Miyamoto Sushi

422 SE 80th Ave., Portland, 97215
*This is a Plain Jane favorite.*

I am by no means a connoisseur of sushi. I don't like most fish, much less raw fish. Don't like the idea of fish eggs or eel or many of the other traditional sushi ingredients. These squeamish tendencies kept me away from sushi for a long time, and when I finally tried it for the first time, in my late 20's, it was not a good experience. Nor were the second or third tries.

It was not until I tried the sushi at Miyamoto that I became a fan. They have rolls that appeal even to me, and the ingredients are fresh and tasty.

My favorite rolls include: California roll with real crab (no roe, hold the cucumbers), Philly roll (smoked salmon and cream cheese--say WHAT?!?), Miyamoto roll, Black Tiger (went out on a limb and tried eel sauce--not bad, kinda sweet), and the Montavillan roll.

Roll to avoid: Spider roll. They leave the head on the soft-shell crab. Ack! I know that it's perfectly normal in other countries to be reminded that you are eating something that was once alive, but I'm sorry: I do not want my food looking me in the face when I'm trying to eat it.

Other points of awesomeness:
-The food is beautifully presented, little flowers made from carrots and all.
-Although the prices have recently gone up, the portions are generous and I can easily stuff myself on just two rolls.
-The same people who own Roscoe's also own Miyamoto, so you can sit in the sushi restaurant and order from Roscoe's impressive selection of beer on tap, which changes every week. Miyamoto also has sake, of course.
-They just moved! They used to be in a teeny tiny little space that sat about 10 people, but they have moved one door down and now have proper-sized restaurant. Have not visited since they switched locations, but I can't wait to do so!

June 2012 Update:
Visited their new location a couple of weeks ago. A nice, simple space with art on the walls.

Two changes aside from location that I noticed:
1) The Philly Roll was smaller and still only 5 pieces. Sad face.
2) New wait staff and sushi chef that were friendly and seemed well-intentioned. However, they did not seem as well-trained as the previous staff. Possibly explains the smaller Philly Roll?