Akizawa Japanese Bistro

Came here with friends for dinner and had a great time. Highly recommend the chicken karaage, super crispy outside, and juicy&tender inside! The omakase sashimi was very fresh, and the texture was amazing. They also have a nice selection of Japanese style beers, I tried matcha IPA which was surprisingly special and really good:::)))))) Loved the vibe and the food, definitely will come back again!

We had an excellent dining experience at Akizawa, with outstanding food, drinks, and service. Despite some previous reviews mentioning a one-hour time limit for two people, the staff was flexible and didn’t rush us—possibly because the restaurant wasn’t full. Here’s a breakdown of what we ordered: • Grilled Duck (Appetizer): Tender, juicy, and full with umami flavor. • Pork Tonkatsu (Appetizer): A lean cut of meat that was very tender and not dry at all. The crust was light and perfectly crispy. • Nigiri and Sushi Rolls: The fish was incredibly fresh, and the rice was well-prepared with just the right balance. As a fan of Edomae-style (more vinegary) rice, I found their rice slightly different but still excellent. We only wished they offered chutoro, which wasn’t available, and a wider variety of fish. • Caramel Pudding (Dessert): Tasty but not particularly memorable. • Sake: The staff provided thoughtful recommendations based on our preferences and even let us sample a few options before we chose a bottle we loved. Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the experience. We’ll definitely return and recommend Akizawa to anyone looking for a great dining experience!

Delicious sushi spot ! The fish was super fresh and loved the twists they bring to the sushi. I’ve never had citrus in my sushi, and I loved it! Super tasty. Will definitely come back.

This spot is one of those rare restaurants where the quality is the same quality of eating in Japan. Everything was fresh and phenomenal. The owner was so kind and very helpful. I could not recommend more.

A very small Japanese restaurant, no advertising, no online reservation, no take out, but oh such a gem!! It has 5 - 2 person tables and 5 counter seats, that’s it. My friend works at adjacent bldg for 2 years even didn’t know it was there. Chef is Japanese, with one assistant chef, with only two of them with two waitresses, this size would be just enough to give customers good service. Their foods are authentic Japanese dishes, but I experienced something I’ve never experienced any other Japanese restaurants I’ve ever been. Their foods are not only tasty but visually beautiful. Each dish is not overly assertive, yet all the dishes create a wonderful harmony, like a philharmonic orchestra. You may feel that dishes that are not very assertive and somewhat lacking. But I was amazed and deeply moved by realizing how this chef is deeply knowledgeable about Japanese dishes. We ordered gyoza appetizer, tuna roll, Akizawa futomaki roll, chirashi sushi and pork katsu. I chuckled about Katsu that they use a good grade meat with no fat, it even killed its junky katsu taste that Japanese katsu should have, yet it was tender and flavorful. Akizawa roll and chirashi were my favorite. Their sushi rice too, I didn’t taste vinegar nor sugar, considering the amount of rice chef uses, sushi rice didn’t scream its existence at all but perfectly supported variety of fresh seafoods, the way it supposed to do. Wow! Totally hats off to the chef’s sense of art of both visual and taste beauty. He’s a true magician of Japanese cuisine! FYI, they said lunch time is very busy too as well as dinner time, they have chicken or pork katsu or katsudon (katsu bowl) lunch set all under $20. Reservation is a must regardless if it’s lunch or dinner. I’m glad I found this gem. You should visit to experience the chef’s beautiful magic of the art of authentic Japanese cuisine that only this restaurant has, nowhere else.

My girlfriend and I checked out this place on our anniversary trip to Portland because she loves sushi and the reviews here were glowing. Outside, the place is a bit unassuming but it felt like we were in a sushi restaurant in Japan upon walking in. I will start off by saying that the service was great. We were seated promptly according to our reservation time and had a seat at the sushi bar which was fun. Our waters were never empty and recommendations were on point. Unfortunately, the food is where we faced some disappointment. The chicken katsu was AMAZING. Probably the best I have ever had. It was cooked perfectly. The premium omakase was overpriced in my opinion but the real downfall is that my girlfriend cannot have wasabi so we asked for one with wasabi and one without. What we received was some of the nigiri on my plate having wasabi and some not, some on her plate being the same way, but it’s not like there was one kind of nigiri with one piece having wasabi and one not. It was a whole mix so my girlfriend ended up not being able to eat like half the plate. When we brought it up, we honestly thought they would fix it or something but we just ended up getting a small discount at the end of the bill (not nearly enough to account for her not being able to eat the majority of what we ordered). I wish we did not have this kind of experience because it started off so good.

This is a small restaurant located in downtown. I came for a quick lunch meal after visiting the portland japanese garden nearby. All the dishes here were very good. My favorite was the egg dish and the tonkatsu. Service was excellent as well. The bathrooms are located in a separate part of the building and you need to ask for a key.

Amazing place. Very small but wonderfully laid out and authentic feeling. Had Katsu, Miso, Miso Cod, Uni Toro Handrolls, Eel Avacado Roll, and some great sake. Highly recommend this place. In house soy sauce is always a great tell for authentic Japanese food. Will be back soon.

Beautiful. Food traditional, a bit inovative. Service was attentive and on target. Very home base kind of place for locals.

Delicious food! Would recommend making a reservation. They were very communicative about their wait times and availability. Would highly recommend all of the dishes I ordered. -tonkatsu -shishito peppers -gindara (black cod special) -salmon toro nigiri - tako karaage -gyoza -chawanmushi Intimate place and good for small groups.

Akizawa is a wonderful addition to Downtown Portland. it seems like PDX has had an explosion of new (and delicious) sushi restaurants over the past 2-3 years, and Akizawa is no exception! i made reservations in advance, which i HIGHLY recommend. Akizawa is a small place, so you may not be seated (especially on a weekend at dinner time) if you don't have a reservation. upon walking in, we were greeted by the staff and we settled into the cozy atmosphere as we waited for our table to open. what caught my eye while waiting was appreciating how they had their variety of sake artfully placed on the wall with short, informative descriptions of each one. once we were seated and looked over the menu, we ordered: * gyoza * edamame * albacore yuzu omoi * rainbow roll * heather canyon roll * negihama roll * negitoro roll * salmon maki * cho toro nigiri i enjoyed everything... there wasn't a single item i didn't like or wouldn't order again. the fish was among the freshest i've experienced around the area. aside from freshness, i was pleased that the rolls and the nigiri were bite-sized and properly cut. i always experience anxiety when going to a sushi spot i've never been before, because i'm always worried the rolls or nigiri will be too large to eat properly. this is definitely the kind of sushi spot where the fish really speaks for itself, and i will probably skip the rolls and only order sashimi or nigiri the next time i visit. the only thing preventing me from giving this experience 5-stars was the time it took to receive our food. it took 20-ish mins to receive our appetizers, then another 25-ish mins before the main dinner items reached our table. we arrived at the restaurant absolutely famished, so waiting 45 mins for the full meal was a somewhat stressful. additionally, knowing we only had about an hour slotted at our table before the next reservation, it was a bummer that the food took so long and we didn't really have time to order more food.

Akizawa is perfect for a rainy day lunch for sushi and sake lovers! It's an Izakaya with an omakase or a la carte sushi and nigiri menu, a very robust appetizer section, boxed sushi, Donburi, and some cooked offerings, a full sake menu + other drinks. If you don't do raw fish, you still have solid options, such as: garlic edamame, agedashi tofu, gyoza, shisito pepper, ika karaage, California roll, and black cod miso, shrimp tempura. But really, you should just do a plentiful mix! Everything is tasty. Highly recommend: Heather Canyon roll, Toro nigiri, garlic edamame, shisito pepper, ika karaage The restaurant is tucked next to Morgan's Alley and across from The Bidwell Hotel. It is limited seating so for peak hours it might be hard to get seated. Only street parking available.

First of all, I am filled with internal conflict because I don't want to leave a 5-star review and tell the world this Akizawa is an incredible sushi and Japanese bistro...I mean do they need another 5-Star review ? Will it become even harder to get a table? Well, I'll suffer waiting for a table because we want to support and thank Rosie and her husband for creating this wonderful, quaint and elegant restaurant that we love so much. We even made a trek from San Jose to celebrate our friend BB's birthday here because he found and loves this place. My wife is from Tokyo and Akizawa passed her high sushi and sashimi standards. And there is a wall of sake and I suggest that you ask Rosie for a recommendation. Wish this restaurant was in San Jose but I'll continue to travel to Portland and visit every trip.

One of the more impressive spots I've been to as of late. The inside ambience is immaculate, peaceful and cooling. I loved the mismatch wooden chairs. The space is on the smaller side so only about ~15 people can be seated at a time. Do make reservation. The food is totally worth the effort to eat here. Izakaya-style so smaller plates meant for sharing and sampling but the prices were great for the quality of food that you get. We started off with a handful of appetizers: Assorted Tempuras, Yuzu Albacore, Umagi, and Gyoza. All dishes were delicious. The seafood in the tempura was so fresh. They were all very well-battered and fried as well. The Albacore was very tender, pairing great with the unique yuzu vinegrette. The Umagi was also decadent, delicious flavored omlette with sweet grilled eel in the center. The Gyozas were nicely porky and umami with extremely crispy and thin wings. For rolls, we got the Toro Negi Hoshomaki, Dragon Roll, and Spicy Tuna Roll. I was a big fan of the Negi Toro. The simplicity of the dish highlighted the quality of the fish, rice, and seaweed. The Dragon Roll and Spicy Tuna were also delicious. All around a 10/10 dining experiece. Since this was a small operation with two people at the back of house and one in front, at times we needed to wait quite a bit for our food but the ambience of the place and the food that you get just made it that much easier to be patient. They're open for lunch as well, serving similar appetizers and Teishoku. We'll definitely be back to try lunch and their seasonal offerings!

Truly a gem of a japanese spot! This restaurant/izakaya perfectly fits the balance of upscale, elegant sushi at a more accessible price than your typical "fancy" spot. But don't be mistaken, every bite brings an elevated experience that is hard to match at any other spot in town! Everything was made fresh to order and the yuzu albacore was the softest and most delicious sashimi I've ever tasted. Not to mention you could taste the care and attention to detail in each bite of the sushi rolls. Everything was stellar! Top it off with the kind and welcoming folks (only 3 people from what we saw!) providing excellent service and you have what I think is the best izakaya in portland!

Nice place, they let me sit near the door until they were actually open. She put me at the bar, which was ok at 3 people, 5 would be cramped. I asked for coke or coffee, they had 7UP the water was really good so I did not need it, after all. The pork fried dumpling giyu (sp?) was tasty but had hard pieces, maybe fat. I also had the rainbow sushi, which was good, wish it had more ginger or the hot green (avocado?) Still had pleasing taste lingering in my mouth or mind for about an hour. She did say I could reserve for lunch. I don't know enough to order other dishes, but will probably come back to try. Have only been to 4 other sushi places so not that knowledgeable.

We had a great dinner experience here! Nice ambiance and very attentive service. They have great recommendations for drink pairings. The quality of fish and reasonable prices are worth checking out. We started with the tako karaage which was great! Sashimi was fresh, texture perfect. Also loved the tuna tataki. Will be back often! Very central downtown location. We heard desserts are coming next week!

Walked in on a Friday night without a reservation and the owner was so kind and said to come back one hour which was expected. Came back after a drink and was sat at the sushi bar. Food was fresh and server (I'm guessing owner?) was polite and didn't rush us. Not only was everything delicious but also AFFORDABLE! Not over priced and highly recommended. I enjoy high end sushi restaurants like (masu, momoyama) but this place is better. Will be coming back for sure

What is this amazing Japanese restaurant? Dining at Akizawa Japanese Bistro felt like eating at a hidden gem in an alley in Japan. Today I visited Akizawa Japanese Bistro, a new addition to downtown Portland on Broadway, and it was a delightful experience. Despite being open for only two weeks, this restaurant has already made a great impression. We stumbled upon Akizawa for dinner and, without a reservation, managed to snag seats at the bar for a late dinner. The chef and the host were incredibly friendly, making us feel welcome despite the minor inconvenience of a broken AC. However, the food was so tasty that the AC issue was easily overlooked. The ingredients were incredibly fresh, and it was evident in every dish we tried. The pork katsu stood out as the best I've had in Portland, fried to order with a perfectly crispy batter. The sushi pieces were equally impressive, with the right balance of rice and fish, and very reasonably priced. I hope they maintain these prices. The grilled mackerel, dried after in kombu water, was another highlight. It had no fishy smell and tasted amazing. It's worth noting that there's only one chef preparing all the food and the restaurant was full, so we had to be patient. But the quality and taste were well worth the wait. If you plan to try everything on the menu, I recommend booking a table and going early, as many ingredients were sold out. I really want to try Aji in Three Ways next time, which is their weekly special and was sadly sold out right in front of my order. The host was very knowledgeable and recommended other similar menus right away, which was also great. Overall, I'm thrilled to have found this place and look forward to many more meals here.

The Heather Canyon Roll is so fun, with lavender and orange peel- I have had nothing like it, a wonderful balance. Give it a go.

Went for Valentine's Day and it was our first time there. Good variety in the menu and we ate family style. All the dishes were great - very nice presentation and service. Great sauces Small place so reservations would be good

The good: friendly staff, beautiful restaurant, everything looked and smelled delicious. The bad: we never got to try the food. Thirty minutes after sitting down, we still didn't have a complete menu (we were told the sushi roll menu still needed to be printed) and had not even been asked for drink orders. We ended up leaving when we noticed the table that came in after us was being served drinks.

Authentic, fresh, high quality food. Service was good, small restaurant but feels comfortable.

Quaint and tiny inside. Walked in on a Saturday night w/o resies. Big mistake, big! Make reservations or forget about it!

This place is incredible!!! I keep forgetting to take pictures because I am too excited to eat everything. The prices are very reasonable for the value. The fish tastes so fresh - I so far have tried and loved the salmon box, the dragon and dynamite rolls, the bluefin nigiri, and the scallop nigiri. The assorted tempura is so well done - light and flaky and the vegetables and shrimp taste so fresh. I also loved the garlic edamame. They have a fun selection of sake as well! I highly recommend stopping by and supporting this new local place!

Akizawa is just about the cutest downtown Japanese bistro ever! The interior is super cozy and charming and the food is amazing as well. Stopped here for lunch on a nice day downtown. It looks like the lunch menu has katsu and donburi entrees, both of which aren't available on the dinner menu. As for the dishes we tried the Tako Karaage which was a super plump and meaty entree of octopus. It had a light crispy outer coating of batter that complimented it well. The chicken katsu set was really delicious and cooked perfectly. Katsu was crunchy and retained a lot of juiciness from the chicken. The salmon carpaccio was extremely light and refreshing. The adedashi tofu portion is super generous. All the dishes we had were a hit and I would love to come back for dinner sometime in the future!

Great authentic food! The premium nigiri is very delicious. Would love to check out this place again if we got time.

We came in near closing but will be back again! Service was very attentive, the food was amazing, we had the katsu don, and a rainbow roll - will be coming back to try more AND to take home a bottle of the yuzu sake!

Beautifully presented food. Small portions, delicate, delicious seasoning. An adventure we would enjoy again. Small, cozy restaurant. We ordered cucumber salad, tempura shrimp, tofu, pork donburi, cod, razor clams. Definitely sample various plates. Attentive service. Wonderful! Thank you!

Akizawa blew my mind. The food was so delicious. I tried the kaki namasu (persimmon salad) and it was amazing. I've never had picked persimmon and I loved it. I also tried the akizawa roll, let me tell you, best roll ever! It had a variety of flavors and they complimented each other so well. I also tried the chestnut Swiss roll and was so happy . The service was fantastic, super welcoming and the ambiance is cute and I'm so glad we ate here.

Outstanding food, nice atmosphere! Pics are from both lunch and dinner menu; had a great lunch there and had to come back later for dinner!

I visited Akizawa last week. I liked agedashi tofu, fried octopus, pork katsu. They are crunchy outside yet soft and juicy inside. I also had sashimi-don. It was fine as well. I would like to try sushi next time. It's a small place so reservation is recommended.

I am telling you right off the bat, this place is wonderful and you should eat here next. Of all the sushi restaurant openings that have happened in recent months, Akizawa excites me the most, and it's not just because I stumbled on it during my morning downtown walk (this really happened), but also because everything about it hits what a good restaurant should be. The highlights: I admit that we may have dined here on their soft opening that was probably meant for friends and family, but the kind owners were nice enough to seat us and provide exceptional service, all while entertaining their guests. The interior is tiny, but spacious enough for a few parties and decorated with beautiful Japanese antiques. Now when it comes to the food, LISTEN UP. You just need to order everything. There are no duds. Be sure to get the chawanmushi, pork belly, sashimi assortment, or any of the nigiri selection. The owners have worked in Japan and the Bay area for years and clearly know their craft. They were also working on a comprehensive sake menu, which unfortunately wasn't available when we dined there, but they are definitely serving sake now! (I know this because my friend just sent me a photo of her sake there at this very moment). The improveables: Practically none. This is unheard of. The location may deter some "suburban" folks (downtown Portland is apparently ~scary~), but I also feel that this restaurant adds some loveliness to the area. Also, it's basically right next to Pioneer Square, it isn't that bad down here. I live downtown, we're surviving and thriving. As I said above, Akizawa has it all: lovely hospitality, a gorgeous space to dine in, and exceptional Japanese food that, in just a short amount of time, has proven to surpass many other places in town. Now that's something to be proud of.

My new favorite sushi spot. Every thing was good like I was in Japan. The menu is small however everything were made w love.

Perfect in every way. Food was gorgeous and incredibly fresh. Service was perfect. Kind and enthusiastic without any pressure. Place is small and intimate. Highly recommended.

A small, intimate restaurant in downtown Portland, serving fresh sushi and seasonal specialties. The food is unmatched and so well prepared. The service was exceptional. She deftly handled all the tables and quickly served the sushi dishes made by the chef, as he called out to her as they were completed. The highlighted selection of private brewery sake on the wall describes a short history of each. A genuine experience.

The experience was perfect. Everything from the focused menu to placing the chopsticks on chopstick holders screamed attention to detail. I was immediately treated upon entry and seated at the sushi bar on request. The sushi chef was hyper focused on his craft and did not waste any movement preparing the fish. Now this is not one of those chain restaurants with 30+ different rolls. This is a more traditional Japanese restaurants with more limited items to make sure they focus on quality and it shows. I ordered the premium nigiri set and each of the 9 pieces I had were uniformly sized, tender, and delicious. There was the standard o-toro, chutoro, and akami trio along with Hokkaido uni, and anago as well other delightful bites. The restaurant is intimate and only has room for about 6 at the sushi bar and tables for about 20 people tops. This is perfect to allow the chef to focus on all of the guests without falling behind. I will be back for sure.

The place is small but cozy. The host was very friendly. The food was really good, specifically the Japanese custard it's bad that they don't have any uni. The only thing mediocre was the miso.

I don't usually do Yelp reviews, but the food here was so incredibly delicious that I had to leave a review. Everything tasted super fresh and the flavors were very rich. We got the miso soup, shishito peppers, cucumber salad, gyozas, and a few sushi rolls. Super filling and comforting food, I loved everything that I ate and will definitely be coming back here! The service was great and the food came out fast. The ambiance is intimate and cozy. Great place for a date night.

Had a nice sushi, kama and sashimi dinner experience. I wish they can offer their lunch menu on dinner as well. Will be back soon to explore more of their offerings.

We come to Portland alot and finding a good sushi place is always a must. This place is amazing! Food, service and ambiance. Small so make a reservation if a large group or need a definate dinner place. But so worth it.

Incredible food and service! The restaurant closed at 8:30 and the host/server worked hard to get us a table before closing. Besides DK in Austin, this was the best sushi my partner and I have ever had. The fish was so tender and fresh. The rice was perfectly cooked. Everyone was so nice too. Highly recommended!

We loved everything about Akizawa. As frequent travelers to Japan we felt we were in a diner somewhere along the streets of Kyoto. A very authentic experience and excellent food and sake selection. Murata used to be our go to in Portland but we now have a new favorite! We are looking forward to seeing Rosie and Zawa again soon!

This little spot is the best. I'm a truck driver just passing through when I stumbled upon this place. I showed up right when they opened and sat me easy. But they get full fast. Small intimate setting. It was great. Just a waitress and a chef. Perfect combo. The waitress knew the menu very well and gave me great recommendations. Very authentic Japanese sushi. It was such a great experience I bowed on the way out.‍. Definitely a place to check out

Great service. Sushi quality was well above the price point. The best part was they had real wasabi that the chef grated in front of me. Will be back the next time I'm in town.

I never write reviews but this bistro is a gem! Out server and the cook run things are work very hard. Every was fresh and delicious from the sunomuno to the sushi. The gyoza (which never get me excited) were perfectly cooked and filled with light flavorful pork and fresh ginger which added just the right bite! The best I have ever had! The saki selection was also great with lovely descriptions to help you choose. I cannot recommend Azikawa enough!!

Adorable and delicious! Such a cute and comfortable spot - the husband/wife team who own and run it are lovely (she runs the front of house and he is the chef). I've only been for lunch so far, I tried the shrimp tempura, sashimi and pork katsu and all were so fresh and delicious. I over ordered and the katsu made a perfect leftover the next day. I'm excited to go back for dinner!

We loved our first visit to Akizawa!! Rosie, our hostess, was so kind and helpful. Her husband is the chef and he knows what he's doing! Everything was delicious and super fresh. From tuna shashimi to pork in a delicious light coating, tuna roll, garlic edamame all excellent and tasty! We were even given complimentary beers while our other Japanese beers chilled. We will be returning soon to try more menu items! And experience a refreshing very hospitable atmosphere. Good luck with your new endeavor.

Great service and wonderful food! Everyone on staff is on point. Small building, may need reservation during peak dinner hours. They opened a month ago and are certainly impressive for being so new. Will be back!

The best Japanese restaurant in Portland downtown. Fresh ingredients, authentic food tastes, friendly welcoming service, and cozy ambiance.

Came with hubby for their soft opening. Very impressed by the qualify of the food. Ambience is pleasant and service is great. Chef's attention to detail is amazing. One of the best sashimi I have ever tried. Will definitely recommend!!!

This charming, unpretentious little restaurant serves some of the best Japanese food I've ever had outside of Japan. My wife and I ordered a selection of sushi, with two of the seasonal offerings (matsutake chawanmushi and persimmon salad) as appetizers, but I'm sure anything on the extensive menu would be excellent. Service was prompt and friendly, and while the prices are not cheap, they are quite reasonable for food of this quality. Seating is limited, so it's probably best to make a reservation. (We turned up without one and they graciously made room for us at the counter, but of course one can't count on their being able to do that every time.)

Great place for Japanese food. Both the chicken and pork katsu were very fresh and tasty.

This place opened two weeks ago and I just stumbled on it. They have a little bit to go before they find their groove, but they are doing pretty darn good. I gave them five stars for effort, I would give an established restaurant 3 to 4 stars. But I think this place just has the vibe that they are going to step it up and do good. Generally, I will give less stars and up them, this time I give more stars and if they deserve less, I will down it. The fish is very fresh and the preparation outstanding. My favorite, Uni was off the charts. And I am picky with that especially. More to come

We had amazing dinners and service by the owners. This is a husband and wife team restaurant. We went there twice within the same week. Their pork katsu and tempura are considered the best in the Portland area. We've pretty much tried most items on their menu. I think their cooked dishes are amazing and fishes are fresh. I am hoping they will bring more imported fish varieties from Japan. Service can be slow during peak dinner hour as they are still in their soft opening phase. But I will definitely go back. Their pricing is very reasonable.

Really nice new restaurant! They are still getting their legs under them so be aware that that it will take a little longer to get in and out, but the workers are so nice I didn't mind. Food was great and super fresh. I totally recommend the karage!

My husband walked by this place after a work meeting and made us try it. Thankfully this area has gotten dramatically better. The block is actually better than any part of the Pearl or 23rd which surprised me. The fish was so so fresh and melted in my mouth. It's a husband and wife team so it isn't as fast as some of the bigger sushi places, but it is truly worth the wait-which wasn't bad. So so good.