Japanese
A recent investigative report by the Willamette Week suggested that there are some 50 sushi restaurants in Portland, most purchasing their seafood from the same supplier. The cover story bizarrely went on to link this particular supplier with the Rev. Sun Myung Moon. If this is the case, tax evasion and alleged brainwashing might be the least of the notorious religious leader's infractions. Were the piece's claims to be true, and there's nothing to indicate otherwise, the iniquity of poor sushi might have to be added onto the list of Rev. Moon's offences. Put it this way: is it mere coincidence that the majority of sushi restaurants get their fish from the same place – and that the majority of sushi restaurants are not very good at all?
One local bastion of resistance to Rev. Moon and his fishy fish is operated by the formidable Ryoshirou Murata, whose eponymous downtown sushi bar is by some margin the most distinguished in Portland. Also considering Murata ranks easily with the finest Japanese restaurants in the Northwest, it's not unreasonably priced. Nonetheless, expect to spend a bare minimum of $20 for a moderate dinner – and much more for an extravagant one. With the exquisitely fresh sashimi just off the plane from Tokyo, at least you'll be getting your money's worth. If for some inscrutable reason the glory of raw fish isn't enough to satisfy, there's also an array of wonderful small plates like oysters in ponzu sauce, chazuke rice, and broiled salmon cheeks. Ultra-orthodox Murata's sole deviation from tradition is the preference for very subtly house-smoked salmon; if you're inclined to eat it in the usual style, you should let them know.
Murata sets the standard for Japanese food in Portland, but good sushi can also be had at cheaper prices. Apart from the lamentable Saburo's and its suspiciously cult-like following (see above), the most popular purveyor is Mio Sushi. With a cheerful and easily accessible branch on Hawthorne, it's clearly well-liked. However, the passable fare is not that much better than Tani's – which is marginally less expensive and even closer to campus.
More satisfying than the three above, Yoko's has a bit of an abstruse location only a few blocks north of Reed that makes it feel like a hidden find – until you see the page-long waiting list. The bar next door provides a comfortable space in which to twiddle your thumbs, and they'll call you when your table's ready. The menu can only be described as American-style (deep-fried rolls and the like), but there are actually some less common and thoroughly authentic items, like the delectable ika – slender slices of squid rolled over a shiso (Japanese basil) leaf. Immaculately fresh fish places Yoko's in a class above Mio and Tani's; aside from the peerless Murata, it's my pick of Portland's Japanese eateries.
For something completely different, you might want to check out Kyo-fu on Powell. To be frank, its speciality – okonomiyaki – is kind of disgusting. Something like a cross between an omelette and a filled savory pancake fried on a hotplate, its name translates literally to “cooked how/what you like.” In this case, what you like might be cabbage, pork, bean sprouts, corn, noodles, kimchi, onions, or cheese. Such a regrettable hodgepodge of ingredients invariably results in an oversalted mess, unredeemed by lashings of mayonnaise and Worcester sauce. However, the gastronomic predilection of millions can't be entirely wrong, so maybe you will like it. At the very least you can be utterly certain that you're not eating from the nefarious hand of Rev. Moon – and surely that counts for something.
Kyo-fu: 4811 SE Powell Blvd $-$$
Mio Sushi: 3962 SE Hawthorne Blvd; also at 2271 NW Johnson St $$
Murata: 200 SW Market St $$$-$$$$ R
Tani's: 4803 SE Woodstock Blvd $$
Yoko's: 2878 SE Gladstone St $$ R
See also (or not): Saburo's.