Yosaku

Japanese restaurant · Portland

Yosaku

Japanese restaurant · Portland

2

1 Danforth St, Portland, ME 04101

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Highlights

Fresh sushi & bento boxes with a tranquil Japanese garden patio  

Featured in The Infatuation
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1 Danforth St, Portland, ME 04101 Get directions

yosakumaine.com
@yosakumaine

$30–50 · Menu

Reserve

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1 Danforth St, Portland, ME 04101 Get directions

+1 207 780 0880
yosakumaine.com
@yosakumaine

$30–50 · Menu

Reserve

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Last updated

Aug 21, 2025

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The 25 Best Restaurants In Portland, Maine - Portland, ME - The Infatuation

"Yosaku has stood the test of time to become a Portland classic with Japanese food that ranges from sushi to soba and teppanyaki. Fishmongers bring their freshest product to the chefs here where the local catch becomes lobster sashimi or scallops on the half-shell served on little wooden boats. Lunch specials like their sushi combinations and ever-changing daily bento boxes are also great, but what makes this place special is their large, outdoor patio with lots of space for big parties to enjoy their manicured Japanese garden. You’ll probably need a reservation for their indoor dining room, which is separated into a sushi bar and both traditional Japanese and Western-style seating." - alana dao 2

https://www.theinfatuation.com/portland-me/guides/portland-maine-restaurants
View Postcard for Yosaku
@infatuation

Yosaku Review - Old Port - Portland, ME - The Infatuation

"Yosaku has stood the test of time to become a Portland classic with Japanese food that ranges from sushi to soba and teppanyaki. Fishmongers bring their freshest product to the chefs here where the local catch becomes lobster sashimi or scallops on the half-shell served on little wooden boats. Lunch specials like their sushi combinations and ever-changing daily bento boxes are also great, but what makes this place special is their large, outdoor patio with lots of space for big parties to enjoy their manicured Japanese garden. You’ll probably need a reservation for their indoor dining room, which is separated into a sushi bar and both traditional Japanese and Western-style seating." - Alana Dao

https://www.theinfatuation.com/portland-me/reviews/yosaku
View Postcard for Yosaku

Maria Tassone

Google
I was so impressed by this spot!! The tuna is very high quality and I got three delicious rolls for lunch for only $15.50?! Unheard of these days. Also the vibe was so great— the outdoor patio is great with a mini zen garden right next to you. 10/10!

Kegan Grogean

Google
My girlfriend and I went to Yosaku for a date the night before her deployment, and it turned out to be the perfect place for such a meaningful evening. We rarely go out to eat — and when we do, it’s always for Japanese food. It’s the only cuisine that consistently feels worth it. Living in Maine, truly good Japanese food and sushi can be tough to find, but Yosaku is about as good as it gets. The sushi was fresh and beautifully prepared, the menu had a strong range of options, and the sake selection was diverse and top-tier. We sat outside near a peaceful little water feature, and the entire setting — from the ambient music to the gentle background sound of the water — made for a truly relaxing and beautiful dining experience. The prices were more than fair for the quality of the food and the overall experience. It felt like a restaurant that understands its craft and its customers. Yosaku is absolutely the best Japanese dining experience I’ve had in Maine. If you’re looking for quality sushi, thoughtful ambiance, and a meal that feels like a treat, this is the place to go.

Edward Chen

Google
Tldr: Must try, phenomenal sushi and seafood. Wonderful experience! First off, get a reservation. It's quite popular. We sat on tatami raised tables and had the Umi sushi/sashimi platter. It was amazing. For sake recommendation, get the wakatake "demon slayer". Smooth and light, and relatively cheap for a full bottle. This was also the only location that served grilled squid (yaki ika) which was also amazing. Overall highly recommend!

Karyn Poisson

Google
We have been going here for over 15 years and have always loved the sushi and the outside ambiance. It's fresh and delicious and the chefs are so friendly. Our server this time was absent and shouldn't be doing that job. She was so disconnected and not present. A disappointment was that they NO LONGER CARRY PLUM WINE, which was the perfect pairing with sushi. They did impress us with a lemon drop martini in the most artistic "glass" with a beautiful, floating purple flower. However, it was far from the best lemon drop martini I've had. The bartender was, however, so sweet and attentive.

Alison Anholt-White

Google
Nothing more delightful than sitting in the lovely patio of Yosaku on a warm summer evening, attended by first class pleasant well informed servers. I had the omasake which means what you like- delicious sushi, beautifully presented. There was a big line at 5pm on Sunday so I guess a lot of other agree!

Samantha Massey

Google
Visited for our first time today and we will be back! Food was excellent, atmosphere was calm and relaxed. Service was efficient and wait time was not long even though they were busy.

ann laf

Google
Make a reservation and go! We were there on a Wednesday at 6:00 and it did get busy not too long after. My husband had a sashimi dinner, very fresh. Loved it. Good service and they have a lovely outdoor patio. Good drinks!

Wesley Bird

Google
I had a small sampling that included live scallop and uni. Both were fantastic. Definitely will be eating dinner here the next time I'm in town!
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Peggy X.

Yelp
I've been here for work lunch several times, and it has consistently been delicious. The interior is really spacious, and we've never had trouble finding a table. They also have a really large outdoor patio for nicer days. The service has always been prompt and warm. As for food: Yosaku has a great lunch deal that gets you a salad, dumplings, your choice of sushi roll, and a rotating protein, all for $16. Every item is tasty and it's a nice assortment of different dishes - I usually order the una-avo roll, and the unagi is tender and well-cooked. The only downside is you're not able to substitute out the protein for a vegetarian/vegan option, but they do have other veggie dishes on the menu. Overall: a lovely spot for lunch. I'll definitely be back again, hopefully to enjoy their patio when the weather's a bit warmer!
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Tasia D.

Yelp
Table for 1!! Sashimi! Sashimi! Sashimi!! Has to be one of my favorite lunches, light, bright and delicious! Sushi is definitely a lazy lunch. It relaxes you, no hurry, it's quiet and calm. Toro and ankimo in season you can't really go wrong. The sushi at Yosaku never disappoints, it is always fresh and delicious. Sashimi is probably my favorite because you really get to taste the fish. You wouldn't know that salmon has a lovely natural nutty flavor when you don't dose it in sauces. Another great thing about ordering sashimi is they give you real wasabi with it, not that overwhelming green play-dough. Scallop, two kinds of salmon, tuna, Toro, yellowtail. Uni w/quail egg, ankimo w/quail egg and eel sushi for dessert. I ordered an extra eel because it was so good!
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Emily B.

Yelp
Yosaku's patio space is very pleasant overall, with a lovely Japanese-style garden including a waterfall and a stone lantern. A downside to the outdoor seating is that only alternating tables on the street side area of the patio (i.e., every other one) have lighting. We were on the unlucky side of these 50/50 odds, and could barely see our lovely food when it arrived at 7:30 pm (August 7) -- see my dark photo of a nigiri platter. This set-up is unfortunate, and a really fixable situation! Our server was knowledgeable about what fish was locally caught. We enjoyed the avocado maguro ae -- a bit like a don bowl without the rice -- and the tempura shrimp as shared appetizers. We also had the nigiri dinner platter, kitsune (fried tofu) udon, and soba. All were very close to dishes you will get in Japan, i.e., not "Americanized" or made "fusion" as too many Japanese restaurants tend to want to do. It was handy that we could take home the sake we had not drunk in the bottle it came in. Friends who go to Japan regularly recommended Yosaku to us as the most authentic in Portland, and so far we agree.
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Maddison H.

Yelp
I love this place! Me ands my dad used to come here a lot but I hadn't been back for a while- I remembered it being good but it was the best sushi I've had in a long time! We got 3 rolls (Gokudo, Hat trick, and another I can't remember) all super good! We also shared a bento box and I WISH I got a picture it was so good!! The miso soup was also great! The tea was pretty watery but all in all I love it here. It's pretty inside and the outside seating is very nice too! :) they have heaters!
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Amaury J.

Yelp
Yosaku is THE spot for sushi! This place is fantastic and one of our favorite spots to grab the yummiest sushi in town. We first discovered Yosaku last spring, and I'm honestly a bit sad we haven't gone back more often. The sushi is so fresh and creative -- they offer the classics, like spicy tuna and California rolls, but also fun rolls you won't find anywhere else. The rolls are enormous; 5-6 rolls for two people is more than enough (and honestly, you might have leftovers). They also offer noodles, delicious appetizers, and everything you'd expect at a sushi place. Seriously, the menu is about six pages long. We've never tried anything at Yosaku that we didn't love. My favorite thing, though? The ambiance and the value. Yosaku offers outdoor seating under a beautiful tree, which is lovely during the spring and summer. Their indoor ambiance is just as nice and cozy. The value at Yosaku is unmatched. There are few places in town where you can get delicious, fresh sushi for this price. 4-5 rolls usually cost us $60 or so, a steal for Downtown Portland. Never change, Yosaku.
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Lynnet P.

Yelp
Delicious!!! Great service and atmosphere. Lots of variety on the menu and some things that were new to us
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Lin I.

Yelp
Seafood is surprisingly fresh and UMAI. The scallops are the champion of the night, 200% delicious. Recommend to order one for trial, if the batch is fresh, you may order more. The vegetables are also fresh, barely seasoned but you can taste the natural sweetness from the sweet potato and pumpkin (also the right season food in Autumn). Broiled salmon is kinda overcooked, maybe the cheek is too big that some juice was grilled away. The rice for the salmon don has larger grain size than the Nigiri rice, and I like the grain of the Nigiri rice better. Salmon sashimi is also not as juicy as the scallops and sweet shrimp. Overall, it's a large restaurant that can accommodate different size of groups, and the raw material is also good, recommend to other weekend visitors in Portland.
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Jonathan J.

Yelp
This was a very underwhelming experience. I would like to say we were expecting some American sushi. We received what seemed to be very authentic sushi, but they were very small rolls, not stuffed much and a lot of rice. I ordered the special market price crab and did not realize the crab was fried. I was hoping for the fresh market catch and instead received a fried complete crab inside a 6 piece sushi roll. It was honestly pretty underwhelming. We took it to go and the staff seemed very nice. Not sure if our expectations were too high, but it really wasn't great food. Outdoor patio had a good ambiance.
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Lauren P.

Yelp
Easy reservation, friendly hosts & chefs. Beautiful patio. Nice sake selection, however the waitress was seemingly not very educated on the menu, there was one sake she probably recommends to everyone- and I got it and it was good, but I probably would have spent the money on a nicer bottle had she guided me. The fish was fresh and tasty. Food comes out family style / as it's ready. Food was 4/5 Service 3/5 Solid sushi place, has been around forever, maybe best for families / casual dates / friend outings. Not so much a spot for special occasions.
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Theresa M.

Yelp
the BEST sushi and noodles we've ever had. Coming up here from Boston, maybe that says a lot? Have been looking for this kind of ramen/udon forever and never would have thought I'd find it in Portland, ME! Broth sublime, shaved steak delicious, both sushi rolls were super fresh and tasty. Everyone very friendly, very courteous, and service was prompt and food came out fairly quickly, especially for lunch time on a Saturday. We sat at the sushi bar, which was a neat experience. The sushi chefs were all friendly, they greeted us when we sat down. There were low tables with pillows or seats to lean on, and an area under neath to put shoes. Will definitely come here again the next time we're in Portland!

Jeff C.

Yelp
This is always a must stop for authentic quality sushi at reasonable prices. The owner Ram is awesome, knowledgeable and so down to earth. He appreciates good food and sources his fish from Japan as well as locally. Thank you for having us and being one of my favorite restaurants.

Colin C.

Yelp
Extremely POOR SERVICE. Very mid food. Greeted by a snubby waitress. Made a reservation and was waiting at the door, but was refused to use bathroom. And she said "customer only" with the most snubbish voice you can imagine. When serving food, the waiter was moving so unecessarily fast like he was hurrying us. And he flipped a soup all over one of our friends' pants, unapoligetically. After that, he got our orders wrong and accused us for forgetting. What an utter joke this guy is. Food is mid, at best. And the amount is scarce. But no fine dine I know smells like dog piss as this one does. Don't come, my dear customers. You deserve much better than this. Unless they deliberately discriminated us.
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Bridgette M.

Yelp
Me and my boyfriend stopped by here on the recommendation of a friend. The food was delicious! I was kinda surprised how big their menu was. It's definitely more expensive to get full entrees per person rather than ordering an assortment of sushi. Also, I was pleasantly surprised to see they have a bidet in their customer restroom. Super random but I'm not complaining :P Everything tasted fresh and we will definitely be back in the future!
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Heather T.

Yelp
Super affordable sushi! We went for lunch on a weekend and didn't have to wait. There were lots of variety and options for everyone. Everything we got was great. There were many lunch sets at a discount even on the weekend. Definitely not the best sushi but very affordable. Note we had to put our dog on the other side of the fence even though we were outside on the patio.
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Meagan C.

Yelp
while the seating was definitely cramped and it felt loud due to how tight it was, the food was definitely fresh and filling! i really enjoyed the udon noodles and almost wish i had ordered them without the broth and just let spicy mayo do its job in spicing it up! tamago was so yummy. service definitely could be quicker and more attentive, there were some long periods of waiting for a water refill and needing to remind the waiter when our glasses were empty.
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Diana L.

Yelp
Came for birthday lunch with my old roomie. I'd heard great things about the restaurant and had high expectations. The food was fresh and our waitress was attentive. We sat in the area where you take off your shoes and sit on the floor. It's nice they have seats with backs, but my feet definitely fell asleep so be conscious of this if you're with a big group and can't stretch your legs out. Thankfully it was just the two of us so we had some room to spread out. The miso soup was delicious and the roll were fresh. I'm excited to come back and try more of the menu. There's some street parking in front and a small lot right past the restaurant.
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Olivia P.

Yelp
I had a horrible experience here. The sushi was good but not worth this. We get seated with no problems and no reservations. The server then tells us before we order that they are super busy and it's going to take 30-45 minutes to get our food. Not the server's fault, but this should be a caveat before you seat people. Or, don't seat people knowing that the kitchen is super behind and let the poor cooks catch up. So we order. We get our miso soup, and then one hour passes. The server comes out and asks if we want our grilled food to come out before our dinner. This should have been asked way sooner. By the time we got it, it was super cold. It also only was salted. It was cold and the blandest food I have ever tasted, and one of the most expensive things on the menu, and I waited an hour for it. The sushi came out after another 10 or so minutes and it was good but that was the worst customer experience I have ever seen.
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Greg L.

Yelp
Delicious sushi and sashimi - so fresh! The dinners have a good variety and generous quantity. First time here but we will definitely be back!
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Kurt P.

Yelp
This place is VERY busy, so do make reservations. They have a set of tables where you sit on the floor with a back rest - really wonderful, so do sit there if you have the opportunity. Yosaku has some service issues. Several servers dropped items when emerging from the kitchen - very nerve wracking. One person in our party of 4 ordered a cocktail, and it didn't arrive until we were almost ready to leave. Their food is quite good, but I found the nigiri to be a bit smaller than in the sushi restaurants I am accustomed to, though. I had the Sushi Nigiri dinner and the fish was wonderful, but the rice was a bit dry and not as "sticky" as it is in the best sushi restaurants. As pictured in the photo below, this is a lot of sushi! I love soft shell crab, so I ordered a roll with fresh (not frozen) crab. It was possibly the best soft shell crab roll I have ever had, and I do order one almost every time I have sushi; the crab was just perfect. So mixed results - good fish, rice needs to be stickier, service needs some work. All in all, we had a nice evening!
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Danielle V.

Yelp
Great sushi place, well priced food. Ambiance is more on the family side, with outdoor patio. Shrimp tempura was amazing, but everything we got was good.

Amy H.

Yelp
This place should have a solid 5 stars! Amaaaaazingly fresh fish (even in the winter), great prices, fabulous diversity in sake and Japanese whisky, knowledgeable servers, and brilliant outdoor patio. Shout out to Gabby, server extraordinaire, who goes the extra mile for customer service while being unpretentious and informative. She's been here through two owners and 10 years - this place treats their folks well, it seems! And - ummmm - can we talk about the heated bidet situation in the bathroom?! Love this place for quality, class, and convenience! Highly recommend reservations in peak season, but you won't regret the extra step to cut to the front of the verrrry long line! Keep up the good work, crew!
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Sarah C.

Yelp
I am shocked at how crazy busy this place is. Every time we have called in for take out or come to dine in, it is the dictionary definition of "full house". The folks here work hard and we have never had a negative experience here. We are known to come at 8:30 but their hours reduced to closing at 9 and they no longer open on Sundays. They used to always have plenty of room to accommodate but nowadays we have to wait! I will once again shout out their amazing soba noodles -- handmade with Maine grown buckwheat and it is the perfect dish for summer (cold) or winter (hot). Their sushi bar is what people come here for, and I don't disagree -- I don't think I would bother going elsewhere. Their fish is top notch and the rolls, nigiri, and sashimi are all excellent, with plenty of "less adventurous" options available. They have a very enthusiastic serving/hosting crew and they are probably the ones who brought Yosaku to Instagram, so check that out for their specials. Lastly, I know I shouted out their soba, but that doesn't mean you should get it. Of all the times I have ordered it, last night was the first time they ran out. I sobbed quite hard because I can never resist getting a choko soba.
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Lu-Shien T.

Yelp
Ram is now the new owner! Ask him for the seasonal best and he will give you a short list of the fish that is in its prime. On this visit it was Tuna toro, scallops and King Salmon. The scallops were on point--tacky, tender, snappy-sweet and luscious. Ram was also flexing his soba making skills. Springy, slightly chewy bite and smooth nutty dough made this a deceptively simple but addictive treat that I thought was reserved for Japan... taste and tell me if you agree.

Linda H.

Yelp
Yosaku is a good Japanese restaurant in Portland, Maine. I've traveled and lived briefly in Japan and appreciated the fresh and satisfying bento box lunch I ordered a few weeks ago. Being a Japanese restaurant in a northern New England state, Yosaku checks all of my necessary boxes for an enjoyable and repeat experience ... fresh ingredients, well-displayed, friendly staff. The menu is large enough for me to continue ordering different entries. I'll be back.
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Todd C.

Yelp
Anyone concerned about this place changing hands, don't be. It is as good as always. Mr Rattanak Tray has worked there making sushi as long as I've Ben coming here, which is probably at least ten years. Takahiro Sato, is a friend of mine and when we visited, my daughters would talk to him in Japanese which would fill in the gaps in my poor understanding of the language. When I went there today, I had not known it had changed hands, everything was as perfect as ever. I lived in Japan for eleven years and then Hawaii for six, yousaku is the best sushi place in the continental US that I've visited. And I have eaten sushi in NYC, philly, Tampa , San Francisco, LA, Seattle, Dallas and Houston that I can remember. I'm so glad this place is in good hands.
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Gavin L.

Yelp
We thought this place was great. Food was very good, huge chunks of nigiri, and pretty reasonable prices. We are not from Portland, but would definitely visit again if we ever got the chance.
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Phil F.

Yelp
Outstanding bento box! Every thing is fresh and tasty -- at surprisingly low prices. Highly recommended
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Taylor P.

Yelp
What an awesome experience! Fantastic sushi with EXTREMELY fresh fish that melts in your mouth. They also were very accommodating for a gluten allergy. The prices are very reasonable. Definitely give this place a try. Tip: if your looking to have a cool eating experience try sitting sieza (sitting traditionally on the floor)
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Kyle A.

Yelp
Great food! great fresh sushi specials, awesome service. Authentic af! We love the nigiri special

Andrew D.

Yelp
10/10 recommend. This restaurant is fantastic. Really incredible sushi and service. We sat at the bar and Ratha made our sushi. He was incredibly knowledgeable, friendly, and accommodating. Wait staff was great as well. Good ambiance. We traveled from OOB for this and I would recommend anyone else do the same!
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Anna S.

Yelp
Yosaku is one of my favorite sushi place in the entire state of Maine. From the service to the quality of food, everything is perfect. One of my recommendation is to try the octopus, fish and selection of sake.
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Amber E.

Yelp
Really great sushi dinner! Sushi was super fresh, expertly prepared, and reasonably priced! Between the 4 of us. Got an order of gyoza (delicious and tender), 2 miso soups (really good), 2 orders of negotiation Hama (hamachi/yellowtail w/ chives)- super fresh, 2 orders of maguro tataki (my husband!'s favorite), the oyster sampler special, 2 orders of the hat trick (delicious combo of fish) - so amazing! And 2 Godzilla rolls w/ shrimp tempura and avocado. Everything was over-the-top delicious. Totally recommend!

Rosalynn G.

Yelp
Best birthday gift for my hubby! We sat at the sushi bar and it was amazing! Will definitely come back again.
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Kenneth M.

Yelp
For what you pay, it's okay. Kinda mid, wait times were relatively long for a few rolls (30ish minutes). The sushi was pretty good, but the sweet potato tempura felt like it wasn't really fresh (stale tempura). It's better than some options in the area for food. I would come back again if I'm in the area! Great ambiance outside and inside.

Mauricio B.

Yelp
Just an amazing experience at the sushi bar, great service and wonderful food. The toro nigiri melt in your mouth insanely fresh
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Kate S.

Yelp
I have not been to Yosaku in quite a while, partly out of an impression that it's very popular and tends to be crowded. However I took off on a Monday for my birthday and came here for dinner. very happy I did. Shrimp tempura was excellent as I remember - giant prawns, super fresh and delicious. I got a caterpillar roll which was great - the avocado kept slipping off the pieces though. Also got inari nigiri which is a personal fave. A little disappointed that it was just one piece, but it was a very large one to be fair. Service was good, though perhaps a bit too attentive - a busboy must have checked my table 10 times during my meal to see if I was done with my dishes.
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Brigitta K.

Yelp
Yosaku never disappoints us with its delicious meals. The seafood tastes so fresh and the men preparing the sashimi and sushi plates do a wonderful job. The only reason I gave it 4, instead of 5 stars was the service that night was slow, at least for us. The server was friendly and helpful, but we barely saw him. Since the restaurant was packed that Friday night, they were probably a bit understaffed. Still, we had a wonderful time at Yosaku. We've consistently had good meals there.
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Lily S.

Yelp
I don't know why we came here? probably just to get away from the downtown crowd. I was actually looking for ramen and hubby must have heard wrong and picked Yosaku thinking I did NOT want ramen The place has a lovely setting, both inside and out. A few tables even have traditional tatami seatings. The dinner bento box was the no brainer choice for hubby: it had everything - from sashimi to tempura, to grilled salmon, etc. the sashimi tasted very fresh so that was an A+. The rest of the stuff were all cooked right, just didn't have very many flavors, except for the salad, which was dressed in a tasty dressing that had more flavor profile than just salt. Same goes for my Udon noodle soup (well, in absence of ramen...) I chose sliced beef for my protein. It was hearty and all but no outstanding flavor. Service was basic and actually kind of slow. Still beats the downtown crowd though!
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Emily T.

Yelp
Sushi was good. The menu could have been a little more descriptive for sushi rolls with a lot of components. It also would have been nice to have more raw offerings, a lot of the rolls were cooked. Service was just okay. It seemed like there was only one waiter for the entire dining room and we waited about 30-40 minutes for our food after ordering. Really nice location in Portland, close to all hotels in the area. The decor was nice, minimalist and not in your face, but you knew it was a sushi restaurant.
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Paulina S.

Yelp
PLEASE DO NOT EVER COME HERE!!!! I have been here several times and the food is not worth it at all. Went here tonight for someone's birthday and MULTIPLE people in my family got food poisoning after dinner that lasted for hours. I only took ONE bite of a tuna roll and could TELL there was something wrong with it (sent the rest of it back to the kitchen) and that one bite caused me to vomit. Plus, the air in the restaurant was so smoky tonight from the second we walked in, and it got worse throughout our dinner. At one point we could smell something heavily burning for several minutes going right in our faces from the open kitchen. It was so bad that a horrible stench stayed on our clothes and hair for the rest of the night after we left - so disgusting!

Yuankai H.

Yelp
Ambiance: 5 stars Service: 4 stars Food: 1 star. The food is either bland, too sweet, too salty, or too oily. Would not come again. Do not recommend.

Joy M.

Yelp
My husband and I were visiting from mass and wanted to find some good sushi since we figured Maine would have very fresh fish. To preface, we do have extremely high standards since I am Japanese and a family friend of mine from Japan owns a sushi bar where he gets his fish fresh from Boston. We decided to only order a small amount (compared to our usual). We got the shumai, vegetable tempura, uni nigiri, salmon nigiri, and two rolls. The hot appetizers were okay, but the dipping sauces were not good. I typically make my own and these just tasted imbalanced. When it came to the sushi, it wasn't absolutely terrible but the rice didn't seem fresh. The fish didn't seem to be the highest quality either. I expected it to be extremely fresh given the location, but it did not compare to the fish available in mass. The ambience was nice, but for us we would choose quality and taste over ambiance any day. I would definitely say this restaurant is not authentic, but it's very hard to come by a Japanese restaurant that is. Most are Americanized to a degree but the quality and flavor are where this one is lacking. If you are not very picky with your sushi and haven't been exposed to very high quality/authentic Japanese food then you will probably like this restaurant.

Simone A.

Yelp
Really bummed out about my last visit to one of my Portland go to spots for Japanese... took my 12 year old for a special welcome home dinner & was so disappointed. We'd not been since before the renovations but we were always huge fans. I'm sad to say that we will be removing this place from our list after years of being regulars. I work really hard to earn $ as a single parent going out to a nice dinner is a big deal so I was really disappointed to say the least. Hopefully this was just a one off for this place. Waitstaff is always awesome and accommodating food was just really off.
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Jim B.

Yelp
We walked past here during the lunch seating and thought it looked inviting enough to give it a try for the dinner seating later that day. Checked the reviews, saw that wait times and service could be iffy but that the food itself got pretty good marks, so we decided to take a chance and made a reservation. Showed up a few minutes early to find a line of 12 or so people out the door. Asked if any of them had reservations, they did not, so had to pretty much just awkwardly cut in front of everyone as the line didn't seem to be moving. Had to then wait several minutes as a local simply could not take no for an answer when he wanted 3 seats for his party at the bar with no res. We were then promptly seated, outside, as we requested, all good. Waiter comes, we order a 750 ml bottle of sake, and, since they were so obviously busy, ordered our dinner, which consisted simply of 5 different maki rolls. When I opted for the larger bottle of sake, my wife initially thought it would be too much. Well. We were lucky I did, as we had absolutely nothing else to put in our mouths other than the water for at least 50 minutes. I did see several other patrons seated, served, and billed out in the time we were there, but they didn't have exclusively maki (although it appeared they had some rolls with their other selections.) After 40 minutes or so, our waiter came by and asked if we needed anything. We expressed earnest and serious interest in our dinner. He came back a bit later with a plate. One plate. One empty plate. And then told us it was the only plate he could find, but that he'd look for more. A bit later still, he finally brought our maki (after mistakenly almost giving it to another table - I'm thankful they didn't just keep it and eat it given we weren't the only table waiting for, apparently, rolls.) At this point, we had maybe a 6th or so of the bottle of sake left. But, we were very happy to have our meal. Unfortunately, the food was pretty unimpressive. Bland, with no real flavors that popped. Didn't seem too fresh, either. The crab roll was decidedly fishy, the lobster in the special roll was rubbery and bland, the mushroom roll was just salty and bland, and so on. Almost forgot, we never did get another plate. We mixed our wasabi and soy on the lone dinner plate we did have and shared it accordingly, but literally used the one extra napkin we had and one of the chopstick wrappers as impromptu place mats over the open mesh outdoor tabletop so as not to drip through onto our clothes, as the server did not venture back to us until we were very nearly finished. Look, we know it's hard to run any service business these days, and they were definitely busy. But, this was also on a heckin' Monday night. And, it was just maki. But, we've had way better rolls in places ranging from casual and cheap to fancy and expensive. We were hoping that the fish and ingredients would be impressive given the location and proximity to the obvious sources nearby, but it was not. And why oh why should it take nearly an hour for 5 rolls?? Hate to leave negative reviews when establishments are struggling in these tough times, but gotta go with 2 stars, and those are only for the sake and nice outdoor seating. The food, awkwardness, and long wait rate a solid pass.
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Gabrielle B.

Yelp
Honestly this place has such a large spot in my heart. I come here all the time with my friends. The Tanuki Udon is my favorite dish, it's incredibly affordable and the shrimp shumai has gotten me through a lot. So many inside jokes have been made here, I've been coming here for years. The service is personable and kind, and very understanding. The seating has a wide variety, with a bar in front of the sushi chefs. There is also fun raised seating where you take your shoes off and everything. While it can get very busy, it is honestly a staple in my restaurant rotation.
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Madison W.

Yelp
My dad and I stopped here for dinner. We were sat immediately even though it was a Saturday night which was nice. The service was ok, nothing special. The food took 40+ minutes after we ordered to make it to our table which was slightly frustrating since all we ordered was what is in the picture attached to this review. BUT at the end of the day it's really about the food itself which was really good. My dad loved his Udon and my sushi was tasty as well. I would come back here for sure next time I'm in the mood for sushi. 4 stars only because I save my 5 star reviews for restaurants that blow me away in all aspects, not just the food.
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Dylan K.

Yelp
Wow this place does sushi right! What I found particularly cool is that the most recent time I was there (8/5/2022) there was a posting on the wall discounting bluefin tuna options. For example, a simple tuna roll (tekka) is $3. Their Tuna Supreme roll (fatty tuna wrapped in seaweed/rice, then layered with albacore, tekka, avocado) is usually $16 but they priced it for $7. If I recall, they got bluefin for a really affordable rate and instead of taking the extra profit, decided to pass the savings along to the customers. During a time when inflation is rocking us all, this is a really classy and justified move. They'll have my business for life. Back on track, their fish is amazingly fresh. The bagel roll (clever name for smoked salmon + cream cheese) was wonderful too! Best sushi in Portland! Also, they carry itoen green tea! The best green tea on the planet!
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Michele J.

Yelp
Our sons favorite place for sushi. We decided to eat lunch outside on the deck. Lots of options and freshly made. Small parking lot off to the side which made it easy. Very quick fro. Order to table.

Jedediah M.

Yelp
Had a reservation requesting outdoor seating but they don't seem to respect that or set anything aside as we were told we would have to wait 30+ minutes to sit out there. We opted to just sit in the dining room as we thought it would be quicker and we were brought to a table in the back that had rice and chopsticks scattered in the seats. There were multiple bugs flying around us as well and it took a very long time for our sushi to get to the table. The food is always good here but the service and cleanliness of the restaurant needs a lot of work. The bottom line is that if you're going to allow reservations to be made they should be honored, and you should be able to reserve a seating location, that's commonly done and it's not rocket science to set up.