Meiji-En

Nice atmosphere, good sushi, sake cocktails and interesting specials. Tatami-style booths add to the effect. Definitely recommended. more

My sushi place used to be Masu. Then they changed to Bamboo and for some reason become more snobby in the changeover. While Meiji-En isn't nearly as swanky as Masu, the sushi is just as good. Super fresh, great prices. I am picky about my sushi and I feel comfortable trying anything here. The big, creepy fish in the tank are a bit scary though. Pros: Great quality, Good prices. Cons: The creepy fish in the tank more

OH! Meiji-En... How I love you! You make me feel so good inside. Spicy tuna to die for! Veggie roll, hella awesome! Fresh fresh fresh ingredients! The moment you bite into one of those delectable rolls everything you once knew about sushi all comes crashing down. This is sushi at its finest. Vincent (the owner/sushi chef) is a magician! The Chef in the kitchen isn't too bad either. Can really whip up some delicious dishes! Oh and those cute, helpful servers! The Bento Boxes for lunch are a real deal too! Don't forget to say Hi to Dave the Silver Arowana when you stop by. Tell 'em George sent ya! BAM! Pros: spicy tuna!! Katsu!, cute waitresses, vegetarian options, Cons: zip more

Great sushi- we have always heard Saburos's was the best sushi in town- granted their portions are huge by comparison. Yet, freshness in nothing on Meiji-En. When you walk in- there is no fishy smell- this quaint place is a good deal and has had lovely service despite other reviews. The spicy tuna rolls have are amazing. Their combo sushi will never let you down. We'll keep going back! Pros: Best Spicy Tuna Rolls Cons: Difficult Parking more

enjoy very nice sushi rolls in a relaxed family atmosphere Pros: good sushi rolls more

I have been to Meiji-En twice, and have been totally satisfied both times. Vincent and Angel, the sushi chefs, are welcoming and knowledgeable. If you know what you like, they'll make it. If want them to choose, they'll start off conservatively and then make what they most like to make as soon as you are comfortable. And everything I have had is delicious !! This is a small restaurant which feels like a family restaurant in Japan. It's a good value, and a very pleasant dining experience. Dennis more

I have searched this town for a long time and I choose Meiji-En. The sushi is always fresh and consistently good, presented beautifully in good portions (they have toro!). Appetizers are great as well; my favorite is the seaweed salad (with 3 different kinds of seaweed). Service is always friendly and prompt; most importantly I never feel rushed. Decor is Japanese style and it just feels good to be there. Definitely the best way to spend your sushi money. Pros: everything Cons: parking more

This is the best Japanese restaurant that I've been to given that I've not been to many Japanese restaurants. The food is fresh and good. The service is very good. I especially like the clams and tuna.\r It was a bit difficult to find parking though.\r I'll definitely come back. more

I love this place! My firends recently took me there as a suprise for my birthday. They helped make my birthday very special. There were 11 of us and we never wanted for anything. The sushi was fresh and delicious and the server was attentive and very patient with a our very demanding group. Pros: Very Good Food Cons: Lighting is a little too bright. more

Let me preface by saying I don't like to rip into an establishment for the sport of it. I had eaten here last year and had a pretty good meal, nothing spectacular, but it was fine. Ate there last week with friends and the meal was, sadly, spectacularly bad. Service help was very good, but the sushi chef looked bored and the quality of food showed. The rolls were all average. The individual sushi was almost all pretty horrid. A great test of a sushi place is the freshness of the uni. My uni arrived looking a brownish instead of the vibrant orange you usually see. And it tasted nearly putrid. And as any uni fan will tell you, that is an overpoweringly bad thing. I was too foolish to hope the second piece would be much better, but it, too, was dated, stale, really, really bad. The hamachi was average, not bad, but the smoked salmon was a joke, unless you like dry lox crammed on top of your rice. Same for the creamy scallop. It was awash in a sweetish sauce where you are nearly unable to even detect any scallop. It completely lacked that nice Kewpie/Garlic chile bite. Tasted like Miracle Whip. \r \r I wanted to like it as much as a year ago, but the sushi was probably the worst I have had in Portland in a long, long time. Broadway is sure hurting for any good sushi bars, they are all pretty mediocre,. sadly. Pros: Our visit was short Cons: Many things tasted stale and/or unimaginative more

(Note: citysearch allows you to post only one review per restaurant; I originally posted a 5-star review for Meiji-En in July 2007 and the review that follows here is from tonight, Aug 2 2008; I posted this assuming my original would still show up in addition to this one)\r \r As someone who posted a great review before, I'm disappointed to have to post this now. We have eaten there quite a number of times since our last review and for a while it was consistent, though recently it has gone down with each of the last 3 or 4 visits. Tonight was the worst. One of us ordered an RC Cola, normally a cola they love. However, there was about 1/8 of the expected amount of syrup so it tasted very watered down. The miso soup was bland and too watery, the edamame was under-steamed, and then the dipping sauce for the gyoza was very poor. It tasted as though they took the brine from the seaweed salad and added red pepper flakes and a bit of heat: much too vinegary tasting. One of us got an entree: pork tenderloin with katsu sauce. It was fried too long which made the breading very tough, and there was very little katsu sauce, not nearly enough for the size of the meat. The only good thing was the sushi that the rest of us got. It was as good as ever and is what saved me from giving 2 stars instead of 3 on this review. That said, for the 1 of us who goes for Japanese food that isn't sushi, it was a horrible experience. Previously, the non-sushi food such as soup, appetizers, and entrees has been very good so this was a noticeable decline and we've had experience with all these dishes there before and used to enjoy them. Pros: Service, location, sushi Cons: Non-sushi food from appetizers to entree more

I tried this one a few weeks ago after not wanting to wait for Yoko's... \r \r the sushi was outstanding!!! super fresh and very inventive rolls.. the new mexico is my all time fav now..\r \r service can be a bit slow, but the wait staff is very friendly and tries their best.\r \r Want an all around ""good"" sushi experience... come here. more

This restaurant is an incredible find! The nigiri is simply excellent: fresh, clean and smooth - and the prices are hard to believe, given the quality of the food. The super deluxe dinner, an assortment of maki and nigiri, is just about enough for two people, and the last time we went, my wife and I literally argued over every piece - it was that good. In fact, this is the only place I look forward to the salmon nigiri, which at other restaurants can be a bit fishy (i.e., not fresh). I'd also echo the comments of another reviewer below - the tuna dynamite roll is awesome! Their eel roll is also topnotch. You must try this place if you'd like superb sushi at a regular price. Also - I have a hard time believing the negative reviews below - c'mon, you waited 3 hours for your meal? Really? Find me a group of people that would sit in a restaurant without food or drink for that long. Pros: Excellent, fresh sushi at a great price Cons: Average service more

We have been going to Meiji En for several months now on a fairly regular basis and feel that there really isn't a better sushi restaurant in town. Considering the high-quality fish that is served, the prices are very reasonable. We just ate there again last night and still received an outstanding meal. \r \r If you're a roll-lover like us, I HIGHLY recommend these yummy rolls:\r \r ""Meiji En,""\r ""Las Vegas,""\r ""Damn Good Roll.""\r \r We will continue to go back to Meiji En to support this ""hidden gem."" Pros: Fantastic Rolls more

I like this place, and while I'm not scrambling to get back, they really do have awesome sushi. I have eaten there twice, and on both occasions my dining partner was the live eel in a way-too-small-tank beside my table. Needless to say, I haven't ordered the eel but I hear it's great. I think they have traditional seating, but I haven't seen it with my own eyes. I do like that they have the traditional sushi bar, and low table seating, and that they have 2 and 4 top tables also. The location is great - not hard to find parking on Broadway. I like that Meiji En doesn't over-exert itself to be 'the best sushi in town' but it is a relaxed spot to have good food and conversation. Try it out, you definitely won't be disappointed! Pros: Really good sushi at great prices, without trying to hard more

I love sushi and this is by far the best sushi I've had in town! Great atmosphere, complete with traditional seating booths (they even provide you with slippers). I haven't tried anything off the menu but the sushi - but that alone is enough to make us keep coming back again and again. Also, the best green tea around. Whether you're new to sushi or an expert, you gotta try out Meiji-En! You won't be disappointed. Pros: Sushi, ambiance Cons: Service can be a bit slow more

We've gone several times for lunch, and once for dinner, and always had great sushi. Haven't tried anything else, and mostly have the nigiri and sashimi, and have been impressed with cut, flavor and freshness. The few rolls we've had are good, nothing crazy good, but I'm not a big maki fan, so consider the source there. The service is not a strong point, but we've never been snarled at, just not exactly welcomed. The dinner we had was a little frustrating as we were hoping for some guidance on the sake, but it appeared noone knew anything about what they carried. Ah well, one can't hope for everything! The lunch specials are ridiculously reasonable--8.50 I think, for ample sushi to fill one up. There are other items available, I just always get the nigiri or sashimi. Great addition to the neighborhood! Pros: fresh, tasty fish; reasonable pricing Cons: service is kind of lackluster, parking can be a bear more

I have been going to Meiji-En ever since I found the place for real fresh, quality, and cheap sushi. They have super white tuna or ascolar which is rich and really really reallly good. Ascolar is rare to be found in any other restaurant in this area. All of their fish are fresh and I mean reallllllllllll fresh. I can't say enough about their fish. Their sashimi platters are not only delicious but also look too good to eat. I'm also a roll fan and this place has the best rolls. They are very creative with a good combination that makes the roll yummy in my tummy! Always ask what the specials are because there will always be something there that you would definitely like. I loooooooooooooove their spicy tuna dynamite roll which is spicy tuna deeped fried and rerolled with rice on the outside with tempura flakes. It;s crunchy and spicy and the BOMB! LOL. The service is great most of the time but sometimes there's a little bit of waiting on weekends but it's understandable becuase sometimes the whole restaurant is full with no seats to spare. I wouldn't mind waiting for something as good as Meiji-En. When their busy, just remember to order some appetizers before hand. Overall, everything is great! They have tatami rooms which are interesting for groups and romantic for couples. If you want quality sushi at a cheap price, this is your place to go! Pros: everything on the menu Cons: waiting time on busy weekends more

Last month my family and I found Meiji-En to be the best sushi restaurant in town and we've been going there to eat at least once a week. Their toro was rich and cheap for only 6.50 an order! Can you believe the price? There's also the special rolls that are very creative and delicious. I especially love the volcano roll which is california with baked creamy scallop on top. It's a must have! For appetizers, always go for the baked green mussels if you like spicy. The service was good. We were always seated immediately with water and tea is free. The staff was friendly and talkative. Overall the fish is always fresh and the rolls are amazing. The price is well affordable. I highly recommend Meiji-En to real and experience sushi lovers. Pros: fresh fish, amazing rolls, cheap price Cons: none more

Meiji-En may win the record for having, hands down, the worst service I’ve ever experienced. After... more