Jando S.
Yelp
The storied sushi history of Portland is incomplete without Saburo's, which has been part of the dining scene for 35 years and counting. My previous review of a lifetime ago still applies, but seeing as it's been a decade plus, there are some pretty significant updates. They now use Yelp waitlist (#1) and also provide online ordering for takeout.
However, some things never change. The parking is still absurdly tight, the lines always form around opening of service, the seating is limited and the place is tiny. Opening 4 hours a night has been a profitable, winning formula for them for so long that the hype has been subdued by longtime Portlanders. The two sushi chefs working in behind the counter are not going to be omakase masters, but are able to keep up with the pace somewhat to keep address the demand.
Their claim to fame has always been their thick cuts of fish. Whenever the quality is questionable, sometimes bigger is not always better. Folks who are not large portions won't enjoy the Saburo experience, however, the key is to come hungry and feening for a sushi craving. The creamy scallop is still one of my go-to choices, along with their intimidatingly long unagi eel and their incredibly popular salmon belly.
I can't say I love their hamachi; yellow tail should have a more translucent cut and their maguro tuna is dyed so heavily red that it bleeds onto the rice more often than not. At the end of the day, I think the rolls are their best option, in particular the spider roll and dragon roll, for its abundance and portion-to-price point.
Price wise, foodflation has been as significant here as it has been anywhere. A meal of various rolls / nigiri / sashimi for 3 several years ago would have been teetering at $100 but was essentially $200 for me recently. The sticker shock (#2) is jarring for many of us who have dined here over the years. The service hasn't improved enough for me to indulge often, even if the tech has made a jump for the better.
Ultimately, I'm not holding my breath for Saburo's and while I still respect the hustle, I will likely indulge in other spots before settling for their small operating window and gargantuan sushi.
__________
(#1) Gamechanger always.
(#2) $27 for a dragon roll? $28 for a rainbow roll? Might as well replace the nori seaweed with an actual dollar bill.