4. Restaurants

Shigezo Izakaya

910 SW Salmon St, Portland, OR, 97205
  • (503) 688-5202
  • Store is closed

Shigezo Izakaya Menu

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  • T B.

    Terribly disappointing. Perhaps just an isolated incident, as I've there a couple of times before without the same horrible outcome, but it must be mentioned due to their inability to rectify a bad experience. We walked in on a Sunday night without a reservation but after just a few minutes, we were promptly seated at a table in the bar at a just-cleaned table with a napkin smeared with wasabi under the place setting. It took nearly 15 minutes for a waitress to approach us for our drink order, at which point we were informed we couldn't order food from the Happy Hour menu unless we ordered drinks. Ordering soda water (as they didn't have any sparkling water on their menu) apparently didn't qualify. We ordered the seaweed salad, an octopus salad, a sushi roll and, sizzling salmon rice. The seaweed salad came out first and as we finished that, the octopus salad arrived, then shortly after, our sushi order. Not in any great hurry, and though long finished with the rest of our meal, we weren't worried when the rice dish failed to make an appearance. After about 15 minutes, we asked the waitress about it. She replied "What? You haven't got that yet? No? Let me go check." She came back to tell us that the kitchen was all backed up and it would be out soon. We joked that she forgot to put the order through the kitchen, but when she kept walking past our table with other people's food, that joke wasn't funny anymore. When I made eye contact with her again, after another 10 minutes, she stopped by to ask us if we'd got our order yet, to which we replied a sad "no". Joking about getting the bill and going across the street to dinner, we patiently waited for our rice dish wondering if it would be cold when it finally arrived. Ultimately, after an hour's time from when we ordered, and just as we were preparing to ask for the check, the rice dish made it's grand and long-awaited appearance, accompanied by a chef or manager who explained there was a communication problem in the kitchen. The rice dish was not worth the wait, the salmon was grossly overcooked and the dish was overpowered with scrambled eggs. Again, my date and I joked about the experience wondering if they were going to charge us for the sizzling salmon and rice. Of course they did. After screwing up on their service, they added insult to injury by leaving us with a sour taste in our mouth. They need a lesson in hospitality. After making a mistake with someone's order, a restaurant should do something to make the experience a good one. It would have gone a long way in my book had they comped the measly $12 order or offered us complimentary dessert. Instead, I left knowing I would not go back, and tweeted just that to my nearly 4000 followers.

    (1)

  • Ricky P.

    I was visiting Portland for a week and looked up ramen places to eat. Me and my bf are ramen fanatics. We decided to try this place. We met up with a friend of his and was well attended. It was just in time for their happy hour, which requires you to buy 1 drink. I ordered the Tokyo ramen with a soft boiled egg. Much different that what i'm used to. It was good. It just didn't have that kick of rich broth. I enjoyed the postcard they handed with our reciept.

    (3)

  • Michelle L.

    I was visiting Portland for work and I needed somewhere to eat late on a Sunday night. The atmosphere of this place was rather lively for a Sunday night. I ordered the miso ramen. The broth and the pork were quite good but it just wasn't the kind of noodles I was expecting. However, the sushi (especially the coho salmon) was fresh and delicious. The sake I drank was also very good. I would come back again for sushi and maybe their happy hour.

    (4)

  • Diego G.

    This is one of the first restaurants I tried while visiting Portland for the first time. I came here because it was near the bar I was going to later that night, and the palce had good reviews on yelp. I must say that I was a little bit disappointed. I sat at the sushi bar and in a lot of sushi places the chefs are really nice and try to interact with the customer, but at this place they did not even smile and ignored me, which is fine as long as they make the sushi tasty. However, I sat there for over 5 mins waiting for anyone to approach me until finally the sever came to greet me and she was disgruntled and I guess she was having a bad day,anyway she tried to be really nice towards the end but pretty much ignored me throughout my meal. The sushi was good, it was not great or bad. I had a sushi combo with a variety of tuna, salmon, shrimp, yellow tail and eel. It also came with California rolls. The plate looked fancy and was very well presented. The quality of the fish was not the best, but it was 16 dollar dish which is pretty affordable. I don't think I'll come back here if I make another trip to Portland.

    (2)

  • Raymond B.

    Food was good as was the service. Only problem was with the $7.00 calarmari appetizer. It was so rubbery you could not swallow it. We left 2/3 of it. The rest we spit into our napkins. At the end of the meal we were asked how the food was and we told server about the calamari. He told the manager who said if we didn't want to pay for it we would have had to have complained when we got it not at the end of the meal. I guess they would rather lose a customer than take $7.00 off the bill or at least offer a dessert.

    (3)

  • richard g.

    Great place. well organized and extensive menu. Tapas (yes in a Japanese restaurant!), raman, shushi/nigiri, skewers, cocktails. Traditional interior a nice touch. This is apparently a Japanese chain. The house-made smoked salmon was the best I have ever had in my life. Buttery, soft and fantastic flavor. I will be back. Highly recommended

    (5)

  • Paolina T.

    YUM! YUM! YUM! YUM! Okay, the decor on the outside is awesome and you can almost ignore the scaffolding. Inside the decor is great! THere was clearly a lot of love and careful thought put in the place along with the Western Cedar tree hanging from the ceiling. I met my friends for happy hour and Shigezo has a SUPERB happy hour. I have to tell you, the prices are reasonable without happy hour. However, happy hour prices... I SHOULD BE EATING THERE EVERYDAY! More importantly, the food is YUMMY! Amazing! For all those people that don't eat raw fish, this place is great for you! For all those people who eat raw fish, this place is great for you! We had the salad roll, Okonomiyaki, edamame, avo-tuna ceviche, spicy tuna roll, veggie roll and california roll. My favorites on this trip were the avo-tuna ceviche and the okonomiyaki.

    (5)

  • Heather C.

    I had to check it out because 1)I love Japanese Food and 2)I've heard many people raving about it. I have to say: Not so impressed. I wouldn't go back again. I had noodles that were slimy (and not the delightful kind of slimy) and the service was slow/unenthused. I do think the space is pretty neat. I'd suggest skipping it unless you're intensely curious.

    (2)

  • Scoob W.

    Game of expectations? Have been reading the wonderful reviews and salivating what I imagined would be the most delicious ramen and sushi ever. Instead it was literally...."meh. I've experienced better."

    (2)

  • Carlo X.

    I'm a regular here because the quality of the fish and the atmosphere are great. The service may suck from time to time but overall I've never had a bad experience here. Call in advance if you want that table in the back with the heated blanket thing ( I forgot what it's called in Japanese). They have decent ramen as well. I've lived in Japan and its the most authentic Japanese I've had (in Portland).

    (5)

  • Jeff B.

    The food was fairly good. This place isn't a true Japanese izakaya unfortunately. It's just a Japanese restaurant that has a lot of appetizers on the menu. I would have rated them higher, but the service sucked. Bad. The food took forever and the waiter was apathetic. The price is reasonable at happy hour but I don't think I'll go back. Too bad, because I love izakaya restaurants... In Japan at least...

    (2)

  • Luna P.

    Good service is given (Japanese, duh), and so is the presentation/plating. I'm glad to find lots of Izakaya dishes there, such as okonomiyaki, recalling the last one I had was in Hawaii. But not too fast, everything is looking good, not tasting superb. This place has got potential, I would like to find out where Shigezo will take us.

    (4)

  • Ai M.

    This was my first time visiting Shigezo, place unknown to me until I read about it in meetup.com for Japanese gathering I joined recently. There were 16 seats reserved in a formal tatami laid out darkly lit room. I liked the atmoshphere very much, and companions I met were lively and made the experience that much better. I ordered Abu-Ramen, interesting ramen without the broth, but piping hot with the sauce with refreshing veggies. Portion was generous and I could not finish the meal, as much as I wanted to! We stayed for three hours, and were very well taken care of. Will return again as I've yet to exaust the list on the menu :)

    (5)

  • Francis Y.

    I was at Miho Izakaya the other night and like Miho, I give this place 3 stars - 4 for the decor and 3 for the food. I felt Miho was more homey and had more of a neighborhood feel but Shigezo was more posh and dressed to the nines. I had the ramen here as well and thought the broth was a bit watery and not as flavorful as the ramen broth I've had in NYC. It is worth a try though. It looks like they have a great bar and it is a cool place to hang out and drink.

    (3)

  • William P.

    This place has definitely gone south in recent months. After trying many of their cooked menu items over several visits and finding them unimpressive and MSG-heavy, I've mainly kept coming back for the great tatami booths and acceptable sushi. But no more: yesterday I ordered a fatty tuna nigiri, real crab California roll, and veggie roll, all of which were at best mediocre in both flavor and texture, at worst inedible. The tuna nigiri especially was tough, too cold, and too fishy. Also, the salad my companion ordered had a sesame dressing that tasted more like a frappuccino. If it weren't for the booths and decor I'd give this place one star.

    (2)

  • Steven C.

    After eating at Shigezo for the third time I figured I'd write up a little review. First of all, the service is spotty at best. At times they are constantly checking on you, and then they'll forget about you for quite awhile (it was never busy at the times I went). Second, the food is ok. The ramen is the best thing I've had there. It seems they've gotten to americanizing things now and with bad effect for those looking for authentic food. They now toss their karaage in a sauce and call things "tapas". I guess their now fusion? The okonomiyaki was decent, but most of the robota stuff wasn't very good. The ikayaki was pretty bad, probably the worst I've ever had, they didn't even give the whole ika. Their ramen is "ok" though expensive. The small size is just that, small. It's also expensive for what you get. Although I do admit I can eat more than most people. The broth is good, but I don't particularly like their noodles. They are more al dente than normal. Overall, it's over priced to me and the only things worth getting are the okonomiyaki and ramen.

    (2)

  • Kahai D.

    This was a nice find in the city...not too crowded but enough patrons to know that the place is popular...had the chefs choice of sushi...very good quality and only $22 for 12 pieces...living on Maui this is very cheap for good sushi...

    (4)

  • F. Explora L.

    Classy atmosphere! Love the japanese style seating options :) Spectacular presentation of foods. The fried tofu appetizer was amazing!! Best tofu I have ever tasted!! It's a MUST-GET appetizer! The Rainbow roll was large and tasty. However, I was disappointed with the veggie roll :/ It had an awkward sour tasting sauce that I have never tasted in a sushi roll. It was a strong sour taste that over powered the flavor of the veggies; I think it would have tasted much better with a better choice in sauce/flavor. Artistic and very aesthetically pleasing presentation though. The beef ramen noodle soup was wonderful! We were very satisfied with our meal and the servers were very friendly. 3.5 stars.

    (4)

  • Bradford L.

    Same quality sushi you can get anywhere else. Shoyu ramen was nothing special. Ordered a soft boiled egg which was closer to raw then soft boiled. Is it too much to ask for a seasoned soft boiled egg? Chashu was tasty, and green onions are always a plus.

    (3)

  • Morgen L.

    Miso Ramen was so good and so big! I had the regular sized bowl and took more than half to go. I also had a fresh grapefruit chu drink and it was really yummy. Refreshing and lovely, similar to a greyhound but lighter and less alcoholic. The service was good, not great. The best part was the next day when I had the leftover ramen-- It was better than the night before! I want to go back and try other things on the menu too. cheers.

    (4)

  • Aimee L.

    So when I was a kid, this location was the Zen restaurant, and so I went hoping there was something equally wonderful in it's place. No way. The worst sushi and the worst service. Walked in and was pretty much ignored - sat down at the sushi bar and there were two chefs, neither who even said hello. I said hello to the caucasian chef in front of me and he grunted. He never did ask me if I wanted anything. Napkins and chopsticks lying all over the sushi bar - hello, cleanliness??? Took 10 minutes to even get a waitress to come over and she was abrupt at best, as if she couldn't be bothered. Happy hour menu looked decent so I ordered the spicy tuna hand roll and dragon roll, and a ginger lemon drop. Then I watched the sushi chef. He was mumbling to himself, cursing at times, and checking his cell phone right there at the bar. It took 15 minutes to get my two rolls and when I got the spicy tuna, a) it wasn't spicy whatsoever and b) it was this mushy mess - and then I looked up and saw him preparing another one and understood why - they had the tuna slop in a plastic container, it wasn't even chopped up from a piece of tuna to order. The dragon roll was equally bad - COLD eel (it's supposed to be broiled or grilled). I asked the chef to make me albacore sushi and it was strangely rubbery. The service continued to be spotty (no one ever asked how the food was, if I wanted anything else, and acted miffed when I finally asked for my check) and the chef continued to check his cell phone (eww, germs!!!). When I got up to leave, no one said thank you from the sushi bar, didn't even look up. Let's just say I'd rather go to Sushi Land than this place - oy vey! Want good sushi downtown? Head down to Murata. Don't bother with this place - it's embarrassingly bad.

    (1)

  • Evey I.

    The happy hour is ok. Some sushi is priced well but most are just regular priced and not good. I liked the avo unagi hand roll the best. The spicy squid needs to be skipped. I think this place, even at happy hour, is priced high and the taste is really not there.

    (2)

  • Jordana E.

    Excellent sushi, ramen, drinks, and service, at a reasonable price. Love the atmosphere too. Have been back three times (once for happy hour, twice for lunch) and plan to become a regular.

    (4)

  • josh b.

    Although I have never had lunch here...I have had dinner quite a few times. I CAN'T GET ENOUGH. Fish...ramen...BACON! Melts in your mouth. Worth the 4.50 you spend for two little pieces of heavenly swine love. Great sakes...great staff. Clean fun environment. Thumbs up.

    (5)

  • Brianna H.

    Hooray for nigiri! I still need to try the ramen... looked really good though! Staff was really nice and informative!!! I'll be back... :)

    (4)

  • William K.

    I waited over 10 minutes before I finally asked a passing waiter if I could have a visit from my server. I did get service eventually. Friendly to boot. I had an app and a roll. The fish was fresh and good, although a little unimaginative. Prices were fair. Next time I'm in PDX, I will probably go elsewhere for sushi.

    (3)

  • Monty H.

    Im in complete agreement with Bret-san on this one, the Ramen rules!

    (5)

  • Cathy L.

    It hurts to begin the review w/ a lonely star in the ratings. However, this restaurant probably has the worst customer service EVER. I worked as a waitress through college and even ran a kitchen myself with 20 cooks for two years and by far, it doesn't excuse the level of service you would expect as a paying customer. We ordered food that did not arrive within 20min. so we asked to have the order checked. Server came back to inform us that it would be out shortly. Another 20 min passes when he comes back to say there was an error in the kitchen and that it was NOW being fired up. One line of an insincere and all too casual, "I'm so sorry". No offer of discount, can we get you something on the house, we'll take that off your bill. Mind you, I've been to this restaurant several times already in the past 6 months and this was the 3rd incidence of such "kitchen error" happening. I left the table, while still waiting for the food to arrive and asked to speak with a manager. Two staff members who look to be about 21 yrs. old fumbled around, one profusely apologizing but really coming across as sincere and another started calling someone. Apparently, there's no manager on site and not even a stand-in mgr to oversee the shift. WHAT?!?!?! This place is run by young adults who hold the job because they need the $ but don't really care about the reputation of the restaurant or the long term damages of such an awful experience by one party that leads to bad reviews. I had to wait another 10 minutes standing at the reception area to speak to someone but no one was around to hear me out. This alone speaks volume - there's no one there to address any issues a customer might have. The kid who looked like he just graduated high school came back to tell me he spoke with someone and handed over a $20 gift card. We used it this night, knowing I will never come back. While I enjoy their food tremendously, the unreliable, inconsistent, and unprofessional service that accompanies this establishment will make me heed warnings to all my friends/family. No paying customer should have to feel like I have to "demand" service or an apology. And no one should have to wait more than few minute to be heard.

    (1)

  • Fernanda B.

    If I could I would give no star. The quality of the fish wasn't good at all and for a beer we asked 3 times. Honestly? I will never spend a dollar in this restaurant again.

    (1)

  • Rachel H.

    Although the food we had was all on the Sunday happy hour menu, it was all good. The hand rolls were great, as were the California rolls and the rest of the food. The edemame was served chilled - like, almost ice cold - but overall the meal was tasty. I'd totally go back.

    (4)

  • BuellRider ..

    I loved the low, Zen Booth I sat in with my two friends. We closed the gauzy curtain and had a little privacy as we sampled the fresh sushi and sipped hot miso. The waitress was awesome - friendly and very accommodating. I wasn't sure what sort of drink I wanted, but gave her a description of what flavors I had in mind, and she came back with a beautiful creation from the bar, just for me. A great place to come for happy hour or on a date. Cozy, comfortable and romantic. I found the price to be fair for the high quality of the food and drinks, and the lovely atmosphere.

    (5)

  • Connie L.

    Happy hour was fantastic, I had the spicy hamachi roll, two hand rolls, karage and ramen. Everything was fantastic but the ramen was a little salty.

    (4)

  • Songphon M.

    The restaurant serves one of the best sushis and rolls I have tasted in Portland (Murata is the other place). I ordered the Shigezo Chef's Choice Omakase that came with 5 pieces of nigiri and 2 pieces of roll and they all were fresh and delicious. I also had the chicken wings as a hot appetizers and it was great. The restaurant hold true to its "izakaya" (Japanese pub) style where the customer could come in to grab a quick eat with a drink or two.

    (4)

  • J C.

    Ramen was perfect!

    (5)

  • Dan A.

    I've only been here for lunch, but I wouldn't mind stopping in some evening to do a bit of drinking. Excellent ramen (the pork in their ramen is really something special) and very good sushi. Service was prompt and friendly both times. I'll definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Gypsy R.

    This place has wonderful sushi and is overall a great place. Their drink menu is limited. This is one of my top 3 places in Pdx for sushi.

    (4)

  • Tyler A.

    It was a typical gloomy day in Portland, needing some ramen. Ramen was solid and the Sunday happy hour was spot on, lots of ramen and sushi on special during the quiet times. The restaurant was massive with nooks and crannies and small rooms for floor seating. I wonder how packed it gets....

    (4)

  • Sean M.

    I am superstitious, at least when I have my pre-race meal. It has to be Japanese and it has to include chicken teriyaki and lots of rice for those carbs I'll Need for a race. The chicken was excellent, the atmosphere nice and calm and the service excellent.

    (5)

  • Latoya H.

    I love this place!! Great sushi pretty high quality for the right price. Seems pretty authenic to a japanese style restaurant. Try the taramisu for dessert yummy. Also tasty katsu curry just like I had in japan.

    (5)

  • Jenny K.

    Happy hour price is reasonable, but the food isn't that great. Hot fried tofu was way too oily. It's agedashi tofu but with no sauce. Chicken wings were good. Tsukemono just salty with no flavor. Stay away from sushi. Skewers were pretty good. Kushiage quail egg was also okay. We were excited about this new hot Japanese place opening and still feel that Portland has a long way to go to get really fantastic Japanese restaurant like LA or New York.

    (2)

  • C M.

    I would give this place 4.5 stars if I could. We went with a medium sized group on a Friday early evening. We ordered lots of drinks and many dishes and all were pretty tasty and authentic. Four out of four of us Japanese agreed that it was as close as it gets. The ONLY drawback about the food was that they don't use Japanese mayo, which may not seem like a big deal, but it does make a significant difference in the way something tastes.

    (4)

  • Karen M.

    Horrible! Bad service and bad food! Tried to order ramen without the pork and was told the kitchen couldn't accommodate special requests because it was too busy. However the table next to me had no problem getting their yakisoba without egg! The shio Abu ramen I did order was so greasy! I will never go back!

    (1)

  • C. K.

    After trying this place several times, I can definitively say that it's the real deal. The decor is gorg - feels like you're in an izakaya in Tokyo. That is probably because it is actually a chain restaurant from Japan. I like the booths with the foamy cushions that give you the feeling of sitting in a tatami room but without the sore knees (they have authentic tatami rooms too). You do have to know what to order at this place. Anything from the grill is delish, especially the shiitake mushrooms. Their tonkotsu ramen is pretty darned good - next time I'll add butter and corn to the mix as well. The sushi is just o.k. Some of the food is so-so (katsu curry for example) and a bit overpriced. Service can be spotty when it's busy but overall, it's a winner!

    (4)

  • Wes M.

    Really, this is a 3.5 star review. The food at Shigezo is good, but it's just good. Not great, not bad, but good. We tried almost every vegetarian option on the menu, and we were happy with everything we had. We had two mushroom skewers; Shiitake and Portobello. These probably the most delicious items, actually. They were grilled perfectly, with enough salt taste it but not overwhelm the flavors of the mushrooms. Next we had the panko fried zucchini and mozzarella sticks. The panko breading makes them nice and light, and doesn't hold much of the oil they're fried in. While that's good, it does make them a little dry. The sauce they come with had oyster in it, so we had to skip that and we used soy sauce instead, which was very good. We also had agedashi tofu, which came with some fried mochi and fresh ginger on top of it. This was also good. Next up was an omelet (I can't remember what it was called...one-something-yaki) which had cabbage in it, and the sauce tasted like A1 Sauce. It was an interesting mix of flavors, something I'd have to get again now that I know what to expect from it. The last thing I had was the panko fried quail eggs, and these were pretty good too. They were hard-boiled before being coated in the panko and fried, they have a texture that almost melts in your mouth. Delicious. The service was good, attentive. They open the door for you when you come in and when you leave. My girlfriend thought that it was so nice it seemed like they were trying to hard, but I didn't get that vibe at all. They were very nice. Overall, the food was good, but there was some strange items on the menu. The omelet was a strange flavor, and some of the things we saw on the menu seemed like they were trying to play to American tastes. Maybe that's how they work in Japan, maybe not. I'll be going back, certainly, but I hope that they drop some of the strange Americanized Japanese items from their menu.

    (4)

  • Mitch M.

    Nice space, yes. And on this last visit, sitting in the regular dining area instead of the dead-zone-for-service bar, the service was very good. But, alas, the food is nothing short of crap. And the sake selection is woefully pitiful, especially for a supposed Isakaya, and what they did have was ridiculously expensive (as seems to be the fashion for sake in restaurants now). Gyoza were promising in appearance. Hand made, big, appearing to be well prepared. But they were soaking with grease. Tasted awful! "Panko Breaded Fish Sausage" was nothing but a strip of fishcake (you know, that stuff you pick off your ramen and never eat). Tasted like crap. Somekindaroll - rice was pasty. Flavorless and poorly constructed. Clams steamed in Sake broth were decent. Nice size clams. A bit overcooked, and the broth was low on flavor and had scant sake in it. Had some other stuff on a stick that was greasy and unappealing. Shrimp over cooked. Chicken over cooked. The rest was so unremarkable I can't remember what it was (or I've stricken the horror of it from memory). I will say that the two young ladies in the next booth had what appeared to be an appealing ceasar-ish salad in a big bowl. I am so totally done with this place.

    (1)

  • Andrew S.

    I've learned to love the tapa's here and the large frosty mugs of Kirin. This place has grown on me though I still do not recommend the dinner plates. Stick with the tapa's and beer, you'll be just fine.

    (3)

  • Erin C.

    Having lived in Japan, this is the first place I've tried that has pretty authentic ramen and okonomiyaki. The miso ramen is my favorite! The atmosphere is nice- especially for bigger groups you can get one of the big tatami rooms in the back. However, the service is SO slow- it got kind of annoying. And it's a little pricey.

    (4)

  • Liz G.

    I really love the Ramen here, my favorite I have found so far. I haven't tried the sushi because it is really pricey (which is why the 4 stars). However, the ramen is affordable and served in large portions. Their okonomiyaki s also really good, I would highly recommend it. If you have never tried it, it is a tasty Japanese savory pancake topped with a sweet brown sauce and mayonnaise, it sounds weird but give it a try I bet you will like it. I also agree that it is a good date restaurant.

    (4)

  • Alice G.

    WAY overpriced (about $10 for a smallish bowl of so-so ramen) and the food was underwhelming. The ramen noodles had a good chew, but the broth was quite oily and off tasting. The ambiance was great, and felt like a real izakaya one would find in Japan, but the Japanese wouldn't put up with food or the prices.

    (2)

  • Michele H.

    I had the BEST sushi roll and poke of my life tonight! Remember this; Kitara roll and lover's poke. Poke is always excellent at Shigezo. I'm am a big fan of their ahi poke don. Tonight we had the lover's poke. Salmon and ahi, good fresh flavord, not salty. Then, the Kitara roll, recommended by Herbert, most excellent. The combination of sweet crab and saltier eel; plus avocado! What's not to love? I'm going to try and adds a pic. Since this is the first time I have ever done this, you may have to trust what I say and see for your own self! Wine, sake, beer and cocktails. Enjoy!!!

    (5)

  • Kimmie N.

    Stepping in I loved the signs on the door. Notice the "Pull" It definitely made me smile. The atmosphere was super chill and we were greeted immediately to seat ourselves at any open table. Happy to find out it was Happy Hour on a Sunday! Ramen under $10?? heck yeah. I could tell the couple at the sushi bar were Japanese so that was also a great sign of authentic food. My bf ordered the Dragon drink which tasted pretty good. He ordered the Tsukemono and Seaweed salad. I was surprised the portions were a bit smaller than expected but taste wise, I just wanted more! I ordered the Abu-ramen which was sooo good. But if you want broth, get it on the side. I broke into the soft cooked egg and it dispersed all thru the hearty noodles. It was spicy and the thinly sliced pork was good but a bit on the dry side. Wish I could get come bbq pork in that too! LOL but that's not japanese. My bf got the hot and sour ramen but it wasn't too sour. I wasn't a big fan because of all the bean sprouts in it. I think of bean sprouts as a bit of a "filler veggie" though. All in all, looking forward to checking what their dinner experience would be like. What a cool, cozy find! Yum!

    (4)

  • R R.

    The other reviewers must be friends with the owners. That's how we heard about this place. I'm only giving it 2 stars because the sushi was good. The ramen tasted like rancid bacon fat. It wasn't edible. The salmon was previously frozen. The spinach salad was watery. The tempura wasn't fresh. Really, this place needs to get its act together or it will be short-lived.

    (2)

  • Shun Y.

    Good service, forgettable food. I came in here expecting awesome ramen after reading the reviews, and got their combos -- kara age & ramen & beer. The first issue was w/ the kara age -- for some reason they were using white meat, and the shell had the consistency of General Tso's chicken: soft and soggy. What was this, "let's microwave Costco General Tso chicken and call it kara age" day? The second problem was w/ the ramen. The soup was great, but their noodle was awful. You could buy raw Myojo ramen at an Asian food store and get better noodles than this.

    (2)

  • Nick D.

    Nursing a hang-over, I needed ramen. No other food is better for the post-inebriated. I found Shigezo simply by typing "ramen" into googlemaps. I sat at the bar and was greeted with a wonderful "irashaimasee!" I'm instantly stoked. I came in on a slow late sunday afternoon and without slowing headed for the bar seating directly in front of the head chef. In passing I had mentioned to the server I was here for ramen only and he returned with menu in hand directing me to my food quest. Most places offer only "ramen" but I had three choices here. I chose Abu-ramen since I'd never had it before. Atmosphere is great. Prices were good. I couldn't wait to fill up on noodles and delicious hot broth and salty pork. However, much to my demise, I very quickly found out that Abu-ramen is without broth. I only blame my own ignorance. The flavor was outstanding. The meat was superbly cooked. Noodles had great consistency. Did I mention it was absolutely delicious? (It was.) Did I mention that I loved this place? (I do.) Did I mention that I'll be back to eat again? (I will.) Gochisosamadeshita indeed.

    (5)

  • Eriko O.

    we had high hopes when entering this place. the good luck drum was cute and we were greeted by a nice japanese woman. the tatami mat rooms were fun, though i think the bean bags are hard to sit on, flatter, more traditional cushions would be better. decor is great, but the food does not live up to the decor and the service was lacking. waiter was nice enough and we had our drink order right away. he checked back for our food order a couple times- again, good. but then there were a bunch of mess ups- forgotten dishes, wrong dishes, and we had to flag him down to get the check. if the other servers had not pitched in to clear dishes and box up food, it would have been a loooong night with cranky kids. we went there because of the ramen recommendation. my son had the one that does not have a broth... kind of udon type noodles, flavor was okay, kind of spicy, but definitely not what i would call ramen. toppings weren't particularly inspired. sushi was ok, nothing great and expensive. i also think the menu is way too big for a japanese restaurant. sort of all over the place. i think biwa blows this place away. their food lives up to the cool atmosphere and they keep things cohesive between their staff, menu choices, and most importantly- the food.

    (2)

  • J D S.

    We went here for lunch, which just started at the beginning of the month, eight days ago. Shigezo has comfortable seating and a welcoming (if dark) interior. It is expertly staffed and everybody wants you to feel at home from the moment you walk in the door. The lunch menu is limited, with about eight selections (they are thinking about expanding it down the road depending on the mid-day traffic.) That didn't bother us at all since we had come for the ramen. They have one ramen of the day at lunch currently; this one was in a base of chicken/vegetable broth, and it was packed with noodles that were to my mind ideal, along with a fair amount of veggies and a very lean, very tasty slice of pork. The flavors were delightful, and a small pinch dish of Japanese pepper mix was offered on the side. The $9.00 portion was ample and could even be shared by two, especially if you had an appetizer or salad to split along with it. We're going to go back for dinner, where there is a broad selection of everything from izakaya-style skewers and bar snacks to full entrees. The ramen is only $0.50 more at dinner (unless you order the bigger size, which would definitely be to share,) and rice plates appear to be a great value. In fact, dinner doesn't cost any more than lunch, so I would only think of this as a two-dollar-sign restaurant. You can run up the bill with more exotic sushi and small plate items if you like, or a bottle of $195 sake, but it is also quite possible to dine economically here. The menu seems to be designed to support as simple or elaborate a meal as you might want. The whole vibe, as mentioned by others, is of complete authenticity - - not surprising since the company is in fact Japanese and operates similar establishments there. They've basically transported one of their restaurants to a new country, and I think Portland should be honored to be the beneficiary of their first outpost. I know I'm happy about it!

    (5)

  • m m.

    The food is good overall. I love their gyoza, Karaage (chiken), ramen etc....Shigezo did well to introduce the concept of Izakaya while being away from Japan and I love it. For those with bad reviews about minimum order requirement or crammed seats, sorry you are experiencing a little culture shock:)

    (5)

  • Cathy C.

    There are many aspects we take into account when spending our money at a restaurant. Is the waiting staff friendly? Was the seating good? What about the ambiance? Yes. It's more then just food and Shigezo rates low on pretty much everything. The wait staff was friendly and attentive, but it was embarrassing to witness the head sushi chef berating his assistant. The seating was good, I'll give it that, but just look behind the sushi bar (or all around for that matter). There's junk all over; a small shelf has the remains of a paper roll, a sloppy can of pencils, paper with hand written notes, a jar of spice that doesn't have a home, a happy kitty, and one of these huge paper lanterns that's just taking up needed space. Then there are the piles and piles of plates. Did any planning go into decent storage? There's even a tacky calendar hung on the wall. Take a look at the cold storage for the fish. Hm, hm, hm. Not good. Now, if the look of a place doesn't bother you, then by all means, try it out. But don't expect much from the food. The albacore was warmish (I like my sushi cold, don't you?) and the choices were few. Too bad. We need to support new downtown eating establishments.

    (1)

  • Laura W.

    This was our second visit to Shigezo. The first time we were impressed with the waitress who attended to or preferences and recommended a great sake we hadnt tried before. The sushi was well-chosen, fresh and I liked that there were other interesting Japanese-style dishes to try. This second visit I was disappointed. We were seated by the hall where there was storage with bright light from an open tatami room close by hitting us in the face in the otherwise dark area. There were other tables so I am not sure why this was done. The waitress did not know the food or sake and recommended a really poor quality sake. The uni which she boasted about had a strong taste - perhaps where it came from; but the salmon was a little darkened from drying out at the edges and the hamachi was a little stringy. I have to average the 2 visits and really give it a 3 overall. this last visit was just a 2 if rated by itself.

    (3)

  • Aeric E.

    Great Japanese food and environment. We had wonderful sushi rolls and skewers. Definitely try the firecracker roll. Can't wait to check out the traditional seating at my next visit.

    (4)

  • Linda L.

    My daughter and I came here today after driving 45 miles to enjoy this special place for lunch. We have been before and it has been a treat! We arrived at 11:28 am and they open at 11:30. We were seated at 11:40 after who seemed like a manager asked the one and only patron before us if he was waiting for something and he said a table. The manager looked at the hostess and said seat him and us. She proceeded to seat him then proceeded to seat us in the dark back bar counter with storage behind it that we were looking at. We asked for a table. The entire restaurant was EMPTY! She said no she can't do that as they save all the tables for parties if 4 or more. We looked toward the windows on the other side of the restaurant and again asked for a table and were told no. They alternate sides of the restaurant and the patron before us was already seated on that side. Again we asked for a table and we were told no. We looked at each other and looked at the hostess and said no thank you, we are leaving. Nothing done to accommodate us. This was the least customer conscientious and least accommodating restaurant I have EVER been too. Have enjoyed this gem in the past and will never return.

    (1)

  • Anna A.

    After reading a review in one of the weeklies, we decided to try Shigezo on a Sunday night. We ordered some sushi rolls, a tempura rice dish to share, and some ramen. The food arrived in some random order, but we were hungry, so we just ate as they arrived. The ramen was pretty good, and a good portion size. Same with the tempura, it was a mixed fish/veg, and they were pretty generous on the fish side. The rolls (we had the dragon, a scallop, and veggie one) were ok, though the veggie roll had some sort of pickled something in them, couldn't really tell what it was, that was a bit overpowering and weird tasting.. One strange thing about the menu, is they have some "medium size" plates that you can add rice and miso soup to at an additional price, and then they'll have the same plate (i.e. the tempura) as a "rice dish" that has rice and soup included... They could just save those extra items in the menu if they just had the add on option in them, as opposed to pretty much the same dish twice. We did order the rice tempura dish that came with a miso soup, which never arrived, and when we asked about it, the waitress told us we could order one at an additional cost... By that time it was the end of our meal and we didn't have any menus on the table to check that it indeed came with the soup, so we didn't want to make a fuss, but it seemed our waitress wasn't very familiar with the menu, maybe she was new or something. So, basically, the place is ok for what it is, if you want a slighter nicer decor or a location downtown to get your Izakaya on, otherwise you can eat better/cheaper sushi at any Mio; and better and cheaper small plates and noodles at Miho.

    (2)

  • K L.

    I have yet to find a place this good. Very good prices too!

    (4)

  • Melissa C.

    After eating at Shigezo 3 times, I have to say, I like it, I like it, I like it! Absolutely everything I tried has been delectable and fresh--and very reasonably priced, particularly for the quality. The first night, we met the owner, a dimunitive Japanese man who was utterly gracious, which shows in the beautiful but austere style of the restaurant. The food was outstanding. The avo-tuna ceviche was beautifully prepared, and perfectly spiced with a creamy wasabi dressing. We also really enjoyed a special sweet potato cake that was wonderfully hot and sweet. We're partial to sushi, so we indulged in some tasty, and very generous rolls, that were unique--we particularly enjoyed the one with hot pepper, finely shaved. As for lunch, the sushi combo is both delicious and generous at $10. But my favorite is the Asian Style Fish Rice Bowl. Yum! You must check out this fun, new spot downtown, so close to everything!

    (5)

  • Carlo T.

    I'm writing this review while sitting at the table. We have been Siting here for 1 hour and 45 and still waiting for our sushi... We didn't order anything special... How long would take to prepare sushi?? So horrible service although the sushi was good (nothing like murata) but decent. But honestly this place is gonna close in a month Id they don't change something.

    (1)

  • Sarah C.

    My husband and I went to Shigezo on 12/30/10 and had the single worst dining experience of our lives. I have never before received such terrible service. I am so dissatisfied that I have decided to write this review. We don't get out that often. We have two small children and dates are hard for us to manage and when we do, our time is precious. We arrived at about 5:30pm and asked to sit at the sushi bar. Our first issue was that there was nowhere to put our coats. We ended up putting them on the stool next to us, but a coat rack would have been nice. The chefs greeted us but when asked if we could order sushi from them, they said we had to order from the waitress. She came over within two minutes and asked if we'd like drinks. We ordered a dirty martini and a glass of plum wine. We also placed our food order which included miso soup, seaweed salad and a number of sushi items. We waited for over fifteen minutes with no acknowledgement from the chefs or the service staff. We finally got our drinks but I had to ask for water after twenty minutes and it took an additional five to get it. We finally asked the sushi chef if we could get our miso soup at least and he asked the waitress to come over to us. She did not come for another five minutes. By this point we had been waiting for some kind of food for over half an hour. There was a couple who came in a few minutes after us who also sat at the sushi bar who ordered, received their food, ate, paid and left in the time we were waiting. We finally got up and left. This was absolutely unacceptable service. We arrived and placed our order before the big rush had started. We should not have had to wait more than five minutes for our drinks and should never have had to ask for water. We should have been given our soup and salad within ten minutes or at the very least, been told it was going to be so long. We were completely ignored by the staff until we had to say something. I feel so disrespected and simply could not believe how terrible the service was. I cannot even say anything about the food because we did not get to eat one single thing. This was the first time I've ever walked out of a restaurant for any reason and we were especially disappointed because we had heard such good things. We did speak with a manager but all he did was apologize and say it was busy. He really just wasted more of our time. I wrote the restaurant a letter explaining the situation and mailed it the next day and received no response. I would never, ever recommended this restaurant and have never had such a terrible experience.

    (1)

  • kate k.

    the menus is pretty hit or miss, but if you do decide to show up... come for happy hour and hope that they have the kara age fried chicken on special! this is the star dish of anything i have had here ever. it truly is wonderful... enough to help me overlook a lot of other subpar dishes.

    (3)

  • Peter W.

    Small miserly portions. Tuna roll looked great but fish was mushy and flavorless. Pricey for average neighborhood food. Ambiance and service was nice and toilets were terrific...electric with sprayers.

    (3)

  • Kristen C.

    Fantastic, seriously. All the skewers are great - mushrooms, steak, chicken, and the best of all, bacon wrapped quail eggs. Amazing. We also had a rainbow roll and a dragon roll. Very fresh and tasty, really good sized portions for a roll, too. The grilled drunk squid was awesome - not at all chewy, great flavor. I've also eaten my weight in boiled, perfectly salted edamame. Great happy hour menu, and the drinks are great. Can't wait to go back!

    (5)

  • Linh M.

    Ordered the ramen after a long hike. Broth was good but was limited in ramen noodles. Would have wanted a more filling bowl. Also tried their hand rolls which were decent. Got the tuna hand roll and it was good. Overall, not bad but not the best either.

    (3)

  • Annette O.

    Shigezo is one of my favorite places to eat. However I only give 3 stars because the last few times I've been here have been a hit or miss. However, from what I've seen the service has been improving. Also the guy that made my friend and I really disgruntled one day doesn't seem to work there anymore. So I'm happy about that. Although I'm not happy that I can never come here with that friend again. It used to be our happy hour spot when she was in town. My favorite thing about this place is the spicy hamachi in both hand roll and cut roll form. I could eat this all day and everyday. I love the happy hour that they offer. Especially after a rough day at work? Inexpensive drink options and my favorite hand/cut rolls make for the perfect evening.

    (3)

  • Jenny H.

    I love going to Japanese Izakayas but Shigezo seemed to be lacking in taste. Nice ambiance but I don't think I'll be coming back for more of their food. OKONOMIYAKI ($6) : This Japanese savory pancake is one of my favorite dishes to order whenever I see it on the menu but their version didn't have the right flavor and seemed to miss out on a lot of the usual ingredients. They list pork and squid but you really have to dig deep to find a few pieces. It was mostly just a cabbage and egg pancake. ALASKA ROLL($12) : Perfect roll for a salmon lover like me. There was cooked salmon salad inside the roll with cucumbers and raw salmon and ikura on the top. It tasted pretty good but my gripe is with the cooked salmon part. I kept finding odd bits of hard bone and salmon fish scales in my sushi roll. Seems like they weren't very careful in the prep. SHIGEZO BIG ROLL ($14) : A massive sushi roll where they pretty much threw everything they could into it. It was fun to look at but much less fun to eat since it would fall apart once you take a bite. Those ingredients also don't all go so well together but I guess they were added for the colorful effect.

    (2)

  • Madeleine F.

    I think this restaurant has a great ambiance. The decorations make me feel like I'm in Japan! I tried the Oregon roll with my boyfriend and it was so delicious. I don't usually like "roll" sushi but the Oregon roll is really worth a try.

    (3)

  • Ellie H.

    Nice Japanese restaurant at downtown with reasonable price. Uni sushi is a must. Lover's poke is also a good combination of tuna salmon sashimi and avocado and seaweed salad. Grilled salmon belly is only $4 and tastes really good! Tempura assortment is a good plate to share. Ramen noodle is average.

    (4)

  • Dan N.

    I, Wife N. and Brother N. scooted into town on the Max, headed for the Art Museum. Halfway through the day, the tumblies started rumbling, and we decided it was time for an intermission and some noms. We had seen Shigezo on the way in, and Izakaya sounded good, so walked the block and swung back through. Happy Hour on a chilly but clear 37-degree Friday afternoon. I opted for a 22-oz Irish Stout (yeah, I know, because Irish Stout is a total symbol of Japan), an order of Nigiri Saba and a bowl of Tokyo (Shoyu) Ramen with a soft-boiled egg in it. Brother, who hails from sunny and warm L.A. and was pretty much freezing his rump off the entire winter visit, ordered a Vegetable Curry and a side of Seaweed Salad, along with some hot saké to warm the belly and everything else. Wife ordered some Gyoza, and we ordered a Poke for the table. The good: The Ramen bowl was excellent. Broth was very flavorful, gooey 3-minute egg made a perfect yolky mess and added a much-desired creaminess to the broth. Saba was fresh, but wasn't the best I've had, or even near the top. Average. I didn't taste Brother's curry but he said it was great. The Seaweed salad we both tried and I thought it was very good and had a nice sesame flavor thanks to both oil and seeds. Light and refreshing. The hot saké was....hot saké. It wasn't the best; it wasn't the worst. I'm sure most of their cold sakés are of higher quality, but when it's frigid out and you're walking around, hot saké is a pretty welcome thing. The not-so-good: We ordered a Poke. I'm pretty sure this restaurant doesn't have a concept of what Poke is supposed to look and taste like, because this wasn't it. What we were served was a perfectly adequate small plate of 6 small sashimi-style slices (3 tuna, 3 salmon) with Ponzu sauce all over them, a couple thin avocado slices on the side, and a pile of seaweed salad and sliced onions that easily dwarfed the fish many times over. A proper poke focuses on the fish, should be a reasonably large bowl, typically tuna, with avocado and onion, and the entire thing diced and tossed together and marinated in a sesame/soy/onion sauce, with seaweed such as ogo, and perhaps a little Togarashi (Japanese 7-spice) and/or Furikake (seaweed/sesame seeds) for extra flavor. It should NOT be sinply sliced fish drizzled with Ponzu, which is much more a dipping sauce. I've had Poke just about everywhere, including preparing quite a bit at home, and this was no Poke by any stretch. The Gyoza were just weird. I don't even know how to describe them. They were about 50% green onion, with some indiscernible meat (shrimp? pork? ...?) in them, and an odd tangy-onion flavor to the whole thing. The wrappers were tough enough they couldn't be cut with a fork. My Gyoza-tarean wife couldn't manage a second bite. Of the three of us, I found it least offensive on the palette, so I took it for the team and choked them down. On the whole, the food here is about average, service was acceptable, and pricing is okay for the area. Plus, it was very conveniently located--we happened to be walking by anyway. The Ramen was a lovely, warm and welcome bowl of noodly soup. But with everything else, we've had a lot better Japanese elsewhere and may skip this next time for other local purveyors. Or at least we won't order the Poke again.

    (3)

  • Dan C.

    Good food as always. Slow inattentive service. Had to flag down a waiter after 20 minutes to even get a drink order. . Drink never came. My daughter ordered a soda, and never got a refill. Food was very slow.

    (2)

  • Alvin S.

    Very cool izakaya-style restaurant off of SW Salmon and the Park Blocks downtown. The okonomiyake here is amazing! You can't leave without at least trying a pork belly skewer. Delicious!

    (5)

  • Allison H.

    Some friends and I ended up here on a recommendation from our hotel. The food was fine, but not exceptional. I had a big bowl of ramen, an appetizer and a large draft beer for under $20. We sat outside and enjoy Portland's sunny dusk. Our server was great and patient with all questions about the menu. Even at 3 stars, I definitely will go back.

    (3)

  • Mike F.

    My wife and I came to Shigezo after several friends recommended that we go. We sit at the sushi bar and I attempted to start up a conversation with the Sushi in Japanese. He pretty much told me to wait for the waitress to take my order. I thought it was a bit weird since it is quite normal to order sushi from the sushi bar. Anyway, I let that go. For our first meal I practically order every piece of Nigiri on the menu. The "smoked" salmon was very good the hotate came out very fishy. The quality of the other fish was also questionable. Each piece of Nigiri was also put together badly. The rice fell apart, the garnish's were arranged in random locations. I can forgive the plating if the food is great but this was unforgivable. The last serving of disappointment we got was the chicken karaage. They use chicken breast with no "breading". I think they are closer to baked chicken. I am wondering why they only provided four tiny pieces of chicken. I have never been to another Japanese restaurant that only gave us four sorry pieces of chicken. Well, at least they tasted decent. We were not disappointed with the service. The waitress was cool and made sure we had plenty of beer to drink.

    (3)

  • Philihp B.

    Pretty good, authentic japanese food. They had a sign for hoppy, but did not actually serve hoppy. The chefs, while not japanese, do actually cook things the japanese way and know what they're doing. I didn't have any sushi, but I'll be going back to see what they have to offer.

    (4)

  • Casey K.

    I think this place does decent ramen and has a good happy hour overall. It's not the most authentic but it's reasonably priced and the customer service is so polite! I would bring friends here for a casual dinner.

    (4)

  • Margo H.

    We used to go to Shigezo once every week or two, but their service has fallen off to such an extent that we just can't do it anymore. The wait staff are pleasant and apologetic, but more than once we've waited way too long for the order to reach our table. Sorry Shigezo.

    (2)

  • Snowtrooper ..

    Had the Vegetable Curry dish and was VERY disappointed with the lack of substance to it. Menu was accurate tho when it read Eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers, potato, carrots, onions, homemade curry sauce. There was only one small piece of 'eggplant' and one 'potato'! Will NEVER go back to this place. Check out the photo I uploaded and see for yourself.

    (1)

  • Janelle O.

    This was my first ramen experience aside from top ramen (laughing tears emoji....) It was wonderful! I would go back for sure. Super tasty noodles. Based off a review I read on good, authentic ramen in the US, we got the hot and sour ramen and the abu ramen. Both were delicious. But I like the abu ramen better of the two (no broth in that one).

    (5)

  • Marga C.

    We blame ourselves for ordering the Bloody Mary. And the Japanese pickles were mostly cabbage. But service was good and the rolls good enough. Price is good too.

    (3)

  • Jonathan N.

    So this isn't the best Japanese food I've ever had, but it's pretty good... The service is slightly awkward and unfortunately ill timed, with food coming out at different times The price was great... Although the bento box didn't come with rice (I should have talked my date into paying the dollar)... $40 for two with drinks no complaints Give it a try, at least once

    (3)

  • Nisha S.

    Love the atmosphere. Perfect for date night! Good food and a decent price. There are lots of different kinds of seating (regular booth, bar, cafe) I loved the booth that you take off your shoes and sit on a mini bean bag. Check out the toilets too! :)

    (5)

  • Michelle T.

    We just left this restaurant and I LOVED it! Everything we tried from the shiitake mushroom skewer to Ton Pei Yaki (an omelette with vegis, pork and yummy sauce), chicken and salmon terryaki, sushi all good. Think a lot of other reviews said this was a ramen house but it was so much more. Even the saki flight was delicious! And Blane was a great, super nice waiter-I was there alone with four kids and he treated us all with respect.

    (4)

  • Tyson M.

    I just love it when I go in, they take 20 mins to take our order, they forget about half of our food, and then a server comes nowhere near our table so we can't even talk to them about it. Halfway through the dinner they did recover though as a few servers came to the rescue and we were finally awarded our food. The food itself was ok but we were really let down on service. It's really too bad because this could be a good little place.

    (2)

  • Miranda S.

    Shigezo is always good! I've been here many times now and I'm never disappointed. All the noodles are consistently delicious, and the sushi is good as well. The bathrooms have bidets! And heated toilet seats! So that's exciting as well. If you call ahead you can get your own room, which is great for groups.

    (4)

  • D K.

    This place is quite awesome! Great sushi and amazing lunch specials with Ramen and a beer!!!

    (4)

  • Joleen Q.

    This place lets you sit on the floor, traditionally! Our service was very good despite how busy it was. I got a really delicious sparking Sake and a very salty ramen. I liked how there is a drum in the front that you beat twice for good luck! :)

    (3)

  • Scott S.

    Had a wonderful meal with a large group of friends in the tatami room that was ultimately ruined by terrible service. After being seated 15 minutes after our reservation time, our server didn't come around until 15 minutes later to take our drink order. Fortunately, we were all ready to order our food as well. Drinks took an additional 15 minutes to arrive, with food following at irregular intervals over the next 25 minutes. Not too much of an issue, but half an hour for drinks alone to be served is kind of ridiculous. My meal itself however was delicious. Kumamato Ramen is a favorite here and I've ordered it many times in the past. The Gyoza is very nice as well. The quality of the food is never been an issue in the many times I've been here in the past. The handling of our bill was the most bizarre bulshit I have ever experienced at any restaurant in my entire life. When taking our initial order, we asked our server if he would be able to split our checks individually. I understand this is generally tricky with larger groups, and we had 10 people, but our server assured us it would be fine. I've had a large group at Shigezo before do this and had no issues whatsoever; we tipped generously because of it! Shortly before the bill came, our server returned to inform us that actually, he was only able to arbitrarily split the bill 5 ways. Ok.......that's not impossible; 2 people per tab is totally manageable right? We had figured out how we intended to pay, but when the bill came, it was already split for us in random pairings that made no sense. Again, annoying, but manageable. What happened over the next HOUR was insane. Our server came to the table FOUR different times because he couldn't understand the way that HE split the bill. I had given him the tab I was responsible for and my card where everything looked intact and it wasn't until an hour later that I finally got my bill and card back so I could leave. We all felt like we were being held hostage, and no explanation was given as to why it took as long as it did to process our bill. The silly part was that if they had just given us separate checks like we had asked for originally, this whole issue could have been easily avoided. Finally, to top it off, before the bill was presented, I had asked for a to-go container for the rest of my ramen I wasn't able to finish. The server took my ramen, looked at me, and said "I'll be right back with your ramen!" and that was the last I saw of it. By the time the whole debacle with the bill was over and I could leave, I just wanted to get the fuck out of there so badly that I didn't even mention it. It was assuredly long gone. I felt bad for my friends; I had suggested this place based on past experience with large groups where Shigezo has been on point. Everyone loved their food, but by the time we could all finally leave, all the fond memories of the delicious meal we had just enjoyed and the great time we had talking and laughing were replaced by feelings of dread and disappointment from how our bill was handled. Bottom Line: Good Ramen, Shitty Service.

    (2)

  • Neko 4.

    Loved it! Food was tasty, drinks were yummy, and the service was great as well. And you have so much of variety of Japanese cuisine, we are coming back for more. Our server was especially sincere and nice, even though we brought along our loud and drunk parents! (lol) I guess the only one down side is, I wish they have more sushi chefs there, because the sushi was coming out WAY TOO SLOW. I can see they were busy at a saturday night, but considering how well the business was doing, please get more sushi chefs in! ^u^ My daughter had to wait forever for her sushi....much appreciated if you do! Thank you!

    (4)

  • Don B.

    An interesting Japanese restaurant, strange anywhere but perfectly understandable in Portland. Enter in the middle and to your left is a bar counter with diner-style seating with tvs, open and bright with lights. To your right are aisles of booths, dark and quirky. Two ways to enjoy your meal and company, in one restaurant. We opted for a booth to the right, which had us removing our shoes and sitting cross-legged on an elevated floor (imagine a booth diner but with the seats being the actual floor underneath the table. Took a while to get comfortable, but a fun distraction. The seafood, much like the other good Portland sushi restaurants, was very fresh. The uni was sweet and plump. Otherwise, though, the execution was a bit sloppy. The rice didn't hold together well for most of the rolls, and the special rolls weren't particularly memorable. The Calamari Karaage is a full meal on its own, but it's breadiness eventually becomes too heavy to finish. The cocktails read nice, but a bit too subtle and weak. The servers are friendly and plentiful, at least on a Friday night. A fun restaurant to try with friends, but stick with the simple sashimi-based choices.

    (3)

  • Rebekah T.

    I had a craving for Ramen like no other that day. So while we were close by and lunchtime, I suggested we try Shigezo. I yelped it and checked out the photos before we went. We sat at the sushi bar, because that's our thing. We like to watch the food being prepared and the service is always great. While he wanted a typical soup, salad, sashimi kind of lunch, I ordered the Tonkatsu Shoyu Ramen. The ramen was really great. The broth and savory pork added to the dish and filled me up. I love ramen and was really pleased with the flavors in it. I also ordered the Spicy Tuna Roll, which is my go-to roll. My guy ordered a miso soup, edamame, small salad, he loves all that stuff. Then smoked salmon nigiri and albacore tatami nigiri. Both really good and different selection of fish. We enjoyed the place, the food and the service. I recommend the Ramen on a cold Portland day, it will warm you and fill you up.

    (4)

  • Aimee T.

    Wonderful food, great happy hour. I have taken my co-workers here and I have gotten them addicted. Speaking of addiction, the Tokyo Ramen is amazing and I have to recommend it. If going as a group at night I would recommend a reservation, if venturing out single, they find a spot for you quite quickly.

    (4)

  • Ricki A.

    Love, love, love the Tokyo ramen and happy hour! The atmosphere is really neat and perfect for an ethnic date night! I also thought that the flavors were nice and authentic. Service is a bit disoriented (we ordered a bowl of rice on the side that didn't come so we ordered edamame instead but that also didn't make it to the table) and the servers can be a bit pushy. It's best to order various appetizers and sushi rolls to get more bang for your buck. Also, save room for dessert because it is well worth it. Order the green tea brownie if it is available!!!

    (4)

  • Faye F.

    SUNDAY HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY (with a purchase of 1 drink/person)! That's all. LOL. After a grueling 5mile hike, my friend and I came here for some ramen and hand rolls. The Tokyo Ramen that we ordered (not happy hour price) was large enough to be split into two was pretty tasty. The broth was pretty good but a little oily. The noodles weren't a fave (I've had better noodles) nor were the few pieces of meat we were given. Our faves were definitely the handrolls, especially the spicy tuna. The avo-salmon and avo-tuna were good combos but the spicy tuna was very flavorful and not stingy on sashimi pieces. I also ordered a grilled salmon belly that was pretty great! Overall service and ambience was really nice. The staff worked to try to get us seated right away and the bar was a good place to sit because there's a projector above and you can watch TV. Prices are really good for happy hour and it's definitely worth it (maybe not the ramen, though).

    (4)

  • Daniela M.

    Awesome! Went there for lunch twice and both times were amazing. Ramen was savory and flavorful. My favorite is the Asian rice bowl on the lunch menu.

    (5)

  • Donna K.

    Yes on this place for happy hour!!! Everything on their happy hour menu is delicious with an emphasis on the salmon carpaccio and the chicken karaage! Pretty much it's Japanese fried chicken! The hand rolls are fresh and you can have one but it might not be enough. My favorite is the spicy tuna handrolls! I would like to come back and try their dinner menu!!

    (4)

  • Chris S.

    We were in Portland for a couple of days and stopped in Shigezo as they were opening. What a terribly disappointing experience. First off...service....terrible! People were barely greeted upon entry. Our waitress seemed completely indifferent to actually serving us and spent most of her time chatting with other wait staff and messing around on her cell phone. We ordered a chicken curry and a veggie curry. The flavor was terrible, the chicken was rubber and half the veggies advertised were missing from the dish. After bringing our plates, the waitress came back and put a disgusting bottle down next to me and said, "it's to put on there" and waved her hand over my chicken. Uhm, no thanks, the bottle upkeep also seemed to match the way the restaurant was being kept up. Everything seemed to be a bit run down and cluttered.

    (1)

  • Joanne L.

    Horrible service, messed up our order (they weren't even busy), and our ramen wasn't hot. I've given these guys a couple chances, but enough is enough. Will not be back.

    (1)

  • Elyse L.

    I would recommend this place just for the atmosphere! Authentic but hip and modern. Great place to bring guests. My friends and I sat at a traditional table where we took our shoes off and sat on cushions, it was comfy and fun! The sushi is fresh and yummy. The menu has a wide variety of dishes, I want to go back and try their family style noodle dish.

    (4)

  • Mr M.

    Jen, our server, did an amazing job tonight. The food was delicious, and what a nice authentic locale. Definitely coming back here again!

    (5)

  • Evelyn S.

    Fun place with good food. Super nice staff and an interesting menu filled with surprises and tasty treats. I stuck with Sushi which was on par or slightly above the Portland norm. Prices are good. Definitely worth checking out. I think it would be most fun with a group.

    (3)

  • Beth T.

    the food is good, it's just unfortunate that the service is so lacking. i've had 3 experiences with this restaurant in the past month: 1- came in for happy hour special $15 beer/app/ramen - good food/good deal. service OK. not very attentive but not terrible either 2- ordered take out, the vegetarian ramen came with pork, had to walk 15mins back to the restaurant to get it replaced and was offered a free dessert (huh?) 3- recommended this place to lots of people based on first experience and good deal. i brought in my friends; we were a group of 5, 1 person didn't get dinner, waitress never came to check on us therefore did not see that the meal was missing, i had to ask the hostess about the missing meal TWICE and she just looked at me as if she had no clue what i was talking about. When the meal arrived everyone else had been finished with their food for 10 minutes, so he took it in a box - again we were offered a free dessert. manager never came over to apologize - so they must have no clue. that is management 101. also, getting offered free desserts that we weren't going to order anyway? not OK, borderline insulting. after our meal i shared my frustrations and feedback with the hostess and a server (?) ... they offered a 'sorry, everyone is new.' however my friends that came with me that night gave this place a 2nd try a couple weeks later and again it was a total travesty, food forgotten or never came, very slow service, etc. needless to say, none of us will be going back.

    (1)

  • Kristina N.

    Service was excellent (our waitress was Christina) & the food was delicious! We ordered the okonomiyaki, kimpira gobo, salmon skin roll, spicy tuna roll, flounder karaage, miso ramen, and sizzling salmon fried rice & everything was so tasty! Will definitely be back!!

    (5)

  • Sherry S.

    Sushi time at lunch time! I usually cannot order anything else here but the wonderful smoked salmon japanese style caesar but I drifted. This time I got the sashimi rice bowl and it was loaded with sashimi and we are talking albacore, sake, and maguro. They also have this very flavorful sauce that is basically marinating the raw fish. This for only 11.00 by the way. Always hit the gong twice on your way out as you can never have too much good luck and you can always have too much bad luck.

    (4)

  • Ryan G.

    Love their Ramen , lunch time you should have the Tokyo ramen and at dinner the Kamemoto. Also once the grill is started at dinner, I recommend the grilled squid if you like squid.

    (4)

  • Zoe Z.

    Food was okay... But the bidet in the woman's bathroom made up for lack of good ramen!!

    (3)

  • Brandon H.

    This was a great dining experience. Great place for first dates if you are looking for a quiet atmosphere. It was actually less expensive to dine here then it is to dine at most of Portland's overcrowded dives.

    (5)

  • Rachel S.

    Unimpressed. No one at my table lives in Oregon and we were excited to try good Portland sushi. Maybe we were expecting more due to Portland's reputation for awesome everything but the rolls were pretty mediocre. The ramen, however, was decent. I'd recommend it over the sushi.

    (3)

  • Kristen P.

    My boyfriend and I had the same problem with the wait staff as another reviewer, disorganized and strange. We were promptly seated and our chopsticks and menus were on the table first. The next table gets seated and a different waiter brings them waters, all the menus, plates, waters, etc. that waiter said he would get us our waters (even though he was clearly waiting that table). Long story short, this happened for the rest of the meal. Different waiters bringing us stuff in a disorganized manner, heck we got a sushi roll before we got our soy sauce, and dishes, and before the appetizer! In fact, the appetizer was the last thing to come out. The rolls came out one at a time, which I have never had happen before. Each dish was served by a different waiter or waitress, again very odd. On top of that, the sushi was mediocre and overpriced. I should have just left when I was told they had no Sapporo. At a Japanese restaurant, you're not going to have the Budweiser of Japanese beer?! I thought it was a staple beer to have. Even though it's walking distance of where I live, I wouldn't even go there out of convenience.

    (2)

  • Jessica F.

    My husband and I shared a Kumamoto Ramen and a Caterpillar Roll. We were not impressed. The ramen was very unflavorful, the pork and broth tasted funky, and the softboiled egg we added also tasted weird. The caterpillar roll tasted like it was not very fresh, and had tiny pieces of eel, but it was miles better than the ramen. We both agreed that their ramen was the worst that we've ever had.

    (2)

  • T L.

    Having had izakaya in japan and hawaii its a tough sell to do izakaya in portland right? We came here on a recommendation of a friend, and I must say...was really impressed with the quality of the food. The sushi and sashimi was fresh....especially the uni, hotate, hamachi and ama ebi nigiri sushi. The prices were pretty reasonable for the quality. The customer service was great as well. Would recommend this place for Izakaya....its legit!

    (4)

  • Chris C.

    Shigezo has a variety of eating/room options but I opted for the sushi bar. Overall, the sushi was good but the other food I had was mediocre. Based on other reviews, I'll try the ramen next time. SERVICE: My server, Julia, was quick, attentive, and all smiles. I didn't have to wait long for my food once it had been ordered. The sushi chefs were all business and didn't so much as glance up at the customers. I definitely didn't get the sense that they would be interested in chatting it up. SALMON NIGIRI ($5): Two pieces of succulent, fatty salmon. The rice didn't really stick together and the red onion on top was totally unnecessary but it didn't matter with salmon that good. PORK BELLY SKEWER ($3.50): This isn't your usual pork belly preparation and didn't really work very well. It didn't have the rich, luciousness you normally find in pork belly. Instead, it was jus fatty and the meat was chewy with somewhat of a burnt flavor. KATSU DON ($11): This dish was really disappointing. The katsu wasn't crisp and the whole dish was very bland. Perhaps my expecations from the places I eat in Southern California were too high, but I would definitely not recommend this dish.

    (3)

  • H B.

    Let me start by saying we never got a chance to try the food here...We had a reservation for 6:00PM on Sunday afternoon and there were only a few other tables in the branch. At the 30 minute mark, a waitress stopped over and took our drink order (4 beers and a soda), and by the 50 minute mark we still had an empty table. When a different waiter finally showed up with the drinks we had already decided to go elsewhere. No apology from anyone (they just dropped the check off and walked away.) On the way out we saw a busboy dropping handfuls of ice in glasses to deliver to tables with his bare hands, and knew we had made the right decision. There are plenty of other good sushi places in the area that will at least acknowledge your existence...

    (1)

  • Lily L.

    Not entirely the best Japanese food I've had in Oregon, but close to my friend's house, we went. Again, I should never just agree to a restaurant just because of convenience. It makes for a bad choice and wasted money. Seems like every typical Japanese restaurant, only there are more traditional rooms, seating, and décor. I chose the seating where we had to eat in kneeling position and not having practiced Kendo in years, this was a challenge. Apparently the closed off tatami room is the most popular, but even so, I do not see myself coming back to this restaurant. The tsukemen was very salty and the noodle used was udon, not soba. The okonomiyaki was not tasty. Japanese are strict in that the shape and cut of a specific dish makes a vast difference in taste. Even though the dish had all the right ingredients, because it did not meet my expectations of a pancake shape versus an omelet, the taste was all wrong. All the noodle dishes were too salty. Overall, not the best experience for me.

    (2)

  • Courtney T.

    My first trip to Shigezo was out of convenience, I'll admit. I didn't do much research, felt indiscriminately hungry, and haphazardly took the advice of a friend with a fish allergy. This could have been a disaster... but it was AWESOME. It just so happens that they have a fantastic late-night happy hour starting at 9 and it also just so happened that I walked in at 9:05. In hindsight, I should have purchased a lottery ticket that night. The happy hour menu is pretty expansive, as it includes a variety of appetizers and sushi rolls, as well as several discounted drink options on everything from sake to their signature cocktails. My absolute favorite thing (I considered ordering a second helping) was the salmon carpaccio. My dear lord in heaven whom I don't believe exists, it was WONDERFUL. The Alaska Roll is also delicious, and I saw several people slurping down giant bowls of ramen, which will undoubtedly be part of the spread on my next visit.

    (4)

  • ZZ S.

    The service is awesome and food is amazing :) I always enjoy my food every time I went!

    (5)

  • Akila S.

    Great place for sushi tapas! Considering it was a Saturday night, they were really busy but we were seated in about 20 minutes or so. We tried the combination platter from the specials, salmon belly from the grill, albacore, escalor, and mackerel nigiris - all quite delicious; service could be a bit better though. We will be back again but probably on a weeknight.

    (4)

  • Jessica C.

    I had been wanting to try Shigezo for over a year now, and I'm really happy my friend and I ended up here. It's ironic because we ate dinner here before seeing the new Godzilla movie. We were seated at one of the bean bag "no shoes allowed" tables and had a great waitress named Chloe. Sadly, my friend's order got lost in the mix (thus 4 stars instead of 5) but the food was great. She compensated us with a free round of sake and miso soup. I ordered a few different sushi rolls, and we had amazing drinks, including their green Godzilla cocktail and konichiwa kitty! I will definitely return to Shigezo in the future.

    (4)

  • Ms. O.

    Every experience here has been awesome. Food and service are great-sushi is fresh and ramen is flavorful and a perfect good portion.

    (5)

  • Ellen T.

    Bartender/waitress was super helpful. The weekend special for $15 in the happy hour area is a great deal.

    (4)

  • Alena C.

    Met friends for a dinner. Our party soon outgrew the size of our table, so we were moved to a larger room with the sliding doors (yaah, fun!). The menu is quite large and can be overwhelming. I ordered the salad rolls that for some reason, came last. With pieces of tuna, sprouts, rice and lettuce, it's very filling. I wasn't crazy about the oil that came with it, but overall it was very good. The octopus salad was very good! I shared it with others and everyone enjoyed it. Vegetarians rolls where what you would expect. The rice was nice and soft which is always a plus. Finally, the chef special Mackerel roll was fantastic! AT $11 it's an expensive roll, but definitely worth it. The service we received was very good and I liked the environment. I would definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Tina W.

    The tokyo ramen is good. However, all the sushi are not as good as what i ve expected.

    (2)

  • Michelle H.

    Love!! The food is so tasty, always good! The Ramen is delicious and the sushi is fresh and flavorful.

    (5)

  • Nikolas A.

    Shigezo is a great restaurant,and i like that it's one of the few Japanese restaurants in Portland that is actually Japanese owned. I am a big fan of all their different ramens. I really like the abu ramen and tokyo ramen. I also really like all their robot grilled food. I like that they have rotating ramen's as well. The pot stickers are to die for. The sushi I can't really speak about as I am one of the few people in Portland that doesn't love sushi. I actually think in general paying lots of money for raw fish seems like your being taken to the cleaners. you can go to the store and buy raw fish,and eat it a lot cheaper then you won't feel as bad if you get sick since it's filled with bacteria. I do like the california rolls and I like that they have real crab in them if you want to pay more.( I have had lots of people tell me that California rolls aren't real sushi, but I still love them.) Another feature I like is all the different seating options from traditional Japanese seating to slightly altered to just regular American seating. The service is usually good, but sometimes can be slow. Most of the servers are very friendly and helpful, but there are a few that aren't. The hit and miss service is the one area that prevents me from giving Shigezo 5 stars. I really like the ambience of Shigezo it reminds me of my trip to japan.:) I have two favorite Japanese restaurants in town and Shigezo is one of my favorites the other is Biwa.

    (4)

  • Patrick W.

    Ridiculous "open charges" now. Each time it seems like experience has dipped. First time I remember was great the ramen and broth were plentiful and the service was great. Sushi overall has stayed fresh, but spendy. Service still fine but they have started to skimp on the ramen. A large is not as large in size as I remember. They are starting to give less broth. What tipped me over the edge was the hostess I talked to tonight said "oh just ask for more broth it's no big deal". But when I paid the waiter charged me $3 just for extra broth. Look, nothing should be "free", but to scalp your loyal customer on broth is essentially saying your preference is not important to us, we're gonna count everything. If I ordered extra noodles of course charge me, an extra scoop of broth since you give less now is not cool. They could have warned me there was a charge! Overall this is still a fairly decent joint in downtown for Japanese cuisine. But it's nothing special anymore. There are plenty of other great options. Too bad they lost a loyal customer with nonsensical charges.

    (2)

  • Alexandria S.

    Half of the restaurant looks like a cafe. It's a very awkward set up. We sat at a table that was sticky and the coating was peeling. Overall felt disgusting and unappealing. The music was something that Kenny G would play. The other half of the restaurant looks pretty, I would have loved to have sat there but they had it "closed" for dinner set up. Pretty annoying to be forced to sit in the crap hole side just because they don't want to walk a little further. Haven't tried the food yet...but I'm pretty annoyed already.

    (2)

  • Chiemi N.

    After 4th Friday at the Portland Art Museum, we were hungry and were looking for a place to have dinner. Shigezo is a short walk away from the museum, and my friend said she heard good things about this place. It definitely has a Japanese feel to it. We sat at one of the tables that had short bean bag chairs. We had to remove our shoes to sit at the table. I'm glad they had the bean bag chairs, versus the traditional style of sitting on the floor...I'm getting too old for that! The food that I tried was flavorful and fresh. I had the veggie curry. The flavor of the curry was very much like the curry that I've had in Japan. I don't remember having eggplant or zucchini in any of the curry that I've eaten in Japan, but it was a welcome addition for me. Food was plentiful and well presented. I liked the ambience of the restaurant. I'll have to go and try some other dishes!

    (4)

  • David D.

    So a friend had recommended this restaurant for awhile now and I decided to try it out as I am looking for a good Japanese ramen restaurant. When I got there, I was amazed how the set up was. My group decided to get a booth and I thought it was cool that we got to sit down and eat without our shoes. Our server Moira was very sweet and was very helpful on helping me picking out items to eat on the menu. After I had finished my meal, I was very full and satisfied with my portions, as I felt I never get enough food at a Japanese restaurant. Not sure why this place has 3 and a half stars overall, but I would definitely give this place another try! I would recommend on getting their ramen if you are going out for your first time.

    (5)

  • H B.

    Food quality was much lower than expected, but the udon was pretty good. Service was terrible even for Portland standards. The person waiting on me messed up not only my order but several other patrons orders as well, and was rarely attentive. But when they were the attention was really amped up and a bit manic. The whole experience was a bit wearying, between the food mixups, the off kilter service, and the overall ambiance being cluttered, it was not a good birthday meal. I would cautiously recommend if only for a quick stop for a bowl of udon, & to use their electronic bidet toilets. (you have to hit STOP or the water jet just keeps going!)

    (2)

  • Meredith W.

    I ate at Shigezo for the first time the other day. We had Moira as a waitress. She was friendly and very knowledgeable about all the different items on the menu. I had the sizzling salmon while my friends had ramen. The sizzling salmon is like fried rice that comes in a hot pot so the rice gets crispy on the bottom. Yummy! Then for dessert I had butter mochi and green tea ice cream both were super good. My friends got the tiramisu which also tasted yummy. Overall I give Shizezo 5 stars! I will definitely be going back to try all the other things on their menu.

    (5)

  • Kiran A.

    Awful experience on Friday 12/27/2013. We sat at the end of the bar on the opposite side of the register. Main points: Waiter shows up 5 minutes in with water. We ordered okonomiyaki, a couple hand rolls, a bowl of ramen, and gyu don. Waiter asked if we wanted okonomiyaki to show up first, we said sure. Sushi chefs hand us 2 normal rolls,which we give back, since we order hand rolls. Chefs tell the waiter, who doesn't make it back to us for another 10 minutes. Waiter apologizes while refilling our water and gives us okono (which isn't how it normally is made). Chefs eventually hand us our rolls. We finish that and wait for another 20 min or so. No check in, no water refill,nothing. We see the waiter hanging out at the register the majority of the time. Finally I go up to him and ask him to ring us up, and to cancel the rest of our order. I said we had been there for an hour without getting our entre, which he said was not true. He was right, but honestly 45 minutes with slow inconsistent service and no entire could make anyone feel like they had been waiting for an hour. He then told me he had "scheduled" our meal out because we wanted the okano first, even though he got us the wrong rolls first. He then asked me if I had gotten the ramen, to which I said no. My waiter didn't know what I had received! He then have me a lesson on ordering okano first, to which I called him a name. He gave me a snarky response...blah blah blah. Bad service, and average food. I can't speak too the ramen though, since it never arrived. Girlfriend was still hungry, so we stopped by andina, where we got amazing, timely, and well managed service. And where we left the tip for both restaurants.

    (1)

  • Cat L.

    they offered a $15 meal, comes with beer on tap, appetizer and ramen. WHAT A DEAL! the sushi was super fresh.

    (5)

  • Melissa R.

    Love this joint. Great sashimi, chill atmosphere and best of all....TOTO WASHLETS!!! Poop here at all costs!!!

    (5)

  • Anna S.

    I heard that this izakaya is the American outpost of a popular Japanese chain. Obviously, I can't speak to how the Japanese stores are run, but I am willing to bet that they would be embarrassed to see the daily operation of the Portland store. In August, I came here for a Sunday Happy Hour dinner. My boyfriend and I tried a variety of dishes. I remember walking away overall disappointed. The only two dishes we truly enjoyed were Ebi Mayo (battered, deep fried shrimp served with a Japanese Mayo, on top of a bed of iceberg lettuce) and the Kara-Age (battered, deep fried chicken). We were unimpressed with the rest of the tapas, and downright grossed out by the sushi. The fish just didn't seem fresh. Now, I am no sushi elitist. I love a pure, fresh, properly cut fish. However, I've also had my fair share of cream cheese-filled maki rolls. Yesterday, I was dining alone, so I saddled up to the sushi bar. This gave me an inadvertent peek "behind the scenes" of Shigezo, and I wasn't impressed by what I saw. First of all, what I ordered: Okonomiyaki w/o pork, Abu-Ramen, the Honey-Black Vinegar Chu, and the sesame ball dessert (forget the name). None of my food was truly bad, per se, but absolutely none of it made me want to come back. At the end of my meal, I was glad I tried the Abu-Ramen, since I'd heard so much about it, but I really wished I would have just gotten the Ebi-Mayo and a drink. The squid in the Okonomiyaki was awfully tough and difficult to chew through. Also, in other Okonomiyaki I've had, even though there is always a lot going on, the flavors somehow meld into something pleasant. Here, a lot of different flavors and textures were competing for attention, and it was overwhelming. Not a fan of their rendition of this dish. The Abu-Ramen started out super tasty. However, toward the bottom of the bowl, everything was swimming in this oily sauce that made it impossible to finish the dish. So much oiliness! I'm not sure if that's how it should be, this was my first brothless ramen experience. The vinegar Chu was good. Definitely tasted like vinegar, but that IS what I ordered... I think next time I should as what food it would pair well with. The sesame ball dessert was good -- it came with a scoop of green tea ice cream and this random slice of a fried root veggie. Something vaguely potato-like. I've had better sesame balls, most notably from Jade. What really bothered me about this place was how inefficient the sushi station is. During my one solo dinner, I witnessed at least 6 parties cancel their orders because they were taking too long. I also saw a server argue with the table behind me about what they ordered. Seriously, he pulled out his little book and read back what he wrote down. WHO CARES WHO IS WRONG? Either way, he ended up taking the incorrect order back and getting them what they wanted. Was it worth it to argue? Even the guy who sat next to me at the bar, who only had one order of Tobiko, never got his sushi. The waiter didn't even realize it and had to fix his check after it was pointed out. Basically, communication between the sushi bar and the waitstaff is poor, the waitstaff don't check on customers' sushi dishes, and the sushi bar is super inefficient. Also, the way they handle the raw fish just didn't seem right. Again, I know next to nothing about the art of making sushi, but I do know that you probably shouldn't just throw scraps of salmon on top of the rest of the fish. I know that you should handle the fish with care, instead of tossing it around. This, combined with my previous experience of hating their sushi, makes me think that Shigezo needs to completely rehaul their sushi program. If they can't do that, they would be better off just getting rid of it altogether. On a positive note, my server (who was not the same server for the guy next to me) was friendly and made sure I got all my food. The only thing that was lacking was that my water wasn't refilled. After 2 tries, I really wanted to find some redeeming qualities in Shigezo. And, as long as you completely stay away from their sushi bar offerings, it's really not that bad there. Still, there are way too many fantastic restaurants in Portland that I want to check out, for me to waste a 3rd visit on Shigezo.

    (3)

  • Lisa H.

    Funny reading the other reviews because I've been to Shigezo a number of times, during slow and busy nights and lunch hours, and had nothing but excellent service and food. This is one of my favorite restaurants in town. The food is yummy and satiates the nostalgia I have for Japan, and the service is always excellent. The atmosphere is fun and relaxing, to boot.

    (5)

  • RavenclawRave R.

    I really like this place! I've had the chicken catsu curry dish and it was fantastic. The food is well priced here. I got the ramen for dinner tonight and it was good, but I would say I preferred the curry dish I had last time. The service was pretty slow for a Monday night, but to their credit it was pretty crowded. The interior is really cool and has a friendly, upbeat vibe! I'd love to come back and sample their sake selection! All in all, a great place with great food.

    (4)

  • Daniel C.

    You know you're in a legit sushi place when you're rubbing elbows with lots of Asian folks, right! This place is authentic sushi and Japanese fare, with old-country and modern appeal. This place is conveniently located on a street corner in downtown Portland. They have outdoor and indoor seating, with multiple areas to fit your liking. You can sit near the bar and enjoy light from the many windows, or you can sit at the separate sushi bar and watch a sushi chef prepare fresh plates and rolls while you eat and drink, or you can sit in one of their many family-style booths or tables for more privacy. I like the options and diversity here! I chose to sit at the sushi bar, ordered a beer, and sat back and enjoyed the show for a while before I ordered. This place is a busy hustle and bustle joint for sure. All of the employees are working hard, the food is fresh and authentic, and the atmosphere is real, almost like I'm actually in Japan. I ordered a few sushi rolls and some sashimi plates, all terrific! Also the beers weren't too bad, I think $3 bucks a piece for nice cold drafts, a pretty good deal for downtown Portland. This place is in close proximity to the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall, Portland State University, The Modern Art Museum, and a close walk to other attractions. I highly recommend finding a reason to stop in here on a nearby outing in PDX, you can thank me later!

    (5)

  • Momo B.

    UNDER THE RADAR Always pleasantly mindful, Carrie of The NInes forwarded a Swag Rag article by Nick Zukin grading individual PDX ramen restaurants by broth, noodle and toppings. What's most exposing were the reader comments and how little they know about ramen. Pretty much agree that the Broth was A-, Noodles B+ and Toppings B (B- from yours truly) I guess by adding the soft boiled egg our bowl of slightly chewy noodles became a version of Tsukimi ramen/soba.

    (4)

  • Heather F.

    I intend to become a regular here. The happy hour is great (and lasts forever!), and the food was delish! I've been on a bit of a ramen kick lately, and I've been pleased with pretty much every bowl I've tried. It always seems a bit different everywhere I go, but Shigezo's was definitely tasty! I also ordered the California rolls and was very pleased - so fresh and yummy! I'll be back soon.

    (4)

  • Kevin W.

    I go here at least once a week. Great service, great food, and a killer happy hour. Great Ramen and Teryaki Chicken plate (my two favorite dishes). Great place to stop in for a beer and a snack before a movie downtown. $5 mug of beer can't be beat. Gigantic IPA is available if you're not into the Japanese beers.

    (5)

  • Jake L.

    Perhaps I'm a sushi snob, but I wasn't thrilled with the food here. It was good, but not overly good. The lack of brown rice availability for the rolls was a bummer. I wish I'd have seen some more creativity in the menu selections. I'd happily add a star (or more) with a few more creative options. The decor is quite cool, has that authentic feel.

    (3)

  • Laura P.

    A great quick sushi place. I usually go on Fridays and have no trouble getting in at noon. We usually sit at the sushi bar. My co-worker and I always order the same thing to share: Edamame, Deluxe Sashimi for 2-3 and spicy tuna roll with hot tea. The waiter recognizes us and confirms that we want our usual. It's moderately priced, the wait staff is friendly and attentive. The prices are moderate as well.

    (4)

  • Kristina C.

    Came here for lunch with a party of 7. A friend and I got there first, so we walked in but was pretty much left standing in the entrance for an awkward while, without so much as a greeting from the servers who were clearly 10 feet away organizing menus. After we were seated, it took forever to get water. I think it was an off day for them; the sushi was not spectacular, and any type of seasoning that may have been used to create the sushi rice was virtually undetectable. After finishing the meal, we wanted dessert but couldn't see anyone to flag down. When we did, we were told that crepes (which was what we wanted) would take 10-15 minutes. We just settled for the green tea ice cream. I would still come back to try dinner here though. It's not a bad place- just somewhat lacking in the service department, and bland rice.

    (3)

  • Mike W.

    Food was Great! Service Excellent! Julia is the best, Super helpful and really understanding to a person who likes sushi but doesn't know a whole lot about it. Thanks for a great experience.

    (5)

  • Shayne T.

    Great happy hour specials and some pretty good ramen. Sushi roll portions are very small and they do have some unique flavors in them but unsure if that's a good or bad thing...

    (3)

  • Eric L.

    Ate here for the first time last night. Was pretty excited from reading all the reviews about this place. Get there and the place looks prety damn nice. Place was packed so don't plan on going during lunch or dinner. If you do call ahead of time and make a reservation. The food was delicious. Ramen was insanely good. Sushi was phenomenal. Drinks were good as well but lil on the pricey side. Service. .. well, the service sucked!!! Took our waitress 15 mins to ask for our drinks and 15 mins to get that! Sushi took awhile as well and we only ordered 1 roll. Theres 3 guys making sushi so you'd think they'd be able to bust it out. Over all the food is good, service sucks and you better get there either early or make reservations.

    (1)

  • Iver B.

    Shigezo is my favorite Japanese restaurant. I have eaten their sushi, rice dishes, salads, and noodles. Everything is quite good and there are lots of gluten-free options, about which the friendly staff is very knowledgeable. Ordering is an unhurried pleasure, since the wait staff is very willing to explain the many menu options. The sushi is a bit expensive when ordered a la carte, but is always extremely fresh and flavorful. All in all, a great place for lunch or dinner. I would recommend reservations on weekend evenings, though, to avoid sitting at the grill,which lacks both the intimacy of the tables or booths and the atmosphere of the sushi bar.

    (5)

  • Ophelia Y.

    I ate myself stupid at happy hour last night. They are open late on Sundays (until 10pm) which is awesome to fulfill those late night sushi cravings. I ordered the avo-unagi hand roll, the California roll, pork belly skewer, and ebi mayo. It was all pretty dang good. The pork belly was a little overdone and chewy, but overall, the flavor was good. The piece were huge and skewered, so I was forced to eat a giant piece at a time and chew, chew, chew. The ebi mayo was decent--tasty, but I wouldn't pay the full appetizer price of $10 for it. The handroll was tasty--bigger than we all had expected. And it's really hard to mess up a California roll, so I was pleased as punch to gobble that up. Anyways, the service was great, and it was an awesome experience. Word on the street is that the ramen is pretty bomb too.

    (3)

  • Christina B.

    I'm a regular at Shigezo. I love the food. Particularly the Miso Ramen and Veggie Roll....and the entire cocktail menu. As many times as I've gone to Shigezo I can't count more than a couple of visits where I was seated quickly, ordered food in a reasonable amount of time or didn't have my order confused or mixed up or "lost"....really? Lost?! Every time it happens (which is about 50% of the time) I tell myself I'll never go there again. The service SUCKS. So bad. But I keep going. I love the Miso Ramen and can't find anything comparable in Portland. So I live with the bad service, share my displeasure in the tip on the bad days and leave with a happy belly full of delicious yummies.

    (3)

  • Claudia G.

    It shocks me, shocks me every time I realize that I have not reviewed one of my absolutely favorite restaurants in Portland; the places that I cannot get enough of. Shigezo is one of them. I've been to Shigezo many times, for lunch and dinner, and I consider it one of the best Japanese restaurants in town. I cannot vouch for the authenticity of their entire menu, but the sesame spinach, the tsukemono (Japanese pickles), sashimi and ramen are delicious - and my favorites. I did have one bad experience at Shigezo; my sisters came to visit from Mexico and we were attending a concert downtown. I took them to Shigezo for dinner with 1.5 hours to spare. Unluckily that day the restaurant was so full that we couldn't get a table and we sat at the bar. Service was truly lacking that day. The waitress was too busy to take our order, and some of us were served both our appetizers and entrees while others had eaten nothing. We hurriedly paid our check to make it in time for our concert. After this experience, I didn't think I'd ever step in this restaurant again. However, I eventually relented and I am glad I did. I've been back with friends (both small and very large groups) and my experience has been great every time: delicious food, good sake, and polite service. So yes, even the best restaurants may have one day off, but I have since then gladly overlooked it.

    (5)

  • Breezy S.

    Was in town from Phoenix a few days ago and was craving Japanese food. The service was phenomenal, our server Bri was friendly and recommend so many things. We wanted to try everything so she convinced us to do an omakase, (basically, she asked us our likes, dislikes and allergies and applied it from lightest to heaviest. We had the yellowtail Carpaccio, avo tuna ceviche, bacon wrapped asparagus, bo gyoza then she ordered us a kunomoto ramen with a soft boiled egg. Ohhh my god someone should give her a metal. At the end of the meal my date and I were completely satisfied with what she picked out for us and for now even for a huge price! The only reason I'm deducting a star is because the employees yell IRSHAI, (or however you spell it), every time a customer walks in, gets seated, if they bang on the drum and they yell some more when the chef yells that the food is ready. Talk about annoying and distracting!

    (4)

  • PaPa E.

    They have those "zashiki" style seating where you should remove your shoes before stepping onto the seating area. But then we're here for the ramen. yummy food, great location and friendly accommodating staff

    (4)

  • Deb F.

    Another great ramen spot! I've tried one of their special ramen bowls at dinner once a year ago or so, and enjoyed it, and was there for lunch this week and really loved both the shoyu ramen and the Abu ramen. The shoyu's broth was quite salty but still satisfying, and the noodles were not overcooked and mushy. A good-sized bowl of heaven! The Abu ramen is a brothless ramen. Noodles mixed with a spicy (but not too spicy) chili sauce, bean sprouts, chashu pork, green onions, and a soft boiled egg. Super tasty! Oh yeah, we tried the Caesar Japonais and fell in love! The salmon sashimi and the dashi dressing made this a standout. My husband's hot and sour ramen was mostly just hot; he said he couldn't taste any vinegar in it, so there wasn't much sour. My dad had the chicken katsu curry and cleaned his plate completely; guess he liked it! The restaurant has a few different sections, each of which provides a different feel to the place. We sat on the sushi bar side for lunch, but have been on the other side in a booth where it's a bit dimmer, and enjoyed peering in the tatami rooms as well. Good place!

    (4)

  • Kara G.

    Love this place. The ramen is excellent, the fish is fresh and very rasonably priced, the service is usually spot on (though not always) and there is plenty to look at if you are dining alone.

    (5)

  • Alyxandria M.

    This place had the best service I have ever had. Also... The ABSOLUTE best sushi I have ever eaten. The atmosphere was amazing and the drinks were out of this world. I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone. I thought the bill was going to be around $80 and it was only $40. I could go on for hours about this place. Even this little Japanese lady came and made sure our food was good. Go there for great sushi and atmosphere. There umami was on point! Yum I'm getting hungry again......

    (5)

  • Dian C.

    I really enjoyed Shigezo and their traditional seating tables. It can be busy at night so I would recommend you make a reservation just in case. I've tried their vegetable curry, loved the curry sauce; eggplant and zucchini were cooked just right, not soggy or undercooked. I've tried different sushi rolls and all of them were very tasty. The best part is their ramen, I had the abu-ramen and it is how ramen should be! It's not overwhelmed by over-salted soup, and the noodle was smooth and soft to the bite. I highly recommend you try their 'somewhat authentic ramen'.

    (4)

  • Ron J.

    Great ramen, great sushi, and great service. The menu was also priced very reasonably.

    (5)

  • David L.

    Update: We had a dispute with this restaurant, as they over charged us on our bill. Manager named Eugene tried to shrug this off simply as a mistake when they entered in their receipts. But this is quite unbelievable. Said manager also told us that the only way to get the over-charge refunded back to me was for us to come in to the restaurant to pick up the refund. So let me get that right. YOU made an error, and charged more to my credit card than what was on my bill. YOU took my money that was not yours. But its ME who has to come in and get my refund???

    (1)

  • Jessica M.

    The worst service I have ever experienced. Ever. I went in here with two friends on a decently busy night. My friend and I ordered sushi and my other friend ordered terriyaki. After ordering, the waiter explained to us that this was a family-style restaurant and that our food may come out at staggered periods. No big deal. Having gone to a fair share of similar restaurants lately, I was expecting this. My sushi and the terriyaki came out within 15 minutes of each other. Expecting to see the last dish make it to the table soon, we waited. And waited, and waited, and waited. An HOUR later, my friend's food arrived. Now, I don't think it is too much to ask for three dishes to be delivered relatively at the same time. Enough so that we could all enjoy the food TOGETHER at some point. And if this couldn't be managed, maybe an apology from the waiter would have been nice. Or acknowledgement of our existence at all, really! When we would look his way, he would look away and bustle off somewhere else. He flat out avoided us. And when he did show up (only to deliver food), he didn't admit to any fault. When we asked for a discount, he got defensive. And when we asked to speak to the manager, he told us that the manager did not speak English, so we wouldn't get anywhere. To be honest, I think he was trying to save his butt.. Well, to that we said "no tip" (and we ALWAYS tip), and walked out. In short, we spent an hour and a half waiting for food. Decent food, but not worth the wait or the neglect. Hopefully Shigezo starts to realize (soon) that half their business is the food, and the other half is the experience.

    (1)

  • Shirley C.

    I have a habit of stopping by on the way home from work. The happy hour is great and the ramen noodle bowls are delicious.

    (4)

  • corey b.

    I've been going here at least a few times a month for the past year and keep forgetting to write a review. There is a reason I keep going back- the happy hour menu is perfect- small plates, good selection and nice presentation. The service is always friendly and on it, the space itself is comfortable and cute and the food is well prepared.

    (4)

  • Zihan Z.

    Takes forever (50min) for a blow of ramen. Ramen is not bad kinda salty but the service is horrible.

    (3)

  • Alan M.

    Came here primarily because they have ramen. I came at lunch hour with my lovely wife. No, we didn't just get married--she is lovely inside and out. Anyway, at lunch they have a few ramen dishes, but not the proclaimed miso ramen. I ended up with the shoyu ramen. It was delicious. Now I know you picky ramen eaters want to know how good. The noodles were fresh tasting, chashu was tender and fell apart easily making eating out much easier, and the onions and black fungus was just the right combination. It came with two small inarizushi--just right. My wife got the fish donburi. It had tai sauce on it that masked the flavor of the fish so even though it was tasty I probably would not get that again since I like the taste of good fish. Need to go back at night for the miso ramen.

    (4)

  • Khiem L.

    I don't get how the reviews are so low. I loved it here. I was on a weekend trip here and we were strolling through town and stumbled here. We came for dinner on a cool Saturday night. The warm soup, the drinks, the atmosphere. Couldn't ask for more. We came with a group of about 15 and were immediately sat outside. Drinks were poured quickly. We started the meal with the Kara-Age. Simple fried chicken with a simple sauce but it was damn good. I had some of the seaweed salad but that was nothing that was unique and tasty. Everyone ordered something and I felt mandated to try everything. I tried the Kumamoto Ramen, the Abu Ramen (no broth), and the Tokyo Ramen. My order was the Abu Ramen and it was unbelievably good. I'd definitely return if I was in PDX again.

    (5)

  • Nicole B.

    I went to Shigezo prior to seeing a movie downtown. My partner and I have been to the Maru by Shigezo on SE Division multiple times and the experience has always been wonderful. I am shocked at the difference between two restaurants that are the same. We arrived two hours prior to our movie, giving us plenty of time to eat and walk back to the theater prior to the 9 PM showing. Wrong! We were seated immediately outside and proceeded to wait almost 20 minutes just to get water. When the waitress finally did come over to take out order, she blamed it on others that she was slack in getting to us (never a good sign to blame others when you are not doing your job). We ordered ramen and were told it would be a long wait for ramen because the kitchen was backed up. I asked for a few minutes to decide on something else but she assured me she "would never make us wait an hour and a half for ramen." So I ordered the ramen. LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE! My partner ordered a special which came with a beer, appetizer and a bowl of ramen. His beer came right away. His cold appetizer (california roll) wasn't delivered until after he received his ramen and we reminded the staff that we had ordered it. HIs ramen was brought to the table 10 minutes prior to mine. Throughout our stay we had 5 different people tending to us - no one knew what the other was doing and there was zero communication. In the end, the service was some of the worst I've experienced in a long time. We had to rush to get to our movie on time because we did indeed wait 1.5 hours for our ramen. I would not recommend this particular restaurant to anyone if you care even a lick about service. The ramen is delicious but you can get that with fantastic service (consistently) at their location on SE Division.

    (1)

  • Stacey L.

    It's not the best ramen but its the best option downtown especially on a cold wet day. The broth is rich and salty. It'll warm you right up. The sushi is pretty mediocre. If it were me I would skip sushi and stick to the ramen.

    (3)

  • Duy P.

    Food was ok. Services was horrible. Wasn't a packed night either, they had 4-5 servers running around. Friend and I order each a ramen. It took them 45 mins for our two bowl of ramen to come out. Didn't understand why it took that long with all the servers there. Overall, I don't think I will be coming back.

    (2)

  • Anita H.

    I ordered the Kumamoto ramen on a cold wintry night in PDX. Nothing beats a hot bowl of ramen in frigid weather like this. However, I do have a complaint with Shigezo's Kuma ramen which I ordered in the small size. Although the pork broth consisted of some rich notes of fried garlic ma-yu and the noodles were cooked right, the char siu was sparse. Like 1 and 1/10th of a piece sparse. Even though, I ordered a small, they could have at least given this half frozen girl a break with 2 pieces! Also, I looked at the other reviews and some have mentioned the service is spotty. This is true, because it took awhile for the server to get me water and my order. And the food runner almost gave my ramen to the only other person sitting at the counter initially. Even though there were only 2 of us and I came in and ordered before him. The toilet seats are nice though - a pleasant surprise to see that they were heated and warmed up my bum nicely! I could have hung out there all day if I didn't have my ramen waiting for me.

    (3)

  • Tonaya C.

    Admittedly, I'm not exactly a connoisseur of Japanese cuisine. But when my 4.5 year old led the way to this lovely place after free night at the portland art museum, I couldn't resist the temptation to woo her with sushi. But being the pragmatic parent, I ordered her a simple udon. I tell you I have never tasted broth so delicious or noodles so fresh and dumpling-like. (I had to check it to make sure it wasn't too hot, you know. Wink wink. ) (And, OK, I have had noodles so fresh and dumpling like, in a hole in the wall diner in Stevenson, Washington, but that's another review). The atmosphere and the service were especially wonderful--a special shout to Chloe, who my daughter just had to hug--and a fourth friday ritual with my daughter is born. This is a girl who normally eats nothing but macaroni and crackers. She said it was the best meal of her life.

    (5)

  • Blaize H.

    The ramen the ramen the ramen. Sure there are hipper places to be seen scarfing down small bowls of noodles. But when you are aren't ffffing around - you come here. Authentic and the best. Sorry Boxer/Boke.

    (4)

  • Kelly E.

    The server was alright, but she didn't know the drinks or food well. She recommended the ramen special and said it was spicy. Not only did it not have any spice, but it didn't have any meat as posted in the description, or flavor for that matter. Although I liked the dressing on it, the tuna poki salad had a weird skin on the tuna that gave it an unsavory texture that I've never experienced before. Can't say I will be going back.

    (3)

  • Kyle F.

    Great happy hour deals! Cheap, good food, and quick service. I ordered a few different items with my girlfriend and got all the food hot and spaced out time wise for the dinner. The Kara age was my favorite, but both the Tokyo ramen and chicken katsu curry were solid as well! Definitely recommended to anyone looking for happy hour deals.

    (4)

  • Janice K.

    They have a nice selection of various happy hour items to choose from and they have happy hour Saturdays! Unfortunately their cocktails and food weren't up to par. Don't get the cocktails (specifically the lychee and mint? cocktail). It doesn't taste good. It's very strong, taste like medicine and the ingredients used (fruit / herbs) were not fresh at all. I didn't touch my drink after the first sip. We ordered several tapas dishes. It was okay, not memorable. I would not come back again for happy hour.

    (2)

  • Linda T.

    Went here for happy hour after work and sat outside since the weather was nice and warm. Good size happy hour menu. They had two sizes for selected Ramen. I had a small bowl of Tokyo Ramen. It was decent for the price, the noodles were a little more on the al dente side, but flavoring was good, and just little on the meat. Lover's Poke was what I was wanting, wishing there was a little more fish for the price, but still delicious. Their Spicy Tuna Hand roll was good, a lot of rice, but not too bad. Lots of Japanese décor inside the restaurant giving that authentic cozy feel. Their restrooms have bidet toilets with heated seats! Yay for a first timer.

    (4)

  • SoCalFoodies F.

    Slow chefs. Slow service. Small portions. That about sums it up! The two beats on the drum for good luck when you arrive is a nice touch. The hostess is very nice. After that it's all downhill. Sorry but you should try somewhere else.

    (1)

  • Ronald A.

    I am really disappointed. We have 8 here today. The order was taken promptly. The sale came quickly. The remainder of the meal has gone downhill. 4 of us got our meals at the same time. We ordered platters. The plate is much too big for what was put on it. While I got enough, the offering looked skimpy. I am finished and the last dish arrive, a tuna roll. The sushi came last. There is at least 20 minutes between the first dish and the last to arrive, if not more. The food is good, but there is nothing to distinguish it. Disappointed.

    (2)

  • Kim H.

    Shigezo is my go-to when I'm torn between sushi and ramen because for the price, I can get both! I like the laidback atmosphere and that it's low-key despite between in downtown and near the art museum. There's barely ever a wait, you don't have to dress up and the service is cheerful as if you were at a chain or something. Seriously, it feels eerie to get such good food and friendliness - I thought the two were mutually exclusive.

    (4)

  • Nigel C.

    Not accommodating for the solo business traveller The food ..sushi and ramen .. Is good but deleted stars based on service. I travel to Portland and come here for a low key dinner. Party of one is the death knoll. Tonight first placement was in front of a large plastic tub of raw chicken in the kitchen side bar (I had declined happy hour). When I asked to be relocated the choices avoided the 10 open booths and I was shown to a back drink bar, and then on next relocation to the sushi bar serving Happy hour. In case you are wondering at 6:30'i was the only one actually sitting at the happy hour bar, so I had plenty of choices. The food was edible. Such a shame I was eating the ramen on a stool perched 2 foot from the bar surface. As I left, the same 10 booths were still empty .. But they are off limits to parties of one. As the manager told me there on a previous visit, if they gave a two seater booth to a single diner some one else might ask for it. You can imagine the anarchy that would ensue. May be those 10 empty booths would be occupied. Any way .. Bring a friend if possible .. Even if named Harvey. And having seen the tub. .. Not sure about the chicken.

    (1)

  • Curtis C.

    Stopped in for happy hour while waiting for my partner to get off work. I used to live nearby, and always mean to try this place but just never got around to it. Sunday was all day happy hour, and I was quickly seated in the bar. My server was super friendly. She chatted me up and told me about some specials, but also gave me my space. I had some yakitori skewers, chicken thigh and breast, a couple of spicy tuna handrolls, and a beer. Total was like $13 or so. I enjoyed my self so much, I brought my partner back 1/2 an hour later! The same server was there, and she, again, rocked. I would love to try one of their meal deals... Can't recall the specifics, but I believe it was your choice of a few entrees, rice, salad, and a draft beer for $15. Sounded like a great deal and they had Japanese curry as one of the choices. Someone in the place ordered some, and it smelled amazing as it went by. Fun place!

    (4)

  • Jessica S.

    After our so-so dinner, I realized my water glass was covered in someone else's lipstick. Oh god, germaphobic Jessica is living a nightmare. I tell the waiter, and he rolls his eyes, snatches my glass and runs away. Wat. I sit for a few minutes without him returning, and my family says I can bail if I want. As we walk out, glass-snatcher is holding the other 'clean' glasses to the light. How many others got silent contaminations? Gross gross gross. To give them the benefit of the doubt, it was likely just sticky lipstick that made it through the dishwasher. But, eh, regardless of the incident, I was going to give it 3 stars max. The veggie roll was really salty, and didn't have much to it. Half of us got our food after the others were done. I guess, if you eat fish and want a place that looks like a Japanese restaurant, by all means try it out and you might love it (it totally used to be on my family's sushi place rotation). Just take a look at your water glass before drinking.

    (2)

  • Travis H.

    Amazing experience, from arrival through meal and then departure. Super friendly staff, quick and delicious food w amazing flavor. Our server, Jen (also bar tending this night), helped make this a 6 out of 5 Star night Yakitori thigh, edamame, pork belly, Kara-age, lovers poke, flank steak, Tokyo ramen,

    (5)

  • Dustin R.

    Quality sushi but for the money there are better options out there. I only come for the happy hour which I am a fan of. Only thing that could make it better would be if I didn't have to buy a drink (green tea) to get happy hour pricing.

    (3)

  • Kenneth P.

    Visiting on business, so I turned to my fellow yelpers and tried the Miso Ramen. I was expecting a bit more with the great reviews but was truly disappointed in the Ramen. There was no depth to the broth, couldn't taste the miso, noodles were too thick and what is up with dicing the chasu? Most places I've tried (DC, NYC, LA) the chasu is usually 3 good size pieces... Couldn't try the sushi cause there was a 45 minute backup...and they "ran" out of uni...this was on a Monday night at 730pm... The fried chicken wing and bacon wrapped Quail eggs were great though, especially at happy hour prices...

    (2)

  • Wayne R.

    We have been to Shigezo a handful of times and none of them have been memorable. Despite trying several different menu items (lots of sushi, several varieties of ramen and small plates) nothing is worth writing home about. The last visit was the worst and I feel compelled to write this review. If the food was decent perhaps the miserably slow service would be mitigated. How miserably slow you ask? Saturday night, restaurant less then half full including one large group of 20, it took 50 minutes for some ramen to show up. Unacceptable. We really want to like Shigezo as the atmosphere is perfect. You are instantly transported to Japan. Unfortunately our server's indifference to the long wait, the manager's offer of $4 off our bill and the mediocre food, we will not be returning.

    (1)

  • Matthew O.

    Called in my order so I wouldn't have to wait onsite. The person who took my order seemed confused by by ordering items off their menu, but eventually she communicated that she understood my order (Shio Abu Ramen and Sesame Spinach). Was told it would take 30 minutes, which seemed long, but, okay, it's lunch time. Waited 25 minutes before wandering over. Didn't seem very busy for lunch time. Then proceeded to wait another 25 minutes to get my order. Apparently my order was never sent to the kitchen. But they didn't bother to tell me that until I'd been waiting 10 minutes. When I finally got my order, it wasn't complete. No Sesame Spinach. When they tried to add the Sesame Spinach to my order it was coming up at 6$ instead of the 3$ it states on their menu. The Shio Abu Ramen is decent. Not as good as it was at their food cart, Minizo. Or as good as I've had it at their other location on Division. Which is too bad. My company just moved a block away from Shigezo. Could have been a weekly (or more) visit for lunch, but now it will be never again.

    (2)

  • Cori W.

    I tried to give Shigezo a second chance after the bad service we received as a table of 10 (missing items, wrong dishes, wait times) but we experienced the same service issues on this recent trip. We spent a total of 2 hours at Shigezo, most of it, ~1 hr, waiting for ramens. The service was so incredible slow and lackluster. Excuses were made as to why our ramen took so long, such as how their was only 1 chef, at yet other tables who arrived after us received their ramen. We also didn't receive other things we ordered. It was like no one working here has any desire to help you. Nothing on the bill was comped for over an hour wait. The food is fine, decent vegan ramen options, but geez they need to get their sh*t together.

    (1)

  • Toshiaki M.

    We are first time visit portland This restaurant is so good food I really like it We oder sushi & nagasaki champon noodle Much better then Bay Area japanese restaurant

    (5)

  • Alfredo M.

    Swung by for happy hour before an event at Schnitzer Hall...great times! My buddy and I sat at the intimate bar and enjoyed a few mugs (22 oz.) of draft beer for just $5, which included imports and micros. I enjoyed several different happy hour tapas menu items, including some tasty yakitori (grilled skewers) options for $3-4 and a refreshing seaweed salad. Then finished it off with a delicious and filling deep fried squid plate. My buddy had the happy hour "dinner" special which was a draft beer, sushi roll, ramen bowl, and salad for $15...pretty solid. We arrived at 5:45 p.m. on a Tuesday and the place was already jumping, so plan accordingly. I definitely plan on returning next time I'm in the area. If nothing else than to test drive that electronic Japanese toilet in the men's room again...wet and wild! TMI??

    (5)

  • J K.

    If you are downtown, Shigezo Izakaya is a nice option for Ramen. We are quite fond of their Large size Tokyo Ramen. The broth has lovely depth. The noodles are house made and perfect texture. Half of the yelpers seem to prefer the brothless ramen...Abu Ramen. We tried both.and our vote goes for Tokyo instead. Happy Hour Eats are in the sushi bar area only. Their maki rolls are tiny and pricy and I suggest getting other eats in conjunction with then. I've had faster service at night than for lunch. They are close to PSU, Arlene Snitzer, and Portland Art Museum. They also have 2 larger tatami rooms that can be reserved for 6 or more. Looks like it can seat about 10. They have one 4 seater tatami and 3 more open sit on the wooden floor Zen booths. They are popular and reservation requests for them are highly recommended.

    (4)

  • Nyomi L.

    Review from 2/15/2015 This honestly should have been a Hapa PDX review. The hubs and I were driving through Portland, on our way back from an exhausting day snowboarding Mt. Hood, and knew that Portland would be the place to satisfy each of our, differing, desires. He for pizza, and I for ramen. In fact, I sat through an agonizing hour at Ken's Artisan Pizza, basking in the wafts of perfectly cooked crust, sauce, fresh basil, and a little bowl of nibbly sausage. And the only thing that held me through that hour was the dream of ramen. Alas... Hapa PDX did not happen. When we arrived at the little town of food trucks, bright lights aglitter and sounds of cheer ringing from every corner, we found the impossible (or, I suppose, improbable) had happened... Hapa PDX was out of ramen. How does this happen, you ask? Apparently, Valentine's Day is not only a day for the amorous, but also a day for the ravenous. Seeing the tears barely dammed in my eyes, the chef of Hapa PDX recommended Shigezo Izakaya. "It's not Hapa PDX, but it'll be the next best thing" he said. The hubs sped along, sensing the impending end of the world if I didn't get my ramen. And thankfully... I did. I got my ramen, sitting legs stretched out on a mat, watching bamboo making their slow and sly moves in the whispers of the heated air. I got my ramen, happiness ablaze from every pore in my body. I got my ramen -- chewing noodles, soy saucy broth, extra egg. There are many things that make the world wonderful... and ramen is one of them.

    (4)

  • Tiara M.

    Maria our server was great. She was attentive and knowledgeable of the menu. The pork belly skewers were delicious, especially since I had been craving pork belly this week. The Chan Chan steak was actually very good as well. I was worried because when we ordered it at the Yatai Maru by Shigezo location on Division maybe a year ago, the miso sauce was so salty it was nearly inedible. The sauce here was very good and the steak, perfectly cooked (about medium rare, and I usually like mine medium to medium well and even I enjoyed this). Only thing I would say about the steak is that considering that we are eating with chopsticks and no knives are provided, the steak strips are a little on the larger end. You need to pick the steak up and wrestle with it and use your teeth to cut the meat to make it bite-size. Also ordered the scallop nigiri, both raw and seared. Fiancée said the raw scallop quality was very good; however, we both agreed that the sauce on the seared was unnecessary and actually killed it for me. If you must get the scallop cooked, I recommend asking for it without the sauce.

    (4)

  • Juli C.

    The food is good. BUT... The first time I ate there I was placed at a bar by some sort of grill, and had to listen to some guy shout every time someone came in and every time an order was up. To me this was not fun. not relaxing. The second time, when I was steered in that direction, I insisted on a table. I was given the option of two sub-par tables, one tucked back away in a corner, the other a high table with bar stools, both obvs overflow tables, in the cafe area. To me the good food and good service are enough to counterbalance this uncomfortable anti-single bias. I'm not sure I'll give them a third try unless I'm with friends.

    (2)

  • Robbin A.

    Overpriced, mediocre sushi in a fancy wrapper with decent service. Their other foods are probably worth getting - seems many folks here prefer the ramen - but this sushi wasn't very flavorful for a place on Salmon Street. Might be better for the people who enjoy happy hour. This was a recommendation from our Airbnb host, which was extremely kind of them. However, having lived in Japan and San Francisco, where there is all sorts of amazing sushi places to choose from, this place didn't stack up. There was also something really eerie about being one of the only Asians in the entire establishment (or for miles around, it seemed), except for one or two of the employees, but that's what happens when you go outside of the cultural bubble that is San Francisco. Bottom line: if you've ever lived or traveled to a place that has good Japanese food, don't expect your tastebuds to come alive here. The decor is interesting - like an art student's project after having surfed the internet for pictures of Japan. It's clean and well-done, anyway. The two halves of the restaurant are so different that it's like being in two different places all together. The left side is where the happy hour occurs. A friend of ours ordered a hot tea as his "drink" for the happy hour and somehow was able to still order off of that menu, which was not a bad idea. Boyfriend and I ordered a couple of rolls and a temaki between us, and despite the rolls sounding good, they were some of the blandest ones I've ever had. For the price, it was definitely not worth it. While it's interesting to see other states' versions of Asian food, it doesn't really make too much sense when you know you've tasted better back home. I'll stick to the non-ethnic foods if I'm in Portland again.

    (2)

  • Shark N.

    Wow. I had several small dishes/tapas. I also had the Hefeweizen and the IPA and both were really good. But the food. Wow. I tried the Tokyo Ramen, Bacon-wrapped quail egg skewer, Grilled Squid Legs, and Grilled Salmon Belly. Everything was perfect; I honestly think the salmon belly might be the best food I've ever had. Admittedly I've never had Japanese food before, but I can't imagine that every place is this good. I spent about $32 with tip, but I also ate a lot of food and drank two huge beers. You could absolutely get a great dinner here for $10 if you don't order beer. If you're not on a budget (or your company is footing the bill, like me) I would make sure to sit in the 'happy hour' section, and order as many small plates as you can!

    (5)

  • Ahran J.

    Dont get anything else here but ramen. Jjampong ramen was really good. I actually would give five stars. Tokyo ramen would be about 3.5, hot and sour would be about 3. The service was terrible though. There were barely anyone there at 2 pm on presidents monday, but half of the sushi came out after we were done with our meal, so we had to return it.

    (3)

  • Peter C.

    Happy hour. 2 local draft beers. 5 piece Cali roll. 2 pieces of buttery uni. Green tea. Grilled shishito peppers. Tokyo ramen. Pork belly skewer. 2 more uni. Couldn't resist. 3 piece Bacon wrapped quail egg. Salmon belly to stuff our belly. $44. Friendly attentive service from the female bartender. Blissful breathing.

    (4)

  • Clarissa C.

    The place looks decent, but the food was subpar. We stopped by on a late afternoon on a Sunday. We had the Tokyo ramen, a few orders of the nigiri sushi, and a yakitori. First off, the soup was probably not made in house. It tasted like the semi instant ones you find in the refrigerated section in Asian supermarkets. It can't even compare to the ramen that Hapa, the food truck, serves. The sushi were not squeezed tight enough, so when you try to pick it up, it crumbles and breaks. Never had I gone to a Japanese restaurant that served nigiri sushi like that. The only thing that made it not horrible was that the seafood was fresh. The yakitori tasted like they came from food service and just refried. The server was also oblivious to many things on the menu (like not knowing what ume shu is). It's a very convenient location for me so I hope they get better!

    (2)

  • Jessica C.

    They have the best noodle soup you must try it. Try the fire cracker roll. I loved the atmosphere and their waiter was very nice.

    (5)

  • Rachael A.

    Love this place, delicious food and great happy hour. I wish it was a little less expensive in general, but I love their private rooms and great service!

    (4)

  • Nina H.

    2 items recommended: ramen and coconut mochi cake Ramen is just right, soup is not too salty! mochi cake is a surprise for me! Soft, chewy, warm and I love the combination with green tea ice cream

    (5)

  • June D.

    We only come here for special occasions. It was a last night dinner for my mother who was visiting. We called ahead to make a nice table reservation for 5 people. Even with the reservation, we have to wait. On not so busy night, they made us wait. Then we got put in a smaller booth tucked in a back of the restaurant. We figured that they must get busy but they never did. We were forgotten for the most of the time we were there. Steak was not served with steak knife and cold, miso soup was cold. Ramen was not warm, no flavor. We saw our server for three times. We had to ask for other servers to get services. Food used to be better, service used to be better. Oh, they switched cloth napkins for cheep paper napkins. Never been served dinner with paper napkins here before. Sadly we will never go back there again.

    (1)

  • Lily F.

    I am sorry to be giving a negative review, because I have always had a good experience there before, and the food has always been very good. This time, the food was still very good, which is why I'm giving any stars at all, but... Until this evening, I wouldn't have hesitated to recommend this place for a special dinner. But it seems that the service has gotten considerably more disorganized, and I will be sending people elsewhere. There seems to be no communication between the various servers or between the servers and the kitchen. I have *never* before had a restaurant completely overlook the fact that two out of the four people in a party never received their order. We ordered drinks, a roll for the table, some miso soup, and four entrees. We were aware that it was a very busy night and knew that getting our meals would probably take a little longer than usual. But then only two of our entrees arrived, and because several servers brought out the food at different times, nobody was checking to make sure the entire order had been filled. There was also no explanation why the other dishes were taking so long. Only when the two people who did get served finish their meals did our original server show up, and he clearly had no clue that half of our orders had never been filled. He spoke to the kitchen and they finally made the other two dinners (by then, it was at least an hour after we were originally seated), but it was awkward having to eat them since the other two members of our party had already finished their meals and just had to sit there, and the restaurant did not seem terribly concerned that things had been bungled so badly. They did offer a glass of complimentary house sake, but that was was not really a helpful gesture on the restaurant's part, since one of our party was underage and another felt her Mother's Day dinner had been spoiled and simply wanted to go home.

    (2)

  • Diego C.

    I've been here on various occasions for both lunch and dinner. The food is good and the quality is on point. Cool restaurant with a traditional Japanese sitting option. Anyways the ramen is great( Hapa PDX is still better) and the nigiri is very good.

    (5)

  • Liz D.

    I love their food but hate their customer service. In the restaurant they are slow and sometimes forget to bring out your soup before your meal. We live close by and have ordered take-out several times. They continually screw up our orders. If we ever do take-out from then again I'll be sure to open every container before I leave the restaurant.

    (3)

  • Melody L.

    I usually love this location but we had a bad experience!!! We get there and we wait which was fine. However, we sit and order and we wait forever!! Finally my dish comes but no one else's does. Half way through my meal the second dish comes... And when I finish mine the third dish finally comes. We both sat and waited for the last girl to finish and she felt bad... Not her fault. We were all put off because all of our food cost more then we usually pay... And our service was so slow and at different times.

    (3)

  • Mikhail H.

    I will begin by stating that this place is pretty cute looking - love the decor choices. The seating arrangements are pretty strange but it works. So I dropped by on a lark with two friends to grab a quick nibble during Happy Hour. I am not designed for Happy Hour and am one of those snotty bitches who just has to order regular stuff because nothing appeals to me on the short menu and this was no exception. One of my friends ordered two things off the happy hour menu and they were good and pretty cheap - salmon cheviche and the spicy hamachi roll. I ordered my one drink, a rainbow roll, bacon wrapped quail eggs and hamachi nigiri. Spendy little meal I will say but pretty tasty. The service was pretty great and the lovely lady helping us knew we had an event we were attending next door and made sure we got our bill fast and out the door faster which is great. They seem to have quite a few regulars and are pretty busy. I am not sure I would recommend this place to get a lot of regular food or sushi because their sushi menu is pretty small - it is, after all, an isakaya and NOT a sushi bar. Their regular drink prices seem also a bit steep but a few snacks off the grill with some sake?? This is totally THAT place.

    (4)

  • michael d.

    Loved this place. Great service, fast, efficient and fun. Amazing cold ramen special, the sushi was very good. Happy hour pricing would make it a 5 star for sure for value. Would definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Johanna F.

    Awesome awesome food. We went with a group and it came out almost immediately after we ordered ! I had the spicy tuna roll and a spider roll, accompanied with a dish of gyoza. The gyoza were huge! (And incredible). They also had a pretty good selection of beers as well !

    (4)

  • Stacy O.

    Good food. My only complaint was our waitress was inattentive and spoke so little English communication was difficult. There was a busser I believe or another server that was really nice and helpful to us. Language barriers are hard so I don't blame her but being attentive is easy.

    (4)

  • Shanu S.

    Food was okay but a bit on the salty side. We had the chan chan steak, pork belly skewers, and some ramen. Service was good and our waitress was very friendly. We found a large cockroach near our seats, so we will not be returning.

    (2)

  • Xses M.

    Disappointed from the fish they had to offer for nigiri and it's freshness being (questionable). The spider roll was not to my liking and served in an ameture placing. Atmosphere was dead even from the sushi chefs. I think I hold Portland higher than Las Vegas due to distance from the ocean but wow was this place is no bueno for my taste buds. Service was normal from server, chefs are slow because it took some time for our orders and there was nobody there. I've been to 2 different places in Portland and seem to be striking out. Maybe I'll stick to the food carts... just FYI I am reviewing critically because price was per piece and I think if your charging normal price per piece bring your game.

    (1)

  • Linda K.

    Just as much as I love Yataimura (their sister restaurant), I love Shigezo. I always have to order their Tokyo ramen. The chicken karaage is decent. I love their happy hour!

    (5)

  • Alexander M.

    Strolled in for dinner on a Thursday night, we ordered and within ten mins are rolls and sushi all came out. The waitress was super friendly, cute and attentive. The service was good as well, we received everything we asked for promptly. The decor here is great and love the many different seating areas available to choose from. I will definitely visit again when I'm back in town.

    (5)

  • Blaine P.

    Outstanding Ramen. The only place in town that can really hang in the serious Ramen Noodle game. Those newer hipster food cart style ramen spots cant hold a candle. We get the Tokyo Ramen and add a soft boiled egg and Kara Age Chicken. Sooooo good. The fresh fish salad at lunch time was a pleasant surprise too. The sushi is fine, but not outstanding, though the handrolls at happy hour are a good deal.

    (4)

  • Elisabeth F.

    Was pleasantly surprised when I went there yesterday for lunch--delicious, really fresh sushi that was reasonably priced. I met a friend for lunch downtown and we were in the mood for sushi, so she Googled and found this place. It looked a little elderly from the outside, so my expectations were low. However, we were quickly ushered to a table and then checked out their compact, but delicious sounding, sushi menu. We got the spicy tuna roll and Dragon roll, as well as spicy scallop and salmon nigiri. Each was absolutely delicious--the fish tasted fresh, the texture of the rolls was great (not too mushy), and perfectly seasoned. Service was also good--attentive and effective. The best part? It was relatively cheap--I'd say the same price range as Mio Sushi (which I also enjoy), but better in terms of quality and flavor. Excited to see they have ramen, I'll be back!

    (5)

  • Windie C.

    The best and most authentic Japanese food in Portland. If you like Tonkotsu ramen (豚骨ラーメン), make sure to get Kumamoto Ramen. The summer special Tsukemen (つけ麺) is my favorite.

    (5)

  • Miwako T.

    We were there for a weekday dinner and the place still was full of people. We were seated right beside where they make ice cream dessert(?) with bananas hanging from the ceiling and such, and the kiddy loved watching the guy. On the counter where we were sitting also were ceramic(?) tea pots, though. Fortunately, we didn't break any of them. (LOL) I give it 4-star for *authentic* atomosphere, tonkotsu ramen, and huge okonomiyaki($6). Miso ramen was a little bit too salty.

    (4)

  • Bryan I.

    With so many stellar reviews, I had amazingly high hopes for finding my new favorite Japanese restaurant in PDX. First off, the decor is nice, especially in the cute Tea Room, but being serenaded by an 80's soundtrack kind of took away from the authentic feel (thanks a lot Michael Bolton and Toto!), and the broken heater made for a chilly dinner (hopefully it's fixed by now) And yeah, their ramen is quite good with excellent pork and broth, and respectable noodles (I thought the noodles were a bit too firm, but maybe I just got unlucky). oh yeah, and the "large" is DEFINITELY going to feed 2 people....if it just feeds one, you get to go home with the "glutton" badge of honor :-) - The ramen is a solid 4 stars! Unfortunately, the seafood yakisoba, despite being delicious when hot and fresh, quickly cools off (especially when in a room with a broken heater :-( and becomes less than palatable. Plus the assorted set of ~5 seafoods contained, therein, are super small, less-than-impressive cuts of meat. Again, the large size is MASSIVE, so expect leftovers unless you're feeding 4. - The yakisoba is 4 stars when piping hot & fresh, 2 stars when anything else I'm willing to try this place again, hope for a better experience, and update the review, but until then the jury is still out on where this place will shake out on consistent quality. P.S. I still contend the best ramen is at Toshi's in Eugene. if someone has had better, I'd love to know

    (3)

  • Assaf M.

    mediocre food, slow service, prices / value of happy hour is nice, and some vegan options (but not enough) also makes it attractive but probably not enough

    (3)

  • Maggie L.

    Stopped here tonight during long max ride home from shopping.. Loved their ramen so good and the okonomiyaki This place is very good and have a very traditional Japanese atmosphere. I like it here a lot.. They even have the traditional table setting too. Very nice..

    (4)

  • James O.

    Ever since they updated their menus, I think they stepped up their game in at least the ramen department and I am a FAN of this! Usually a place with little to no wait, yet still bustling enough to probably keep the business going for a while, this restaurant serves a little bit of every type of food - sushi, robata, etc etc AND RAMEN. quasi-vegetarians note: they do have chicken based ramen broth during certain meals (I think it was lunch or dinner happy hour?) as well as the usual vegetarian style japanese food. Call ahead to confirm the ramen selection as this may be an option for you.

    (4)

  • Jeremy J.

    'Disappointing' would be my one word review of this restaurant. Pretty much everything was lacking. First of all, it's old and in need of some attention. I felt like I was in a 'Restaurant Impossible' episode. We arrived at 4 and so were seated in the cafe area since the dinner area wasn't open. The floor was dirty and damaged and my chair was ripped up a well. We actually liked the decor in the restaurant as well as the great mural behind the sushi counter, but the rest needed maintenance. The bathrooms were small, poorly lit, and dark. The urinal is in plain sight of the non locking door. This place also seems like it has an identity crisis. A clearly traditional Japanese restaurant with a projector showing ESPN and playing jazz in the background. I was almost as confused as the restaurant was! I also found the food to be largely lackluster. The hand rolls were pretty tasty. The spicy tuna had a lot of meat but was lacking the spicy. The unagi hand roll was tasty. Unfortunately the spicy hamachi roll (not hand roll) was not good. Absolutely flavorless from fish to spicy mayo sauce. The Tokyo ramen was also disappointing. The broth was bland and there was only one piece of meat in the bowl. The meat was the best part and I only got one taste! To their credit, the soft boiled egg was delicious and perfect. The best thing we had was the okonomiyaki. Prepared well, a generous portion, and a good price. Here's my gripe. We came in wanting it. We were the only people in the restaurant. At 430 we asked for it and were told no because it wasn't 5 yet and they weren't serving dinner. Really? That's the level of service you provide? So we waited as maybe one other table was seated before 5 and then once the clock struck, all of the sudden they were able to make our food. Glad they figured that one out... So overall, poor service, poor food, poorly maintained restaurant. Won't be back.

    (2)

  • Matt W.

    If you love being ignored this is the place for you. If you hate fast or accurate orders as much as I do, then you'll love this place! The servers move at a pace that puts glaciers to shame and give you the attention of a distant wife in a dead marriage, and then something resembling food but not even the same scientific phylum as your order MAY be brought to your table! Thats why I'm giving them 1 star, because they're number 1. Also, nothing made me feel more at home than the girl handling food complaining about sweating all over everything.

    (1)

  • Josh D.

    Rating this from novice sushi fan's perspective. Atmosphere is king here and welcomes good conversation in a stay-awhile-style with private-ish booths where shoes are removed and you recline on bean bags at a low level table. A blast for groups or dates. EXCELLENT -Bo Gyoza Dumplings: these little pan fried pieces are a MUST try for 1st visit. -Chicken Katsu Curry: came well presented with their tasty homemade curry sauce. -Cali Roll: Yes -Vegi Roll: Yes. Fresh and nice to look at. OK -Salmon Fried Rice: Nice presentation in personal cast iron bowl yet salmon is difficult to do just right.

    (4)

  • Dennis M.

    My wife and I always go here during happy hour, which they have all day on Sundays. Love the HH menu options, the most extensive in town as far as sushi goes. One of our favorite items is the ceviche, which is tiny cubes of sashimi with other items served over lime sauce in a cocktail glass. Their desserts are also great, especially the green tea brownie. Service have always been decent every time I've been there.

    (5)

  • Don B.

    Shigezo sullenly at me, with her long golden hand-made hair and piping hot pork-miso broth. Calling out her siren song from the large ceramic bowl, she whispered in a sultry gurgle: "Dive in baby." "But... but... my wife is sitting right there... right across the table!" "I don't care... eat me." "Well, you are hard to resist, with your deep, dark, rich broth, your sliced pork, and those oh-so-perfectly-cooked noodles. I guess I could just have a little..." Yup, this is pretty much the conversation that was going through my head as I sat at the booth in the back of this very Japanese izakaya and stared at the delicious-smelling bowl of Ramen in front of me. And it's not the first time either. The food at Shigezo will make you do stuff like that. It's good. Quite good... in a very comforting Japanese kind of way. The menu runs the gamut from kushiyaki to robata to hot and cold plates to sushi to ramen to okinomiyaki and all sorts of good stuff. It's like my Japanese dream come true. I've had the chance to sample items from all of the different stations now, and I have yet to be disappointed. The sushi is fresh and the rice is made quite well (perfect consistency). The okinomiyaki I liked a lot, and at $5.95 is a heck of a deal. The ramen is done right, with a ton of pork in a dark, meaty/salty broth with a nice layer of oil on top. While I'd say that the broth is not quite what Yuzu pulls off, the hand-made noodles are far superior to anything I've had in town. A stand out dish from the cold plates menu is the Japanese Caesar - a romaine salad in a creamy dashi dressing with parmesan and smoked salmon on top. A soft-cooked egg is thrown in for good measure. It's a delightful play on the flavors of a Caesar but with a softer, smokier flavor. This will be one of those dishes I order each time I come, it's that good. I crave it. The saké list is not the longest in town but it's carefully considered, and they offer most by the glass, 12oz pot or full bottle. The list includes favorites like Cabin in the Snow and The 55 Watari Bune. It would take me a long time to tire of this list. I love that they offer the 12oz pot so I can get multiple sakes in one sitting. The layout is really fun, with lots of dark wood and a giant salvaged tree trunk hanging above the entry way. There's a sushi bar, a bar, booths, tatami rooms, and "zen booths" - booths with bean bags upon which you sit cross legged - like a cross between tatami and booth. I dig the laid back feel of the zen booths a lot. So with all this love, I can't quite pull the 5th star out yet. Why? The kinks. They exist. The management is super nice and the waitstaff is on point, but there's something lost in translation between the staff and the kitchen... or something. The last 2 times I went in either something was not ordered, or there was confusion between the kitchen and the servers as to what exactly was in a dish, or something similar. There are some inconsistencies in the menu to match. I was well taken care of both times, but I'm guessing that some culture clash exists and some settling needs to happen before this machine is well greased and chugging along at peak performance. It's a new spot so that's to be expected. I'm sure they'll pull it out and I look forward to coming back in quite often. I have a lot of menu left to get through! And once I do I'm sure this will be an easy 5-star call. For some great food at a very reasonable price in an eminently Japanese setting, this is it for the downtown Portland core.

    (4)

  • J Y.

    You can't beat the happy hour prices and the friendly staff. Anytime I'm craving sushi during the work week it's a short walk from my hotel and very convenient. I can usually get a bunch of things and a drink for under $20. Have to love that.

    (4)

  • Dan H.

    Shigezo is a Japanese chain. Not too long ago they decided to open up an outpost in this country. Where to do this? Seattle and San Francisco might be logical options as they both have good Asian populations. Portland was the choice. Wait. What? Portland? The whitest city on the west coast? Really? Ok. People in Seattle and San Francisco walk around with confused looks on their faces. It has nothing to do with this restaurant opening up in Portland. After talking about it for a long time, some friends and I finally made it here. A few of them had already been here before, but it would be the first time for 3 of us. Ramen is the name of the game here and you should order it with gusto. This is not an inexpensive meal, but you get a ton of food. Ramen comes in a small (which is not small at all) and a large (which is very very large) size. The small runs around $9.50 and the large is closer to $14. You can do well with the small and some other small plates. We all ordered the Tonkotsu Shoyu Ramen - chashu pork, kikurage mushroom, green onion and noodles in a rich pork & soy sauce broth as our main dishes with other smaller plates like seaweed salad, bacon wrapped quail eggs (melt in your mouth goodness), calamari rings and grilled bacon skewers to start us off and sate our appetites. First the ramen, as that is what you should be coming here for. Not sure if they house make the noodles. I'm thinking not. Four of us ordered the small size which is plenty big if you have a good appetite. One ordered the large and that portion was huge. This dish is something else. So much flavor. The veggies were cooked to that perfection between tender and crunchy. The pork just melts as soon as you put it in your mouth. The broth is damn fine. Not too salty which can definitely ruin a dish like this. That is some good eating. All the smaller plates we tried were made with care. Everything was. I could honestly eat the bacon skewers all day as well as the bacon (noticing a theme here?) wrapped quail eggs. That was a suggestion from our server and she was spot on with that one. Speaking of the service. It was good. Mostly. We did sit for a bit after being handed our menus. She came over with water but then disappeared for a while. After that, she was around without being too around. Cleared our plates when we were finished with them. Filled waters when waters needed filling. Always with a smile on her face. I recommend getting here. There is so much more to this menu that I would like to try.

    (4)

  • Bertha F.

    Great food if you can get it. We felt neglected at the sushi bar. The lesson here is to be politely aggressive (e.g., tell them to bring a menu, don't ask them) or you'll sit forever watching sushi being made in front of you. That said, don't give up! The food is absolutely delicious and portion sizes are right on the mark. I'd probably give Shigezo a 5, based on the food, if it weren't for the meager service at the sushi bar.

    (4)

  • Brian M.

    Ate here for the 4th time ever today. Very happy with every dish I've had... save for two. The Karaage is good but it's not like what I grew to love when I lived in Japan. I much prefer marinated and fried chicken to fried and then sauced that they serve here. Also, I had a "Ika-yaki" special one day. Their rendition was made like Takoyaki but used squid instead of octopus. The problem here was that the ikayaki balls were too overcooked. The toothpicks they provided you to eat them with would not even penetrate ikayaki because they were cooked. Other than those two, the sushi is good, the curry is great, and the ramen is awesome! Always good drinking food, too!

    (4)

  • Emily V.

    My first time at an Izakaya and it was a pretty good meal. The dishes I tried were: Okonomiyaki - Really huge dish! This could have been my whole meal. I actually wasn't that crazy about it. Traditionally, this tends to be a pancake, here, it was more like a crepe with a bunch of fillings. I think I would have liked the traditional okonomiyaki more. Salmon carpaccio - this was my favorite dish! So many great flavors here and the salmon was just perfect. I could eat this everyday and be happy. Seaweed salad - standard seaweed salad, but perfectly good. Pork belly skewer - pretty good, it was a bit overcooked and chewy. I liked the wasabi on top of it. Service was great and super friendly. I think the menu is probably hit or miss, but it was good enough that I'd go back.

    (4)

  • Windy S.

    A friend from Australia wanted sushi and we were downtown. Not knowing any Good sushi spots downtown I left it up to Yelp to lead the way. Our party of 8 included a sous chef friend that is VERY opinionated when it comes to good food. As we walked in I could see the skepticism written all over his face which was confirmed with his comment "there aren't any asians IN this place". I did not want the guilt of choosing a bad place for our buddy who flew 18+ Hours to see us from the other side of the world... I silently started to panic. Our server was friendly but didn't really have a clue. We painfully watched her open two bottles of wine for our table, which looked like something she had never done before. When she was done, it looked like somebody had chewed the top off. It really was hard to watch, but humorous at the same time. Some starters that were ordered: Caesar Japonais (me), Avo-Tuna Ceviche (husband) and the Gyoza (sous chef). First of all, the Caesar Japonais was Ridiculously Good and a bargain at $5.50. Large pieces of beautifully smoked salmon, soft cooked egg on top... I can't imagine how big the large portion is. I didn't try the Avo-Tuna, but my husband wasn't impressed. He was jealous he didn't get he Caesar. The Gyoza portions were also HUGE and SO good! Most of our table ordered sushi (chef's choice). The sous chef and I decide to do the Ramen. He did the Shoyu Ramen and I did the Miso Ramen. Although my Miso ramen was good, the Shoyu Ramen broth was more my style. Next time. Our Sous Chef buddy commented that the housemade noodles were some of the best he's had in Portland. While he inhaled his ramen, my husband and I pointed out the 6 tables that had finished their meals and walked past us were ALL asian. Ha! The sushi was decent, but definitely not the highlight of their menu. I wouldn't hesistate to order sushi here, but I wouldn't come here strictly for the sushi. Overall: Service is a bit sketchy, the table set ups are cool, they need coat hangers. Caesar Japonais, Gyoza and Shoyu Ramen would be my ideal meal here again. I get the thumbs up from the group and I mentally thank Yelp!

    (4)

  • Irwan N.

    We went there for lunch, it wasn't very crowded at 1:30, so we were seated fast. We were given the lunch menu. My advice is to ask for the dinner menu as well, we later found out that there were many other choices of Ramen on the dinner menu. Prices are relatively comparative. We liked their Shoyu Ramen and Karage.

    (4)

  • Sal Y.

    Wow! Very impressed! Good service! Great food!

    (5)

  • Dan M.

    Love the ramen here, and the sushi is some of the best I've had in the city. Plus they have Kirin on tap!

    (5)

  • Jenny M.

    BACKGROUND - I'm a total ramen freak. I'm a ramen freak who isn't judgmental of store bought top ramen but I'm an appreciative ramen freak when I know what I'm eating is authentic. For comparison reasons, the ultimate BEST ramen I have ever had is in Vancouver BC...the famous Ramen Santouka (they are on Yelp). I have never really had a WTF moment with ramen places...but I guess the other end of the spectrum would be top ramen? (I don't have a problem with top ramen!) PROS - Really great atmosphere. It looks small outside but it's pretty spacious inside. There is a modern "table + chair" side with the sushi bar and also a traditional "pillow = chair + table" side. For happy hour and lunch, you will usually be seated over at the modern side and for dinner/reservations, usually the traditional side. Best ramen in Oregon, but still not Ramen Santouka. By saying it's the best ramen in Oregon, that's setting a standard for all the ramen places in Oregon. Since I'm a ramen freak, I have sought out all the ramen places in Portland, Beaverton, and Tigard....Shigezo is the real deal. I have been here many times for ramen (during lunch and happy hour), I don't know why I haven't written a review yet. I guess it's because last night was my first time having dinner there...it has prompted me to share some of thoughts on the dishes that I have ventured out to. I have tried all their ramenz (both with broth and without broth) and I must say my favorites are: Shio Abu Ramen (no broth, FULL of flavor) and Kumamoto Ramen (I LOVE pork-based broths over soy sauce and miso based). Solid sushi. I have tried all their happy hour rolls and they were simple and delicious. Last night, I ordered the "Real Crab Cali Roll"...super good. CONS - One of the hot tapas that I ordered was the Okonomiyaki...they are pancakes folded over, stuffed with eggs, cabbage, pork and squid. Drizzled with house sauce. Didn't taste much of the squid or pork as it was overwhelmed with cabbage. Probably wouldn't get it again. Worst tempura in Oregon. I'm sorry, there was no light way to put this. I was craving for tempura so I ordered the tempura assortment. You get 2 pieces of each listed ingredient. The batter was very general batter...even batter from the Oregon State Fair has more flavor..hell, I can make better batter! Sushiland has better batter (and for a fraction of what Shigezo costed me)!!!! I'm never one to complain about fishy-ness (I'm a total sashimi fan!), but sheesh the battered white fish was SUPER FISHY! It was like I reached into a river, pulled out a random fish and took a bite out of it!!!! Aruuughhhhh! And then I immediately felt funny (a bad kind of funny) afterwards. Which leads me to think maybe the fish was bad but they fried it anyways (explains the extra fishy-ness). DO NOT GET THE TEMPURA ASSORTMENT!!! It's a trap!!! And at $14 for not even that much, it was a very expensive trap. The waitress we had was super attentive and friendly. So I did'n't want to be all like, "Everything is good except for your tempura lol wut happened?" POINTERS - Best ramen in town, but worst tempura in town. Stick with the sushi and ramen. As they often say, when in doubt, stick to your basics!

    (4)

  • Ryo K.

    Be aware, this rating is based on my first visit when they opened several years ago. I guess I had a high expectation at that time. When I first read the article about them in The Oregonian, I was told that they were one of the famous izakaya chain restaurants in Japan, which I never heard of (maybe they were not based in Tokyo). So I thought the food was going to be very authentic. I was disappointed. All the dishes I ordered didn't taste authentic. More importantly they simply didn't taste good. It was not like the level that I would give them a second chance. I didn't go back. To tell the truth, I'm surprised that they opened another one on Division. Who knows, maybe the taste got better in the past years...Maybe I should give them a second chance.

    (2)

  • Abhi D.

    Best Japanese Ramen in town ! Great sushi and salads too. A bit pricier than other sushi joints but worth it. Very fancy interiors but gets a bit crowded on weekends. Try their seafood ramen options and salmon collar.

    (5)

  • Flavia A.

    Ramen here is delicious and portions are huge. I also recommend going during happy hour, when you get cheap-cheap mini plates of stuff like seaweed salad, pickled veggies, sesame spinach, etc. I've seen a lot of Japanese nationals in this restaurant, so that's probably a good sign, right?

    (4)

  • Katya L.

    Pretty good. I was craving ramen, and it just happened to be happy hour, so I dragged my mother along for a mother-daughter Japanese happy hour fest. My mom is a pescatarian who doesn't like raw fish (go figure) but the menu had a decent number of veggie-friendly dishes. We ordered the fried tofu, a veggie roll and a bowl of pork ramen, along with a glass of red wine for me. (I know, wine at a Japanese restaurant? In my defense, the happy hour sake was described as "dry" and I was eating pork and noodles. The wine was good. Judge me, I dare you.) The tofu was delicious, chewy on the outside as it was lightly fried but served in a thin broth with scallions, and perfectly melt-on-your-tongue tender on the inside. The veggie roll was fine - not much to write home about. The ramen was satisfactory, but light on the ingredients for $9.50 - one lonely slice of pork (although perfectly tender) and some seaweed, ginger and scallions. I would've liked an egg or some bamboo shoots... still, the broth was cloudy meaty goodness and the noodles tasted fresh. It wasn't the best ramen I'd ever had, but it hit the spot. The total bill, with tip, came to $25 and we walked away full and satisfied. I'd like to come back for happy hour and try the sushi - we were sitting at the counter and the chefs' creations looked tasty.

    (3)

  • Richard A.

    Large portions of fresh fish and a fantastic Japanese interior make this place the go to downtown sushi / noodle spot.

    (4)

  • David D.

    Delicious. We had ramen, chicken Katsu curry, and sushi and rolls. Feeling comfort food on this grey little day. I recommend the curry and the ramen both.

    (5)

  • Kate J.

    I have been in here twice for lunch and I just LOVE this place! The atmosphere is really cool - traditional seating and low lights. It is romantic, even in the middle of the day. What I love the best though is their ramen. I've been let down a bunch with ramen in this town, but not here. Their hot and spicy ramen is AMAZING! Pro Tips: 1.) If you are considering this place for lunch, give yourself a little more time than usual. It gets busy (not crazy busy), but give yourself an hour and a half during the lunch rush. That way you can relax and enjoy yourself. 2.) Considering bringing a group? Call ahead. They can accommodate, but less waiting for you if you call ahead. 3.) Wearing a skirt? See if there are other table options for you. Some of the seating is traditional (sitting cross-legged), but there are other options. Now go! Get yourself some spicy ramen! NOM!!!

    (4)

  • Amy L.

    When there once and I love the okonomiyaki and the veggie handroll, my favorite place for happy hour. Very tasty

    (5)

  • MC E.

    Service is slow and unfriendly. The food isn't that great, but their ramen is pretty good.

    (2)

  • Diane J.

    So yummy. Our group had a good mixture of different food items from their menu. Something flaming on fire in a large shell - so delicious, salmon, corn, maybe scallops... Chicken wings on skewers at the table looked great. I had some great blue fin tuna sushi, so amazing...and seaweed salad. I'll be back, so many different things to try and to return to enjoy again and again.

    (5)

  • Denea Y.

    At 9pm on a Friday night for sushi, we tried sitting at the sushi bar and were never greeted by a server for 5 minutes so we got up and asked for a table in the main dining area, where the service, frankly, wasn't much better. We ordered a bunch of nigiri and an OMG roll. The roll was okay. The rice of the nigiri was falling apart and the smoked salmon nigiri was mushy in spots. This was our 2nd and last visit.

    (2)

  • Kevin M.

    As we waited at the disorganized entry, rude regulars shoved by to announce their reservation. The hostess failed to notice us so seated another customer at the last remaining table, then proclaimed a 20-minute wait. Won't be back, despite a decent earlier experience.

    (1)

  • Julie M.

    Homemade chuhai with fresh juice, and i believe the only place in town where you can get okonmiyaki regularly. Decent food and good basics. I haven't tried the sushi here yet, so I can't speak to it. However, the noodles have been fine -- not stellar, but solidly good. Shigezo is a chain, but it's a Japanese chain, so the quality is very consistent.

    (3)

  • Grace C.

    I definitely have my favorites here in the Portland Area but I'm always willing to try something new. The first plus about this place was how close it was to Pioneer Square, totally walkable! I came during happy hour on a Sunday (yay! happy hour on weekends!) for a holiday family lunch. The best deal was definitely the sashimi. Eight pieces for $9. Common selection of maguro, sake, and hamachi, but still very tasty! I split a second order! I also had the calamari, which was good and bites of the crispy fried tofu--also not bad. But what we really came here for was the ramen. I had the Tokyo ramen. It was really good, lots of porky flavored depth, in their menu-described "chicken" broth base? It was a bit too salty to straight up finish the broth afterwards, though I really liked the noodles. My parents who came back from Japan not a week prior said the taste was very authentic. For dessert, I had the Dango Ice. I was a bit worried when the dessert took a while, but was so happy it did. The sesame seeds on the dango were freshly toasted and smelled amazing! The satsuma imo (Japanese sweet potato) chip was really good as well. And I love green tea ice cream, so altogether awesome dessert! I did feel bad for the staff, they definitely could have used some help!

    (4)

  • Chris M.

    Sushi gets an honorable mention, but the sushi Caesar is a must. For a town that isn't rich in ramen offerings, Shigezo is a great option. I can't say enough about the sashimi Caesar salad.

    (4)

  • Ann L.

    Izakaya style restaurant. I only had ramen here. It's not bad, but not the best either.

    (3)

  • Lorraine P.

    We're visiting Portland from Los Angeles and this place was recommended to us by a local. Really enjoyed our feast! We ordered a variety of small plates to share and even took leftovers to go and were pleasantly surprised how inexpensive it was for the quality, quantity and great customer service. Would highly recommend!

    (4)

  • Jordan J.

    There is no Japanese Restaurant I would go to in Portland. I have had most things on the menu. I am a big fan of salad rolls and theirs take the cake. They have wonderful ramen. And their sizzling salmon bowl is my all time favorite but the chicken or salmon teryiaki is a second favorite.

    (5)

  • Dorsey S.

    Excellent food. All the flavors were spot on. This experience reminded me of dining in Japan a couple years ago. The sake selection was great too. Great service. The waitress was attentive and delightful.

    (5)

  • Lisa Y.

    First time in downtown Portland for work. Hotel concierge recommended this restaurant. Came here on a Thursday just before 5 pm with a co-worker. Great food and friendly service. Taylor was our server and she was very informative. We asked her for recommendations and she gave detailed opinions, which we appreciated. I ordered both plum wines (they come served with ice), edamame appetizer, vegetarian curry, and seaweed salad. Overall, it was a good dining experience.

    (4)

  • Alexis S.

    The spicy tuna roll was excellent! The sashimi not so much, it was cut a little bit on the thicker side. Ambience was nice and located in an eclectic part of the city. Great people watching!

    (4)

  • Dian K.

    I came here as the third stop of our "Ramen Club". We heard that the Tonkotsu ramen was the way to go here, so 5 (out of 7) of us ordered that, including myself. First of all, the ramen noodle is definitely top notch. Best noodle so far and it was cooked perfectly. The broth, on the other hand, was extremely disappointing. Came with a single slice of pork, it was basically shoyu (soy sauce) flavored broth. Perhaps it was an off night because I've read so many good reviews of this broth.... What I should do is steal some of their noodles and give it to Yuzu to cook with their kakuni ramen, that's a 6 star combo :) They kinda messed up on the order too. 3 of our 5 tonkotsu ramen was entered as a shoyu ramen, so they had to watch us eat our ramen while waiting for theirs. A nice surprise was that they have happy hour all night on the bar section (Thursday night, not sure if this is for all weekdays or not). Prices were $1-$2 off the regular prices, so not a HOT deal, but a deal nevertheless. I probably won't be back....

    (3)

  • Kavel B.

    Summary: Forgettable food, sub-par service. We won't be going back. Review: We love Japanese food, and thought this would be a nice pre-concert supper based on an my wife's earlier lunch experience. Ordered the gyoza, pork and chicken skewers, the chicken katsu donburi, the yakinuki steak, and a sushi roll from their monthly special menu. All of the food was very "meh." Nothing terrible, but nothing that I'll ever crave. To top this off, the service was quite lackluster. Our order was taken, food brought out in reasonable time, but the server was unavailable rest of the time. What's more, my wife ordered a cocktail with her food, but decided that she can't drink it (I also tasted it, quite awful) after a sip. Next time we saw our server, she ordered some wine instead of the cocktail. The server did not inquire whether there was something wrong with the cocktail, and she didn't even take it away. And naturally, we were charged the full price for it at the end. Of course, they didn't "have to" do anything about this, but I would like to think that most service oriented establishments would at least try to find out if there was anything wrong.

    (2)

  • Alethea S.

    The food is fine, but the service is consistently slow, actually BEYOND SLOW. I won't go there again and suggest you don't either unless you are: a) not starving, or b) have lots of time to kill. I gave Shigezo a second chance after going once a few months ago and waiting *forever* for my order to arrive. I had a similar if not worse experience this trip. My party of 3 ordered 2 veggie sushi rolls and the veggie curry. It took about 15 minutes for the curry to come out. My friend finished the curry and we STILL did not have our sushi. After asking the waiter (he assured us it was being made), we waited another 20 minutes or so before the sushi came out. I was just standing up to cancel the order and leave because I was so annoyed. Instead, I ate it while the others at my table watched me eat because one had been done with his dinner for a long time and the other was so annoyed she took her dish to go. I did let the waiter know that he could use some wait staff help and that I didn't blame him but that our experience was negative because of the wait time. He shrugged it off and said it was just busy. Not going back. Ever. There are plenty of places in Portland to eat that I would rather support and that actually know how to staff their restaurant appropriately!

    (2)

  • Orian I.

    My boy planned a special date, he wouldn't tell me where, as we were walking i said "oooo is shigezo?" he responded "OH! that sounds good..uh no..would you rather go there?" he had chosen a fancy pants place, and although I've wanted to try the place forever, the lure of trying the dinner at shigezo was a little too much. we changed course and went there instead. We sat in the cooler section this time, in the sitting on bean chair booth. (yes ladies there is a section where you might sit on the ground, be aware and dress accordingly or run the risk of flashing the place when you get up..trust) We skipped the ramen this time as we had had it and wanted to try some different thing. much to my delight they had okonomiyaki. We ordered that, quail eggs two cause i wasn't sharing, and the special was grilled salmon collar, and bacon. We also did a nigiri omakase. The quail eggs are delicious. perfectly cooked with bulldog sauce on the side for your slathering pleasure. bulldog sauce is light a slightly sweeter thicker worchester, if you've ever has katsu it's a similar sauce. next came the house made bacon, it could have been smokier, it could have been a little more crispy, but all in all that was proper japanese bacon paired with an excellent stone ground mustard. next came sushi, it was a beautiful presentation, the nigiri was at the right temperature, slightly colder that room temp, the rice was perfect, the pieces were a little big but not a huge deal. the roll that came was the california roll, it was good. the tobiko was very fresh crunch crunch crunch. next came the okonomiyaki, which much to my dismay didn't have any of the technique or awesomeness it really should have. it was the only thing that was really disappointing. however! the flavor was right. very right. all those memories of past matsuri and my dad over the tepanyaki grating the yama imo and laying out all those fantastic ingredients came flooding back. so just a couple of things, the texture was gooey and rubbery, this was made like a stuffed pancake, where all the ingredients were cooked separately and shoved into the pancake and folded over. that's not how you do it kids. but oddly the flavors did come through so it's hard to say. the batter should be softer lighter fluffier..something er. i dunno. but the jewel which stole the show, grilled salmon collar, the coveted piece of fish besides the belly, for any japanese - is that true for the chinese too? don't know, but the cheek and collar are always fought over, and dad always won. sooooo good, all charred and delicious with daikon oroshi on the side. yumm. could have used a little bit of ponzu but eh no biggy. So the stars are for the food and the atmosphere, not so much the service. I don't like basing reviews on service as i have had excellent service there the first time. We were seated right by the servers station and two different servers walked by us several times, not an exaggeration it was about 10 min before they came with water. she didn't ask if we wanted a different beverage, and walked away, about 10 more min and she came back asked what we'd like to order or should she come back. fearing it would be another 10 min before that would happen we quickly ordered. but other than that and the 20 min to get our bill after last of our dishes were cleared away, it was an enjoyable evening. I think the poor service may have been a fluke, as I said my first visit was so excellent.

    (4)

  • Jennifer H.

    Food is good but if you want to sit at a particular table you must have the right amount of people, even in the bar. They would prefer you wait rather than give you an open table that you would enjoy. Even when they are slow. Three tables available in the bar but they wouldn't allow me to sit at one of them by the window. I won't be coming again when by myself unless I want to sit at the sushi bar. A complete disappointment to a place I really loved. It left a bad taste in my mouth, and the same thing happened last time I was here. Not sure I'll be back even though I love the food. I'm here every couple of weeks and thought I'd found my new local favorite. I get trying to utilize your space, but it's ALWAYS better to make your actual customers (not potential customers) happy.

    (2)

  • Carrie S.

    I have been here several times since I live so close. I have always had a great meal and great sushi. They have been very helpful with my gluten allergy and whatever I want to order. Friends I have brought with me have enjoyed their desserts. A lot. They look amazing,,,I believe they are made by a local baker. Spider roll, spicy tuna, rainbow, and the veggie roll are great.

    (4)

  • Lauren L.

    "A" for effort. "F" for food. Oh and first of all - about the Happy Hour section (near the sushi bar). We went there on a Thursday night at around 7:30 PM, and the hostess said "Would you like to sit in the main dining area or in the Happy Hour section where you can order off the menu and HH menu?" So my parents and I thought, heck - let's go to the Happy Hour section so we can order food off that menu too! We sit down, and the waiter says we have to buy one drink minimum. SERIOUSLY? I'm there with my parents and we just want to eat dinner. BOLD STATEMENT OF THE DAY: YOUR HOSTESS SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE WE SAD DOWN. Any good, reputable establishment would do this. Minus one star, right there. I can go on and on, but in a nutshell: the food was mediocre at best. Imitation sushi. Ramen was meh. The end.

    (2)

  • Paul S.

    Do not get sushi here. Stick with their hot food. Took a couple minutes for the hostess to greet us but shortly after we were seated. My friends and I were really excited so we decided to order tons of different items. We tried their sushi, ramen, a bunch of small hot plates, beers and a glass of sake. We liked everything besides the sushi(awful) and ramen. Ramen was flavorful but way too salty. Also, our waiter didn't know a lot of the stuff on the menu and the service was slow.

    (3)

  • Duc P.

    Ordered ramen because I wanted to have ramen while staying near downtown. Not so great for the price. Soup base is kind of plain. Only 2 thin slices of pork and a little bit of seaweed. Not sure about their sushi but people seem to come there for sushi more than ramen.

    (3)

  • Karen K.

    Love the food here. Quality sushi at an excellent price. I only go here for the happy hour, though. One day I will come here for dinner. The happy hour here is very good! The service is also excellent.

    (5)

  • Michael M.

    This is a Tokyo based Chain Restaurant that opened up its first US location here in Portland. Izakaya is kinda like a Japanese version of Pub atmosphere and fare. Most People Order food in the way that they would expect for It to come out from the kitchen. I don't know how to break it to you but.....That's not gonna happen here. Both times I've been here the first thing I ordered was the last thing I received. Highlights Ebi Mayo: Batter Fried Shrimp With Spicy Mayo was Tasty just the way I like it. The Tokyo Ramen IS The Reason Why I come to This place. Simple and delicious. Everything else I Order is the "side" to this Dish. I always Order a Large so I can Take a good serving of it home. Philly Roll Was Great....The House Smoked Salmon is quite tasty. OMG Roll = Mango Avacado wrapped on the Outside of a Rice Roll with Cream Cheese, Cucumber,and House Smoked Salmon in the middle. Siracha and Mayo dipping sauce and Crushed Peanuts thrown on Top. Im Glad it came Last It has a wonderful flavor profile Sweet, Spicy, Smokey, Creamy with a very small crunch with the peanuts. Kinda like a tastebud vacation. It was perfect as a last dish, dessert if you dare? One of the Best tasting Sushi Rolls Ive had in quite sometime, very creative! Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Amber Ale on Draft served in a 22oz.= Nice. I dig the Decor and Layout of the Place. Its a Very enjoyable atmosphere. One of the few restaurants I get comfortable enough to stay a for a few hours ordering several small courses with rounds of drinks. Service has always been great, Even walking in 15min before they closed on a Sunday Night. I felt very welcome, compared to the attitudes you get from some restaurant staff when that happens. The Only minor issue I had was the food runners. Food Runner 101 - At least State what the dish is when you are dropping it off at a table. I noticed plates are just dropped off with no explanation in no particular order. I had to ask "what is this?" Twice the food runner could not answer my inquiry. If you Order many small Plates or if your at a large table with several orders, especially if your table has ordered a lot of different sushi. This can turn into a guessing game and cause some confusion. I'm sure as I eat here more often I will be able to recognize the plates. They also Need to Update the Menus On the Website to reflect the new dishes they are serving and happy hour menu. UPDATE = Menu was updated June 12th on website. Thank you! I really dig this place. The Prices are fair. The amount of food you get is good. The happy hour menu has many options. The ramen makes you want to come back for more.

    (4)

  • Maria T.

    Good food. They were pretty busy and we did not have reservations, but they found a spot for us at the bar. Service was quick-ish and our dinner was reasonably priced. I will definitely go again if I'm in the neighborhood, but wouldn't go out of my way.

    (3)

  • L D.

    Food was okay, service was awful. Our server disappeared after taking our order, the water was never refilled. Had to ask for the check from another server after waiting for 10 minutes. Oh, and the dead crane fly in the window next to our table was a real appetite enhancer.

    (2)

  • Vi B.

    The entire 3 stars in this review is going to the decor of this restaurant. Admittedly, I have to say it: It's pretty freaking awesome. They've got the tatami mats and sectioned-off corridors that remind me of a place that really would exist in Japan, and even the restrooms that mimic Japanese styles (I won't go into detail). After I arrived and was seated (literally, as one has the option to sit tatami-style with your legs folded) in one of the tatami rooms. the waitress takes our drink order and gives us our menu. About 5-10 minutes later two Japanese men (apparently visiting from Japan) sit at the table next to us. That's when the trouble began. For the rest of the night, my table was COMPLETELY ignored. By the time our table had even put in an initial order (that is, appetizers), the men next to us already had all their drinks, entrees and sushi orders in front of them. I had to flag down the waitress whenshe came to their table whenever we needed something (uh, like FOOD). On top of the service, the food was extremely overpriced and strange tasting. A good portion of food was left over when we were done eating (solely because we just weren't in the mood to finish it), and even though I took it to go, a few days later, I threw it away in the trash. I would have preferred to go to Sushiland. At least there's no waiting for food (and the sushi train can't discriminate).

    (3)

  • Ben C.

    Great happy hour. My favorite combo of old school and busy. This might be my new place.

    (4)

  • She C.

    The best thing about Shigezo is the authentic style and decor. The menu options are vast; everything I've had there has been quite tasty. The FRESH rainbow, hamachi and spicy tuna rolls are all delicious safe bets. I love their seaweed salad and salad rolls. Also key and much appreciated, is the proper service of sake. Great server and service!

    (5)

  • Leah H.

    I went to Shigezo for the ramen. The Yelp consensus spoke generally well of it and I was excited to put it in my face. I was let down to find it to be terribly oily. Big drops floating on my broth. More then I prefer. It was bland. Shigezo came though with a nice portion size and good tasting noodles, but I cannot really say much more then that. In addition to the ramen I tried a little of the sushi. It was all satisfying and had beautiful presentation. The ambiance and decor were nice. The service was excellent. So much so that I've been putting off writing this review because I wanted something better to say. I will admit that there was plenty on the menu that I did not get a chance to try. If I find myself in the area, I would have to give them another shot.

    (3)

  • t o.

    The ramen is top notch and not to be missed. The sushi is delicate and delightful. And the 22 ounce beers are outstanding. And for $15 during happy hour you can get all three! I'm going back next week...

    (5)

  • Matthew N.

    This branch of Shigezo Tokyo empire is large with a intimate dark wood restaurant area and a brighter bar section, so many interesting places to sit at. We ate the Butakimuchi (stir fried meat, tofu, onion, kimchi), a couple of Kushi-yaki (meat skewers) and some Ramen bowls. Everything was delicious, especially the Ramen. I was instantly transported me to a little hole-in-the-wall place I visited in Ginza when I tasted the Tokyo Ramen, umami deliciousness. My friend ate the Kumamoto which was rich and creamy with a delicious (sake + salt) shiodare sauce. I definitely want to try the Osaka style Okonomiyaki next time. We sat by the grill and watched the guy make one, looked really good!

    (4)

  • Ryan A.

    I was pretty happy with the food here. I thought the service was great. The prices were a little high, but mostly too be expected for a place like this. All of this wasn't enough to make up for the cleanliness, or lack thereof. I would probably have given them a high 4-star if it wasn't for the lack of cleanliness. Dishes, seats, floor, all of it was dirty. We sat in one of the private rooms because there were eight of us. It's harder to get into them to clean, for sure. However, that is no excuse. It's so important to make sure you present a good front to your customers. It certainly makes me question the cleanliness in the kitchen. I would go back, but I would hope for some improvement. Otherwise, it would probably be the last time.

    (3)

  • Devon D.

    I'm quite picky about ramen, but this is some of my favorite around, and it's one of only two places in town to feature thinner, traditional-style Japanese ramen noodles (mainly due to its actual ties to the country). Surprisingly superlative unagi nigiri, served at just the right temp. Affordable & tasty hand-rolls on happy hour.

    (4)

  • James P.

    Growing up in Hawaii and having spent some time in Japan, this place is pretty legit! Have recommended it to many people and they all have nothing but praise for this place! I eat there almost to much. The ramen is money. The okonomayaki Hiroshima style is almost as good as having it in Japan, but not quite. The uni, well let's say we cleaned them out on one visit there and that's one thing if it's not fresh, then no way! Overall great atmosphere and great food!

    (5)

  • HOWIE B.

    Nice Izakaya style Japanese restaurant. It's moderately priced and the best way to dine here is "Tapas-Isakaya style" - order a bunch of small plates, a salad or two and you're set. Two can dine here for around $55, not bad considering it's all made to order and the food is fresh. Very nice atmosphere and friendly, efficient waitstaff (some hotties, too!). Well worth checking out.

    (5)

  • Natalie W.

    Go here when you have time. The food is in no way speedily getting to you, but it's better than decent. I got take out...a spicy tuna hand roll. It took 45 minutes to get to me. However, the hostess I ordered from felt bad and threw in some miso soup for the trouble. And it, was above average miso soup...a little extra savory or something. The hand roll was great too-actually spicy, like I like it.

    (2)

  • Hanna L.

    Best Ramen I have had in portland at a reasonable price + left overs to take home. Nigiri and rolls were also good. I have not had the happy hour menu and ramen is not on it : ( but I definitely intend on going back to check it out. Looks like a good deal. I also really loved the decor. I've never been to japan, but I felt this was the closest I have come. Taking out shoes off, sitting at a table of pillows. Really fun dining experience. Service was fine, but it was a fairly slow night.

    (4)

  • Jaffer K.

    Really bad customer service! I went in and waited for a table last night and the blonde waitress walked by me three times just ignoring me. No greeting, no help, no nothing. 10 minutes later I had to ask for a table and the server took forever to come and take my order. Food was reasonably priced, but there is a catch....the salmon on the dish was an extremely small little piece and it was just packed with greasy rice. My stomach felt bad few hours later. It tool them forever to bring my bill and than after I put my card down, the waitress walked passed me many times ignoring the bill. Slow service and bad food!

    (1)

  • Jacquee P.

    If you don't expect traditional izakaya or sushi presentation, you'll be just fine. Sake (salmon) nigiri presented with a tiny fat slice of red onion? Sizzling rice with no sizzle? Chicken wings were so perfect. I'm still thinking about the tips. The maguro was fresh and smoove.

    (3)

  • Mindy S.

    The low reviews here really shock me. This is BY FAR my favorite sushi restaurant. The fish is just SO fresh and good. The specials sometimes blow my mind (the seared scallop nigiri special is to die for!) And I am now a huge fan of ramen thanks to their Tokyo ramen dish - so savory and amazing. Service is definitely sometimes slow, they always seem to have a sense of being understaffed in terms of wait staff. That said, I go in knowing that and so the delays never impede my enjoyment. The staff is wonderfully friendly and knowledgable.

    (5)

  • Geoff C.

    Shigezo has alot of potential but the sushi was just average and they seemed understaffed in the dining room and kitchen.

    (3)

  • Jennifer L.

    My daughter and I had the best time here! The sushi was beautifully and artfully prepared and delicious.

    (5)

  • John B.

    My wife (Japanese - immigrated to US in 2009) and I (American with lots of travel to/from Japan) both really enjoyed Shigezo... For those who want to complain about food preparation time, RELAX... It's Japanese style... Bring some friends, have some sake and chill - the food is absolutely fantastic, the decor is VERY authentic Japan (albeit a slight blend of styles). Granted, this is based on just two visits - but they were great ones. :)

    (5)

  • Alfred F.

    Abu Ramen with an egg on top... yeah.

    (5)

  • Tonneli G.

    I have been here 5 times visit 1: mind blowing awesome (eating at the grill) visit 2: awful... worst case scenario (eating at the grill) visit 3: very good (eating at the grill) visit:4: appetizers came after meal (eating at the sushi bar) visit 5: mind blowing perfect (eating at a private table) After my first visit at Shigezo i was so pleased i could hardly wait to come back. After a very disappointing meal at Biwa I hoped to redeem Ramen, Shigezo delivered in a very big way. The portions are perfect and shockingly low priced. Every ingredient of the soup is carefully paired together to create a dish which will please you all the way down to the last drop of broth. In addition to their soups I recommend the crab cucumber salad, its so good i wont agree to share even so much as a single bite. I have made a goal of trying something new with every visit and the food never lets me down, every item on the menu is a winner. my only WARNING here is that eating at shigezo is like getting addicted to restaurant roulette. I am not the type of diner who finds myself allowing for second chances after i am let down, but i keep coming back to shigezo! its like an abusive relationship. The service can be SOOOOO bad. but the food is just some sweet sweet lovin' I can not resist. Bad service here has included everything from my server cutting my food with scissors on my table (is this not kitchen prep-work), appetizers coming out far after my meal was finished (on two separate occasions), servers neglecting to refill water or tea, and missing silver ware/ chopsticks. Dear Shigezo, why do you keep hurting me?

    (3)

  • Mihal F.

    Excellent, really special sushi. And super cheap happy hour. Oh, and very friendly service. I'm not often impressed by sushi, but this place is definitely worth checking out. The seared mackerel roll (Seared vinegar mackerel, nori, shiso, gary, green onion, chili pepper, sesame seeds) AWESOME.

    (5)

  • Rebecca M.

    Their Tokyo Ramen is the regular, comfort food style pork shoyu ramen you've been looking for in Portland. Straight up delicious, no frills, yummy broth, good texture on the noodles, good ratio of broth/noodles/veggies. Plus, the staff were all great. Just go eat some ramen.

    (5)

  • Mackie D.

    Came to tried the place out because a co-worker highly recommended the spot.. Food was okay, nothing spectacular. Maybe it's just not my cup of tea. Service was fast and friendly. Reserved a private room for my date and I and our waiter made sure to check on us often to make sure everything was going alright. Ordered crab and mango cocktail salad, korean style cold ramen, soup ramen and chicken teriyaki. The entree I liked most was the chicken teriyaki and it just taste like chicken teriyaki, all the other entrees were okay nothing too delicious.

    (3)

  • Jay P.

    I went here once and I've been back here multiple times. The food is great, the wait is a little long for your food, so don't come here if you're starving and need something instantly. However if you're trying to go to a trendy Japanese restaurant I wouldn't recommend any other place but here if you're in the neighborhood. It's a great place to go also if you're attending school at PSU and you're looking for a place to eat with a few friends for lunch or dinner. I've been here with a few friends, and also with just my girl friend and we have always enjoyed the food here. Highly recommended you try it at least once. They have rooms for huge parties to booths with curtains to maintain a little bit of privacy.

    (4)

  • Jeneille A.

    Came here for a happy hour and the prices are very reasonable. Cool decor, great staff, and located in a cute part of downtown.

    (4)

  • Justus P.

    The food is excellent, the ambiance is very Japanese (good), and the service is OK, but the food speed is appalling. It may well take 45 minutes to get your food, but the drinks are usually pretty fast. They have great tatami rooms and curtained booths, even though most Americans have no idea what they are. lol If you're not in a hurry and you enjoy good Japanese food, give this place a try. You'll like it.

    (4)

  • Pants P.

    First, I was treated to this by my friends for a birthday - so the cost/benefit ratio for me doesn't factor into this review. BUT, I can say I had a tummy-happy-making laugh fest in one of their private rooms (call to reserve, I had a group of six and that was good enough). Perusing the menu, my first thought was: "Okonomiyaki - oh mah gawd!!!" This authentic dish (topped with bonito fish flakes that dance on the hot air waving off this savory pancake) is something I haven't had since I studied abroad. It was a mouth flashback! The salmon rice bowl served in a hot stone dish and chicken skewers were also downright delightful. Don't remember a bad dish! Cocktails were also excellent and our waiter was game to deal with our increasingly intoxicated antics. I won't give away the awesomeness that is their birthday surprise for guests, but it involves sequins and a costume. Listen, izakayas aren't sushi joints. And in Japan, they don't do ramen either. But, those dishes of beer-accompaniment greatness, all meant to share, are what you should be there for. So go forward. Go boldly. Go Shigezo!

    (5)

  • Ly H.

    It's unfortunate when a good restaurant with decent food and competent wait staff, are poorly managed. That's the case for Shigezo. Here are all the things that Shigezo does right: -The food is fresh and nicely done. -The decor, especially the semi private sitting booths, the funky art on the wall, and the layout of the restaurant is great. -The wait staff are courteous and work really hard. But none of this really matters, when management under-staffs and doesn't direct the flow on the floor very well. For example, in the large section that we sat in, there was only one waiter. Although, he was working really hard, he couldn't handle the volume of request. This result in all kinds of delays, like 15 minute wait for our eating utensils after our food had arrived. Accompaniments to some dishes never came. I don't blame our harried waiter, I put the onus on the management team.

    (2)

  • Kelley A.

    Authentic izakaya fare by a restaurant chain from Japan. It's good. The happy hour is excellent. Japanese customers are always a good sign. Order a bunch of plates of different stuff and share them, ala izakaya custom. The sushi is not bad, but remember that this is an izakaya, which specializes in no single dish, but generally in cooked fare rather than sushi. For that, it is in the top three in the PDX area along with Yuzu and Hanabi.

    (5)

  • Makenna C.

    I like ramen. A lot. Therefore I want my ramen a certain way. Shigezo came closer than I ever would have guessed to giving me a really yummy, perfectly cloudy and porky bowl of ramen. I'm excited to have another good option for great, homey ramen (without all of the new wave bells and whistles a lot of new places are putting out) somewhat in my neighborhood. And though I didn't get it (next time I will - since I know I'm going back) - okonomiyaki for $6? Yes please. A 22 oz Japanese draft to wash it down at happy hour in a frosty mug taller than my head, and I'm a happy, hiccuping girl.

    (4)

  • Brad W.

    When I first spotted the tiny vibrant green tobiko affixed atop our happy hour California roll with a dab of creamy mayo, I thought, "What the hell kind of radioactive fish does that come from?" Turns out wasabi-infused tobiko is my new favorite Nippon food thing! Ever since Shigezo opened a few weeks back in our neighborhood I have been looking for a time to check out their happy hour as an intro to what they offer. The daily sushi tart was a sculpted tower of warm sushi rice mixed with tobiko, spicy tuna and mayo. Amazingly satisfying and unusual. Not what I would imagine as being called a tart by any means, but delicious just the same. We also tried the ebi mayo, warm deep-fried shrimp bathed in a savory mayo over a bed of lettuce. Both delightful and calming. The 24oz draft beers for $5 were also quite enjoyable and beneficial in washing down the aforementioned tasty bits. Since Shigezo is new I am willing to overlook the next to awful service we received (or rather, did not receive) from the staff. Like deer caught in the headlights, there seemed to be dissension between the servers and the kitchen. There were several items I want to return for on their regular menu and hope that by then the staff and management will have it all down pat.

    (3)

  • V B.

    First time I ate there the food was meh. Tonight I went out by myself to enjoy a quiet dinner. I arrived around 5:15. The happy hour side was understandably full and the other side was primarily empty. They told me that I could not sit at one of their many empty tables because I was there by myself, but they would sit me in front of a stack of dead fish. Disgusting and no thank you. I left and will not return.

    (1)

  • Lady G.

    I'm a fan. I really am. I wish restauarants would really train their serving staff. It can kill your business to have inexperienced or scatter brained waiters. The food is awesome here but we had such a poor server on this trip. He forgot things, never returned to check on our meals/drinks, etc. I can't stress how important it is to have good servers (they can upsell, yo!) If you have to wait for every dang thing, then your customers will not order more and they'll simply go elsewhere next time. Note to the first -time waiter in a Japanese restaurant- Your customers need plates and those little side dishes for the soy sauce. They may even want more beer!

    (4)

  • Melvin T.

    This is a good place for a Japanese, sushi, izikaya joint. This is an EXCELLENT place for a Japanese, sushi, izikaya joint for Happy Hour. The HH for summer runs from 4-Close. Very nice considering Portland Happy Hour's like to end at 6PM. Does Portland have something against 7 o'clock? HH is available on the sushi bar side. The sushi bar also has tables for families. This means happy hour food specials are available to all ages! My foodie kids don't get penalized for being under 21. The happy hour time and availability to all is SUPER 5 STAR WORTHY. The menu ranges from 2-8 dollars. I would have appreciated more sushi roll options. They only offer 4 hand rolls, and 4 sushi rolls on the HH menu. The rest is good Japanese izikaya fare. The food was good but a little too "happy hour sized" (Half price food for quarter size portion) for me. The sushi tart is a great buy even though the name and presentation is confusing. It was cooked salmon mixed with sushi rice with some sauce and topped with salmon roe. The spicy hamachi roll was the best sushi item on the HH menu. I perused the rest of their menu. I was appalled by one thing. The price of their ramen...or I should say, the price of Portland ramen. It was $10-$13 just like the other handful of restaurants trying to create a boujie ramen craze. Can people stop saying authentic ramen in Portland? (Getting on my SoCal soapbox). Ramen is a comfort food that should not start at 10 bucks. I've been to ramen houses in LA that simmer the broth for 10 hours. That authentic ramen is only $7. Where does Portland get off on charging so much for ramen? Just because PDXers don't know any better? Portland get off your Ramen high horse and I will get off my SoCal ramen soapbox. Whew. Had to get that off my chest. I love their summer happy hour time of 4-Close and it is perfect to take your family out for some upscale happy hour food without the 21+ bar restriction.

    (4)

  • Chris R.

    The food wasnt bad but the service was terrible. We had a party of four and they made us sit at the bar because they were holding their only available table in case a larger group came in which never happened. Nobody greeted us or said a word to us, not even the sushi chef who was right in front of us. So after about fifteen minutes we asked him who to order from and he found our server. They required us to purchase a drink if ordering off the the happy hour menu and were generally not friendly. Nobody ever smiled or seemed like they wanted to be there. I would not return.

    (2)

  • Alessandro M.

    Great food! I love the daily fresh ramen and the sushi is really good. Definitely one of the best Japanese restaurant in town! I have often seen Japanese businessmen eat there if is good for them it is good for me too!

    (5)

  • Cristina F.

    Excellent Fresh Fish and amazing food for Happy Hour!! The waiter told us that Gavin Ravinsdale was sitting in our booth just before us! A bonus-great sign it was going to be great--Definitely a fan, but only 2 others in Tokyo and NY?? Alaska Roll amazing....and seaweed salad...and Dragon Hand Roll is hands down!:) Love Love Love this place!

    (5)

  • Stephanie S.

    I've researched Japanese restaurants in Portland, this is the best!

    (5)

  • Matt J.

    I love all of its ramen and nigiri! Recommended Japanese restaurant in the Portland area.

    (5)

  • Erika N.

    All their food is good. It's a little pricey for what it is. The black cod is delicious but they had a sauce on it that didn't taste like anything and it just seemed unnecessary. I like going there once and a while for something different. I like that it's an izakaya. I don't really know what else to say other than it's not the best but it's delicious...maybe that says something.

    (3)

  • Dibyendu D.

    excellent raman.

    (5)

  • Mandar P.

    My favorite sushi place nearby :)

    (4)

  • Violet P.

    This was my weekly regular eatery while living in Portland. Authentic, yummy Japanese food and really good quality (and super affordable) sushi. But definitely better in the evenings than during the day. I think they have "gaijin" chefs during lunch.

    (4)

  • Kazuya M.

    OK, when I was there last year for dinner they had a great variety of izakaya dishes. Since I grew up partly in Tokyo right above my grandma's izakaya I think I may be a bit difficult to impress but everything was great. This time I was there for "midday" meal at about 2:30PM. Only things on menu are ramen, curry rice and a limited sushi menu. Sushi is the only one I wouldn't be able to do as well or better of the 3. Also as I was leaving I noticed that they serve bluefin tuna....in liberal Portland they are serving bluefin? 2 out of 3 bluefin species are endangered and the 3rd species is being overfished. This really makes me not want to come back. The service was OK. With our parry being the only one there I thought it should have been easier to find the waiter though.

    (2)

  • Beth M.

    Came here as a pre-function to the OPB LiveWire show. The location right around the block from the Art Museum made it a great choice. It took me awhile to get used to not reaching out for sushi on a conveyor belt...Instead, there were triple chefs doing their thing....amazing to watch, and having fresh sushi made to order was good. For me, the stand out dish was the salmon carpaccio. OMG it was good. So good, in fact, that I know I'll be back and order at least one order of Salmon carpaccio....okay, maybe two....

    (4)

  • Danie W.

    Happy hour outside: Great, quick service, yummy beverages and our sushi was super fresh and delicious. The cocktails were average alcohol-wise and very yummy.. Inside for dinner: We were w a large party so service slowed down a lot and several things were forgotten (our ONE server was bustin' his buns to wait on the whole group.) The food that did make it to us was very yummy though. I would definitely give this place a try again.

    (3)

  • Olivia T.

    I'm a fan of Japanese food from standard fare of Izhikaya style food, Ramen, Bento, and of course Sushi. I LOVE all of them. I don't discriminate. I'm a fair and balance person (much better than FOX news) and I have to say Shigezo delivers in every single dishes that my friends and I tried there. They have Happy Hour even on Sunday. Their happy hour food are more the Izhikaya street food such as Kara Age (fried chicken breast), Sesame Spinach, Gyoza, Spicy Tuna rolls and other rolls. We also got some appetizers from the regular menu which were also delicious. Okonomiyaki (pork, squid, cabbage pancake) and Quail eggs skewers were pretty amazing. For the main course, I had the Miso Ramen (ramen noodle with veggies, chia siu) and I added soft boil egg in it as well. It was pretty good. I was kinda surprised on how good it was. I'm a Biwa believer and thought that there will be no other place in Portland that can make kick ass ramens. Sorry Biwa, but Shigezo can make pretty good ones. We were stuffed and I was able to take my left over ramen home (it was better by the next day I ate it). I will come back to Shigezo for more Japanese yum yum.

    (4)

  • Justin S.

    "You say arigatou like-a wee say arigatou" H. Hanzo, kill bill vol. 1 Almost 5 stars. The makase nigiri was almost like people watching at a Vegas pool... The thick, creamy, pink and nearly crunchy toro lounging like a tourist on a chaise of sweet sushi rice. Sunburnt salmon dressed in see-thru onion swimsuit. The fresh uni spa wrapped in seaweed. Hamachi wearing nothing but a skimpy little shiso leaf. A big overflowing bowl of omits caviar. And this high roller plate is such a deal it's like getting comped! The robata wasn't the star of the show.. I ordered eringi mushrooms, shishito peppers, pork belly (butabara), and squid. They were not sliced as well as I would have liked. The mushrooms were chopped instead of sliced thin, and the pork was cut too thick. Overall it was tasty, but not as good as the sushi was. The ebi-mayo was pretty tasty, almost like a spicy Japanese version of honey walnut shrimp. The Alaska roll was good, especially topped with more ikura. It was the first time eating a dragon temaki, it was unagi and avocado.. Yum. The service was great, the setting and atmosphere was comfortable and inviting, and the menu is big enough for me to explore more!

    (4)

  • Tommy W.

    Stopped in for lunch and had some awesome chicken katsu curry. Service was quick and the food as as close to authentic Japanese as you're going to find in the states.

    (5)

  • Nichole S.

    I have been in 4 times to eat lunch always ordering ramen while my dinning friend ordered a special chicken katsu curry udon. We also ordered sushi each time. The soup was ok not great and the sushi was sloppy and not beautiful cuts of fish. The fish looked almost like it had been sliced with a butter knife and done the night before. I will not be going here anymore wether or not it is a ramen or sushi house it should uphold quality.

    (2)

  • Rob F.

    I love ramen and I know what authentic ramen tastes like. Shidezo has the best 100% Authentic tasting ramen that I've ever had in Oregon hands down!

    (5)

  • Bronson J.

    Been here twice, once for dinner, once at lunch. Overall, it's okay, but there are better places. For dinner we had ramen. My wife ordered the miso ramen, which was pretty tasty. I had the basic ramen, and the broth was good, but the noodles appeared prepackaged. They were still in a tight square in my bowl. We had some sushi as well, which was above average, but just barely. For lunch, it was a totally different story. It took 25 minutes before a waiter showed up at all. Then, after ordering and waiting another 25 minutes, we had to leave with no food. Don't go here for lunch if you have anywhere you have to be, or afternoon meetings, etc. They just don't have things down enough to handle a business lunch crowd.

    (2)

  • Chelsea A.

    Let me tell you something, about how much I want to go back to ShiGezO. See what I did there? I put the go in Shigezo, because I want to go. How about I put this another way, I'm hungover. Horribly Hungover and if Japanese "Izakayas" do this to me every time I eat at one I'm in trouble. Major trouble. Because I love them, love them LOTS but my head the next day after three pots of sake (that's like 12 rounds each people, Jesus) shared between friends (not that many friends) is not such a fan. You know what else they have? Awesome seating. Where you have to take off your shoes and sit on bean bags (so comfy, but hard to get out of) and they give you slippers and you have a curtain so you can shut yourself off from the rest of the world. You don't HAVE to sit in these seats, they have regular bar seating and normal tables without the bean bags and curtains and lack of shoes, but why would you want to sit anywhere else? And bless Shigezos heart, because they have okinomiyaki, and I LOVE okinomiyaki and it's super hard to find and it was so delicious that I nearly cried because it was only six bucks. That is insane. There Ramen was fantastic, we got the large bowl (HUGE) and split it and had some small plates to fill it out. The Gyoza was great, and next time I'll have some stuff on sticks - because i like to skewer things (that's what she said!). The poor server brought his a-game, because sake makes people (me) rowdy. Apparently sake also makes it necessary to cheers everything. But to be honest I just wanted to shout Kampai.

    (5)

  • Curtis W.

    Really nice interior, and a pretty large menu. The small plates are good. Sushi is nice, but they had a nice dessert selection which was surprising. I've been 5+ times and the only dish I wasnt a fan of was the ramen for some reason. Service is good, not amazing. For the handful of 'izakayas' in portland, this one is a good place to start.

    (4)

  • Sean P.

    Ramen is overpriced at 13 bucks for a large. Mostly just noodles hardly any good stuff (things other than noodles). The ramen soup itself tasted like it was out of a can. No good tea options (comes in a bag). Too hot to eat, prepare to wait a while. The tables are sort of neat. Everything is overpriced.

    (2)

  • Kenny P.

    We came to this restaurant for our friend's birthday dinner. The service The waitresses was just OK. From a high-profile look restaurant, we expected something more friendly and more attentive service. It was not bad at all. just an OK. We were given special menu from yesterday (they print a new one every day). The waitress knew that but did not change it immediately. When i asked for a new special menu, the waitress said that it's basically the same except this this this.. it would be better if the waitress act and live up to the restaurant name.. rather than showing a bit of laziness The food: overall the food were good. I ordered Curry Chicken. The curry was sweet, spicy and tasty. I really like it. The chicken was friend in a perfect crispiness. We also ordered chicken wings as appetizer and it was good. Chicken wings at japanese restaurant ? try it and you will raise your eyebrow even higher ! I also tasted my friends' dishes and all were good. The atmosphere: It was a nice atmosphere. Kind of modern japanese. If you are looking for a traditional feel of japanese restaurant, this wont cut it. But, it was nice though. Not too noisy, not too crowded, just great. The location: located in downtown. parking would be horrible. It is in park block so any streetcar or max would serve the purpose better. would i come back ? yess... and hopefully we will get a better waitress next time :)

    (4)

  • Ryohei A.

    They barely kept the 4 star from me, since the mid-day tanmen ramen was pretty darn decent. My last visit, the food was heading downhill along with service. The service still needs improvement, but the food is better on my last visit. Portland is currently experiencing a major ramen inflation! Now you can't get a bowl for less then 9 bucks! Pretty crazy if you ask me. I'm getting less and less interested in this place now that i see many other options for a a bit more cheaper price tag, especially when there's Samurai bento couple of blocks away. I guess I'll be back for the ramen when I am close by. It is real challenge to find a good ramen here anyways!

    (4)

  • Joshua J.

    In the search for a sushi place for my Wife, we found Shigezo. We now compare all other sushi restaurants to Shigezo. I love the atmosphere, the food, and the service. My favorites are the Sizzling Bowl Tofu, Agedashi Tofu and Inari.

    (5)

  • Austin P.

    I went here for lunch with a few friends. Funny enough, I had passed this place so many times, but never stopped in. The ramen was good, though I thought that it could've been spicier. But maybe that's just me being too tolerant of spice. Next time I get a ramen craving, I may just call Luc Lac, order takeout, and pick it up. It's a lot closer to my work, and not to mention cheaper and better tasting too!

    (3)

  • Justin R.

    The food was excellent but the service.... #%$@¥€#!!!!!! OMG, how long does it take to make one stick of p-toro (pork belly skewers)?! I waited over an hour and decided to cancel (the place wasn't even busy). I was in such good spirits after attending Obon but then sad..... sad sad panda. I don't know if this place deserves a second chance from me. Waste my freakin time. Also, Asian readers... do not order menchi katsu and expect to have it with rice. It is served with cabbage. Appalling.

    (1)

  • maki n.

    Since Portland is somewhat lacking in authentic Japanese izakaya food I have been excitedly anticipating the opening of Shigezo for many months now. I must say it really delivered. We started off by ordering the Saba Shio-yaki which is a grilled mackerel dish. My wife, who is Japanese, said that this was the best intepretation of the dish that she had ever had. We tried some of the yakitori skewers. They were tender and the sauce used to coat the chicken was superb. We followed that up with an order of the okonomiyaki (grilled cabbage pancake) which made me feel like I was back in Japan. We also tried the 5 piece sushi set which was pretty respectable. Usually, in Japan, people do not go to izakayas just to eat sushi. The sushi is just another aspect of the meal. Finally, we finished with the miso tonkotsu ramen. The noodles are hand made everyday and you can really taste the difference. Although this is definitely not the best ramen I have ever had, it is easily the best ramen I have tasted in the Portland metro area. The only slight disappointment to the meal was the dessert. We ordered the macha mousse cake. The cake was dry and the color was an unappetizing pale green. I appreciate that they have their own pastry chef but for me that dish was a bit of a letdown. Bottom line: if you want to try REAL Japanese food go to Shigezo and don't be scared to stray from the sushi menu.

    (5)

  • Yeoeun J.

    Kumamoto Ramen was pretty good

    (4)

  • Rhea T.

    After having such an amazing Izakaya experience in BC, I was kind of letdown with Shigezo. Their Izakaya selection was pretty lacking. And while we enjoyed what we ordered, we were pretty disappointed with their portions. Such a tease! I did enjoy their sushi, though. The fish was fresh and delicious. HOWEVER, we ordered the Omakase expecting really great and unique portions of sushi, but nope! It was pretty much a typical sushi platter. BORING! The total letdown was their lack of service. I think the waiter we had was new because he wasn't knowledgeable with the menu and he was slow to top it off. (we sat at the bar) The sushi chefs seemed to be bothered by him, too which made things a little awkward. All in all, it was a pretty okay experience. We'll probably try them again to see if they improve.

    (3)

  • Ojai M.

    This was once my go to sushi spot. The atmosphere is nice and the food is good. Unfortunately the service has become unbearable. On too many occasions I've had to wait exorbitantly long for food to come. The last time we sat for over an hour. Our waitress was less than apologetic. We paid for our drinks and left without ever receiving our sushi. Disappointing.

    (2)

  • S B.

    By far the most authentically Tokyo-esque restaurant in Portland and possibly the whole Northwest. Amazing sushi and ramen- not sure what the service whining is about- my visit was superlative in every sense. And upon asking the waitress why the fish was so good and different she said its the 1st American restaurant owned by a Japanese fish market, and you can tell- just mind-blowingly good. Our service on 2 recent visits couldn't have been better- once with just a couple and last night with a group of 7.

    (5)

  • Jennifer W.

    Underneath the construction, this place offers good japanese food. I came here with few of my friends and we shared a lot of the hot and cold food appetizers and each of us ordered individual dinner entree. The avo-tuna ceviche was good. the wasabi dressing gave this dish a good kick. I love their okonomiyaki. very tasty. Their agedashi tofu was another winner. good breading and soft tofu made this one a good dish. my friend ordered Alaska roll and it was pretty good. the Salmon collar was another delish food. juicy and tender. I had the sizzling salmon rice and I was hooked... will definitely be back for that dish again. Their ramen was quite good too... al-dante noodle and good broth. at least I'd take their ramen over biwa's. not to miss the dessert: we had the strawberry/banana crepe with red bean paste inside and it was delicious! love it! service was friendly and personable. Overall, I'm happy with the food.

    (4)

  • Michelle B.

    First time here and we will be back! Food and service were all excellent. My husband and I took 3 picky teens (one who is a vegetarian) and everyone found something with no problem. I had the Yakisoba, which was a tad spicy for me (I am a spice wimp though), but very good! The sushi plates that my son and husband had were very well priced and they loved them. Service was very helpful (we asked a ton of questions) and prompt. I would highly recommend to anyone!

    (4)

  • Leah H.

    Awesome. Yakisoba with tofu= HEAVEN! Sizzling Tofu Bowl is startling. :)

    (5)

  • Anonymous R.

    Shigezo has amazing and authentic Japanese food. I ordered the okonomiyaki (which is a Japanese style savory pancake with cabbage, meat, seafood etc.) and absolutely loved it. I also ordered the mozarella and chicken kushiage skewers (each skewer is breaded in panko and deep fried)-- delicious! The shoyu tonkotsu ramen was tasty but I thought it was a tad bit on the salty side. As the previous reviewer, maki, had mentioned, I wasn't too pleased with the matcha mousse. I also felt the cake was too dry and lacked the matcha (green tea) flavor. But overall, I will definitely be going back. The food is great and very affordable. Many of the dishes are under $10 since they are small plates (tapas style) and I don't think there is anything on the menu over $20 with the exception of two or three special dishes. The key thing about this place is that the people cooking are actually Japanese. You can't say that for many Japanese restaurants in Portland.

    (5)

  • May C.

    Review is for dinner. I would come back to try the ramen but I wouldn't come back for the sushi rolls or pork belly. The pork belly didn't look very grilled or appetizing. It was a little pink in the middle and I had to tell the waiter to bring it back. They ended up grilling it a little bit longer. The flavor was just okay. I personally think the pork belly at Biwa is much better. We also had the Rainbow roll and Alaska roll. The rainbow roll was much better than the Alaska roll. The salmon salad in the Alaska roll was very dry and there was too much Salmon eggs that made the roll too salty. After the first bite, I had to pick the Salmon eggs aside. I wasn't impressed with the price and the flavor of the sushi rolls. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cute. Especially the tables where you take off your shoes and sit on a bean bag. The ramen looked authentic and smelled good. Again, I would only come back to try the ramen.

    (3)

  • heather m.

    I came for the ramen, and the ramen (shoyu-tonkotsu) is ok. Good for Portland. I wanted more stuff in there, like fried garlic or moyashi or nappa cabbage or something besides just noodles, green onion and kikurage because I am a little ramen piggy. I didn't see any option on the menu to add extra toppings. Kushiage (fried stuff) is great. They have fried mozzarella! It's a cheese stick (wedge, really) on a stick. So, if you're going with a picky eater or someone who doesn't dig Japanese food, they will have something to eat. There is also plain steamed rice for 2.50 which is highway friggin robbery if you ask me. If you're going here though you're probably interested in stuff besides plain rice and fried cheese. The crab sunomono special was delicious. Saba sushi was fresh and of a good quality. Tsukemono had a lot of bonito on it for my taste but I guess I could've just flicked it to the side. Yakitori was moist and tasty. The atmosphere is fantastic! I sat in the tea room at a kotatsu (blanket table, basically) with my picky eater boyfriend. We were toasty as hell on a below-freezing night, until our legs fell asleep and we had to stand up. Still worth it. Also, the ladies' toilet has a heated seat among other options. There is a sign in the mens room saying they will get a fancy toilet for the boys once they get 50,000 customers. Now that I've experienced the joys of a pre-heated toilet seat I wonder why the hell it's not a standard option on toilets worldwide. Come for the food, stay for the toilet?

    (4)

  • Erika G.

    Its hard for me to find sushi that beats out the place I used to work at, but this place was close. I had a rainbow roll, and it was delicious and definitely worth the price. My cousin had some ramen and he raved about it. I took a small bite and was also impressed. Same with our friends dessert which we sampled. I think it was something with hazelnuts and raspberries. yummy. The best part was the service. Our server who's name I forgot (sorry!) was very personable, and on top of it. She was super nice, even when I showed up late.

    (4)

  • Yannie Y.

    [+] Absolutely love this place. There's nothing I don't like about it. the food here are bombdiggit; so many choices to choose from! The seating arrangements are awesome. We got one of those private booth where you get to sit on a beanbag chair and they highly recommend we take off our shoes to eat our dinner. The decoration are wonderful in there and the service was great. I got my complementary green tea (always a bonus in my book)! They even give first time customers a 10% pass for the next time they dine in! Did I mention to you that their dessert is so tasty! I got their coffee jelly and it is a must get for coffee lovers! [-] The place is a bit pricy, but well worth it. Also, parking sucks. [?] I will definitely go back here again to try all the different things on their menu along with their dessert. I need to try their green tea cheesecake! Last time they ran out- it is THAT good!

    (5)

  • Linus P.

    I've been searching for a worthy Japanese ramen this side of the Pacific, and was about ready to give up when I read a review in the Willamette Week praising Shigezo's. Boy, am I glad I didn't give up! This is the closest I've had yet. I ordered the tonkotsu shoyu ramen, which comes in two sizes. I ordered a small, and halfway through found myself wishing I'd gone for the large. So what makes this ramen worth coming back for? I've got three reasons: 1) the broth. Rich, sweet, succulent and porky. Closer than anything I've yet had to the stuff I used to get in Tokyo, which I recall was a borderline religious experience. 2) the noodles. Shigezo makes their own noodles, and it's a small but crucial difference. They have a good, firm bite and don't sit like a pile of rocks in your stomach. 3) the cha-shu pork. This is the one area that I didn't have particularly high hopes in, but Shigezo delivered in spades. The single thick slice falls apart at the merest prod of a chopstick, and has none of the dry, chemically-induced blandness that so many local ramen shops seem unable to avoid. My one gripe tonight is that service was a bit slow- but this was probably due to the restaurant being near full capacity with not enough staff. I wasn't in a hurry, and when it did come, the service was friendly. I will DEFINITELY be coming back here for more ramen.

    (5)

  • Soma D.

    The happy hour here is off the charts! We must of ordered 5 or 6 items and everything was so good. Highlights for me were the Kara-Age(Seasoned fried chicken, sweet vinegar soy sauce), Ebi Mayo(Fried shrimp with crispy batter, chili mayo, lettuce, green onion) & the Salmon Carpaccio(Sliced salmon, red onion, ponzu dressing, mayo). Everything was very fresh and tasty. The rolls here are to die for as well.

    (5)

  • Carrie R.

    My husband and I had a great meal here, and the service was really friendly and casual. We ordered the okonomiyaki to start, and it was incredibly tasty. Then we had the chicken katsu curry and the tonkatsu shoyu ramen - both really good. The curry was mild and hearty with vegetables and panko-crusted chicken. The ramen broth was unbelievably rich with buttery noodles and delicate mushrooms. The atmosphere is tasteful and cozy, with lots of little booth type seats and some bar seating that looked like it would be fun on a busy night. And there are really sweet little tatami rooms, too, for those special occasions when you want to kick your shoes off and sit on the floor for dinner! I hope this place does well, because it's definitely on our regular rotation now!

    (5)

  • Michael H.

    I went here with a frined who had a coupon due to some messed up beforehand. We were seated quite fast. but then we had to wait to have anyone assist us with drinks. Once we were given menu's and such I was ready to order. I ordered some miso soup. Once the food was brought to our table there was confusion about whoch of the two bowl of soup were each of ours. I also had seen that waitress asked about other food. It would seem as if the staff was not fully aware of the different types of foods that were served. After getting our food we were notreally checked on either. I think there is potentional for Shigezo to be a good place but I think they need to step it up a bit.

    (3)

  • Gordon P.

    We were on a Sake crawl the other night and came upon this place in our path. Back in the 70's there was a very small mom & pop sushi bar in this very building so the lure to look and taste their delights was with us. We didn't eat much as the light of Sake was glowing within. We did however have two tasty treats, one being a Rice Powder Pizza, Mochi (Japanesee rice cake), bacon and onion, the other was a Kushiyaki, Rib Eye skewer. Both were very good with the beef being cooked to a perfect medium rare and topped with a wonderful ginger sauce. The Sake's were great Ban Ryu (10,000 Ways) being our fav. Now the glee and enchantment of the evening was not out front but in the Ladies Room. A Japanese heated/ bidet, warm water in many directions and a warm air dry. Now as November 10th is unofficial Toilet Day in Japan there is ample time to celebrate. Sayonara

    (4)

  • Natalie W.

    Things I've eaten here: sushi (chef's choice), salmon rice, okonomiyaki, fried calamari, green tea cheesecake. Everything's been good-if-not-fantastic. The gin/sake cocktail (the name is escaping me right now) was wonderful, and the bloody mari was spicy but not as interesting as I had hoped it'd be (since it had, besides vodka, shochu and sake). They have a bunch of ramen dishes on the menu, but the only time they had udon was when it was on a list of specials once (and I wanted to try something else that night). Sigh. Udon needs love too! Been here twice. Service was terrible once and great the second time. I love that you can sit at a Japanese-style table, shoes off and everything. I'd definitely come here again to try some more delicious items.

    (4)

  • Julia M.

    Let me just preface this- I was really looking forward to sushi BUT I didn't pick the place I would've probably wanted to go. After all, I was celebrating a girlfriend's birthday and the birthday girl gets what she wants so we ended up here on the premise that they had a good happy hour from 4pm-close. LIES. Apparently, you can only get happy hour bargains (which looked very promising) in the bar section of the restaurant. Well. I guess that's good to know. It'd be helpful if this info was on their website, yaknowhatimsaying? The sushi was sort of lifeless and just OK, I've definitely had better. I ordered the spicy shrimp roll which was decent enough but then made the mistake of ordering the salmon skin roll. Holy shite. I've never tasted a saltier piece of salmon in my life. Yeah, I get that it's the skin of a salmon but the taste of salt was so overwhelming I had no desire to finish. And let me tell you- I fucking love salt. But there was no other flavor than salt. Our waiter was also kind of bumbling and seemed like he had been working there for a week. I ordered a miso soup and got my sushi before the waiter even realized I hadn't gotten it yet. I politely told him to cancel the miso since, uh, I had clearly gotten my main course. Since we were celebrating a birthday we asked what kind of desserts they had, expecting the typical Japanese fair- mochi balls, fried green tea ice cream, etc. The waiter replied, "we have crepes." What in the fuck. A crepe? At a Japanese restaurant? Um. Okayyyyyy. We half-heartedly ordered it and it was good enough but not what we were expecting at all. There are MUCH better sushi joints in Portland, particularly in SW. Skip this place.

    (2)

  • Chris K.

    moved to Portland less than a year ago, and this was my first attempt to find good ramen in PDX. stopped by randomly around late night happy hour time, and the Japanese owner promptly gave us a seat by the window in the sushi bar section. verdict: ...a bit confused. maybe I'm not used to the style, but after trying the tonkotsu shoyu and miso ramen, I couldn't help but compare to what I'm used to (in Japan and elsewhere). the broth was quite thick... tasty, but not what I expected. haven't tried anything else there, but you should probably stick to the usual izakaya food like yakitori and appetizers. there are a lot of different types of food on the menu, and it's hard to be good at ramen even for restaurants that serve ONLY ramen.

    (3)

  • Linda M.

    I have long ago stopped comparing my Asian meal experiences in Portland to other Asian restaurants in larger metro areas such as LA, SF and YVR or even the native country. I would get disappointed if I did. All things are relative; this is not the Bay Area or Tokyo; it's Portland. How can one compare miso ramen here to the ramen you are served from a noodle shop in Japan? Apples and oranges my friends... Now for the review: Shigezo does a nice job of interpreting izakaya-style food and atmosphere. Solid dishes; solid service. Highlights: Goyza (excellent pork/chive filling; delicate thin wrapper) Kushiage (not greasy; cooked nicely) Agedashi tofu (great broth) Calamari rings (nice and light with a flavorful dipping sauce) Assortment of sushi ( fresh and clean tasting) The kotatsu room (very nice and cozy on a damp Portland evening) Area of improvement: Dessert selection. Too many heavy chocolate bombs. No light refreshing choices. It ain't Kansas, Dorothy, but it will do.

    (4)

  • candice j.

    disappointed. just returned for our second meal here. it was not nearly as good as the first time. and is not even close to toshi + yuzu, it doesn't even compare to them individually. we ordered the same items as last time. I wish we would have taken pics tonight. after we finished, we sat there disappointed and tried to figure out what went wrong. we looked at our pics from last time which looked nothing like what we were served tonight. sushi was just ok. much smaller. unagi was cold. sweet potato sticks totally different. ribeye lacked flavor. you get the picture. here's to hoping they turn things around.

    (2)

  • Rudy T.

    Food was fine. The service not so good except for one saving grace. As I sat in the bar, a nice young lady who was a customer began wiping the counter and offered to take my order. ??? She said she worked there so wanted to help. Thank you Sadie. Ordered the kushiyaki beef and quail eggs. Excellent. Had the atka mackerel grilled. Again excellent. Would have had more but Sadie left and service suffered again. They forget one item saying the sushi bar is busy. Cmon. It's sunomono. It's PREMADE!!!!! If I am in the area I will try again. They did give me a discount but I would rather have good service instead.

    (3)

  • Nino O.

    Shigezo for me was anticlimactic and I'll tell you why. When you first walk through the doors of Shigezo, you are impressed with the unique Japanese themed interior. A beautiful mural frames its sushi bar, lanterns give the place a warm ambiance, and izakaya style dining makes the experience fun and exciting. The staff is friendly and helpful which also makes the experience that much more enjoyable. When you look at the menu and its prices, you get the feeling that you're getting some quality food because of the price and the overall feeling of the restaurant. This is where Shigezo became anticlimactic for me. I heard that the ramen was good, so for some reason I decided to try something other than the ramen to see what else was good at Shigezo. We ended up ordering the Omusoba and Menchi Katsu. The Omusoba was pretty good but nothing spectacular. It was a good sized portion and it was flavorful. Bottom line, I enjoyed the Omusoba. The Menchi Katsu on the other hand was very disappointing. Not to say that it was bad, but it just didn't seem worth it. The beef in the Katsu tasted like I was eating a deep fried hamburger patty because that's essentially what it was. On the menu it clearly states that it's a beef patty, but I did not think it would taste like a regular old hamburger. You really have to make an effort to dress it up with the wasabi and sauce they give you. At the end of the meal, I did feel satisfied and the experience was great. I was just a little disappointed that the food wasn't "amazing" to me for what they seemed to be offering. Go for the experience, but maybe you can find something on the menu other than the ramen that would make your experience better.

    (3)

  • Julia Z.

    Good ramen! I ordered the kuro ramen and finished it! Seldom I finish a whole bowl. And I also like the fact that it has different sizes of bowls and I can pick the right size. For the seating, it has regular seats and also those room with more flat seats where you can kneel to sit, and you need to take off you shoes. But don't worry if you friends pick those seats, bc it has lowered center under desk, so that you can still get to sit as at normal seating. And the decoration of the place is pretty nice, wall painting, laterns and all the wooden decorations.

    (4)

  • Louise G.

    Any place that has chicken cartilage on the menu scores and extra point in my book. We had three grilled items including my favorite, grilled saba, a sushi roll and a side dish, and that was slightly too much food. Luckily it wasn't greasy food so I only had a huge stomach and didn't feel sick from eating to much. :) The tongue stew was so tasty. It didn't really have that game-y tongue taste and it was cooked a long time so it tasted like a really tasty broth soup. A tad salty, but if I had had beer that night it would probably be perfect. We went on a Saturday night, they were busy, but I thought service was fine. We had to wait 5-10 min. between dishes, but I think thats okay because I don't like it when everything comes out at once anyway.

    (4)

  • Takako S.

    I take my friends when we want to eat quick reasonable japanese food conveniently located in downtime. They have basic japanese food, ramen, curry, bento style, sewers to sashimi. Get a Tatami room for a group gathering, can keep our conversations a little private. If you are alone or a small group, can seat at the bar side, stir fried pork & kimuchi and simmered pulled berry pork are also good to try.

    (4)

  • Dan L.

    Great happy hour menu. Attempt to eat here last week but after 30min circling and couldn't find a parking space. Very satisfying happy hour! Abu Raman was very good, great noodle texture. Love the Belgium Strong Dark draft beer!

    (5)

  • Kalong W.

    I've had nothing but long waits to get seated here and then a longer wait for the food, but their salmon avocado handrolls are almost worth it! Everyone comes here for the ramen, which is always perfect but...worth the wait? I guess that's the biggest turn off for me!

    (3)

  • Mike C.

    The sushi rolls were excellent, however the ramen noodles were so so. Noodles were a bit undercooked and chewy however the broth was quite tasty. Pork had a sweet taste to it. Service was very good. Menu prices the same for lunch and dinner.

    (4)

  • Sydney N.

    My party decided to go to Shigezo before attending a concert at the nearby symphony hall. Based on the reviews we expected a treat. Unfortunately, we did not find the food or the service to be at all acceptable. We had four different dishes - the omelet (sort of like okonomizaki, but not), donburi, curry, and ramen. Each of the dishes arrived at different times; this might have been so that they would each arrive at the table hot but everyone came cold and tasteless. My family is used to more authentic Japanese fare, coming from the San Francisco bay area and we were very disappointed to find that the food here, though rated highly by the reviews, was not even worthy of a single star.

    (1)

  • Carly H.

    Good but disappointed. Loved the atmosphere but the service was lacking. We came here to eat before a show at the Schnitz and they were slammed. We ordered some edamame, nigiri, two rolls of sushi, ramen, a noodle dish with a $28 bottle of sake. The edamame came pretty quick with the ramen but the noodle dish and nigiri took over 25 minutes. We never received our sake or other two rolls of sushi. One of the rolls wasn't even on the check. We ended up leaving the money for the food we were served and left. The waitress was great, I very much felt bad for her because she seemed stretched which is why the mistakes happened. She tried to last minute bring us the sake and box the roll that was on the check, but the damage had been done. I hope to come here again and have a different experience. I'll give them another try.

    (3)

  • MG Y.

    Most of the food we've tried are tasty, it is better to make reservation before you plan your trip since they are very busy. Parking in Portland downtown after 7pm is free, so it is good to make reservation after 6:30pm. agedashi tofu is a must try!

    (4)

  • Ken W.

    I came here with my parents and we've been wanting to try it out for a while. This place has some amazing Japanese food We ordered a bunch of items to share from the happy hour and then had a bowl of ramen each. I ordered the miso ramen wich was very flavorful and delicious. There were small bites of minced meat, and the broth was to the top of the bowl. Presentation was wonderful, and I will definitely order this again. The karaage chicken was very delicious as well. Reminded me of the karaage in Japan. The sushi, while simple, tasted very fresh. The reason for docking 2 stars is this... The happy hour was weird. One side of the restaurant had it, the other didn't. I didn't understand. Wasn't a huge deal but it was odd to me. One issue we had was with the toro ushi. I've always wanted to try toro as I've heard it's very delicious, and Saburos restaurant never has it available. I ordered Toro at market price, which was $10 that day (It's around $6 in Japan but hey). My mother was telling me that toro is so good, very popular in Japan and that it melts in your mouth. I was excited to try it out. After taking a bite with a smile on my face, that smile soon disappeared as it was very chewy, stringy, and hard to eat. I would have preferred salmon over this. I asked my mom to try the other piece, and told her that it wasn't very good at all. She tried a very tiny piece of the toro, smelt it, and could already tell something was up. It was either the wrong cut of tuna, or a bad piece of the fish. I think they may have thought we didn't know our sushi and tried to rip us off. Too bad my mother's family used to own a sushi restaurant. We told the waiter and he kindly took it back, but after that he seemed real quiet for the rest of the night. He even came back once and asked us if we didn't want the toro at all, or the chef said "he could give us a better cut of toro." For not getting offered a good cut to begin with, it was a bit insulting. We declined that offer. Everything else besides the toro was great. I would recommend definitely the karaage and the bo gyoza is a must. Good happy hour beer as well.

    (4)

  • Gaylene D.

    Shigezo had me at the bowls of udon that I saw outdoor dining guests enjoying one a cool evening stroll from the Portland Art Museum to the Heathman hotel. But absolutely don't miss the Drunken squid!!! It was fabulous - generous in portion for $7, tender and perfectly grilled.

    (5)

  • Benson N.

    $15 dollars for beer, sushi and ramen...(during happy hour) What a fuggin deal! Their sushi is above average and well worth the price. I'm not much of a ramen guy but it was also tasty and it was a decent portion. Don't get me started on the beer! Several choices, 22oz to go along with the sushi and ramen. How awesome is that? (Rhetorical) Definitely will be wanting to come back so I'll be holding onto the 5th star for now but don't you worry shigezo it's coming soon!

    (4)

  • Addie J.

    This was such a wonderful date spot! I was with a handsome dude (obviously a prerequisite to a good date) and he suggested this since it was nearby. I love sushi more than he does, so I was double-down. We were seated promptly and the hostess was so polite, gracious, and professional, that I really didn't mind that we had to take a seat at the bar since the tables were all taken. So me and handsome-dude ordered our cocktails, and while we were looking over the menu, the lovely hostess came up to us and let us know that a table had just become free and that we were welcome to grab it. How nice! We obliged, and our drinks were in our hot little hands shortly thereafter. Said libations were quite delicious. I had the Rising Sun and later ordered the Konichiwa Kitty or whatever it was called. So yummy! I certainly got a decent buzz, which always helps a good date get exponentially better, BUT I DIGRESS... The sushi was served in a more than timely manner, and the presentation was beautiful. The rolls and sashimi were neither too big nor too small. Just right! Everything was proportionate and utterly tasty. Our server was also kind and professional, and was certainly on top of his game. The green tea mochi for dessert was delish, but when is mochi not delish? C'mon. Next time, I'd love to find a booth so I can take off my shoes and sit on cushions all authentic-style (the other reviews got me excited). I will certainly be visiting again soon!

    (4)

  • Ron T.

    I love the fact that they are running their HH from 4PM to closing. With all $15 for an appetizer and a bowl of ramen? How can you not argue?! Oh, this has got to be one of the top noodles I've had for a while. It's definitely better than Boxer and Boke Bowl. Try the Tokyo and Abu ramen. They are superb. The kara-age is a little weird with how they made it on the sour side. It is still crunchy and delicious. I wasn't expecting it to be prepped that way.

    (4)

  • Jessica T.

    Awesome Japanese food and cocktails - will probably come back sometime to experience sitting on the mats!

    (4)

  • Terry L.

    This was my second visit to Shigezo. Conveniently located In the Roosevelt Condominium building, it's a great neighborhood spot for Japanese. There are lots of parking spaces on the street. The restaurant is not too large but it did seem frenetic both times I was there. Staffing seems ok, but I did overhear patrons asking "where's my food" type questions to the wait staff. I sat at the sushi bar and it did take a good while before I was greeted. Overall, not a deal breaker but something to consider. The HAPPY HOUR is until 10PM which is awesome. Huge beer for $5. Lots of special pricing. I ordered off the regular menu and the food came out very quickly. I noticed the sushi chefs were bogged down with constant orders....I did not order sushi or sashimi which is probably why my order came quickly. The woman next to me waited a good 6-10 minutes for her sashimi. Overall I do like Shigezo. I think the food is good and not crazy price wise. Service is good, not stellar, but it doesn't have to be for a neighborhood joint. Food=4 of 5 Service=3 of 5 Atmosphere=4 of 5 Value=4 of 5

    (4)

  • Desiree D.

    Great place for lunch and happy hour. Usually busy but you can always get a seat. It's consistently great fresh food. I usually get the garlic butter edamame which is a nice twist on edamame and it is sooooo good!! Like finger licking good. The Tokyo ramen is my favorite, with a great savory broth with tons of flavor. The chicken Katsu is a great addition to any dish. Its lightly breaded and never greasy or burnt. It's also incredibly good in the cesar salad! The drinks are stiff but good prices, especially during happy hour which is much longer than normal. They also have an extensive sushi bar and everything is always fresh!

    (4)

  • Don S.

    Very cool little sushi place in downtown Portland. Nice ambiance, friendly service and good sushi. The happy hour specials are great!

    (4)

  • Ben M.

    I had the Abu Ramen and was horribly disappointed. It was not even mediocre, it was inedible. It was advertised as being tossed in chili oil, but I didn't get a bit of heat. No acidity, over salted. The only thing I tasted was salt and overcooked soggy noodles. Don't make the same mistake I did. If you want good food, go to the carts two blocks away and get better and cheaper food faster.

    (1)

  • Aleju S.

    The kumamoto ramen and a grilled pork belly skewer. That's all I need to reach my moment of Zen. When I'm not at Shigezo, I'm constantly thinking about when I'll be back, slurping down the best bowl of ramen I've ever had, and sinking my teeth into that juicey crisp pork belly. (insert Pavolovian excessive drooling response here)

    (5)

  • Benjamin P.

    Service was slow, Food arrived a bit cold, and tasted okay! It's cheap though so it's definitely a plus!

    (3)

  • Erin V.

    Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit! This place is awesome!! Swung through Portland on our western tour of the US and found this place. Super friendly staff accommodated us even though we came on a lark right before closing. Great food and atmosphere! Enjoy it while visiting this beautiful city!!

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Shigezo Izakaya

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