Takahashi Reviews

Best Japanese food this side of Tokyo. Even in these times of separation and fear of the unknown it’s nice to have the ability to “take-out” on a date night.

Had the dinner and always enjoy getting the four or five courses it comes with. I try to sit up front if room, totally different atmosphere than the newer rear section. I've been coming here for 15 years and always a treat.

The woman who does my wife's nails told us about this place, where her daughter works so we decided to try it. And we were amazed!! It's pretty hidden away along a busy street but once inside there are several options of places to eat, including at the counter or way back in a room in the rear. We were seated there and were pleased with the decor and the comfortable feeling. The table was a bit large for the 3 of us to be able to talk across is so we moved my mother-in-law to the side, closer to us. The menu is extensive including sushi, sashimi, tempura, and other traditional Japanese noodle, rice, and vegetable dishes. We ordered way too much food because it all looked good but we had enough left for some dinner for people at home and lunch for both of us the next day. The sushi was excellent -- next time we'll order some different kinds. The selection of tempura was wide and we got a nice variety. It was fresh and crisp, not soggy. We got beef and chicken don entres as well as a yakisoba. All were wonderful! (Much better than Oh! Teriyaki, which is good for what it is, but this is many steps up!) The server was very friendly, helpful, and attentive. We had a wonderful meal and overall experience. Thanks!

While living in Portland we went to Takahashi's many times. Like said in a review before me the outside is unattractive but get inside it is so cute and quant. We like to sit in the front and watch the action. On the table is the sushi list that you can check off what you want, also there is a menu to order other things. I always order the Shrimp and veggie Tempura, you can order the vegetables you want for this meal. Everything tastes just wonderful. some of the best Japanese food I have ever had. we live in Nevada now and will be visiting Portland in a few weeks so will definitely go to Takahashi while there. Love, love, love this place. It gets very crowded so go early

I`ve been going to Takahashi for many years...The food is wonderful & the staff very friendly. Sagi & Ruth are the best!

The freshness of the sushi is evident in the taste. The dinners are served with several small side dishes including miso soup, pickled vegetables and hot potatoes in broth. My companion doesn't like seafood, so ordered the chicken which was cooked perfectly. We also ordered vegetable tempura which was lightly battered and crispy. The inside of the restaurant belies the outside which is in need of paint or something, as it looks uninviting and rundown. Obviously, they spend much more attention to what goes on inside. This is a restaurant I have visited for years, and I am never disappointed.

Takahashi just won People's Choice award for best sushi in town. Fresh, artistic sushi. Friendly staff and fun decor make this a great place for any kind of group. Back room has larger tables for bigger gatherings. Their child's meal was eagerly eaten by our 4 and 6 yr old grandsons.

Step into Takahashi and feel whisked away to another time and country. Packed with a horder's dream of random Japanese collectables, a family-run Japanese kitchen, and plenty of seating, this place is always delightful and the sushi is excellent. Also the prices cannot be beat.

Joined a group for a birthday celebration here recently. It was my first time, and I was impressed! Shared a rainbow roll as an appetizer, was a little spendy but ingredients were all very fresh. Had the teriyaki special dinner for my main course; came with miso soup, cucumber salad, yakisoba, fried or steamed rice, 6 California rolls and the teriyaki. The beef was a good cut and very tender; fried rice was the best I have ever had and I felt no need to dose it with soy sauce. In fact, I didn't put soy sauce on anything - a first for me! Everything was very good! Only had tea to drink, and servers were prompt at replacing empty pots. Service was attentive enough; orders for 12 people were delivered with no errors! Overall, a very good experience.

Always came by when we are in the area. Sushi has continued to become even bigger in the rice. Fish freshness is only average. Used to be much better 5 years ago. But has become mediocre in recent years. Tempura batter is still soft (fried oil not hot enough). I would recommend the combination dinner - good value for money with good size and DELICIOUS rib-eye and salmon filets. Better sit closer to the entrance as the back has persistent old dirty carpet smell.

I ordered the Jo Roll and the Tako salad on Postmates.. Both arrived in good shape, cool and fresh. Wow, really delicious. I have eaten here before and the quality of the ingredients is really nice.

authentic sushi. expensive.

My daughter and I went there both nights we were in Portland recently. The 1st night we met up with an old friend and his other half. We had a variety of dishes all were great and at a great price on Wednesday as they offer discounted prices. My favorite was the bowl of Unagi and the Sweet Raw Shrimp. Yum!

This is a rustic-style Japanese restaurant in the unlikely location of a small strip of businesses on Holgate Boulevard. Don't let the somewhat run-down exterior put you off. This is the real thing - a Japanese country-style restaurant run by a Japanese-American family. Because it's country-style, there are more stewed vegetable, chicken and meat dishes than maki rolls. We are not experienced in Japanese cuisine, so we ordered off the glossy menu which had a number of set meals. Three of us chose dinners that included miso soup, pickled cucumber and sushi. The stewed potatoes, also advertised as part of the set meal, weren't available, which was unfortunate for the vegetarian in the group, as the substitute dish had chicken. The fourth member of the group, a vegan, chose tofu in a thin broth, which didn't have much flavor. We were unable to share the cucumber with her as it had slivers of crab sticks on it. None of this is a complaint. I think what we experienced was probably fairly typical of the food that we might be given at a Japanese country inn. Kind of home cooking. Looking around, I saw that many diners had large platters with a wide variety of maki rolls, which looked delicious. If I have the opportunity to return - and I hope I do, as the welcome was warm and the food was fresh - I will get out my pencil and fill out the checklist on the table to order sushi/sashimi. For the price of our set meal, I think I would be served an array of different colorful rolls, full of super-fresh raw fish, which would be more to my taste than stewed or fried vegetables. But it's all an adventure, and I feel as if I had more of a taste of rural Japan tonight than I would have had in many restaurants that claim to be Japanese.

Not always spot-on, but consistently excellent.

I used to eat here a couple times a month. Sometime last year, the prices went up as the rolls got smaller and smaller. One family member ate there yesterday--complained that the waitress was smug, the portions small and overpriced. He's not planning to return because he had the same experience last month. I want this place to succeed. I hope they figure out that regular customers are missing and they need to reverse some bad decisions before it's too late.

This restaurant is unassuming and casual. They have a big area in the back which is good for big groups. It can get busy during peak times but the wait is worth it. Eating here has made me never want to eat at the sushi train places ever again. We love sitting at the sushi bar where we can watch ask the action. I've always gotten sushi in one form or another, but other noodle and rice options are available for the faint of heart who don't eat raw fish. We probably eat here 50% of the time and get it to go the other 50%.

I've never been disappointed in the 21 years that I've been going there. My entire extended family (many of whom live or have visited Japan) agrees that it's the most authentic Japanese restaurant in Portland! Delicious sushi, friendly waitresses, and great service!

We were looking for a Japanese restaurant between Clackamas and Vancouver. Found this place and decided to try it based on the reviews. Despite the outside appearance, we found the inside to be quaint. My daughters enjoyed the train that travels above the guests. The food was delicious and plentiful. It was so busy they ran out of chicken. The sushi was worth the wait. Would stop here again.

My wife and I accidentally found this restaurant. We've tried several Japanese restaurant in the Portland/Beaverton area and found most to be so-so to very good. Takahashi has an interesting menu. You can order set dinners or experiment with different dishes (recommended). I had a variety of sushi plus the hamachi kama (collar). My wife wanted a bowl of sushi rice with just sashimi. The restaurant didn't have this on the menu but accommodated us with a sashimi platter and added the sushi rice (no extra charge). We're returning for the tempura menu. I have not found such a menu anywhere is the US (I did find one in Tokyo). I would have rated Takahashi as excellent but they had only two choices of cold sake; and only an average selection. PS - the staff was friendly and provided outstanding customer service. Takahashi is now my favorite Japanese restaurant in the Portland area.

My husband did some on-line research on Portland restaurants for our recent vacation to Oregon and came across Takahashi, which had gotten good reviews, so we decided to try it. Don't let its location in a modest little strip center deter you (if we hadn't read the great reviews, we might have kept on driving when we saw the outside). This is a gem of a place, owned by a Japanese gentleman (Seiji Takahashi) and his wife Ruth, and it is run by the family. The daughter, Elizabeth, was our waitress and was delightful. The restaurant is decorated with many authentic Japanese items and is funky and fun. There is a sushi bar, or you can sit at tables. We both ordered dinners that came with a large array of dishes, all delicious, and my husband also ordered several pieces of sushi which he said were wonderful. Prices are reasonable considering the quantity and quality of the food, but the menu is a bit confusing, with dinners that come with side dishes (outlined on a whimsical hand-written and illustrated menu) or al la carte sushi on a separate menu -- ask if you need clarification. There was a steady stream of people coming in to have dinner and picking up take-out. Some other reviews indicated that it gets busy especially on weekends and there can be a wait, but we went early and were seated immediately. If you like Japanese food or want to try something different, this little neighborhood restaurant is definitely worth a visit.

We ordered sushi, tempura, etc. All are good and with above average freshness - perhaps this was because it was Wednesday (the restaurant is closed every Monday and Tuesday). The sushi was much fresher when we visited last year. We continued to look for the combination dinner - inexpensive, good ingredient and great portion - a combination of teriyaki beef, teriyaki chicken and salmon was only $20. Service was attentive and responsive. Just the smell of sake (Japanese rice wine which is definitely not my palate) in the inner area of the restaurant threw me off a bit.

Great misso soup, not too salty. Food ordered promptly. Tasted great. Minor problem of temperature of teriyaki steak fixed happily and promptly. Very attentive server doing whatever was needed to make the guest happy.

We eat here at least twice a year and love it. The food has always been very good until this last visit when I decided to try the sukiyaki. Generous portion of beef but very tough and fatty. Generous portion of bok choy but also very chewy. Additionally, both were cut into very large pieces. With no knife to make them bite-size, I had to hold in my hand and bite off a portion at a time. I finished the bok choy but quickly gave up on the beef. The broth was very tasty but I would not order the sukiyaki again.