Murata Restaurant
Japanese restaurant · Downtown
200 SW Market St, Portland, OR 97201
Highlights
Authentic Japanese sushi & sashimi in a spartan, traditional space
Authentic Japanese sushi & sashimi in a spartan, traditional space
"Murata feels like it was transported from Tokyo in 1983 to the ground floor of a high-rise building in downtown Portland. The neutral decor hasn’t changed in decades, reservations still happenby phone only, and the specials board rotates through Hokkaido uni, firefly squid, and other delicacies that make sushi nerds sit up and pay attention. Regulars take seats at the sushi bar, ticking boxes on paper sheets for Dungeness crab and horse mackerel nigiri. While the pristine sushi is a draw, the dinner menu is full of sleeper hits like Osaka-style pressed sushi and zosui—a comforting rice soup served in a little iron pot that feels especially right on rainy Portland nights." - Krista Garcia
"Family owned since 1988, this downtown restaurant is an ideal spot to enjoy a meal before heading over to the Keller Auditorium for a show or concert. Sushi chefs in pristine white coats work with different cuts of tuna, and in the kitchen, steaming pots of ochazuke and zosui are made with a fish-based broth. For something a little different, try Murata’s sweet vinegar marinated dishes — the sunomono moriawase (assorted seafood) is the way to go." - Janey Wong
"Since 1988, Portlanders have stepped into downtown restaurant Murata for dinners of miso soup, tonkatsu, and broiled mackerel, pots of soothing zosui filled with ribbons of egg, or chirashi sporting generous slices of salmon and scallop. Alongside classic big items like dragon rolls and spider rolls, you’ll also find more unusual items like Osaka-style box-pressed sushi with cured mackerel and a menu of nigiri specials flown in from Japan, including Hokkaido uni and a three-piece bluefin tuna sampler. Murata is old-school in the best way, a style of Japanese restaurant becoming rarer and rarer with time, evidenced by the specials hand-written on a whiteboard, sushi chefs clad in ties and white coats, quiet jazz in the background, and private tatami rooms." - Katherine Chew Hamilton
"For decades, downtown workers have popped into this old-school Japanese restaurant for combination lunches of broiled salmon, tonkatsu, or sashimi, complete with sunomono, steamed rice, and miso soup. On cold days, Murata’s tempura-topped udon is straight-up comfort food. For a business lunch, reserve one of the restaurant’s tatami rooms for both privacy and comfort." - Paolo Bicchieri
"This little traditional Japanese mainstay can be found right across from the Keller Auditorium, serving everything from Japanese hotpot dishes to house-cured mackerel. Murata’s greatest strengths lie in the sushi sets and fish selection, allowing diners to either hand over control to the chef or pick their favorites a la carte. Keep an eye on the specials board, which will offer the best seasonal offerings on any given visit." - Seiji Nanbu, Janey Wong
