THANK YOU!

This is the best restaurant in Portland, Oregon! I was blown away by the ambiance, service, food, and drinks. Right when you walk in you’re greeted by a super kind host who offers to hang your coat for you. We were seated at our table right away and our waiter got our drink and appetizer order in swiftly. The drinks are delicious and the presentation is beautiful. I LOVE the night owl. We did family style which was nice to try almost everything on the menu. My favorite items were spicy tuna roll, spicy wok edamame, crispy rice, kfc, galbi short rib bao bun, Brussels sprouts, miso salmon, and A5 wagyu hot stone. Everything is so good!! I made another reservation for this week. I can’t get enough!

This is the place to have quality time! Such a great ambiance. There's something that just make you feel home and welcomed! Beautiful decor, kind staff and excellent food to top off the experience!

Outstanding food, drinks, service, and ambiance incl. music. We had 11 people in our group and it was no problem for the restaurant staff. Everything was creative and delicious. Thank you!

Super over priced for just an average meal. Could have had the same meal at several Portland eateries for half the price. The owner better have deep pockets to keep this rip off open.

Amazing ambiance, drinks & food! Customer service on point and food to die for.. next time you go in, you have to try the kimchi fried rice and sushi desert !

Let me start by saying we are foodies and have lived in Chicago , Austin , Tampa , and now Portland. We came last night to experience the " hottest new restaurant in Portland ". Now open for 3 months. The tree in the center and the white sheer drapes and tall ceilings just draw you in. Our reservation as for 5:15 pm. We got sat down and put 2 friends were already there. I had the Pineapple Express which was good but more presentation forward with the smoker. Very cool. The taste. Hmmm. Weak and fruity. For $21 first let down of the evening. Moving onto service. Service was great for the most part. Our server explained everything and menu is served family style and you order a bunch of things and they come out as they are ready. We had lots of items for our party of 4. When our first round of drinks were finished, the server never came back for probably 20 minutes to ask if we would like more. So food kept coming out. Food was all fabulous. Some of the items were definitely overpriced for what you get and we don't mind paying for it. $38 for dynamite roll. Eek. We get it. It's high end. It's new but wow. So towards end of meal we are just sitting there and drinking for a while thinking we have more food coming and server ask if we are ready for dessert or to order more food. We ask about the dynamite roll that we didn't eat and she checks with sushi bar. Sure enough it was forgotten. No worries. Another 25 minutes go by and out comes the roll. We eat that then the server comes and says that she knows we are celebrating a birthday and we're ready to order dessert. We order dessert and by this time it's about 7:35 pm. Yes, we are ordering things. Yes things take a long time to come out and we were spending money.... we order dessert and and the server comes back to let us know that she was " just informed by the hostess that the table was needed by 7:50 pm for the next party" . I get it. There's a time frame for everything but they forgot one of our items and had to make it and we just ordered dessert and they needed us gone by 7:50. Eek. So dessert comes at 7:47 and we joked with our friends that we have 3 minutes to eat dessert and finish our drinks. We had a few bites and the server came again and said she could box up our cake to go and that the next party was arriving. Wow. The bill came and we already knew it would be a lot. No Worries. The kicker is that they added the gratuity on already. That's not common for a party of 4 compared to a large party. We normally tip above 20% but not in cases like this. It's a disservice to the patrons. We have never felt so rushed out at any restaurants in the US we have dined in. The bill was also $600 with the tip. Overall great experience but they definitely need to Work on sone things. We most likely will not be back when the food scene in Portland has much better experiences waiting.

My wife and I had a couples date Sunday night and we were impressed across the board with everything Janken had to offer. The food was fantastic. Must try as many dishes as possible! The drinks were creatively delicious and instagram worthy. The atmosphere was fun, elegant and comfortable at the same time. And the servers were friendly and very accommodating to our needs. This is an experience all around and a must try for Portland. We will be back!!

We chose Janken for its gastronomic proposal and we were delighted by the food, decoration and service. I suggest the lobster roll, compliments of the spicy tuna and rainbow roll, very well prepared. Accompanied by a sparkling sake or some of the very well-made cocktails. Don't skip the chocolat bar dessert, very delicious. Note: 20% of the service is included in the bill.

The vibe tonight was great. Tried 6 different dishes and was impressed with each one. Definitely coming back.

Chic, comfortable ambience, excellent service with stunning food. We enjoyed the mussels and nijiri along with several other dishes. The chefs tastings were good, but we aren’t “fish” experts so the flavors and specialness of the selections were lost on us. Consider desert - The matcha tiramisu is outstanding and shareable !

It’s an experience you won’t find anywhere else in Portland. The quality of food and presentation of all menu items shows they take pride in what they are serving people.

A smoky haze greets you at the door. This is from the popular infused mezcal drinks. The cocktails seem to be their signature feature. The portions are tapas style R dinner plate prices. Food is good, fish fresh and creative. Good for special occasions. As is the trend these days, everyone is trying to be more inventive with drinks and food. Jenken has occupied the former blue hour space, which is in a neighborhood full of restaurant choices.

I hate, hate, hate this restaurant. The food is actually good - I enjoyed it, there were some tasty dishes, though more thought should have gone into the balance and flavorings. (Why offer marrow if you overwhelm the unguent, fatty deliciousness with a too-big flavor of Bulgogi? And the charge $40 for it?) But the food was good, 7/10. Granted, I did not try the $195 truffle pasta because, well, no one should charge or pay $195 for noodles. Everything else was terrible. The decor features a big, fake plastic tree overhanging rattan and cheap upholstery booths ripped from some 1970s Howard Johnson’s dining room. The coloring is aggressively beige on white. The music is ear splitting and banal, electro swing turned loud enough diners can’t hear themselves talk or think. Though people who want to talk, think or enjoy honest food are clearly not the target clientele. If you want great Korean food, go to Han Oak (for less money). If you want great sushi, go to Bamboo (for less money). If you want great Portland dining, go to Canard or Urdaneta or Akadi or Eem or Montelupo or several dozen other thoughtful restaurants that center the food and dining experience over pretense. Hell, go get a sandwich at Lottie & Zula’s - it’s just as good, a fifth the price and a far more welcoming environment. Just don’t eat here.

I can not stay away from this restaurant! The quality of the food is unmatched as well as their service. Must try the spicy tuna roll, the short rib buns, the A5 steak , hoisin ribs, and the strawberry shaved ice dessert. 10000/10.

They should change the name to JUNK. I normally do not go out of my way to write a review, but this experience was so over the top repulsive that it could not be ignored. I had met met friend who I hadn't seen in years for a nice meal, to catch up and enjoy the evening. About 20 minutes before the "time limit" had approached, the little girl waitress informed us that our "time was almost up" and they needed our table for the next party. We were only about half way done with our meal and had just ordered another round of ridiculously expensive drinks. When we informed her we would not be finished with our meal within the "time limit", she informed us she could "box it up" for us. An over $300 meal boxed to go. UNBELIEVABLE. We informed her we would be finishing our meal yet she continued to come to our table and interrupt our meal about every 5 minutes after that to inform us that we were reaching our "time limit" and that we would need to leave. At one point this condescending little girl had the audacity to say "I'm not sure you're aware, but this is how dining works." Finally she came by offering to box up our food WHILE WE WERE STILL EATING and at that point we were so utterly disgusted by the whole experience we decided to leave. While we were waiting for the boxes the owner of the restaurant came over and essentially did the same thing that the little girl waitress did. Not even an apology, just more iterating of the "time limit". He asked if we wanted to move to the bar and we said no. We suggested they put the next party at the bar. While I understand that some restaurants can't control their own flow and have to put a time limit on your meal, it seems to me when you are charging ridiculous prices like this, that you have some means of accommodating people when they go over the "time limit" for their meal. And NOT at the bar. Perhaps a couple of seats left available unseated. I dont know, SOMETHING. This is totally unacceptable how this was handled. I have been dining all over this country, and the world, for over 40 years and never in my life have I been treated in this manner. It was disgusting and repulsive and I would not recommend this place to a street dog. To add further insult to injury, you are not given an option to tip what you think its worth, they have the audacity to assume on the front end that it is worth an additional 20% "service charge" even before you are provided the "service". If I had had cash on me I would NOT have paid this absurd service charge. This horrible waitress would have received nothing from us. This is unfortunate, because the food was actually quite good. But I will never go back and I will dissuade anyone I know from eating here.

I took a friend for her Birthday. The atmosphere is cool (a little noisy but a good vibe). My friend is not keen on “raw” so our dishes were all cooked…Wagyu Gyoza ($24 flavorful, juicy, and a notch above most gyoza), Shrimp Tempura Maki Roll ($18 good but nothing special beyond other sushi restaurants in the Pearl), Soft Shell Crab Rolls ($22 served like mini lobster rolls. I enjoyed this more than a typical spider roll) Bulgolgi Japchae ($28 Beef with sweet potato noodles. Tasty but no difference in texture or taste from rice noodles), Crispy Brussel Sprouts ($14 very good but comparable to other restaurants serving the same), and for desert Japanese Matcha Tiramisu ($18 Subtle flavors and lighter than authentic tiramisu). The server also brought 2 complimentary Profiteroles ($15 credited back on the check. But, REALLY $15 ????? Nothing better than frozen profiteroles from COSTCO. It’s more of a joke and insult to include the $$ on the check). We had 4 cocktails between the two of us (Litchi Martini $20, Janken Star $18, Rye of the Rising Sun $19, and a Bullet Old Fashion $20. I love old fashions but this was basically Bullet with a little simple syrup…very weak and more insulting at $20! WHiskey Library does it right with better whiskey and it’s not $20!!! A 20% gratuity is automatically added to your check which is what I would have tipped. I do appreciate the check is stamped with “Service included” and the server also made note of it. One suggestion if you decide to give it a try….The server will ask for your complete order in advance. I stated my apprehension to do so because I didn’t want several items served at once. The server assured me she would monitor so this didn’t happen. NOT SO ! The Gyoza, Maki Roll, and soft shell crab rolls were on the table within a minute of each other. That’s NOT fine dining service! Hence ,that coupled with the price of mostly good but average food is the reason for 3 stars. I’m glad we tried it but for $241 all in I’ll stick with other nearby sushi restaurants. If you don’t order the overpriced mediocre cocktails it may be a more reasonable experience.

Need to write a review for janken…. From your first steps into Janken, you’re met with stunning decor, that’s both classy and fun, making it perfect for any occasion! The food is incredible! I’ve been a several times and I’m still talking about it days later. The short rib boa makes your taste buds burst with excitement, the crispy hamachi rice is perfection, the steak tar tar… with truffle mushroom and capers a pairing I didn’t know I needed but now can’t go without order (best tar tar I’ve ever tried) Now to drinks, order the Night Owl or the Pineapple Express. The night owls with tequila and garnished with the restaurant name sprinkled on top. The Pineapple Express is a trip in itself to a tropical paradise! Janken is everything Portland needs and more!

When Janken first opened up my husband and I were so excited to try it. I originally went with friend. It was fantastic then we returned again for my daughters birthday with her friends and the service was phenomenal. The food was fantastic. Everything was perfection. I couldn’t have been more happy. Price point is a bit high, but considering the quality of the food and service that’s not a problem. We have been there three or four times since and last Thursday we went lfor my birthday. Got to tell you I was pretty disappointed. The service is always fantastic Ann is amazing She’s very informative. She knows exactly what recommendations to make. She’s professional well spoken and represents what I feel. The Restaurant would like their staff to represent. Unfortunately, I feel this last time there will probably be our last time. We have some items that we always order when we’ve been there and like I said we’ve been there five or six times this last time the food wasn’t the same. The sticky rice was cold and tasted almost stale like it have been left out. They changed their recipe for their steak tartar so the flavor is not the same either the beverage service was very slow although the beverages were very good we tried a few new items we hadn’t tried before the lobster rolls which were very tasty. We tried some ribs, and we also tried the Wagyu potstickers, I would say on a scale of one to 10 my last experience at this establishment would be a six and prior to this last visit. I would say that the restaurant was constantly a ten. It’s unfortunate that once the restaurant became popular in the Portland metro area, it often affects the food service and quality of food service due to popularity. I feel like that’s what’s happened with Janken. Pretty sad really.

First of all Maria M is awesome and they should get a raise. The restaurant is beautiful with the giant tree and high ceilings. There’s a paid parking lot close by so it’s not as annoying to get there. Food was amazing but could be better. Toro 5/5 wow amazing melts like butter wonderful Truffle tuna 6/5 to die for amazing textures and flavors holy cow wow get two Hot stone Wagyu 5/5 it’s a5 Wagyu can’t go wrong Brussels sprouts 10/5 honestly better than the pork. Sorry!!!! Iberico pork 3/5 sauce was good but boy why was it so chewy? Let it sleep in the brine more please or beat it up idk. Another truffle tuna please Kimchi fried rice 3/5 I feel like it could have been better? It was too spicy for me but I don’t really eat spicy stuff so that may not be a fair review for it. But it really could be better. Strawberry bingsu 5/5 the tiny meringues to mix up the texture and the strawberries wow chefs kiss amazing good job. Ice cream sushi 2/5 it’s ok I think this may be for kids super plain. Ice cream wrapped in Rice Krispies then you can dip it in chocolate Profiteroles 5/5 easy to screw up but this is really good. First time at Janken for my birthday and it was amazing!! Definitely will be back. I’m sure some of the stuff I didnt like was just a fluke. Not everybody can be perfect all the time. This place is definitely going to be one of our go tos. Thank you so much for the amazing mouth experience. Maybe I’ll get five orders of the tuna truffle next time. Peace out girls out. #tunatruffle5eva

Amazing restaurant could not recommend more! I went with a few friends and we had such a special night

Finally a high end restaurant with five star food, drinks and service. Can't wait to go back. Portland needed this so badly.