Banya Japanese Restaurant

I bought a coupon for this restaurant. I was a little leary because I had never heard of it but I figured with a coupon it was worth a try. I was pleasantly surprised as the service and food were excellent! It is surely an unrecognized gem of a place. Because it is off the road in the back people don't see it from the road but it is well worth looking for. And the prices were great. I will return many times as I love sushi!!! more

I try to go here at least once a month. The food is good. Not as popular as it deserves to be. more

Banya has quickly turned into a family favorite. The staff is incredibly friendly and the food is great. I would recommend to anyone looking for really good sushi in the Beaverton area. Pros: Super nice and great food Cons: location more

We visit Banya every 1-2 weeks and are treated like family by the owners. Every time we try something different and have yet to be dissapointed. So may unique rolls and the sashimi is wonderful. Highly recommended. Pros: Wonderful selection of Rolls more

Having spent a year in Japan, I used to love this restaurant since real Japanese people worked here serving authentic Japanese food. The menu included not only sushi, which is available everywhere, but lots of other authentic Japanese dishes. Now the place is under new ownership. I believe the new owners are Korean because I saw ""Kim Chee"" listed under deserts on the menu. The menu has been reduced to just sushi and a few other common Japanese foods. My server had no idea what I meant when I asked for ""tempura donburi"" which used to be my favorite item on the menu. The sushi we ordered was pretty average, except that one roll had what tasted like cheese whiz on it. The tempura moriawase I ordered was not nearly as good as it used to be and the rice was not very sticky. We also tried to order house salads, expecting the usual lettuce and ginger dressing salads (small and cheap), and received instead something large with fried chicken and crab meat in it that turned out when we got the bill to be expensive. The bottom line is that this used to be an excellent, authentic Japanese restaurant experience and is now a mediocre, me-too-Korean-Japanese restaurant. I will not be returning. Pros: None. Cons: No longer authentic Japanese. Now just mediocre immitation. more

We went to Banya over the weekend and were surprised to see many new faces. It looks like the restaurant is under new ownership, now family run with the kids helping out in the restaurant. The food and quality have changed, it is not as authentic as it was and the menu was pared down greatly. Too bad, we often looked forward to our neighborhood gem. Cons: No longer offer an izakaya-type menu more

As an exceedingly picky eater, and always wary of freshness, I was very loathe to wander into an unknown Japanese place, much less order sushi. One day, my friend came down from Seattle with his wife and convinced me to go for supper with them. I was admittedly skeptical, especially as the decor from the outside speaks of, well, worrisome colours and questionable tastes. The only reason I didn't balk at the last moment was my experience travelling, and knowing that the best food is often found in little hole-in-the-wall places.\r \r I have to say that this was truly the case here. Walking in, I was greeted like long-missed family, shown to a table by a very kind and traditionally mannered Japanese hostess, and presented with what must be about a 5 page menu, not including the sushi or the wide array of alcohol. Over the next several hours my friends and I ordered one or two dishes at a time, shared them, and enjoyed ourselves, never rushed to order more or to place a single large order. I'd be lying if I said I knew how much time passed that night, but it must have been at least three hours and we were the last customers in the place by the end. Before we left though, the owner came out, sat down and began chatting with us for a while, laughing and joking, and said ""let me show you, not on menu"" and brought out a dish I don't know what it was.. nor do I care. It was sweet, succulent, tender meat with a lovely marinade cooked to perfection.\r \r Ever since then, I've gone in at every opportunity while in the Portland area and eaten everything on the menu several times over. But if you want favourites? I'd have to say the ""Spider"" rolls and the honey-ginger pork filet. Even my friends who didn't like Japanese food have gone in there and loved it, to return as often as possible - even when that means driving an hour or two each way to do it.\r \r In fact, it's the only thing other than Powell's book shop that I miss about Portland! Pros: Excellent food, service. Cons: Parking, out of the way location more

I discovered banya in 2003 and am always extremely satisfied! The sushi & sashimi are fresh and tasty. The tempura is mouth-watering and all the short ribs are a must-have! The best part is this restaurant is very affordable, too! Highly recommended! Pros: authentic food (the chefs are actually japanese!), great service more

Tried many Japanese restaraunts in Portland Metro and find Banya to be the most authentic among all of them. Very friendly owner. more

The food especially sushi was not fresh at all. Sushi was very stinky and sushi rice was warm. Miso soup was cold. We got salad but it was very old. Only we enjoyed was tempura that is all. My friend ordered ""kamameshi"" but it was very stinky and yellowish. Overall, food is not fresh at all. We think all sushi could be frozen?? And sushi chef was yelling at kitchen staff and waitless several times while we were there... he should stop yelling at them!! Pros: nothing Cons: not fresh food, chef's behavior more

The Sashimi was very fresh and tasted great. I ordered half sake and half maguro for around $9. I got the stomach cut of the sake and the fat marbling made it look like salmon toro. It was so good, I ordered another plate after I was done. The sushi chef also noticed that I ordered a bowl of rice and he offered me some of his special dish he made for his lunch. He said it was good with rice. It was octopus cooking in a sweet soy sauce. Tasted very much like my moms home cooking. That was very appreciated being out of town for business. I reccommend this place very much. more

I often have customers from Japan visiting Portland. On one of their recommendations, I tried Banya and loved it. I now recommend Banya to all my visiting customers, regardless of origin; and have only heard them rave about it after. Banya is a small slice of home for my homesick Japanese customers, and a new experience for others. If they have the Poke (Hawaiian Marinated Tuna) Roll, try it! Some of the traditional meals have subtle flavors, Japanese food isn't all about soy sauce and wasabi, give it a chance! Pros: Fresh Sashimi, Great Sushi more

Friends recommended this place to us and everything seemed fine for about the first 5 minutes. The waitress told me they had Toro even after I doubted her. She then served everyone else's meals and after I stopped her she said there was no toro. So I ordered regular tuna nigiri and waited another 25min only to have to stop her again. Apparently she forgot to place the order which I then cancelled. The spider rolls were full of lettuce? and everything else that actually arrived to our table was mediocre at best. I am really surprised they are still in business with all of the great sushi restaurants Portland has to offer. Cons: Poor Service, Horrible Sushi more

The ower's job in Japan wat to learn very regional dishes and open competeing reseraunts in those area's. No where else will you find 5 pages of menu, inclusing traditional family dinners and sushi. It is a tradditional place, quick meals are not likely un less you ask. He considers it rude to rush his costomers through dinner. I have been a regualar customer for 4 years about 1 a year we would try the top rated places in town with no comparison. We now live in seattle and have yet to find a comparable place after 25 sushi houses. So we drive 2 portland 2 times a month to go to Banya Pros: Huge menu, Good sake/ wine, best sushi more

Banya is a wonderful Japanese restraunt that I was refered to by a family member. I was very surprised when I actually dined there. Not just the atmosphere but the people and the food very much reminded me of the times I ate in Tokyo. A wonderful place with excellent food and an incredibly friendly staff. I cannot recommend Banya's enough. So if you feel like sushi, nabemono, sashimi or any other variety of Japanese foods give Banya's a try! Pros: Excellent Menu, Prompt Service, Authentic Food Cons: Hidden behind 7-11 more

Well, my family was so excited to eat because some people scored 10, but I belive these people were paid by Banya restaurant. The restaurant looked so cheap and foods were awful! We ordered Kamameshi (Rice cooked in a special pot) and Sushi. Kamameshi was very bad and stinky because it was not freshly cooked. Sashimi was not fresh. Sushi was too warm. Also, if people said this restaurant is kids' friendly, why don't they have a diper changing bed? Pros: many choices of food Cons: noisy more

Very fresh food. Great variety. Very friendly staff. The owner is very personable. We like the atmosphere and either sit at one of the traditional chairless tables or at the bar so we can talk to the owner and watch him prepare dishes. This has become our favorite place to hang out and all of our children also enjoy it. Pros: Very fresh food, Nice atmosphere, Reasonable prices Cons: Can't see from road more