Tani’s Japanese Kitchen & Sushi Bar
4807 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR, 97206
Tani’s Japanese Kitchen & Sushi Bar Menu
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Address :
4807 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR, 97206 - Phone (503) 595-3500
- Website https://tanisjapanesekitchen.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
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 : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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K L.
I love this place! Their hours make it a little hard for me to get here, but the food is always fantastic and the service is always excellent. I don't eat meat so I've only ever had their veggie offerings and they've always been great. It's not always the fastest restaurant in town, so maybe don't go here if you're in a hurry, but if you want tasty sushi and friendly service in a charming environment this is a great choice.
(5)Jake M.
Best kept sushi secret in Portland. The decor is awesome and laid back. Sit at the bar and hang with Tani the owner. He's a super cool guy and a traditional sushi chef.
(5)Indie P.
Let me start by saying I have had some GREAT experiences at Tani's. The sushi is normally top quality and service, while sometimes slow, is usually right at par. This evening I got off work early and was craving me some sushi and some chick flicks... I know, I know. Anyways, I called Tani's 4 times to make a togo order, each time I was placed on hold for no less than 5 minutes. Eventually I gave up on calling (assuming they might be super busy) and drove over there. When I arrived I went straight to the cash register with a big ole smile on my face. I was surprised to see that the tables weren't even full. I stood at this register for at least 10 minutes without being acknowledged by either of the two servers on staff, which walked by me at least 5 times. When someone finally acknowledged me I asked to please place a togo order. She asked if I knew what I wanted and I responded with "yes" and proceeded to tell her my order. She shoved a piece of paper and a pencil in my face and told me to write it down. RUDE. So I wrote down the order and handed it back to her. She just walked away, I stood there for a moment and when she gave me a look that implied "why are you still here" I asked if I could please pay (as I feel like I've waited long enough for a couple simple rolls) and she said "no, you can pay later" and walked off. I was then told to sit in a janky old chair right next to the bathrooms until my food was ready. When she handed me my bag of food I specifically asked for chop sticks and soy sauce, I was promptly told it was all in the bag. I get home and guess what? NOT THERE! Overall, I am very unimpressed with tonight's service, I am a good tipper even if it's a togo order as I work in the industry and tonight I stiffed someone for the first time. The only reason this place got two stars is because the sushi was ok.
(2)Jay W.
We were pleasantly surprised at the food quality in this neighborhood restaurant. As others have noted, the atmosphere is quite nice and the restaurant was pretty clean overall. We were welcomed at the door and served well. That said, I'm not the kind who has to have a server running to me every time I "wish" something. The food was on time, we were appropriately asked for whatever else we needed, etc. Sushi rice may or may not be sticky as others have noted. The hamachi and maguro were very good. I don't partake, but they do seem to advertise heavily for their sake (wine). Their wasabi is outstanding! :)
(5)Everett S.
Not bad at all. Closest sushi to my house and they always have seats open. A good place for a nieghborhood hangout but not much more than that.
(3)Shay M.
Still looking for that great place to get sushi in PDX that won't cost an arm and a leg... The fish was super fishy, we couldn't eat two of the rolls we ordered because we both almost gagged on the first bite. They get 2 stars because the mackerel was good. Everything else was fine or bad. Slow service, though everyone was very nice. They do have a big poster of Godzilla on the wall, so there's that.
(2)Sandy P.
I live in the Woodstock neighborhood and I want nothing more than to support my local sushi restaurant. Sadly, I don't think I can. I've always found the freshness of the sushi to be unpredictable. But I kept going back, and thought I'd figured out that the Fridays and Saturdays would net me pretty fresh fish. Unfortunately, I can now say that the absolutely worst sushi I've ever had came from there. I ordered their sushi dinner to take home and ended up with some pieces of fish that were so dried out and fishy tasting that I think I was given a dinner left over from the previous day or at least from lunch. I couldn't even finish it. Sorry, Tani, but you need to do better.
(2)Katrina W.
A friend and I have become quasi regulars at Tani's. They have the friendliest and most courteous staff, who are helpful but hands-off and never make you feel like it's Time for You to Leave, even if you're still there a little after closing time. They have really tasty sushi and great specialty rolls at such reasonable prices. I recommend the Kaki-Age (always a crowd pleaser) and the Mango-Avocado Rolls. Four rolls for two people fill us to the brim. If you sit at the bar, there's a good chance Tani himself might slip you an extra treat just for being there. If nothing else, you get a better look at the Godzilla-inspired memorabilia. We always leave grinning and satisfied.
(5)Steve S.
This is my family's regular sushi restaurant and we've been fans for over two years. The sushi is consistent and very decent. It's not the best sushi you've ever had but it's very solid and you won't experience that one visit when the fish is terrible as with so many smaller family sushi spots. Stick with the regular roles, I've found their specials to be a bit lacking.
(3)Nick P.
So sad, had such high hopes.... Yet gummy rice and super fishy fish does not a good local sushi place make.... Back to the drawing board (Saburros) for us.....
(2)Jeffrey H.
Best sushi in town. Tani is a joy to talk with and his staff is great!
(5)Casey R.
I know that good sushi is hard to find in Portland, but this was pretty bad. One bite into a spider roll and I knew something was horribly wrong. Then I try the Dragon Roll...yikes. Fish was fishy, rolls weren't really rolled all that good, and rice was a nightmare. This was the first time in I don't know how long that I was not able to finish what I ordered. I hope the cats and squirrels enjoy my dinner when it gets dumped out tonight, though I think even they have some limit to what they will eat. Looks like I'm back to waiting out in the rain for an hour at Saburo's again. *sigh*
(1)Amy S.
Love this place. Super friendly, good food and no wait!
(4)Rachael J.
Surprised by all the bad reviews here lately. We live down the street and end up here at least once a month. No, it is not the best sushi in town, but it has always been fresh and tasty for me. Great seafood salads as well. Never a wait, even on the weekends. They typically have a Restaurant.com coupon as well. Decent service--although sometimes the tables can be a bit sticky and typical sushi atmosphere. Tani himself is often manning the sushi bar.
(4)Anna S.
When Tani's re-opened in Woodstock, it was a huuuuge boon to the neighborhood. Not having to leave the area for your sushi fix is key! Tani's can be terrific on occasion, and forgettable once in a while. But generally it has served me well. I don't know that I'd travel across town for it, but it IS definitely better than Saburo (the next closest sushi place which, while cheaper, has only gone downhill in the past 5 years). Some especially good things at Tani's: sashimi, Hawaiian Poke appetizer, salmon appetizer, and the Planet Roll.
(4)Tristan R.
This place has been a family favorite because of its proximity and its options other than sushi. It served as our family's gateway to sushi and I am thankful. The food is always okay and the sushi is well-made. I have not had any bad experience described in the other reviews but I have indeed have had better elsewhere. The service is very friendly, my family comes often enough that we know the servers pretty well. The Japanese food that they have mainly includes the usual subjects but may be underwhelming for those who do not like sushi. Anyway, give it a try especially if you don't like waiting outside at Sbarro's.
(3)Rachel M.
I was super excited to move into this neighborhood and even more excited to walk a block from my house to tani sushi, which received pretty killer reviews on other websites. The quality of the fish is awwwesome, but the rolls all had way too much rice, and I noticed looking at other tables that it's pretty much the norm for them, that being said you could I'm sure just ask for less rice. To me its just a little bit cheap, because although their sushi rice is perfect I want to predominantly taste the fish. The atmosphere is so-so and the service was a-ok, but beyond that I really wouldn't write home about tani sushi. If it wasn't so close to me I probably wouldn't go there again. Try the super white tuna (killer delicious and buttery) Salmon Mango Roll is cheap and I love that combination, sometimes hard to find, and Great sake selection. Meh
(3)Kate F.
Holy Crap. The sushi here is *excellent*. The service is very good. It's tucked way the hell in Woodstock, but I'm willing to drive here for the amazing sushi... except... They close at 8pm sometimes (wtf?) and I've noticed some inconsistencies in their quality. When they're good, they're the best sushi in town. But sometimes it's... not so great. The prices for food are totally decent, but their alcohol is definitely overpriced. They're never busy. Two thumbs up, but my fingers are crossed.
(4)Samantha W.
Went one time and it was solid. Rolls a bit large and not hanging together as well as I'd like, but sashimi was tasty. Worth a visit if you live in the neighborhood.
(3)Angie R.
No better than lower-end conveyer belt sushi. Overall way better options out there.
(2)Tyler B.
You can walk or drive by this place 100 times before you notice it's there. Step inside and you're in for a Woodstock treat. Great service and awesome Japanese food in addition to the sushi menu. I had a salmon collar dish that was amazing. I would not have ordered this had I not just seen Anthony Bourdain devouring a fish shoulder on his show. Tani's version for lick-my-fingers good. Great sushi as well.
(4)Ben S.
Tani's is really good. Tani-san is a nice guy also. They have a good sake selection, and some really good food. Also, they've done some amazing special requests: One time, we called and said "We have $200, make me a selection of sushi and stuff" and they really came through big time. Bonus: close to my work!
(4)Hard K.
This place is terrible. Worst sushi I have ever seen or put in my mouth. Why go here when you can peep Yoko's in the same hood less than 10 minutes away? Goodness. The only delight was our server, Brian. He was rad, friendly and accommodating. But the food..... Man, it was scary. And its raw!!!! I had a stomach ache after I left. Not a good thing. Won't be back.
(1)kelsey d.
Maybe I'm a sushi snob, maybe I just don't understand. Most of the sushi rolls we had last night had very little fish and a lot of rice. They were also not cut apart very well, and most of the rolls that I tried to pick up fell apart. I do have to say that the tempura calamari is awesome! It's long pieces of super tender calamari with a light tempura batter. For all the falling apart, the California rolls with real crab is pretty good, and there was actually a little bit of fish and avocado in it. The tempura fried banana with vanilla ice cream was excellent! Pretty rich, it's good to share. The staff is really nice and attentive and the restaurant is clean and inviting. I would definitely recommend this place for Japanese food, just probably not for the sushi.
(3)Goldmine C.
Great addition to the Woodstock neighborhood. I love this place and while it stays crowded you can always get a table without much if any wait. I've mostly only had their sushi, (authentic and fresh). They also have a great (local) sake sampler for only $6!
(4)Jed R.
This is a solid sushi bar. I had been looking for a sushi option in my neighborhood and I found it in Tani's. The sushi is good quality and prices are excellent. While I still may visit some of the more upscale sushi bars for special occasions, Tani's is my new standby.
(4)Kenny H.
Tani's is one of the better sushi places and it is in the cool (but under the radar) Woodstock hood. The rolls are tasty. The house saki isnt bad either. All in all a good quality sushi place for a decent price. It is isnt the cheapest, but it is also not one of the more mediocre places. The Nigiri could be priced about 50 cents to a dollar cheaper an order. Two people could eat here for about under $35 if you avoid the Nigiri, stick to a small sake to share, and get 3 $8-9 roles.
(3)Toddly K.
This guy is amazing and he's fun to watch! Best sushi in town! Ya gotta love it!
(5)Chris S.
Some of the best sushi in town.
(5)K G.
Great vibe. High ceilings, large tables. Great miso. Sushi is very, very heavy on the rice. Agadashi was literally inedible. Crumbled into a slick and curdled mess. I don't think I would go back.
(2)michael k.
Best Sushi rice I have had in Portland. Fish is fresh and cut well. Tani is a most friendly guy too, I love to sit at the bar. The room is nothing fancy, its all in the food.Its worth the trip to a nice little neighborhood.
(4)Sasha R.
Tani's Japanese is right next to a tanning salon, so if you want you can make that little block in the Woodstock District feel like a tropical Hawaiian hideaway, if you tan first and have a little poke second. At Tani's try the enormous salads, they are almost as large as a human head, and full of cabbage, beautiful leafy greens and topped with light and refreshing dressing. Add to this their relatively diverse sake menu, and mix in high ceilings, good background music and very fresh fish ( I tried the spicy tuna, Philadelphia, avocado, and yellow tail rolls) and you've got a simple and easy meal, for under $30. The other great thing about Tani's is that their staff is super friendly- our waitress brought us the CD that we liked from the sound system to bring home and burn if we wanted- and makes coming back seem obvious.
(4)Ken D.
If you're starving and you want Japanese food, this place is good.
(4)Alexander M.
surprising value and great service -- try the pickles for a fun variety of flavors. also, check out the kurosawa posters in the back.
(4)Greg L.
I usually get the yakisoba here, and it's always good and big portions. The atmosphere is very modern but i'm usually only there for take out. Tania is without a doubt the best sushi chef in Portland.
(4)Jason L.
My wife and I just moved to Woodstock, and decided to try Tani's on a whim, It was excellent! the staff are all very friendly. The quality of food and speed of service are outstanding. We went there at 8 pm on a Friday night and were seated immediately. The prices are very reasonable...Though our bill ended up being about $70 for two people it was due to the fact that we ordered all higher end rolls ($8.00 each) and two larger sake's. We could easily have done it for less if we had stuck to some lower end rolls and had less nigiri. The place is on the small side, so I'd suggest it for couples or groups of four. Best of all, they use Real Crab meat in their California rolls! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who truly loves great sushi!!!
(5)Mitch M.
Hoping to find a decent japanese restaurant that served more than just sushi, my girl friend and I mosied into Tani's last week. I appreciated the fact that it was clean and new, and quite nicely decorated. First glance over the sushi cabinet gave me the impression that everything was fresh and looking good. However, I did notice that they had a big stack of fake crab leg segments that I presume they were using for kani (it's not crab, it's fish - ick). I also noted that much of the fish was pre-cut; nice, tidy piles of nigiri. The sake list is impressive, but who's going to pay $60 or $90 or more for a bottle of sake in a little joint on Woodstock? There is a serious lack of affordable but tasty sake selections. And the one we decided we really wanted ($14 for 300ml bottle!), they were out of. Settled on something similar. We ordered some hoki gai (surf clam), which I love, even though it comes frozen and pre-cooked. But Tani's Hoki Gai was dried out, and not super fresh. The little steamed dumplings were good, although I suspect they were commercially made (and I noted that they are the only japanese restaurant I can recall that doesn't serve some form of gyoza!!!). We had a box roll (something I've not had before) with spicy tuna, but it turned out to be 98% rice with a smattering of tuna scattered around inside. There was some small amount of Hamachi laid over the top of the roll, but the fish was, again, a bit dry from having been precut and sitting around. Then we tried the Woodstock roll (I think), which was ok, but nothing special - and WAY too big to get in your mouth in one bite. We tried their Yakisoba as well, which I found to be fair, though too heavily seasoned with maybe 5 spice, or allspice. Overall I thought the food was unremarkable, but ok. But expensive for what you get. The waitress was very courtious and attentive. However, the two sushi chefs were standing around behind the counter (there were only three tables there at the time), looking bored to tears. So why did they have all the fish cut up in advance (which accelerates deterioration because so much of the fish is then exposed to air)? Or was the fish precut because they were bored and needed something to do? I'll be trying Tani's one more time before I make up my mind for good on this place. Maybe it was an off day. Maybe I'll have better luck with other menu items. They do have a nice extensive menu, but it won't do much good if the food is a bore.
(3)Nicola W.
Wonderful, friendly service. The asparagus with wasabi mayo is great as is the Oh My Cod. Miso soup also great and they have a nice selection of sake at a variety of prices. In winter, don't sit near the door, the draft isn't fun.
(4)Erin G.
I really like Tani's. There's never a wait, the prices are fair, and the food is always fresh. Tani (the sushi chef) seems to always be behind the counter, and is happy to make my special requests since their menu is a little basic. He even helps me come up with new and interesting rolls like yam tempura, cream cheese and salmon... YUM to me but maybe not for everyone. My friend has a gluten allergy, and they have gluten free soy sauce on hand, which i haven't seen at many other small sushi bars.
(4)David T.
Perfect Japanese style sushi restaurant. Inside you feel like you have entered a Tokyo sushi bar. Tani is very personable and is an exceptional sushi chef. Decor is perfect, sushi is fresh and spot on.
(5)Sara C.
I reeeally want to love this place- its in a great neighborhood and I think the decor is really great (japanese masks, kites, woodblock prints, old sake bottles). I also love that it is run by a family (I found the service just fine). But the FOOD.... oh gosh, the food just isn't up to par to what they charge. Overfilled with rice and the quality is really, just.... meh. While I am a bit of a sushi snob, you know something isn't right when you can get better quality from a cheap sushi boat place than a sit down restaurant. We've been here a few times but unfortunately won't be back again :(
(3)Nancy P.
The service was alright, but the quality of food was not good. Since my husband and I have recently moved to Portland, we've been trying several new places to eat. We will not be returning here. Luke-warm water was brought to the table, followed by toasted mussels that were rubbery and covered in a vinegar-based spicy mayo. I normally LOVE seafood, but I just could not eat these. Maybe they taste better without the spicy mayo? Next up was the miso soup and shrimp tempura roll. The soup was fine, but the roll had gooey rice and wasn't shaped well. There was NOTHING besides the shrimp/seaweed in the the roll and it was so lackluster and poor quality. My husband said his raw stuff was good but based on the quality of my food I was so worried he would be hugging the toilet later...I guess he got lucky. Overall, there are many better sushi joints out there so we will not be back. Sorry not sorry. p.s. It looked like there was only street parking. p.s.s. I ordered a side of spicy mayo and it was vinegary and disgusting!
(2)Corie B.
Waited 25 minutes to order, another 10 for water. It's busy, I get it, but she is always overwhelmed and there is no shortage of sushi places in Portland. Won't be back.
(1)Amy L.
When here once only cause a friend had a gift certificate here. Sushi is average nothing to talk about. The rice was too wet. Other items on menu lack variety that other sushi places have done many times before. Place is pretty chill in a small neightborhood, nice to stop in for a quick bite. Inside is decorated pretty decently if not for the low quality of food, it could have been better.
(2)Ted H.
Service is questionable in this small time joint. Combine lack luster service, small bite size pieces of fish at mid tier pricing and you're sure never to have to wait in line for a table.
(2)Lauren S.
Every sushi roll completely fell apart. Total mess of a dinner. If you're only interested in miso soup then you're fine.
(1)christine c.
I realized that this is akin to a sushi "diner". Crappy service and the food is hit or miss, usually miss. Good points (like the Tani's salad) but I'm disappointed every single time. Miso came after the sushi, salmon were sinewy and browned by fridge, and every table got a tea refill except me.
(2)Suvi W.
Good food. Good quality. Been a couple of times and having moved from Hawaii, land of fresh fish, I think they do a decent job. Would like to see more selection in the rolls.
(4)Jules E.
This is a super pleasant homey place with very solid food and several things that shine through. The cold spinach appetizer is fantastic, the grilled salmon or hamachi collar is very nice, the veggie side to it is crisp and delicate. The sushi is delicious, especially the hamachi. The miso soup is excellent, and the service is always pleasant and attentive. I have eaten at sushi places all over the country, this is Portland, not New York, and this place is solid and yummy, not crazy hip or fancy. Atmosphere-wise it is also spot on for a relaxed meal, during the day you get laid back jazz or interesting mood music and in the evening there is often a Miyazaki animation or classic Japanese monster movie playing quietly on the screen. My husband and I eat here often when we want a good dinner in a pleasant atmosphere.
(4)Kal C.
Took a while to be acknowledged. It was obvious that the server was new. No big deal. The first bite of sushi resulted in a fish bone between my two front bottom teeth, stabbing my lip and gums. They have one thing going for them: the box-pressed sushi was inventive. However, the meal was just sad. It was expensive, and sad. My boyfriend and I BOTH almost choked on plastic wrap that was left behind. The fish wasn't super fresh, and most rolls lacked flavor. The actual sushi rice was so poorly executed. It didn't stick together. It fell apart. It made eating the sushi damn near impossible with most rolls. On to the next...
(2)Melanie Y.
Was excited to have a Japanese restaurant with ramen nearby. Extremely disappointed in the food and service. Noodles and broth were all wrong.
(1)Georgie K.
My favorite thing about this place is it is not too busy. But then the food is not that fresh. They have great miso soup, great mango salmon roll, service is decent, but they are only are open until 2:00 for lunch. We were there until 2:35 and the told us they were closing and we needed to go. Does not make me want to go back all that much.
(3)Christy L.
Bah! No good! Tasted like old fish, not appetizing at all. Even the miso soup was not good...
(1)Jacob M.
We went here a week or two ago for the first time. Quality of food wasn't bad at all; no complaints. They have a huge selection of sake and wine. Slightly overpriced but it wouldn't keep me from going here again. It was clean, quiet and not busy at all. Not sure why people stand in line for sushi at other restaurants. This place is just as good and there was no wait. Service was friendly.
(4)Chris A.
I like the staff (friendly but not pushy at all) and food's not bad. It is definitely above standard conveyor-belt sushi, if that helps. Doesn't blow me away and doesn't stick out as the sushi to end all sushi, but the portions match the prices (generous and affordable) and the quality is generally decent. It's a great place to stop by when you want sushi that is handmade and tasty, but don't want to blow $10+ per roll. I would give 3.5 stars if I could.
(3)Jerry C.
There's a lot of rice in that there mediocre sushi. Friendly waiter though, and the sushi menu is in Japanese: bonus!
(3)Aaron T.
Love this place, Tani is a great sushi samurai !! In my Top 5 Sushi Bar's in town. Definitely order the Naruto Roll, it has real crab & shrimp inside cucumber sliced thin, my favorite !
(5)Patrick S.
I was really surprised that I would like this place at all because I am a total freaking snob when it comes to just about everything, but then I take the pink pill and I'm just happy little camper. Mustn't confuse it with the green pill though, that would be bad. Where were we? Oh yeah Tani's. I like this place a lot. Great service! That's not something you can say everyday about Portland restaurants, eh? Nice Sake & Beer selections, not real vast but enough to wet the whistle. It's a divey drafty atmosphere but I came here on a gorgeous September evening with a warm breeze flowing through the air and a sweet big full moon outside and it made it all good. It may be a different story come a wet January night though. Food was good, not super but definitely above par and the platter combos are the way to go here I was freaking stuffed off of one of the Kaisendon rice bowls it came with miso and it was like $14 ~ $15. Yum! Come hungry with your friends because it's a real happy hang out kinda vibe here with lots of good raw fish at super duper prices. Kampai!
(4)Tami L.
I love everything about Tani's! The food, the staff, the saki, the decor, it's all wonderful. We eat everything from sashimi to California rolls and Tani's does all of them very well. The sashimi is fabulous and I love the Fry Me To The Moon! It's a California roll tempura fried and covered in spicy mayo sauce, simple and delicious. It's surprising that there is never a wait. I would much rather go here then other sushi places in the same area. Tani is the sushi chef everytime I have been there. He is super pleasant and welcoming. If you want yummy fishes and great service in a relaxed atmosphere this is the place to go!
(5)Amy A.
I've visited Tani's a good handful of times in my time here in Portland, and I've never been disappointed. The sushi is good and the folks are nice. It kinda breaks my heart when reviewers rate this place poorly because of subpar service, which I can totes understand, but it's a small family-run restaurant and you gotta cut them some slack for some off nights. Well, at least I do.
(4)Kaz K.
As a Japanese who grew up in Japan, I always enjoy dining here. Great food and good service. I also like the interior. Not fancy, but welcoming with full of nostalgic Japanese posters and masks.
(4)Ann B.
It was fresh and that is always good in a sushi restaurant. However, the sushi was rolled really loosely and that made it really difficult to manage. You feel like a real idiot when your sushi falls apart mid wasabi/soy dip. And once it is in pieces, well the fun is totally gone then, isn't it. The wait staff was very good. My only other complaint was that the beer only came in pints and sometimes a full second pint is too much for a smaller person. The server was kind enough to pour me 1/2 a pint; I'm not sure what we were charged for it because I didn't pay. I don't live in SE so I probably would not travel there just to eat at Tani's. There are other places that are comparable around Portland.
(3)Kate G.
Blah. I've tried Tani's several times. It's a family run operation so I really want to like it. The food is okay. I've been disappointed on several occasions. On the plus side the soba and teriyaki are pretty good. The restaurant is clean and has a few nice wooden tables and no crowds. On the minus-The rolls are very half assed and often appear unappetizing. The sushi is rolled so loosely that they fall apart before you take a bite. By far the worst item here would be the unagi rolls. I've never had such fatty eel. You could chew this stuff all day and still not get anywhere. Other restaurants would trash the fat but instead I've found it hidden inside my rolls on multiple occasions. Yuk. The main deal breaker for me besides the unmemorable food is that, as other yelpers have mentioned, I've found the staff to be fairly standoffish and unfriendly. (Except for the young wait staff that seem to come and go.) I'd overlook some of the food problems if I found the place more friendly to repeat customers. On numerous occasions nobody has acknowledged me when I've entered or exited the restaurant (and it's clearly not busy. ) Overall, if you're hungry you can grab an okay bite to eat here but if I didn't live in the neighborhood I wouldn't go out of my way. Instead I'd head just a littler further up the street to Mezza -the food is delicious and the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome.
(3)Zack W.
As I said in my Mezza review, we just moved to the neighborhood two weeks ago and spent this week exploring the restaurants down Woodstock. The sushi here was very good, a little pricey in comparison to say a buffet or even a conveyor belt sushi place, but in line with any regular sushi place. The only two nitpicks I had were with the service and quality of some of the rolls. When we wanted more beers we had to get the attention of a server to bring more. A few of the rolls were kind of loosely packed and fell apart when eaten by our kids, but that's not too unexpected. Overall very good and will visit again.
(4)Sadie B.
Love it! Great service, super nice waiters, VERY fresh fish, lovely light tempura and fantastic yakisoba! My 8 year old loves the wasabi mayo that comes with the grilled asparagus:) just kept eating it by itself! Very nice sake selection, too. We have never eaten anything here that we didn't like.
(5)Jamie F.
I don't know why this place doesn't have a better rating. The food was delicious, affordable, and timely.the staff were sweet and attentive. They use real crab in places where imitation is often used. Great tempura. We had a lovely experience here.
(5)Andrew S.
Re-visited and was pleased. His hours can be odd. But food is clean and fresh. Very good variety. Place is nice. Service was good.
(3)Jens J.
The best thing to say about about Tani's is that there is little or no wait for a table, even on weekend evenings. Truthfully, we came here only because, even at 8:30 on a Friday evening, Sapuro over in Sellwood was jammed packed with people spilling out on the sidewalk on Bybee. So Tani's was our backup. Tani's was busy but not filled. Very young crowd, maybe a lot of students from nearby Reed College. I'm guessing that sushi is the focus at Tani's and the grilled/fried dishes are almost an afterthought. And they are for for those patrons that don't have an appetite for raw fish. It's beyond me why someone would not want to chomp into a slab of uncooked tuna. Completely beyond me. :-) For our appetizer, JP and I ordered the grilled asparagus with wasabi mayo. The wasabi mayo had a nice tang, and not a full-on horseradish onslaught. Excellent and highly recommended. JP ordered a dish that had several pieces of sashimi over a bed of rice. He liked it a lot. I wanted just grilled (not deep-fried) meat, so I ordered the grilled salmon and grilled chicken. This item came as a combo with miso soup and salad. When my ($12.50) grilled salmon/chicken came to the table I realized my boo-boo when I ordered. The fish and meat was swimming in a frankly nasty and pungent ginger teriyaki sauce. It's times like this I say to myself "Oh, it's just another meal". But using the rice as a sponge, I was able to get most of the sauce off my food. After my experience at "Gourmet" Teriyaki earlier in the week on Mercer Island (see my review), I should have been more vigilant! The sauce-liberated salmon was great, especially the skin. The chicken was just there. The shredded cabbage salad had a robust and flavorful garlic/onion taste. I really liked that. The miso soup was miso soup, not much else to say about it. Tani's has a comfortable ambience with some cool porcelein masks on two of the walls. The server was friendly, but didn't bring us either chopsticks or silverware so we had to ask for them. Note to JP: Even if you found the server cute, that ain't gonna get me to add a star to the review as you suggested. One last comment: even though not visible from Woodstock St. there is a parking lot in the back for the restaurant
(3)Alora B.
I'm kind of sad that this is my first review; in fact, I signed up for yelp specifically to write this. I was going to let it slide with a solid three, but extenuating circumstances don't warrant that. After reading the reviews I decided to go, thinking perhaps all the talk of the "fishy" fish and the "gummy" rice were just extreme sushi snobs. My husband and I went there, craving some sushi, and were met with an awkward atmosphere. It seemed that nobody in the restaurant made a peep the whole time we were there. This wouldn't be a big deal if the sushi was out of this world, but it's true, the rice was EXTREMELY gummy. Our rolls fell apart each time we picked one up. My soy sauce bowl was full of rice by the time I was through. In addition, the sushi just tasted...off. We chalked it up to them maybe having an off day and not so great sushi. Until two hours later when we both got horrible stomach aches. I have never gotten sick from a restaurant in my life, but I was visiting the commode every half an hour last night, so you have been warned fellow yelpers. Obviously this doesn't happen every time there, but it could happen to you. I wanted to like it, I really did. :/
(1)Nancy K.
Went here the other night with the folks. The space is pretty small and unfortunately it's drafty because there are accessable doors on the front and back. The service was ok, my biggest gripe would be that they weren't refilling our tea promptly. We had some udon, yakisoba, pork katsu and a few sushi rolls and nigiri. Everything was good, nothing really stood out other than the spicy eggplant roll. I ordered it because I've never seen it on any menu before - so I had to try it out. It was batter fried eggplant rolled with some spicy sauce and was delicious. The nigiri rice was not up to par - it was a little gummy and fell apart. This is a sign that they didn't properly cool the rice before forming the rice balls. I think the food is definitely geared to American tastes. I was suprised that they didn't add any fishcake to my nabeyaki. It's pretty rare to get any type of japanese noodle in broth without any fishcake. They did add big piece of krab though which is fairly close to being the same thing. It didn't knock my socks off but for standard Japanese food it was good.
(3)Marla H.
I tried this place because it was the closest Sushi spot to my house. I was very disappointed with my server who looked at me like I was crazy for asking for more Spicy Mayo and then when I did get more it was about tablespoon. I feel like I was overcharged and the Sushi was well. Meh...Wont be back due to the server, the over charge and the so so Sushi...
(1)Damien F.
This is a good sushi restaurant, with quality food. They loose a star for not being the best quality with the best presentation. The sushi rice had lost its vinegar flavor and was a bit bland and the rolls could be better constructed. The thing that gets me is that I have been here a few times and every time they mess up the order. Each time they have forgotten a roll or like today a couple of rolls and given us a roll we didn't order. Today they gave us a spider roll. Not something I would normally order. They forgot one of the two Philly rolls and a Shitake roll. The annoying but forgivable habit they have is to take a long time to come get your order and even longer to bring your ticket.
(3)Elsa L.
The menu is not detailed, the staff doesnt talk english, the tables weren't clean, the smell was awful.. After being frustrated for about 5 min we left the place..
(1)Tanna P.
I've only had food to go here and it's been pretty good! Ive had the miso soup and Philadelphia rolls. Perfect lunch and I never have to wait since I call ahead. The staff has always been really friendly. They have good hours. they are open for lunch and then close for a bit and re open for dinner. There is a parking lot in the back or you can park on the street.
(4)Jennifer A.
I am so thankful that we have a sushi joint in the Woodstock neighborhood. My kids enjoy the udon noodles, I usually get a couple of rolls. The food is good, if you are looking to be blown away, I would go somewhere else. The sushi is straightforward and honest. The service is fine. This is a great place to go if you don't want to cook and live close.
(3)David T.
Perfect Japanese style sushi restaurant. Inside you feel like you have entered a Tokyo sushi bar. Tani is very personable and is an exceptional sushi chef. Decor is perfect, sushi is fresh and spot on.
(5)Sara C.
I reeeally want to love this place- its in a great neighborhood and I think the decor is really great (japanese masks, kites, woodblock prints, old sake bottles). I also love that it is run by a family (I found the service just fine). But the FOOD.... oh gosh, the food just isn't up to par to what they charge. Overfilled with rice and the quality is really, just.... meh. While I am a bit of a sushi snob, you know something isn't right when you can get better quality from a cheap sushi boat place than a sit down restaurant. We've been here a few times but unfortunately won't be back again :(
(3)Jerry C.
There's a lot of rice in that there mediocre sushi. Friendly waiter though, and the sushi menu is in Japanese: bonus!
(3)Aaron T.
Love this place, Tani is a great sushi samurai !! In my Top 5 Sushi Bar's in town. Definitely order the Naruto Roll, it has real crab & shrimp inside cucumber sliced thin, my favorite !
(5)K L.
I love this place! Their hours make it a little hard for me to get here, but the food is always fantastic and the service is always excellent. I don't eat meat so I've only ever had their veggie offerings and they've always been great. It's not always the fastest restaurant in town, so maybe don't go here if you're in a hurry, but if you want tasty sushi and friendly service in a charming environment this is a great choice.
(5)Jake M.
Best kept sushi secret in Portland. The decor is awesome and laid back. Sit at the bar and hang with Tani the owner. He's a super cool guy and a traditional sushi chef.
(5)Nancy P.
The service was alright, but the quality of food was not good. Since my husband and I have recently moved to Portland, we've been trying several new places to eat. We will not be returning here. Luke-warm water was brought to the table, followed by toasted mussels that were rubbery and covered in a vinegar-based spicy mayo. I normally LOVE seafood, but I just could not eat these. Maybe they taste better without the spicy mayo? Next up was the miso soup and shrimp tempura roll. The soup was fine, but the roll had gooey rice and wasn't shaped well. There was NOTHING besides the shrimp/seaweed in the the roll and it was so lackluster and poor quality. My husband said his raw stuff was good but based on the quality of my food I was so worried he would be hugging the toilet later...I guess he got lucky. Overall, there are many better sushi joints out there so we will not be back. Sorry not sorry. p.s. It looked like there was only street parking. p.s.s. I ordered a side of spicy mayo and it was vinegary and disgusting!
(2)Corie B.
Waited 25 minutes to order, another 10 for water. It's busy, I get it, but she is always overwhelmed and there is no shortage of sushi places in Portland. Won't be back.
(1)Amy L.
When here once only cause a friend had a gift certificate here. Sushi is average nothing to talk about. The rice was too wet. Other items on menu lack variety that other sushi places have done many times before. Place is pretty chill in a small neightborhood, nice to stop in for a quick bite. Inside is decorated pretty decently if not for the low quality of food, it could have been better.
(2)Ted H.
Service is questionable in this small time joint. Combine lack luster service, small bite size pieces of fish at mid tier pricing and you're sure never to have to wait in line for a table.
(2)Lauren S.
Every sushi roll completely fell apart. Total mess of a dinner. If you're only interested in miso soup then you're fine.
(1)christine c.
I realized that this is akin to a sushi "diner". Crappy service and the food is hit or miss, usually miss. Good points (like the Tani's salad) but I'm disappointed every single time. Miso came after the sushi, salmon were sinewy and browned by fridge, and every table got a tea refill except me.
(2)Suvi W.
Good food. Good quality. Been a couple of times and having moved from Hawaii, land of fresh fish, I think they do a decent job. Would like to see more selection in the rolls.
(4)Jules E.
This is a super pleasant homey place with very solid food and several things that shine through. The cold spinach appetizer is fantastic, the grilled salmon or hamachi collar is very nice, the veggie side to it is crisp and delicate. The sushi is delicious, especially the hamachi. The miso soup is excellent, and the service is always pleasant and attentive. I have eaten at sushi places all over the country, this is Portland, not New York, and this place is solid and yummy, not crazy hip or fancy. Atmosphere-wise it is also spot on for a relaxed meal, during the day you get laid back jazz or interesting mood music and in the evening there is often a Miyazaki animation or classic Japanese monster movie playing quietly on the screen. My husband and I eat here often when we want a good dinner in a pleasant atmosphere.
(4)Kal C.
Took a while to be acknowledged. It was obvious that the server was new. No big deal. The first bite of sushi resulted in a fish bone between my two front bottom teeth, stabbing my lip and gums. They have one thing going for them: the box-pressed sushi was inventive. However, the meal was just sad. It was expensive, and sad. My boyfriend and I BOTH almost choked on plastic wrap that was left behind. The fish wasn't super fresh, and most rolls lacked flavor. The actual sushi rice was so poorly executed. It didn't stick together. It fell apart. It made eating the sushi damn near impossible with most rolls. On to the next...
(2)Melanie Y.
Was excited to have a Japanese restaurant with ramen nearby. Extremely disappointed in the food and service. Noodles and broth were all wrong.
(1)Georgie K.
My favorite thing about this place is it is not too busy. But then the food is not that fresh. They have great miso soup, great mango salmon roll, service is decent, but they are only are open until 2:00 for lunch. We were there until 2:35 and the told us they were closing and we needed to go. Does not make me want to go back all that much.
(3)Christy L.
Bah! No good! Tasted like old fish, not appetizing at all. Even the miso soup was not good...
(1)Jacob M.
We went here a week or two ago for the first time. Quality of food wasn't bad at all; no complaints. They have a huge selection of sake and wine. Slightly overpriced but it wouldn't keep me from going here again. It was clean, quiet and not busy at all. Not sure why people stand in line for sushi at other restaurants. This place is just as good and there was no wait. Service was friendly.
(4)Chris A.
I like the staff (friendly but not pushy at all) and food's not bad. It is definitely above standard conveyor-belt sushi, if that helps. Doesn't blow me away and doesn't stick out as the sushi to end all sushi, but the portions match the prices (generous and affordable) and the quality is generally decent. It's a great place to stop by when you want sushi that is handmade and tasty, but don't want to blow $10+ per roll. I would give 3.5 stars if I could.
(3)Patrick S.
I was really surprised that I would like this place at all because I am a total freaking snob when it comes to just about everything, but then I take the pink pill and I'm just happy little camper. Mustn't confuse it with the green pill though, that would be bad. Where were we? Oh yeah Tani's. I like this place a lot. Great service! That's not something you can say everyday about Portland restaurants, eh? Nice Sake & Beer selections, not real vast but enough to wet the whistle. It's a divey drafty atmosphere but I came here on a gorgeous September evening with a warm breeze flowing through the air and a sweet big full moon outside and it made it all good. It may be a different story come a wet January night though. Food was good, not super but definitely above par and the platter combos are the way to go here I was freaking stuffed off of one of the Kaisendon rice bowls it came with miso and it was like $14 ~ $15. Yum! Come hungry with your friends because it's a real happy hang out kinda vibe here with lots of good raw fish at super duper prices. Kampai!
(4)Tami L.
I love everything about Tani's! The food, the staff, the saki, the decor, it's all wonderful. We eat everything from sashimi to California rolls and Tani's does all of them very well. The sashimi is fabulous and I love the Fry Me To The Moon! It's a California roll tempura fried and covered in spicy mayo sauce, simple and delicious. It's surprising that there is never a wait. I would much rather go here then other sushi places in the same area. Tani is the sushi chef everytime I have been there. He is super pleasant and welcoming. If you want yummy fishes and great service in a relaxed atmosphere this is the place to go!
(5)Amy A.
I've visited Tani's a good handful of times in my time here in Portland, and I've never been disappointed. The sushi is good and the folks are nice. It kinda breaks my heart when reviewers rate this place poorly because of subpar service, which I can totes understand, but it's a small family-run restaurant and you gotta cut them some slack for some off nights. Well, at least I do.
(4)Kaz K.
As a Japanese who grew up in Japan, I always enjoy dining here. Great food and good service. I also like the interior. Not fancy, but welcoming with full of nostalgic Japanese posters and masks.
(4)Ann B.
It was fresh and that is always good in a sushi restaurant. However, the sushi was rolled really loosely and that made it really difficult to manage. You feel like a real idiot when your sushi falls apart mid wasabi/soy dip. And once it is in pieces, well the fun is totally gone then, isn't it. The wait staff was very good. My only other complaint was that the beer only came in pints and sometimes a full second pint is too much for a smaller person. The server was kind enough to pour me 1/2 a pint; I'm not sure what we were charged for it because I didn't pay. I don't live in SE so I probably would not travel there just to eat at Tani's. There are other places that are comparable around Portland.
(3)Kate G.
Blah. I've tried Tani's several times. It's a family run operation so I really want to like it. The food is okay. I've been disappointed on several occasions. On the plus side the soba and teriyaki are pretty good. The restaurant is clean and has a few nice wooden tables and no crowds. On the minus-The rolls are very half assed and often appear unappetizing. The sushi is rolled so loosely that they fall apart before you take a bite. By far the worst item here would be the unagi rolls. I've never had such fatty eel. You could chew this stuff all day and still not get anywhere. Other restaurants would trash the fat but instead I've found it hidden inside my rolls on multiple occasions. Yuk. The main deal breaker for me besides the unmemorable food is that, as other yelpers have mentioned, I've found the staff to be fairly standoffish and unfriendly. (Except for the young wait staff that seem to come and go.) I'd overlook some of the food problems if I found the place more friendly to repeat customers. On numerous occasions nobody has acknowledged me when I've entered or exited the restaurant (and it's clearly not busy. ) Overall, if you're hungry you can grab an okay bite to eat here but if I didn't live in the neighborhood I wouldn't go out of my way. Instead I'd head just a littler further up the street to Mezza -the food is delicious and the staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome.
(3)Zack W.
As I said in my Mezza review, we just moved to the neighborhood two weeks ago and spent this week exploring the restaurants down Woodstock. The sushi here was very good, a little pricey in comparison to say a buffet or even a conveyor belt sushi place, but in line with any regular sushi place. The only two nitpicks I had were with the service and quality of some of the rolls. When we wanted more beers we had to get the attention of a server to bring more. A few of the rolls were kind of loosely packed and fell apart when eaten by our kids, but that's not too unexpected. Overall very good and will visit again.
(4)Sadie B.
Love it! Great service, super nice waiters, VERY fresh fish, lovely light tempura and fantastic yakisoba! My 8 year old loves the wasabi mayo that comes with the grilled asparagus:) just kept eating it by itself! Very nice sake selection, too. We have never eaten anything here that we didn't like.
(5)Jamie F.
I don't know why this place doesn't have a better rating. The food was delicious, affordable, and timely.the staff were sweet and attentive. They use real crab in places where imitation is often used. Great tempura. We had a lovely experience here.
(5)Andrew S.
Re-visited and was pleased. His hours can be odd. But food is clean and fresh. Very good variety. Place is nice. Service was good.
(3)Indie P.
Let me start by saying I have had some GREAT experiences at Tani's. The sushi is normally top quality and service, while sometimes slow, is usually right at par. This evening I got off work early and was craving me some sushi and some chick flicks... I know, I know. Anyways, I called Tani's 4 times to make a togo order, each time I was placed on hold for no less than 5 minutes. Eventually I gave up on calling (assuming they might be super busy) and drove over there. When I arrived I went straight to the cash register with a big ole smile on my face. I was surprised to see that the tables weren't even full. I stood at this register for at least 10 minutes without being acknowledged by either of the two servers on staff, which walked by me at least 5 times. When someone finally acknowledged me I asked to please place a togo order. She asked if I knew what I wanted and I responded with "yes" and proceeded to tell her my order. She shoved a piece of paper and a pencil in my face and told me to write it down. RUDE. So I wrote down the order and handed it back to her. She just walked away, I stood there for a moment and when she gave me a look that implied "why are you still here" I asked if I could please pay (as I feel like I've waited long enough for a couple simple rolls) and she said "no, you can pay later" and walked off. I was then told to sit in a janky old chair right next to the bathrooms until my food was ready. When she handed me my bag of food I specifically asked for chop sticks and soy sauce, I was promptly told it was all in the bag. I get home and guess what? NOT THERE! Overall, I am very unimpressed with tonight's service, I am a good tipper even if it's a togo order as I work in the industry and tonight I stiffed someone for the first time. The only reason this place got two stars is because the sushi was ok.
(2)Jay W.
We were pleasantly surprised at the food quality in this neighborhood restaurant. As others have noted, the atmosphere is quite nice and the restaurant was pretty clean overall. We were welcomed at the door and served well. That said, I'm not the kind who has to have a server running to me every time I "wish" something. The food was on time, we were appropriately asked for whatever else we needed, etc. Sushi rice may or may not be sticky as others have noted. The hamachi and maguro were very good. I don't partake, but they do seem to advertise heavily for their sake (wine). Their wasabi is outstanding! :)
(5)Jens J.
The best thing to say about about Tani's is that there is little or no wait for a table, even on weekend evenings. Truthfully, we came here only because, even at 8:30 on a Friday evening, Sapuro over in Sellwood was jammed packed with people spilling out on the sidewalk on Bybee. So Tani's was our backup. Tani's was busy but not filled. Very young crowd, maybe a lot of students from nearby Reed College. I'm guessing that sushi is the focus at Tani's and the grilled/fried dishes are almost an afterthought. And they are for for those patrons that don't have an appetite for raw fish. It's beyond me why someone would not want to chomp into a slab of uncooked tuna. Completely beyond me. :-) For our appetizer, JP and I ordered the grilled asparagus with wasabi mayo. The wasabi mayo had a nice tang, and not a full-on horseradish onslaught. Excellent and highly recommended. JP ordered a dish that had several pieces of sashimi over a bed of rice. He liked it a lot. I wanted just grilled (not deep-fried) meat, so I ordered the grilled salmon and grilled chicken. This item came as a combo with miso soup and salad. When my ($12.50) grilled salmon/chicken came to the table I realized my boo-boo when I ordered. The fish and meat was swimming in a frankly nasty and pungent ginger teriyaki sauce. It's times like this I say to myself "Oh, it's just another meal". But using the rice as a sponge, I was able to get most of the sauce off my food. After my experience at "Gourmet" Teriyaki earlier in the week on Mercer Island (see my review), I should have been more vigilant! The sauce-liberated salmon was great, especially the skin. The chicken was just there. The shredded cabbage salad had a robust and flavorful garlic/onion taste. I really liked that. The miso soup was miso soup, not much else to say about it. Tani's has a comfortable ambience with some cool porcelein masks on two of the walls. The server was friendly, but didn't bring us either chopsticks or silverware so we had to ask for them. Note to JP: Even if you found the server cute, that ain't gonna get me to add a star to the review as you suggested. One last comment: even though not visible from Woodstock St. there is a parking lot in the back for the restaurant
(3)Alora B.
I'm kind of sad that this is my first review; in fact, I signed up for yelp specifically to write this. I was going to let it slide with a solid three, but extenuating circumstances don't warrant that. After reading the reviews I decided to go, thinking perhaps all the talk of the "fishy" fish and the "gummy" rice were just extreme sushi snobs. My husband and I went there, craving some sushi, and were met with an awkward atmosphere. It seemed that nobody in the restaurant made a peep the whole time we were there. This wouldn't be a big deal if the sushi was out of this world, but it's true, the rice was EXTREMELY gummy. Our rolls fell apart each time we picked one up. My soy sauce bowl was full of rice by the time I was through. In addition, the sushi just tasted...off. We chalked it up to them maybe having an off day and not so great sushi. Until two hours later when we both got horrible stomach aches. I have never gotten sick from a restaurant in my life, but I was visiting the commode every half an hour last night, so you have been warned fellow yelpers. Obviously this doesn't happen every time there, but it could happen to you. I wanted to like it, I really did. :/
(1)Nancy K.
Went here the other night with the folks. The space is pretty small and unfortunately it's drafty because there are accessable doors on the front and back. The service was ok, my biggest gripe would be that they weren't refilling our tea promptly. We had some udon, yakisoba, pork katsu and a few sushi rolls and nigiri. Everything was good, nothing really stood out other than the spicy eggplant roll. I ordered it because I've never seen it on any menu before - so I had to try it out. It was batter fried eggplant rolled with some spicy sauce and was delicious. The nigiri rice was not up to par - it was a little gummy and fell apart. This is a sign that they didn't properly cool the rice before forming the rice balls. I think the food is definitely geared to American tastes. I was suprised that they didn't add any fishcake to my nabeyaki. It's pretty rare to get any type of japanese noodle in broth without any fishcake. They did add big piece of krab though which is fairly close to being the same thing. It didn't knock my socks off but for standard Japanese food it was good.
(3)Marla H.
I tried this place because it was the closest Sushi spot to my house. I was very disappointed with my server who looked at me like I was crazy for asking for more Spicy Mayo and then when I did get more it was about tablespoon. I feel like I was overcharged and the Sushi was well. Meh...Wont be back due to the server, the over charge and the so so Sushi...
(1)Damien F.
This is a good sushi restaurant, with quality food. They loose a star for not being the best quality with the best presentation. The sushi rice had lost its vinegar flavor and was a bit bland and the rolls could be better constructed. The thing that gets me is that I have been here a few times and every time they mess up the order. Each time they have forgotten a roll or like today a couple of rolls and given us a roll we didn't order. Today they gave us a spider roll. Not something I would normally order. They forgot one of the two Philly rolls and a Shitake roll. The annoying but forgivable habit they have is to take a long time to come get your order and even longer to bring your ticket.
(3)Elsa L.
The menu is not detailed, the staff doesnt talk english, the tables weren't clean, the smell was awful.. After being frustrated for about 5 min we left the place..
(1)Tanna P.
I've only had food to go here and it's been pretty good! Ive had the miso soup and Philadelphia rolls. Perfect lunch and I never have to wait since I call ahead. The staff has always been really friendly. They have good hours. they are open for lunch and then close for a bit and re open for dinner. There is a parking lot in the back or you can park on the street.
(4)Jennifer A.
I am so thankful that we have a sushi joint in the Woodstock neighborhood. My kids enjoy the udon noodles, I usually get a couple of rolls. The food is good, if you are looking to be blown away, I would go somewhere else. The sushi is straightforward and honest. The service is fine. This is a great place to go if you don't want to cook and live close.
(3)Shay M.
Still looking for that great place to get sushi in PDX that won't cost an arm and a leg... The fish was super fishy, we couldn't eat two of the rolls we ordered because we both almost gagged on the first bite. They get 2 stars because the mackerel was good. Everything else was fine or bad. Slow service, though everyone was very nice. They do have a big poster of Godzilla on the wall, so there's that.
(2)Sandy P.
I live in the Woodstock neighborhood and I want nothing more than to support my local sushi restaurant. Sadly, I don't think I can. I've always found the freshness of the sushi to be unpredictable. But I kept going back, and thought I'd figured out that the Fridays and Saturdays would net me pretty fresh fish. Unfortunately, I can now say that the absolutely worst sushi I've ever had came from there. I ordered their sushi dinner to take home and ended up with some pieces of fish that were so dried out and fishy tasting that I think I was given a dinner left over from the previous day or at least from lunch. I couldn't even finish it. Sorry, Tani, but you need to do better.
(2)Katrina W.
A friend and I have become quasi regulars at Tani's. They have the friendliest and most courteous staff, who are helpful but hands-off and never make you feel like it's Time for You to Leave, even if you're still there a little after closing time. They have really tasty sushi and great specialty rolls at such reasonable prices. I recommend the Kaki-Age (always a crowd pleaser) and the Mango-Avocado Rolls. Four rolls for two people fill us to the brim. If you sit at the bar, there's a good chance Tani himself might slip you an extra treat just for being there. If nothing else, you get a better look at the Godzilla-inspired memorabilia. We always leave grinning and satisfied.
(5)Tristan R.
This place has been a family favorite because of its proximity and its options other than sushi. It served as our family's gateway to sushi and I am thankful. The food is always okay and the sushi is well-made. I have not had any bad experience described in the other reviews but I have indeed have had better elsewhere. The service is very friendly, my family comes often enough that we know the servers pretty well. The Japanese food that they have mainly includes the usual subjects but may be underwhelming for those who do not like sushi. Anyway, give it a try especially if you don't like waiting outside at Sbarro's.
(3)Rachel M.
I was super excited to move into this neighborhood and even more excited to walk a block from my house to tani sushi, which received pretty killer reviews on other websites. The quality of the fish is awwwesome, but the rolls all had way too much rice, and I noticed looking at other tables that it's pretty much the norm for them, that being said you could I'm sure just ask for less rice. To me its just a little bit cheap, because although their sushi rice is perfect I want to predominantly taste the fish. The atmosphere is so-so and the service was a-ok, but beyond that I really wouldn't write home about tani sushi. If it wasn't so close to me I probably wouldn't go there again. Try the super white tuna (killer delicious and buttery) Salmon Mango Roll is cheap and I love that combination, sometimes hard to find, and Great sake selection. Meh
(3)Everett S.
Not bad at all. Closest sushi to my house and they always have seats open. A good place for a nieghborhood hangout but not much more than that.
(3)Steve S.
This is my family's regular sushi restaurant and we've been fans for over two years. The sushi is consistent and very decent. It's not the best sushi you've ever had but it's very solid and you won't experience that one visit when the fish is terrible as with so many smaller family sushi spots. Stick with the regular roles, I've found their specials to be a bit lacking.
(3)Nick P.
So sad, had such high hopes.... Yet gummy rice and super fishy fish does not a good local sushi place make.... Back to the drawing board (Saburros) for us.....
(2)Jeffrey H.
Best sushi in town. Tani is a joy to talk with and his staff is great!
(5)Casey R.
I know that good sushi is hard to find in Portland, but this was pretty bad. One bite into a spider roll and I knew something was horribly wrong. Then I try the Dragon Roll...yikes. Fish was fishy, rolls weren't really rolled all that good, and rice was a nightmare. This was the first time in I don't know how long that I was not able to finish what I ordered. I hope the cats and squirrels enjoy my dinner when it gets dumped out tonight, though I think even they have some limit to what they will eat. Looks like I'm back to waiting out in the rain for an hour at Saburo's again. *sigh*
(1)Amy S.
Love this place. Super friendly, good food and no wait!
(4)Rachael J.
Surprised by all the bad reviews here lately. We live down the street and end up here at least once a month. No, it is not the best sushi in town, but it has always been fresh and tasty for me. Great seafood salads as well. Never a wait, even on the weekends. They typically have a Restaurant.com coupon as well. Decent service--although sometimes the tables can be a bit sticky and typical sushi atmosphere. Tani himself is often manning the sushi bar.
(4)Anna S.
When Tani's re-opened in Woodstock, it was a huuuuge boon to the neighborhood. Not having to leave the area for your sushi fix is key! Tani's can be terrific on occasion, and forgettable once in a while. But generally it has served me well. I don't know that I'd travel across town for it, but it IS definitely better than Saburo (the next closest sushi place which, while cheaper, has only gone downhill in the past 5 years). Some especially good things at Tani's: sashimi, Hawaiian Poke appetizer, salmon appetizer, and the Planet Roll.
(4)Tyler B.
You can walk or drive by this place 100 times before you notice it's there. Step inside and you're in for a Woodstock treat. Great service and awesome Japanese food in addition to the sushi menu. I had a salmon collar dish that was amazing. I would not have ordered this had I not just seen Anthony Bourdain devouring a fish shoulder on his show. Tani's version for lick-my-fingers good. Great sushi as well.
(4)Ben S.
Tani's is really good. Tani-san is a nice guy also. They have a good sake selection, and some really good food. Also, they've done some amazing special requests: One time, we called and said "We have $200, make me a selection of sushi and stuff" and they really came through big time. Bonus: close to my work!
(4)Hard K.
This place is terrible. Worst sushi I have ever seen or put in my mouth. Why go here when you can peep Yoko's in the same hood less than 10 minutes away? Goodness. The only delight was our server, Brian. He was rad, friendly and accommodating. But the food..... Man, it was scary. And its raw!!!! I had a stomach ache after I left. Not a good thing. Won't be back.
(1)kelsey d.
Maybe I'm a sushi snob, maybe I just don't understand. Most of the sushi rolls we had last night had very little fish and a lot of rice. They were also not cut apart very well, and most of the rolls that I tried to pick up fell apart. I do have to say that the tempura calamari is awesome! It's long pieces of super tender calamari with a light tempura batter. For all the falling apart, the California rolls with real crab is pretty good, and there was actually a little bit of fish and avocado in it. The tempura fried banana with vanilla ice cream was excellent! Pretty rich, it's good to share. The staff is really nice and attentive and the restaurant is clean and inviting. I would definitely recommend this place for Japanese food, just probably not for the sushi.
(3)Goldmine C.
Great addition to the Woodstock neighborhood. I love this place and while it stays crowded you can always get a table without much if any wait. I've mostly only had their sushi, (authentic and fresh). They also have a great (local) sake sampler for only $6!
(4)Jed R.
This is a solid sushi bar. I had been looking for a sushi option in my neighborhood and I found it in Tani's. The sushi is good quality and prices are excellent. While I still may visit some of the more upscale sushi bars for special occasions, Tani's is my new standby.
(4)Kate F.
Holy Crap. The sushi here is *excellent*. The service is very good. It's tucked way the hell in Woodstock, but I'm willing to drive here for the amazing sushi... except... They close at 8pm sometimes (wtf?) and I've noticed some inconsistencies in their quality. When they're good, they're the best sushi in town. But sometimes it's... not so great. The prices for food are totally decent, but their alcohol is definitely overpriced. They're never busy. Two thumbs up, but my fingers are crossed.
(4)Samantha W.
Went one time and it was solid. Rolls a bit large and not hanging together as well as I'd like, but sashimi was tasty. Worth a visit if you live in the neighborhood.
(3)Angie R.
No better than lower-end conveyer belt sushi. Overall way better options out there.
(2)Kenny H.
Tani's is one of the better sushi places and it is in the cool (but under the radar) Woodstock hood. The rolls are tasty. The house saki isnt bad either. All in all a good quality sushi place for a decent price. It is isnt the cheapest, but it is also not one of the more mediocre places. The Nigiri could be priced about 50 cents to a dollar cheaper an order. Two people could eat here for about under $35 if you avoid the Nigiri, stick to a small sake to share, and get 3 $8-9 roles.
(3)Toddly K.
This guy is amazing and he's fun to watch! Best sushi in town! Ya gotta love it!
(5)Chris S.
Some of the best sushi in town.
(5)K G.
Great vibe. High ceilings, large tables. Great miso. Sushi is very, very heavy on the rice. Agadashi was literally inedible. Crumbled into a slick and curdled mess. I don't think I would go back.
(2)michael k.
Best Sushi rice I have had in Portland. Fish is fresh and cut well. Tani is a most friendly guy too, I love to sit at the bar. The room is nothing fancy, its all in the food.Its worth the trip to a nice little neighborhood.
(4)Sasha R.
Tani's Japanese is right next to a tanning salon, so if you want you can make that little block in the Woodstock District feel like a tropical Hawaiian hideaway, if you tan first and have a little poke second. At Tani's try the enormous salads, they are almost as large as a human head, and full of cabbage, beautiful leafy greens and topped with light and refreshing dressing. Add to this their relatively diverse sake menu, and mix in high ceilings, good background music and very fresh fish ( I tried the spicy tuna, Philadelphia, avocado, and yellow tail rolls) and you've got a simple and easy meal, for under $30. The other great thing about Tani's is that their staff is super friendly- our waitress brought us the CD that we liked from the sound system to bring home and burn if we wanted- and makes coming back seem obvious.
(4)Ken D.
If you're starving and you want Japanese food, this place is good.
(4)Alexander M.
surprising value and great service -- try the pickles for a fun variety of flavors. also, check out the kurosawa posters in the back.
(4)Greg L.
I usually get the yakisoba here, and it's always good and big portions. The atmosphere is very modern but i'm usually only there for take out. Tania is without a doubt the best sushi chef in Portland.
(4)Jason L.
My wife and I just moved to Woodstock, and decided to try Tani's on a whim, It was excellent! the staff are all very friendly. The quality of food and speed of service are outstanding. We went there at 8 pm on a Friday night and were seated immediately. The prices are very reasonable...Though our bill ended up being about $70 for two people it was due to the fact that we ordered all higher end rolls ($8.00 each) and two larger sake's. We could easily have done it for less if we had stuck to some lower end rolls and had less nigiri. The place is on the small side, so I'd suggest it for couples or groups of four. Best of all, they use Real Crab meat in their California rolls! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who truly loves great sushi!!!
(5)Mitch M.
Hoping to find a decent japanese restaurant that served more than just sushi, my girl friend and I mosied into Tani's last week. I appreciated the fact that it was clean and new, and quite nicely decorated. First glance over the sushi cabinet gave me the impression that everything was fresh and looking good. However, I did notice that they had a big stack of fake crab leg segments that I presume they were using for kani (it's not crab, it's fish - ick). I also noted that much of the fish was pre-cut; nice, tidy piles of nigiri. The sake list is impressive, but who's going to pay $60 or $90 or more for a bottle of sake in a little joint on Woodstock? There is a serious lack of affordable but tasty sake selections. And the one we decided we really wanted ($14 for 300ml bottle!), they were out of. Settled on something similar. We ordered some hoki gai (surf clam), which I love, even though it comes frozen and pre-cooked. But Tani's Hoki Gai was dried out, and not super fresh. The little steamed dumplings were good, although I suspect they were commercially made (and I noted that they are the only japanese restaurant I can recall that doesn't serve some form of gyoza!!!). We had a box roll (something I've not had before) with spicy tuna, but it turned out to be 98% rice with a smattering of tuna scattered around inside. There was some small amount of Hamachi laid over the top of the roll, but the fish was, again, a bit dry from having been precut and sitting around. Then we tried the Woodstock roll (I think), which was ok, but nothing special - and WAY too big to get in your mouth in one bite. We tried their Yakisoba as well, which I found to be fair, though too heavily seasoned with maybe 5 spice, or allspice. Overall I thought the food was unremarkable, but ok. But expensive for what you get. The waitress was very courtious and attentive. However, the two sushi chefs were standing around behind the counter (there were only three tables there at the time), looking bored to tears. So why did they have all the fish cut up in advance (which accelerates deterioration because so much of the fish is then exposed to air)? Or was the fish precut because they were bored and needed something to do? I'll be trying Tani's one more time before I make up my mind for good on this place. Maybe it was an off day. Maybe I'll have better luck with other menu items. They do have a nice extensive menu, but it won't do much good if the food is a bore.
(3)Nicola W.
Wonderful, friendly service. The asparagus with wasabi mayo is great as is the Oh My Cod. Miso soup also great and they have a nice selection of sake at a variety of prices. In winter, don't sit near the door, the draft isn't fun.
(4)Erin G.
I really like Tani's. There's never a wait, the prices are fair, and the food is always fresh. Tani (the sushi chef) seems to always be behind the counter, and is happy to make my special requests since their menu is a little basic. He even helps me come up with new and interesting rolls like yam tempura, cream cheese and salmon... YUM to me but maybe not for everyone. My friend has a gluten allergy, and they have gluten free soy sauce on hand, which i haven't seen at many other small sushi bars.
(4)