Sushi Ichiban Reviews

It's crazy how one sour apple could ruin an experience. My family has been going to this restaurant for years when we used to live here and since we've moved away, we still make it a point to visit to enjoy the best sushi in town. The older and younger Asian ladies as well as the Asian guy have always been very nice. But that white lady who also is the cashier gets overwhelmed by the crowd and comes off as rude and unpleasant. She makes comments that are useless and just turns you off. The sushi is great, so I'm sure we'll still go back but I really don't care to see that lady again. FYI, their prices recently went up but it's still a pretty good deal for really good sushi.

We wandered in here for lunch our first day in Portland. It was a fun atmosphere. There is a train in front of you that just revolves with more and more sushi, in addition to the menu. My friend is vegan and had plenty of options to choose from. Nothing was super high end, but everything tasted great!

We live on the east coast but visit Oregon a few times a year. When we are in Chinatown in Portland and want a quick sushi fix, we go here. For years we have called it "rock and roll sushi" and various other names. It's just a funky little place. When we were there in December they had added a fried salmon collar which was FABULOUS! So crispy, but the actual meat could not have been more tender. There was also a tuna collar. And the standbys are the fried oysters and the fried snapper. Love this place!

Reasonably priced but great quality sushi. I was very impressed with how fresh fish was. Each plate is between $1.50 - $4.00 with 2 -3 pieces on. Great place when you want to munch on sushi.

We took a day trip to Powell's books and promised the two teenagers some sushi. This place was recommended as great sushi but a plain atmosphere. The sushi was great, but so was the atmosphere. Not upscale, but fun. The fresh and tasty sushi offerings were brought around on the flatcars of an electric train! This was way more fun than the conveyer belt. It is a fairly small place, but was busy on a Thursday afternoon, so everything was fresh.

I came in and realized this restaurant served its sushi by a small motorized train that went around the sushi bar. Really cheap prices, and ok sushi. Not a "fancy" atmosphere, but if you want a quick bite, this is a good place.

We stopped by Sushi Ichiban because my daughter loves sushi trains. This was an actual G scale? model train serving up the dishes on flatbed cars. The sushi was very good with a nice variety. My Mom does not like sushi and she was able to find something nice off the menu. The servers and chefs were very attentive and when the bill came I was pleasantly surprised! I thought it would be much more than it was for the quality of food we ate. We will be back.

What's not to like? For sushi its dirt cheap, and the quality is pretty dam good. Now if they would just take the random deserts off it would be perfect

This place has got great sushi at amazing prices, though I like one of the other locations on Holgate better for it's more traditional and warm atmosphere. The surrounding location of the restaurant wasn't my favorite and the ambiance neither. Considering this was a pre-prom dinner it didn't do us justice. Great for a casual dine-in or meal with the family. The sushi comes around on a toy train around a track, with the chefs preparing the sushi in the middle. Very interactive experience.

I was visiting Portland with two friends and was craving something that felt like a home-cooked meal. Sushi Ichiban was recommended to us by a friend who lives in Portland and he told me to get the teriyaki chicken and rice (one of my favorite dishes). It was definitely the closest I could get to a yummy home-cooked meal. My friends ate all kinds of sushi from the little train that goes around. They loved every roll they tried. I must say that the service was fantastic. We came in fifteen minutes before closing (oops, blame the sun for staying up so late these days!) but everyone was more than happy to serve us. From the hostess to the sushi chefs to the dishwasher, everyone was extremely kind to us. It felt good. The place was clean and there wasn't anything to complain about. Parking wasn't hard to find, as there is a parking lot right across the street. We had to pay, even at night, but it wasn't too bad. If we ever visit Portland again, we'll be dining here for sure.

Absolutely love this place - the food is excellent, generous and slap in the face fresh. The diner style vibe with the massive sushi train is really cool, it’s fun .. spectacular value and I visit every time I’m in town. Gangster tunes playing too

So this place reminded of spots in San Francisco that had plates of sushi delivered to your bar seat via a conveyor belt or floating boats. This one had a train track wrapped around the bar and your plates were delivered on a train! Cool idea. You're charged by the number of plates you pick up and by the color of the plate. I had several plates of the sake, salmon on rice, avocado roll, gyoza, Alaskan roll, but my favorite was actually the fried calamari on a stick. Perfectly fried and crunchy, and no dipping sauce needed. I think I had about 12 plates total and it was right at $20. The sushi was fresh and wasn't amazing but good and you can't beat the price! Service was very friendly and I would recommend you come check it out at least once.

Not the place for "berger, berger, cheeps, no fries, Peksi, no Coke," but offers a unique ambiance that represents the Pearl. Had arrived in town that afternoon, gotten settled, and went out to walk the city. Found ourselves on a less-inviting stretch of Burnside Street in Chinatown and ravenous at about 8:30PM. With a little exploration, we happened upon Sushi Ichiban. At first glance, the sushi-heavy menu lacked appeal, but the operating 0-gauge train layout on the dining counter won us over. The noodle dishes (Chicken Udon, Beef Udon) are pleasing, bountiful and economical. Staff is pleasant and responsive. Atmosphere defines "casual" dining. You are welcome to dawdle, whether at the counter or in the three booths.

The price could not be better! Plates range from $1 to $4 depending on the color of the plate. The train come around pretty quick so if you miss something don't worry it will be back. If there is something that you are looking for don't worry just tell the chef and he will make it for you. If you are looking for sushi in Portland this is a must stop.

They found a way to sit our large group at the train even though we were mostly made up of kids. Ordered noodles for the kids but then they ended up loving the sushi! Should have just stuck with the sushi. It was filling and could order easily. Not a bad price and a fun time.

Amazing!

There is nothing fancy or upscale about this place in old town Portland at the corner of Burnside and Broadway. But when you walk through the door you can sense it-- this is going to be good. First, the service and atmosphere-- staff are very friendly with customers and each other. They like their work. They like each other. They like you. And they are incredibly efficient. Service is very quick and every step is purposeful. You will never be without. Friendly, efficient service really counts in my book. Then there is the food. Very fresh, flavorful and wide variety-- sushi, sashimi, but also Miso soup, tempura, other traditional Japanese entrees, and desserts, like Mochi ice cream. Sushi is selected rom the model railroad flatcars that circle the center sushi bar. Just select it as it goes by as the train's selections are quickly replaced. Chat with the sushi staff as they prepare the selections, about food, about Japan, about Portland, about anything. So accessible. They care about the place; so will you. Prices are very reasonable. Sushi plates, sort of like Chinese dim sum, are priced by the color of the plate--$1, $1.50, $2, and $2.50. Easily a meal for less than $10.00. Traditional Japanese beers by the bottle are also available.

This is not sushi as art nor even as fine eating. Diners sit around an oval table. A model train pulls cars carrying plastic plates of sushi, covered with cheap clear plastic bowls for hygiene purposes, around a track. Diners take whatever they want, and the tab is tallied based on the color and pattern of the plates. It is like a sushi boat place, but even more lowbrow. Plates generally contain two pieces of a cut roll. The simplest plates cost $1; others cost $1.50, $2, and $3.00 respectively. Four of us ended up having a fun and very large meal for a mere $33. And it's even cheaper on Wednesday evenings and Saturdays, when the menu has big discounts across the board.

Best sushi in Portland, hands down! The place is not the fanciest restaurant - it is very laid back, decorated in a pretty hipster fashion - but if you're looking for darn good sushi and don't want to spend a lot of money, this place is for you! It is always the first place I recommend to people travelling to Portland on a budget.

Our favorite place to eat Sushi. When we are introducing someone to sushi we take them here. Friends and Family become fans of sushi because of this place.

This place was really cool but sketchy. Tried some of their sushi it was good but I felt like it was grocery store sushi, ordered some hamachi( yellow tail ) didn't really taste like it. Kinda felt like if I kept eating it I would be in my hotel toilet all night. But a great place for a quick and cheap bite.

Went for my first time tonight and has a great time. Sushi and other items were better than expected. Chefs were very friendly and our server was attentive. Would definitely come again!

First sushi in PDX. Went for the experience. Ambience and service gets the stars; food kind of.

The sushi was great. It was recommended by a family member and I am glad that I went.The service was great and we got our order fast. I had the shrimp boat and it was yummy. I love the conveyor belt because there was lots of sushi to choose from.

Was told by locals that this is the best place for sushi as we were walking in. The staff was friendly, and the sushi was very tasty and fresh. I really enjoyed the white fish sashimi. My boyfriend and I ate comfortably here and were shocked that our meal total was only $16 for the both of us combined, as we ate a LOT of food and accumulated the most plates in our party. This is a great spot for sushi lovers looking for an affordable, tasty lunch and I wish I lived nearby so I could revisit frequently.

Great sushi made fresh in front of you (or taken off the train in front of you, really friendly staff who made some lovely recommendations and it was reasonably priced. Win all round 👍

Came here for lunch with my husband and daughter who wanted to go to a restaurant where she could see the food she was going to pick out pass in front of her. Here it passes by on a little train. Sushi is fresh and flavorful with great variety and price is easily determined by the color of the sushi's plate. Sushi was very very good and,of course, delivery was fast. Although we are only in town for a short time- this may be a do-over--it was that good. Highly recommended!

Our 8 year old has recently discovers sushi (mostly tomago and plain rice rolls) and taking him to the type of place where you pick the plates off a conveyor belt -- or in this case a model train -- has made it even more fun. You are not getting high end fish, but after feeding a family of 3 for around $20, it sure seems like a deal. The place has the vibe and decor of a Japanese street cafe. Kitchy cute and dated, but that's kind of a plus.

Such a fun dive restaurant in the Pearl district. Hipsters - hipsters everywhere! Total greasy spoon/grubby cafe setting, but the wait staff was totally fun and so was the atmosphere. Most importantly - the sushi was fantastic. The only thing I didn't like were the Yakisoba noodles - had a sweet and almost smoky flavor that I wasn't accustomed to. I would go back. We literally ate the left side of the menu.

My wife and I enjoyed our meal here from the first to last bite. Sushi was excellent, we sat at the bar and went with the sushi chef's recommendation for the fish. We also had oysters which were fresh and excellent. Small beer menu but good selections available. All in all a great place for sushi.

Everything was fresh ... service was excellent. However, we caught them at a bad time... they were cleaning up as they were closing. We would try it again but at a better time. The price was reasonable.

Definitely my favorite place for sushi. You can't beat $1.25 for the white and tan plates. I'm obsessed; that's for sure.

Love this place so much that I visited twice during my stay! Located in the Pearl District of downtown Portland, parking may be a tricky on the street, but it can be found. Don’t be dissuaded by the conveyor system, the fish is fresh and tasty, and the price? Can’t believe the affordability of the place – in Los Angeles, Monterey, or D.C., the prices would have been double or even triple! Plates range from $1.50 to $3 per order. Instead of picking plates from the choo-choo train that pulls cars with plates of sushi, I recommend ordering straight from the chefs – you can get what you want, freshly made. In addition to the usual nigiri and rolls (spicy tuna, salmon skin, etc.), Ichiban also serves Hamachi and Sake (salmon) grilled collar a delicacy. To wash down the very tasty fish, a selection of sake and Japanese beer are available (Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo). Tasty, fresh fish at an affordable price – can’t be beat!

Fun, easy place to grab some sushi. We ordered off the menu. It was easy and we didn't have to figure out what was on the train. Get the pork Bao. Soo good!

The only thing that got me to go in was seeing that it was completely packed. A lot better than the reviews on here say and is really good experience. Not the best sushi, but that is expected with the conveyer type sushi joints. More of a novelty place to eat than to get "amazing" food. I'd go again. The shushi comes around on a little train. It's pretty awesome

Sushi rolls by on train, as you watch the chefs work in the central, open prep area. You can grab what you like, or hand the chef an order form. * ask the chefs about their steam buns. I love the pork!

Was taken here by some friends who live nearby, and it was a real treat. Sushi isn't my first choice of food, but really enjoyed it. It's quirky, filling, and very cheap. The sushi is placed on a train which rides around a long oval eating area, and there's plenty of order forms so you can get what you like put on the train. Avocado rolls and salmon rolls were my favorites, but I'm no expert - just nice simple, cheap tasty food in a relaxed environment. Arrive early - it gets very busy very quickly (which tells you much more about the place than my review can).

We went here on a whim, thinking we would peek in the door and see what it was all about. We stayed because the place was packed and everyone had big stacks of little plates by their side. Between us we shared 4 different sushi plates and ordered a shrimp and veggie tempura that was really excellent. Everyone around us seemed to be a regular - they will offer you wasabi and pickled ginger when you sit down, but feel free to ask for spicy mustard, mayo and hot sauce if you want them. We were also impressed that single diners offered to move to make room for groups of two or three that came in looking to squeeze in. We were happy with our choice and left full for less than $20 for the two of us.

Went here with a crowd of students when we were all in town for a conference, and we all had a great time for a great price. The sushi is tasty and well-prepared, and prices are totally reasonable. Service was great, and the train that carried the sushi around the bar was a fun touch. Definitely a place to try if you're in town!

Not 100% quality, but quite good and UNBEATABLE pricing for sushi... Wed & Sat are special price days. :)

Look, it's train sushi, so get your expectations in line. And maybe it's not the cleanest looking place from the outside, and you might wade through some bums on the way in... but I've been here a hundred times, and it's consistent, and I keep going back. Service is solid and friendly, food is always tasty (order something fresh, instead of from the train). And I highly recommend the Tokyo (tuna/ginger) and the Salmon Skin Hand Roll.

Unlike other kaiten sushi joints, this place has an electric train that brings the food around. I ordered my sushi fresh and was not disappointed. The prices are very good, and they are very busy for lunch.

Right when we walked into the restaurant, it smelled really bad. The place was busy, but it was old and dirty. I wasn't too excited about eating here, but I was with my family and they were tired and ready to sit and eat. The selection was poor- not many things to choose from on the conveyer belt and nothing was labeled. It was hard to know what everything was. All six of us tried different things, but the consensus among us was "Eh..."

You can't expect a lot more than entertainment value at this downtown Portland spot. A train runs around the sushi bar and god only knows how long some of those items have been on there. Order from the menu, but chances are you'll end up pulling from the train as it incessantly makes its rounds in front of you. The sushi is really fair. It appears as a good deal, but you are paying $1.50 to $2.50 for a couple pieces. Normal sushi restaurants are $8 to $10 for a really good roll, 8 pieces, right? Didn't add up. The quality is fair. Entertaining? Yes. On a Friday it is portlandia live.

it's not great but super cheap

All the sushi comes around on an electric train. Each colored plate is a different price. I left extremely full and only paid $12! Amazing value!

I visited the place for dinner. All sushi & other small items services through train. Of course tasty & small bite big feelings. It's Japanese Style but Ramen not real??? My friend also 100% agree being Japanese. Please think seriously before placing orders if you do deserve real taste & flavor! Place looks old but seating place inside impressive but little bit narrow. Value - will be working for all.

so glad I found this little diamond in Portland. I now eat here usually about twice a week, they have the best albacore I've eaten anywhere. Several specialty rolls all of which are awesome, the sushi chefs sure know what they're doing here. The facility itself doesn't look like much but you get better sushi here than you do in an upscale looking place and its half the price. The staff here is extremely accommodating and will do whatever it takes to make you happy when you leave. Don't miss out on this place you were right when you finally do try it and wondered why you hadn't done here to begin with.

This is like a hidden gem! It's not much to look at from outside but the food is incredible, so reasonable, always friendly service, this place is the best! I have never had one bad item! The miso soup is the best I have had in Portland, great sushi and the variety is super! Great place!

We where looking for a sushi Resturant near the Pearl District and I found the reviews for Sushi Ichiban and decided to give it a try. The food was great and so was the service. It has a cool atmosphere. The chef's are vitiated in a center island and you can sit on a stool or there are booths. The sushi is not thin slices, they provide great sushi/sashimi. Go give it a try.

Sushi train!!!

Fun place with sushi plates on a train. Grab a seat and order up something special and grab something off the train while you wait. Happy hour pricing wed eve and all day Saturday makes the low prices a steal. Fresh sake nigiri for 1.50$. Yes yes yes. It can be super busy so come early or late at lunchtime. And Wednesday night you should be there right at dinner open.

It was ok. Nothing special but not bad. The options coming down the conveyor were uninspiring. The place smelled very badly (like old food and cleaning products), was dank in general and could really use an update. If felt very depressing in there. I wouldn't venture in again.

Went for lunch. Sat on the bar. Service was prompt and kind. One of us was vegan, he had a lot of options and the staff was very accommodating in explaining about the dishes. You make you order and whole you wait can take some more from the train that goes by on the bar. It's all very fast and efficient. The food is really good and presented in a very appealing way. We had a great time and finished with a very modest bill at the end. Don't miss. Just go.

I love the fact that you can try small portions of different rolls, a few pieces at a time. The variety is nice to have. Honestly though, my absolute favorite roll here is a vegan one called the Eliza roll. They are really good. I'd advise against their "ramen" though. It was edible, but not great.