I love coming here and enjoy bringing friends who would not otherwise know about this place. The fish is fresh and tasty and the sushi chefs are really nice and accommodating. Even though the servers/waitresses are spotty (some nice, some rude) I still give 5 stars because I enjoy the food and to circumvent the waitress issue just sit at the sushi bar and deal with the sushi chefs directly! Besides the waitress issue, the only thing I would fix would be the sashimi platter size of the fish - sometimes you get nice, larger sized pieces but sometimes they are really small. I try to go on certain days when I know one particular sushi chef will be there because of this issue. When I am paying $20 for some pieces of raw fish I do want enough that I can get somewhat full on it. They do a GREAT $2 hot sake with your dinner order, unlimited $2 hot sakes! Go check it out...They are also open Sunday which I LOVE since a lot of sushi places are closed that day.
(5)
Shirley L.
Great experience at Wild Wasabe tonight. Husband and I went to this join with Groupon in hand and expecting ... well... really nothing based on the reviews that I saw here. We were surprised. The service was wonderful. Our waitress was attentive and very engaging. It's also nice to see Asian people behind the sushi counter! As for the food, it was better than we had expected. Between the two of us, we ordered Ahi Poke (raw tuna marinated with sauce with seaweed, mango and tobiko), Ruby Roll (8 pieces roll with salmon and hamachi wrapped in purple rice, topped with tuna) and Chicken teriyaki bento. Taste-wise, all were above average. Ahi Poke was DELICIOUS. Lots of fish under $10. Ruby roll also has lots of fish (salmon and hamachi were both in solid piece, rather than chopped mush). And the bento.... OMG, the bento. It's HUGE! Biggest portion that I've ever seen in Japanese restaurant. Chicken was not drown in sauce. Both salad and tempura were served in appetizer portion. And they don't charge you arms and legs for it! I feel that I got my $ worth at Wild Wasabe and will definitely go back (or takeout).
(4)
Vanessa C.
I came for happy hour one weeknight. The employees were friendly. It wasn't a large happy hour menu, but it was comparable to other happy hour menus I've seen. Several of the items on the happy hour menu were not on the regular menu, so I had no idea what was in the sushi. I basically had to ask my waiter to explain each option to me in order to decide on what I wanted. He did this without complaining or being rude. When the food came out, they accidentally made us the wrong roll. The waiter pointed this out when he placed the food on our table letting us know that the correct roll was being made and the roll that we hadn't ordered would be on the house for the mix up.
(4)
Magicka M.
The bento deal is worth the price. Even if you have to pay a little more for dinner you still get your fill. Sushi on the other hand is a little more above average. It doesn't make it in the pricey category, but I spent double than the bento my husband got and I felt I could have eaten more. I basically got two rolls and he had a massive platter. The rolls were really good, but it wasn't anything I went home to find myself craving for it later. Otherwise the fish was fresh and the presentation was nice. Since we did order differently the plates didn't come out at the same time, but it is pretty much expected for most restaurant. The place is nice and clean Service was decent. Basically this place isn't bad, but isn't anything outstanding (in my opinion).
(3)
Lauren A.
Solid sushi - went there for HH and thought it was a great deal! Decent house sake and green tea too. Not the best place I've ever eaten at, but for the price it was quite good. Definitely recommend HH!
(4)
Jessica A.
Wild Wasabe is one of my new Portland favorites! The Firecracker roll is divine - spicy crab and cucumber inside, spicy tuna, tobiko and spicy mayo sauce on top. The gyoza are lightly fried and decadent, but they come to your table very hot! Beware, I burnt my mouth on the first one - I couldn't wait for them to cool down! Lastly, they have terrific lunch specials. I had a lunch special today with miso soup, 6 pieces of shrimp tempura roll, 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll and 6 pieces of California roll. Nom nom nom. It was so much food, I was stuffed and had to walk the long way back to the office!
(5)
J. K.
Your typical neighborhood sushi restaurant. The menu is exactly what you'd expect. The place is very nice, great vibe and decoration, makes you feel comfortable spending all evening there if you wanted to. TVs at the bar allows you to watch the games while you enjoy the sushi and beer.
(3)
Paul R.
Have eaten here several times over the last few months (as well as very recently). The service is generally indifferent. We were sat and ignored for 15 minutes while others who came in later were waited on. Had to ask for plates, water, etc. The wine is kept at room temperature (meaning too warm) in a wall rack. The 'sushi' is pretty much the opposite of NW expectations. No wild salmon - all farmed (and looked/tasted previously frozen). The unagi nigiri was cold and fishy. The rolls are all about sauce and goo instead of flavor. No amount of wasabi ('wild' or otherwise) could compensate. If we lived in the neighborhood then maybe we'd frequent, but it's not a destination sushi restaurant. Living near Masu and Yama means not bothering with WW anymore. Always good to calibrate, but those two set a bar that others can't touch.
(2)
Allison D.
I went here for lunch with a couple of coworkers. The menu is limited and the sushi is overpriced. $8 for a roll? Is purple rice really worth that much? The service was ok but we had to basically tackle our waitress to get our check. There are so many other sushi restaurants in the area where you will get more for your money, check out Yuki or Mio Sushi instead.
(1)
Angela S.
Tuna in the sushi was gray... A bit worrisome knowing that means it's on it's last leg. The rolls otherwise were very bland. The veggie roll was at least good. I won't be back unfortunately.
(2)
Chad C.
I'm not much for sushi, but they have a $6 teriyaki chicken lunch special that includes a healthy portion of chicken, purple rice, and a small salad. The teriyaki sauce is also kind of...more of a gel, not a liquidy-oil substance like I've typically seen.
(3)
Steve M.
If Godzilla ever attacks Portland (or defends it from the likes of Biollante), it's quite possibly the only time I wouldn't want to be at Wild Wasabi. Their sushi is divine (a little spendy, which is the only thing preventing the 5th star), but absolutely, deliciously, beautifully presentedly, magnifigoodness. It's rarely I get to rave about everything I ordered so to cover the highlights:: OK call me a big kid, but one of the things I like about sushi is that it's way fun to eat. As a result, I'm a total sucker for clever sushi names like "the tootsie roll" (which in this case is eel and avocado inside eel, scallion and unagi sauce on top). Aside from the fact that it was incredibly fresh (which having has some past experiences with dubious sushi freshness, I was honestly surprised to discover on a Sunday night), it paired perfectly with.. The Spicy Tataki Roll (Spicy tuna and cucumber inside Seared albacore, scallion, garlic and ponzu sauce on top). OK, not only was this thing the bomb (veiled Godzilla reference), but one thing the menu doesn't tell you is about is the yummy crunchy that they put on top. If you're a klutz like myself, you may lose one of those yummy crunchies...but if you liked the garlic crunchy as much as a 1/4 as I did, you'll most likely deploy the "three second rule" (maybe I did, maybe I didn't, I'll never tell).
(4)
Todd S.
Have been in a couple times, and each time has been very "A-OK." The mixed tempura is fine, though the shrimp was undercooked; not the shrimp meat itself, but the batter applied (doughy). The seaweed salad was my highlight. The sushi was somewhat undone by overcooked rice. Last time in, it was way overcooked. Everything inside was fresh and prepared/cooked perfectly, but it's impossible to get past the outside mush. However, the presentation is quite nice. The ambiance is fine, but the service is spotty. A member of our party ordered Riesling, but was served sparkling wine. I had to go hunting for my own napkin and chopsticks. You can find worse sushi, but you can also find much better.
(3)
marlene s.
Came here with a Groupon. I enjoyed my teriyaki chicken bento box, which, oddly enough, came out before my husband's sushi. And it seemed that other people who sat after us were getting their rolls before us. I'm used to always getting served last, being the only one at the table who doesn't eat seafood, let alone sushi. I watched the server warm sake in the microwave that was in clear view...at least hide it! Service was ok.
(2)
Sarah L.
I get in trouble a little bit at work for being too positive. I can't help it. There's so much negative bull shit in the world that I want to focus on positive. For realz. It's what keeps me getting out of bed in the morning. So Wild Wasabe gets a positive review. We first checked this place out via Groupon. And we were not disappointed! That's what I love about Groupon - it helps you try out places you might not have heard of or stopped at before. This was one of the better experiences. The space is a comfortable size. Lots of window seating, which I love. Nice staff. And purple rice!! Hello?! That's awesome. The spicy rolls are just that - spice goodness. The tea is wonderful. And the prices are totally reasonable. We've been here several times now, and I'm sure we'll keep going back more and more. It's one of the better sushi places in NW.
(4)
Nani M.
I have been here twice. I love sushi. Their sizing of their sushi seem a little on the small side. A little larger then tekka maki size but not quite sushi size-you know what I mean? Now I have seen ginormous sushi and average sushi. Theirs is on the small, tasteless side. I'm not sure what the problem was but I couldn't understand why the sushi was tasteless. I wasn't impressed. The 2nd time I tried them, The Tempura Udon again was nothing exceptional. Just Average. If you need a sushi fix drop by, but if you want to really indulge in detectible sushi, you may want to try some place else.
(3)
Hope W.
Went here for Happy Hour based on the Yelp reviews. Can't say I was pleased, nor will I go back. Had to find the items on the Happy Hour menu on the regular menu so I could see what they were. Took some time, but was doable. Sushi wasn't in any way remarkable. Didn't really care for the tempura fried fish in the sushi rolls. Price was okay. Service was fine. Food was meh.
(2)
Lindsay L.
I heart you Wild Wasabe! They have delicious food, great value and fantastic service. What else would you want to know!
(4)
John S.
Fairly decent, but bland. Nowhere near as good as Bamboo Sushi on 23rd.
(2)
Marcie G.
Great service, friendly servers and delectable sushi. Love the purple rice and their Ahi sashimi was so fresh, I swear it was about to flip off of my plate! The bf loved his super spicy roll and Philly roll. You can bet I'll be back!
(5)
Stanley T.
Stopped in for Happy Hour. Pretty good deals. The wakame salad was quite tasty, though it was a bit wetter than I expected. The seaside roll was OK. The spicy tuna roll didn't do it for me. Service and ambiance were fine. They should have a better beer selection. We might return (it's a block from our house).
Seven days after my first review of Wild Wasabe I just had to go back... This time for lunch! Excellent lunch special options. I tried out the chicken teriyaki this time. Not only was it delicious, the portion was also very generous with rice and a decent sized salad of mixed greens and veggies on the side. Yum.
(5)
E L.
Went to checkout their all-you-can-eat that takes place Saturdays. They had a lot of rules that really restricts the ordering process. They have a limit of one of each of udon, nigiri sushi (4 pieces), baked mussels, and monkey brain. Your initial order can be two items but every order after is a limit of one item and you have to finish before you can place a new order. The time is takes for waitresses to come around and take your order and place your order and the sushi man to make and then deliver your order took forever! The place was full and since there was only two sushi men working... I understood how tough it was for them to make the orders. The quality of the food was great and the price was not bad for $21.95. I just wished service was a lot faster!
(3)
Stacy C.
Im wondering if this place changed hands. I met someone here a couple of years ago and never went back. My last visit a couple of weeks ago the sushi was much more fresh, the rice fully cooked, items that should be cold/cool were. Items that should be hot were. Service was excellent. A real step up from what it was. I'll go back
(3)
Rebecca N.
Alphabet district is my jam. I've been to all of the well know fantastic eateries around here, time and time again. After an misadventurous hiatus in SE, I recently plunked back down in the 97210 and have been trying to eat at all of the less exciting looking places that I never tried while living here before. So far, no thrilling revelations have been made. Low expectations were met with precision at Wild Wasabe this past Friday evening. As much as I love social media, I really can't expect much of a restaurant that plasters its windows with Yelp and Facebook check in offers. Our waitress was absolutely lovely and the highlight of the experience. The sushi, well, was lackluster and incredibly overpriced. We tried several rolls. The single vegetarian item available was a veggie roll, which was 4 pieces of slightly wilted salady sushi for $7.50. We tried a couple of spicy tuna and salmon rolls as well, and I'm not even sure which was which. The permutations of sushi ingredients in each were not memorable. Most rolls were awkwardly sweet, room temp, and bland. I started to question what sort of person I've become as I realized that the sushi components were cut haphazardly and each piece was a different size. Cue the existential queries. Does this mean I'm a bad person? Wait, I'm paying for this. Does this newly realized awareness of sushi quality mean I've "made it"? Why didn't I just go to Bamboo in the first place? Oh right. We came here for science. We Investigated. And then we left, still sort of hungry, $60 spent on dinner for two (no drinks) and otherwise no worse for the wear. I can't see myself coming back here, really. Of note, it looks like they have all you can eat sushi on Saturdays during the day, if you're into that sort of thing. You would probably like Bamboo better though.
(2)
Tammie W.
Really great food and service coming out of this place. I'd recommend going for lunch since it's reasonably priced and you can get a bento box served with your choice of protein (I got the teriyaki salmon), served with a salad that had a ginger dressing on it, purple rice, a 4-piece cali roll and a 5 piece shrimp and vegetable tempura. All of that was around $12. My husband ordered tekka maki and the vegas roll. The tuna was tender, dark red and melted in my mouth. The vegas roll was creamy from the cream cheese and warm since they coated it in tempura batter and fried it. Yum!
(4)
Marissa L.
I've lived in Japan for 5 years and was a little hesitant about the all you can eat as you wonder about the quality being served. My guy and I loved it! If you want a fun twist on sushi rolls this is the place to go. The only bad thing I can comment on is that I ate way more than I should've! Definitely will be coming back here to try more on the all you can eat list. We both liked the Green Dragon! And I liked the veggie dragon with yam tempura.
(5)
Fraznyne T.
Good for: happy hour, an impromptu sushi dinner, and killing time. Very decent food & atmosphere to stumble upon and enjoy while waiting for my son at his anime group at the library. Happy hour prices were nice to partake in. I ordered the happy hour roll special (2 five piece rolls for $10) some nigiri and a hand roll - all of it had a good flavor, though the rice kinda fell apart on the nigiri. No purple rice, but beautiful presentation of all the dishes I ordered. I didn't try any of the special rolls, but they look very interesting and I'd love to try them at another time. They were out of the happy hour sake flight, disappointing, but their house warm sake was decent. Overall I'd go back for another dinner while waiting near the library, but I don't think I'd travel out of my way to eat here. Give it a try if you're close and in the mood for sushi though :)
(4)
Elise A.
I will not be going here again. I went in at 6pm on a Friday night. There were 4 tables other than me; I was solo ordering takeout. I ordered 1 handroll, 1 roll and 1 order of sashimi. $26 and 30 minutes later, I had my mediocre sushi. 30 minutes for such a small order on less-than-busy night is frustrating, plus the extremely high prices made for a poor first visit.
(1)
Melissa B.
This place is outstanding. Friendly helpful service (in Portland whaaaaat?!) takeout orders completely extremely quickly and the sushi is delicious
(5)
A G.
Had a fantastic time both times I have visited this place. I am a vegetarian and do agree with some of the reviewers that the veggie roll is expensive for the quantity did not have any issues with the quality of the food. Their sushi is fresh, and a fresh bento box with teriyaki tofu. The best dish is the hot jade stone bowl which they make vegetarian on request, really tasty with crispy rice botton. DId I mention fresh orchids on every table? We will be back!
(4)
Jason W.
I really don't understand the lower reviews for this place. We have always had the best service and some of the best quality sushi around. Not to mention their inventive rolls. This place is one of the best in town and is why we keep coming back.
(4)
Naomi M.
Wow. That was some of the worst sushi and service I have ever had! We came for the all-you-can-eat, and left after eating 4 pieces each! The fish tasted old, the rice was warm and tough, they sent us out the wrong rolls, and when we let them know that the sushi didn't taste quite right, the chef defended the temps on the fridge rather than offering a solution. Don't waste your money here.
(1)
Krin W.
All-you-can-eat (AYCE) sushi for $21.95 on the weekends! It was an outstanding deal for delicious and interesting rolls and the service was fantastic. Lots of really good veggie options. Fresh, tasty sushi and sizeable portions for a steal!
(5)
Nick D.
I had yakisoba (chicken was dry), 2 rolls (small and somewhat bland compared to Bamboo) and calamari (it should have been called squid tempura.. Batter in way too thick). Too bad. I had my hopes up for this place, but will not be returning
(3)
Karen J.
Third time is a charm, the sushi and rolls are fresh and very tasty! One of our favorite places in Portland for sure
(4)
Jessica P.
I've been here a few times, and have never been disappointed. Everything tastes fresh, and is so flavorful. I love that they offer groupons from time to time.
(4)
D J.
Excellent food and even better service! Each of the staff members was very attentive and sweet.
(4)
Karen C.
Stopped in for lunch today and ordered the lunch special combo #2. When the food came I noticed the numbers didn't add up, so I asked a waitress to double check. She acknowledged that I was missing sushi, said "hold on" and left, I assumed, to correct the error. She didn't come back for the rest of my meal. In fact I was ignored until the check came. I don't understand... did she think I would forget? Even if she had come back and, for example, explained that their chefs don't cut their rolls according to pieces yielded (which would be a poor excuse anyway since their menu clearly states the number of pieces you'd get, not how many rolls), I would've been okay with it, because I'd know she'd actually attempted a resolution. Instead I'm left annoyed and feeling like I got cheated. I've gone to Wild Wasabe on many occasions, but they just lost a customer today.
(1)
Madison S.
Great meal and service during happy hour. Solid deals to be had here: $2.50 beers between 4 and 5:30. I'd come back again!
(4)
Dominic B.
STRONG little gem off the beaten path of 23rd. Hit up Groupon for an even better deal. Check them out!
(4)
Danielle M.
My husband and I ate here for the first time last night. We ordered an appetizer, sushi, and sashimi. The food we received was really good but we never got the sashimi we ordered. My husband flagged down a waitress and asked about it and she said she would check but she never returned. No one checked to see if we needed refills on our drinks the entire meal. We got the check and asked if we were going to get the sashimi we ordered and the waitress says she didn't see the order and do we still want it? At this point no, we were given our check, we don't want it. Doubt seriously if we will be back despite the food being good.
(2)
Andrea F.
I got a groupon a looong time ago for this place! What a great find. I'm a sucker for anything avocado and Unagi and they have some delicious dishes! They also had this interesting purple rice. Pretty sure it was food coloring and not mold since I'm still alive. They have ample seating for big groups as well as an intimate atmosphere for date nights.
(4)
Sita P.
Went in for dinner. It wasn't too busy but for some reason the service was a little slow initially. We ordered a salmon teriyaki bento and a sushi/nigiri combo. The $12 bento was well portioned overall and a decent deal, but the piece of fish we got was the tiniest thinnest slice ever! The thickness of it was pretty much as if they were filleting for sushi except it was cooked. And it was unfortunately drowned in teriyaki... Otherwise it was a good portion of tempura and salad with a tasty dressing. Probably should have went with the spicy pork though. I'm not sure why they even bother adding two pieces of california roll. What did they do with the rest of the roll if we only got two pieces?? The sushi and nigiri was pretty good. I didn't really like the tuna roll because it was a very thick stick of plain tuna. If i was going to eat straight fish like that I would have saved it for nigiri or sashimi. Otherwise the fish was good. One of my pieces of fish was dripping with water though.. the six other pieces were good so I'm overlooking that. Price-wise, it's not the best deal, with a roll and 7 pieces of nigiri costing $16, but you have to pay a little more when you want something better than conveyor belt sushi!
(3)
April Y.
The service was great but the food was a bit disappointing. The California roll had too much mayo but we really liked the spicy tuna. Overall so so. Probably won't go back.
(3)
Joey A.
This place is awesome! Great service and the food is really tasty...the purple rice is really good:)
(5)
Max H.
I had the house salad, and the sushi-sashimi combo. The fish was fresh tasting and delicious. The salad was perfectly portioned and dressed perfectly. I definitely recommend coming here.
(5)
Steven B.
Our Groupon encouraged us to return to Wild Wasabe for dinner tonight. The experience left a bit to be desired. The gyoza were fried and tasteless so a weak start. The shrimp tempura were a total disappointment...greasy, thick breading, gummy with very thin shrimp. The California roll was quite small and failed to provide much flavor. The Bulgogi had good flavor, but seemed dry and got cold quickly. i wish this could be a more positive review, but it was a disappointing night.
(2)
Richard R.
never going back, the servers are totally inattentive and checked with us to see how our meal was, or if we needed refills. the food was way too salty and the sushi was just ok. I do not recommend this place.
(2)
Colby N.
Walked in on a hot day after a visit to the library...happy hour prices were great and very generous portions...our server was super friendly and had a great energy...recommend the sunrise roll
(4)
Katherine M.
Awesome place! I first discovered this place with the help of Groupon. I got the salmon bento, which was awesome. Their fried veggie sushi and dragon roll was also quite tasty. We then ended up going today during happy hour. We got the veggie gyoza, philly roll, shrimp tempura roll, seaside roll, and fried hot salmon roll, which were all super tasty. We then got a green tea mochi ice cream for dessert, which was a great way to end that meal. And because it was happy hour, we only paid $21 for all that food. So awesome! Our server was super nice too, which added to the awesomeness. This is definitely one of my to go places for sushi. And I'm just glad that it's near where I work so I can go to their happy hour more often!
(5)
Pat B.
What the heck has happened to this place?? A couple of years ago it was great but then it changed owners and it's been going down hill ever since! The volcano roll used to be amazing now it's just slop! In fact most of the rolls are slop. I can't really say anything is good except for the service- very nice servers but they should be ashamed of what they put in front of customers!
(1)
Lady C.
Yummy sushi and reasonably priced. The sake sashimi was delicious. Really enjoyed the boss roll. Great service! Will come again.
(4)
Wendy S.
I think I will have to try this place again in order to give it a fair review but we did try it today as I had to use a groupon. Turns out the groupon was for dinner but since it was expiring the waitress let us use it. That was nice. We shared edamame - which came out in large quantity, hot and nicely salted. I had the seaweed salad and a crazy monkey roll. the salad was a nice portion for the price and the roll was deliciously spicy. Note; I found a piece of saran wrap plastic in my salad. I showed it to the server, She apologized and took it and put it in her pocket - nothing more said. My companion had the vegetables tempura which looked amazing. And the chicken teriyaki. Definitely go for the lunch special - for the price its well worth it. It was nice that the server let us use the groupon. What would have been even more appropriate was a gratis on the seaweed salad which contained the plastic wrap..... Oh - and we had a table of about 6 Asian women sitting next to us that were most definitely having a grand old time - but they were SO loud one could barely talk.
(3)
Jason F.
Simply delicious. I poured some soy sauce before the food came, but ended up not using it at all because the sushi was already super tasty.
(4)
Tam O.
We've eaten here several times. The Bento box chicken teriyaki is excellent also the udon noodle soup!
(4)
Mat W.
I spent my birthday dinner at WildWasabi last week. Although the food was goo and the portions were huge, the service was sub par at best. Our server didn't seem interested in taking care of us. The food came out sporadicly so half of our party was practically finished by the time the actually sushi came out. Overall it was just an OK experience.
(2)
Steph L.
Being a sushi/sashimi lover, I thought I'd try this place and pick up some rolls for dinner for my fiance and I. I was the only one in the restaurant around 5 o clock on a Friday. I ordered the salmon skin, salmon avocado, eel, and yellowtail rolls. I always believe when going to a new place, the classic versions should be tried first to give a true testament to the restaurant, itself. First I ordered the four rolls, paid, and waited about 20 min for the rolls to be finished. Then I realized there were only 3 rolls and the waitress realized she forgot the last roll so she had to charge me and I waited another 15 min for the last roll to be finished - at this point I was sitting there for a while as I watched my bus roll by - the one that runs down 23rd to the MAX, which doesn't come too often on a Fri afternoon, apparently. She could tell I was in a hurry at that point so she apologized further and finally gave me my food. We got home and dug in - to a very disappointing meal. I could tell when the girl handed me the food that the sushi was not going to be good. When a place wraps the fish in way too much rice, they're definitely compensating for lack of good fish. Who wants to order sushi and pay the price of it for a ball of rice? I guess I should have known better when I glanced over at the sushi chefs and both guys looked like teenagers. If you want good sushi, go to Yama in the Pearl. Might just try Bamboo Sushi also since I keep reading great reviews.
(1)
Amy P.
Excellent quality of sushi!! Had the Hawaiian Poke, salmon, crab, spicy scallop, and deep fried spicy tuna. Each dish was delicious, the salmon melted in your mouth. Very quiet atmosphere, not busy, good service. Will definitely return again.
(4)
Mihal F.
I've never seen tuna this color - it looked like moldy cardboard. But okay, it was the lunch special - where apparently the chef gives you a variety of whatever fish is fresh that day, but it felt more like a variety of whatever was about to not be fresh the next day. The server seemed to loathe her job, but whatever, I was a server too and I know it can be loathsome. I feel like I just ate at the taco bell of sushi joints. Gross. *stomach grumble*
(1)
I V.
Good sushi, it was my first time and probably not the last one
(5)
Elyse L.
Good sushi and creative rolls however service wasn't the best. We had to wait forever before our waitress took our order. She seemed like she was paying attention but didn't get the hint we were ready to order. She was not very friendly and I inattentive. I would still give this place another try though.
(3)
Misty S.
Oh man. I'm a fan... Just check your receipt if you go during happy hour. I love sushi. Very much so. I was fully prepared for Wild Wasabe to be just another so so sushi joint that I can go to for a quick sushi fix. I was wrong. I'll admit it. This place exceeded my standards from the moment I walked in. It was nicer than I expected. The service was friendlier than I expected. The quality was better than I expected, and they have a happy hour where you can get decent prices on a few rolls... I must have been in a mood that day because I wasn't expecting much. I think I've gotten into the mind set where in order for me to get awesome sushi I have to go to some dive-y place on the East side or pay NW prices. I'm glad Wild Wasabe could give me good sushi, date worthy interior, and friendly service at a decent " happy hour" price. I love sushi but I also love deals. When the receipt came to the table my husband noticed that none of the happy hour discounts were credited. Not a one. He brought it to the servers attention and she said, Oh, well, it may only be just a dollar for the miso soup but I'll check and correct anything that needs to be adjusted. The receipt came back $14 lighter. Yeah, check your receipt.
(4)
Christina D.
Great place. Their $6 lunch special for the Chicken Teriyaki was great. The chicken was flavorful and moist and they give you a big portion. Usually lunch specials at many restaurants comes in a small portion, but at this place, you will have leftover for dinner. Their sushi was great as well.
(4)
Emily O.
I love this little sushi place. They have an expanded happy hour and lots of good options. The purple rice option is a nice twist, too! I highly recommend a stroll through the park and picking up sushi afterward!
(4)
Tracy W.
Super fresh and great service! I will definitely be back when I am in NW Portland. I'm always looking for a great sushi place with a good atmosphere and excellent service.
(4)
stacey k.
Went with a friend who had a groupon. Lucky us! Everything on the menu looks amazing. The rolls are inventive. But the real thing arrived at the table and it was nothing interesting. Monster, catapillar and some spicy tuna roll that wasn't spicy. We were 1 of maybe 3 tables and it took about 30 mins to get our food. I am more a nigiri kinda sushi eater and that was also tasteless. The 2 other people we were with ate chicken teriyaki which was ok. The server was nice and helpful. But the food just not that great.
(2)
Kimberly B.
This place used to be SO great! I miss the purple rice. It's still good. But the wait times have gotten REALLY long. Like when you call in your order it takes 30-45min. I'd happily up the rating if they get their mojo back!!
(2)
David F.
Just watched the sushi chef sneeze twice into his hands. Didn't change gloves or wash his hands. Gross. He clearly has a cold, curious how many people he's passed that on to.
(1)
Aurora D.
We were visiting Portland and came here on a Tuesday night at 8:30, right before they closed at 9. They seated us and served us in a timely manner and we never felt rushed! Great food and we would definitely recommend.
(5)
ToniAnn M.
The food here is really delicious! The atmosphere is pretty simple, & the TVs are a bit "bar-ish" but the volume is off. Service is very slow, & I think a couple of the servers might actually pride themselves on not paying attention to you. They're friendly, just not real attentive. It's so awesome to watch the chefs work. They're talented & take a tremendous amount of pride in the food they put out! One of my favorites!!
(4)
Leslie W.
I've only been here for lunch but I think the food and service are quite good. The yellowtail is very fresh-tasting and I also appreciate the delicate flavor of the miso soup--not oversalted like so many places. I recommend the lunch specials. Most are $10 or so and are a terrific, filling and tasty lunch.
(4)
Thilo W.
Just checked out this new place on Thurman and we had a very good meal. Billed as a "Japanese Bistro," it offers a variety of Nigiri sushi, a lot of rolls, and some other Japanese items like teriyaki chicken and tempura items. Service was prompt and friendly and the space itself is modern without being cheesy. We had the unagi and yellowtail nigiri (very good), the fried spicy tuna roll (excellent), an unagi roll (very good), a ruby roll (three types of fish, very good), tuna roll (good), miso (very good), and vegetable gyoza (could have been a bit more tender, but very good flavor). Also had a beer and 2 sodas and the whole bill came to $60! I love this part of Thurman -- the small commercial area between 25th and 23rd and this reasonably-priced little spot is a welcome addition.
(4)
Brian C.
Everything ordered tasted great and was attractively served. The service was good, the waitress was attentive and fairly quick. I will definitely be going back...
(4)
Sharon Q.
Good fresh sushi. Great rice. My daughter and I were late getting into town, walked in about 20 mins before closing. Staff was very nice, didn't rush us. Quick service, well presented.
(4)
Dirk L.
Not very good Sushi and they serve Escolar in almost everything, which is a cheap byproduct fish.
(2)
JOE M.
Good option for Northwest. Decent sushi at a fair price. Northwest doesn't have a good option for fresh, comfortable sushi where can avoid the conveyor belt. Comfortable, friendly.
(4)
Russ W.
This is a new restaurant that opened in the space that used to be Umenoki Japanese Restaurant. I like the new look, it feels fresh and open with more class than Umenoki had. I'll admit that I'm not a sushi expert. I've never eaten much sushi as I don't understand what I'm eating all the time. At Umenoki I used to get the pork katsu. This time I got a selection of sushi and it was awesome. My friend is a veteran sushi eater and she said this was very good sushi. I like it so much that I went back the next night and ordered the "Firecracker" again. It was awesome again! Miso soup was great and I always like my Sapporo. They had an interesting deal also where you could get a small $2 bottle of sake with each meal. Kind of enticing extra. I didn't get it either time, but I will.
(5)
Liliana G.
i like to try new sushi bars so when there was a groupon for this place i snatched it up. i got the cucumber salad, a tempura appetizer and a couple of pieces of sushi. the cucumber salad barely had any flavor and clearly needs to marinate longer. the mixed tempura appetizer was huge - a great value! there was one really strange thing - the sushi rice was purple. it looked like some forbidden (black) rice had accidentally gotten into the rice maker and rather than throw it out and start over they were serving it. at least i hope that's what happened because, while the flavor of the rice was fine, the color was off-putting to the point of being unappetizing.
(3)
Liz K.
This is a really solid sushi joint. Funny to read that people thought this was expensive - cheapest place I have come across. $2.75 for most sushi orders, including delicious fresh albacore. Rolls are ranked by $7, $8, $9 categories and their $9 rolls are ones you will find elsewhere for $13-$14 (shrimp, crab, etc) Great salads too - cheap. Bottom line is fresh sushi, or all else is lost. And it's got a really nice vibe and looks out on NW Thurman, rather than most strip mall places. We love it and it is our new 'hood sushi place for sure.
(4)
Traci H.
Best sushi in Portland. I live in Troutdale and it is well worth the drive - the crazy monkey is my favorite perfect blend of spicy tuna with fresh jalapeno
(5)
Brian N.
Went back to Wild Wasabe and was impressed. Innovative and good. Much better than before. Worth a visit.
(4)
Paris O.
i will first tell you that i do not eat sushi. so, from a non-sushi eaters perspective, this joint is still really great. my gf thoroughly enjoyed her sushi. because i am unfamiliar with sushi, here is her input. they have many types of sushi she has never heard of. and everything that she has tried, was amazing. my non-sushi eating self, had the chicken teriyaki, it is/was delicious and gigantic, and under $11. the salad they serve with the chicken teriyaki, comes with a yummy orange-flavored dressing. for a non-dressing person it was really good.
(4)
Craig M.
The best sushi that we've found in the NW. I've gotten carryout at least 10 times now and it's always fresh and they have a slew of creative rolls. The price is good (I am updating this part because I paid close attention the last time I went) The specialty role I got was $8! That's not expensive at all, so I disagree big time with some of the reviews claiming this place is pricey....I think it's a really good deal for high quality sushi. Can't speak to the service since we always do pickup on Friday nights...I can say pickup is always ready when they say it will be.
(4)
steve e.
New owner has brought the former restaurant back from the dead with style, a full bar, friendly & prompt service, and a creative menu. The food was beautifully presented with excellent variety at reasonable prices. Can't think of another sushi bar in town with better salads. Yum. Side-lot parking is available, but even better: walk if your in the hood.
(4)
Eugene L.
This restaurant seem fairly new but they seem to have positioned it well as a modern Japanese food bistro targeting younger clientele. The dishes are creative enough and the staff is young but fairly competent, efficient and attentive. I am not sure that I would go out of my way to seek it our next time I crave excellent sushi, but I would definitely stop by again if I am in the area.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot 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 : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Rachel R.
I love coming here and enjoy bringing friends who would not otherwise know about this place. The fish is fresh and tasty and the sushi chefs are really nice and accommodating. Even though the servers/waitresses are spotty (some nice, some rude) I still give 5 stars because I enjoy the food and to circumvent the waitress issue just sit at the sushi bar and deal with the sushi chefs directly! Besides the waitress issue, the only thing I would fix would be the sashimi platter size of the fish - sometimes you get nice, larger sized pieces but sometimes they are really small. I try to go on certain days when I know one particular sushi chef will be there because of this issue. When I am paying $20 for some pieces of raw fish I do want enough that I can get somewhat full on it. They do a GREAT $2 hot sake with your dinner order, unlimited $2 hot sakes! Go check it out...They are also open Sunday which I LOVE since a lot of sushi places are closed that day.
(5)Shirley L.
Great experience at Wild Wasabe tonight. Husband and I went to this join with Groupon in hand and expecting ... well... really nothing based on the reviews that I saw here. We were surprised. The service was wonderful. Our waitress was attentive and very engaging. It's also nice to see Asian people behind the sushi counter! As for the food, it was better than we had expected. Between the two of us, we ordered Ahi Poke (raw tuna marinated with sauce with seaweed, mango and tobiko), Ruby Roll (8 pieces roll with salmon and hamachi wrapped in purple rice, topped with tuna) and Chicken teriyaki bento. Taste-wise, all were above average. Ahi Poke was DELICIOUS. Lots of fish under $10. Ruby roll also has lots of fish (salmon and hamachi were both in solid piece, rather than chopped mush). And the bento.... OMG, the bento. It's HUGE! Biggest portion that I've ever seen in Japanese restaurant. Chicken was not drown in sauce. Both salad and tempura were served in appetizer portion. And they don't charge you arms and legs for it! I feel that I got my $ worth at Wild Wasabe and will definitely go back (or takeout).
(4)Vanessa C.
I came for happy hour one weeknight. The employees were friendly. It wasn't a large happy hour menu, but it was comparable to other happy hour menus I've seen. Several of the items on the happy hour menu were not on the regular menu, so I had no idea what was in the sushi. I basically had to ask my waiter to explain each option to me in order to decide on what I wanted. He did this without complaining or being rude. When the food came out, they accidentally made us the wrong roll. The waiter pointed this out when he placed the food on our table letting us know that the correct roll was being made and the roll that we hadn't ordered would be on the house for the mix up.
(4)Magicka M.
The bento deal is worth the price. Even if you have to pay a little more for dinner you still get your fill. Sushi on the other hand is a little more above average. It doesn't make it in the pricey category, but I spent double than the bento my husband got and I felt I could have eaten more. I basically got two rolls and he had a massive platter. The rolls were really good, but it wasn't anything I went home to find myself craving for it later. Otherwise the fish was fresh and the presentation was nice. Since we did order differently the plates didn't come out at the same time, but it is pretty much expected for most restaurant. The place is nice and clean Service was decent. Basically this place isn't bad, but isn't anything outstanding (in my opinion).
(3)Lauren A.
Solid sushi - went there for HH and thought it was a great deal! Decent house sake and green tea too. Not the best place I've ever eaten at, but for the price it was quite good. Definitely recommend HH!
(4)Jessica A.
Wild Wasabe is one of my new Portland favorites! The Firecracker roll is divine - spicy crab and cucumber inside, spicy tuna, tobiko and spicy mayo sauce on top. The gyoza are lightly fried and decadent, but they come to your table very hot! Beware, I burnt my mouth on the first one - I couldn't wait for them to cool down! Lastly, they have terrific lunch specials. I had a lunch special today with miso soup, 6 pieces of shrimp tempura roll, 6 pieces of spicy tuna roll and 6 pieces of California roll. Nom nom nom. It was so much food, I was stuffed and had to walk the long way back to the office!
(5)J. K.
Your typical neighborhood sushi restaurant. The menu is exactly what you'd expect. The place is very nice, great vibe and decoration, makes you feel comfortable spending all evening there if you wanted to. TVs at the bar allows you to watch the games while you enjoy the sushi and beer.
(3)Paul R.
Have eaten here several times over the last few months (as well as very recently). The service is generally indifferent. We were sat and ignored for 15 minutes while others who came in later were waited on. Had to ask for plates, water, etc. The wine is kept at room temperature (meaning too warm) in a wall rack. The 'sushi' is pretty much the opposite of NW expectations. No wild salmon - all farmed (and looked/tasted previously frozen). The unagi nigiri was cold and fishy. The rolls are all about sauce and goo instead of flavor. No amount of wasabi ('wild' or otherwise) could compensate. If we lived in the neighborhood then maybe we'd frequent, but it's not a destination sushi restaurant. Living near Masu and Yama means not bothering with WW anymore. Always good to calibrate, but those two set a bar that others can't touch.
(2)Allison D.
I went here for lunch with a couple of coworkers. The menu is limited and the sushi is overpriced. $8 for a roll? Is purple rice really worth that much? The service was ok but we had to basically tackle our waitress to get our check. There are so many other sushi restaurants in the area where you will get more for your money, check out Yuki or Mio Sushi instead.
(1)Angela S.
Tuna in the sushi was gray... A bit worrisome knowing that means it's on it's last leg. The rolls otherwise were very bland. The veggie roll was at least good. I won't be back unfortunately.
(2)Chad C.
I'm not much for sushi, but they have a $6 teriyaki chicken lunch special that includes a healthy portion of chicken, purple rice, and a small salad. The teriyaki sauce is also kind of...more of a gel, not a liquidy-oil substance like I've typically seen.
(3)Steve M.
If Godzilla ever attacks Portland (or defends it from the likes of Biollante), it's quite possibly the only time I wouldn't want to be at Wild Wasabi. Their sushi is divine (a little spendy, which is the only thing preventing the 5th star), but absolutely, deliciously, beautifully presentedly, magnifigoodness. It's rarely I get to rave about everything I ordered so to cover the highlights:: OK call me a big kid, but one of the things I like about sushi is that it's way fun to eat. As a result, I'm a total sucker for clever sushi names like "the tootsie roll" (which in this case is eel and avocado inside eel, scallion and unagi sauce on top). Aside from the fact that it was incredibly fresh (which having has some past experiences with dubious sushi freshness, I was honestly surprised to discover on a Sunday night), it paired perfectly with.. The Spicy Tataki Roll (Spicy tuna and cucumber inside Seared albacore, scallion, garlic and ponzu sauce on top). OK, not only was this thing the bomb (veiled Godzilla reference), but one thing the menu doesn't tell you is about is the yummy crunchy that they put on top. If you're a klutz like myself, you may lose one of those yummy crunchies...but if you liked the garlic crunchy as much as a 1/4 as I did, you'll most likely deploy the "three second rule" (maybe I did, maybe I didn't, I'll never tell).
(4)Todd S.
Have been in a couple times, and each time has been very "A-OK." The mixed tempura is fine, though the shrimp was undercooked; not the shrimp meat itself, but the batter applied (doughy). The seaweed salad was my highlight. The sushi was somewhat undone by overcooked rice. Last time in, it was way overcooked. Everything inside was fresh and prepared/cooked perfectly, but it's impossible to get past the outside mush. However, the presentation is quite nice. The ambiance is fine, but the service is spotty. A member of our party ordered Riesling, but was served sparkling wine. I had to go hunting for my own napkin and chopsticks. You can find worse sushi, but you can also find much better.
(3)marlene s.
Came here with a Groupon. I enjoyed my teriyaki chicken bento box, which, oddly enough, came out before my husband's sushi. And it seemed that other people who sat after us were getting their rolls before us. I'm used to always getting served last, being the only one at the table who doesn't eat seafood, let alone sushi. I watched the server warm sake in the microwave that was in clear view...at least hide it! Service was ok.
(2)Sarah L.
I get in trouble a little bit at work for being too positive. I can't help it. There's so much negative bull shit in the world that I want to focus on positive. For realz. It's what keeps me getting out of bed in the morning. So Wild Wasabe gets a positive review. We first checked this place out via Groupon. And we were not disappointed! That's what I love about Groupon - it helps you try out places you might not have heard of or stopped at before. This was one of the better experiences. The space is a comfortable size. Lots of window seating, which I love. Nice staff. And purple rice!! Hello?! That's awesome. The spicy rolls are just that - spice goodness. The tea is wonderful. And the prices are totally reasonable. We've been here several times now, and I'm sure we'll keep going back more and more. It's one of the better sushi places in NW.
(4)Nani M.
I have been here twice. I love sushi. Their sizing of their sushi seem a little on the small side. A little larger then tekka maki size but not quite sushi size-you know what I mean? Now I have seen ginormous sushi and average sushi. Theirs is on the small, tasteless side. I'm not sure what the problem was but I couldn't understand why the sushi was tasteless. I wasn't impressed. The 2nd time I tried them, The Tempura Udon again was nothing exceptional. Just Average. If you need a sushi fix drop by, but if you want to really indulge in detectible sushi, you may want to try some place else.
(3)Hope W.
Went here for Happy Hour based on the Yelp reviews. Can't say I was pleased, nor will I go back. Had to find the items on the Happy Hour menu on the regular menu so I could see what they were. Took some time, but was doable. Sushi wasn't in any way remarkable. Didn't really care for the tempura fried fish in the sushi rolls. Price was okay. Service was fine. Food was meh.
(2)Lindsay L.
I heart you Wild Wasabe! They have delicious food, great value and fantastic service. What else would you want to know!
(4)John S.
Fairly decent, but bland. Nowhere near as good as Bamboo Sushi on 23rd.
(2)Marcie G.
Great service, friendly servers and delectable sushi. Love the purple rice and their Ahi sashimi was so fresh, I swear it was about to flip off of my plate! The bf loved his super spicy roll and Philly roll. You can bet I'll be back!
(5)Stanley T.
Stopped in for Happy Hour. Pretty good deals. The wakame salad was quite tasty, though it was a bit wetter than I expected. The seaside roll was OK. The spicy tuna roll didn't do it for me. Service and ambiance were fine. They should have a better beer selection. We might return (it's a block from our house).
(3)chile o.
Purple rice. This will probably be one of the first things you will notice as you look around the newest sushi joint to hit Portland. Billing themselves as a Japanese Bistro, Wild Wasabe has transformed an old sushi place into a slick looking contemporary eatery at NW Thurman and 23rd Place. New owners have made some serious improvements from the décor to the food. The effort put into giving the place a new look also shines through in the heightened level of care given to the food. The new owners have several other sushi restaurants in Eugene, and it seems as though they have honed their craft and brought us something a little different. Back to the rice. It is purple. This is an innovative and refreshing approach, and lends itself to the 'Wild' in Wild Wasabe. It actually compliments the many colors that sushi consists of quite nicely. With just a touch of brown rice blended in, it has a light nutty flavor. Even though the rolls are relatively sizable, they don't cram in an overabundance of rice, instead piling on the fish and other accoutrements. The list of fish and seafood is fairly tame, but they do offer real crab and one of my personal favorites, escolar. I will be the first to say that Wild Wasabe is not changing the world of sushi, but what they lack in variety, they more than make up for in presentation and portion. We're not talking Saburo portions, but still plenty of fish for your hard earned cash. They also offer several veggie rolls, including a deep fried veggie roll that is basically a veggie tempura plate, including asparagus and sweet potato, rolled up. All of their rolls are presented beautifully, and with obvious care. The specialty rolls are full of flavor, using varied traditional ingredients in appetizing and innovative ways. The menu is arranged in traditional fashion, with the specialty rolls broken down into 7, 8 and 9 dollar categories. Besides sushi, they also have a decent array of salads, from standard mixed greens to seaweed to Hawaiian Poke. Miso, veggie and pork gyoza, and tempuras highlight a small appetizer selection. Udon and Yakisoba noodles are available with meat or vegetables. The chicken and and salmon teriyakis are the hot item for the lunch crowd. In fact, the chicken teriyaki is only 6 dollars during lunch, and includes a heap of rice and a small salad of mixed greens that has a perfect amount of sesame orange ginger vinaigrette that is outstanding. They also offer numerous Sakes, by the glass or bottle, as well as jinro soju, a few mainstream wines in several varieties and Japanese, domestic, and local big micro beers. A small happy hour menu is also available, but Happy Hour is only from 3:30 to 5:30. It is worth going if you make the time, as several of the appetizers and salads are reduced in price. Nine rolls are offered at between 2 and 4 dollars. A small house sake is 2 bucks. Overall, this is a fine establishment for a power lunch, a place to meet up with friends, or even a nice date spot. The food is fresh, and gets to you post-haste. The only drawbacks I have found is that the service can be a bit flighty. I recommend sitting at the bar and ordering from the chefs. You've seen most of it before, but the few things you haven't are fun, and it's refreshing to see a place that attempts to raise the bar when it comes to making sushi look cool.
(4)Dawn P.
Seven days after my first review of Wild Wasabe I just had to go back... This time for lunch! Excellent lunch special options. I tried out the chicken teriyaki this time. Not only was it delicious, the portion was also very generous with rice and a decent sized salad of mixed greens and veggies on the side. Yum.
(5)E L.
Went to checkout their all-you-can-eat that takes place Saturdays. They had a lot of rules that really restricts the ordering process. They have a limit of one of each of udon, nigiri sushi (4 pieces), baked mussels, and monkey brain. Your initial order can be two items but every order after is a limit of one item and you have to finish before you can place a new order. The time is takes for waitresses to come around and take your order and place your order and the sushi man to make and then deliver your order took forever! The place was full and since there was only two sushi men working... I understood how tough it was for them to make the orders. The quality of the food was great and the price was not bad for $21.95. I just wished service was a lot faster!
(3)Stacy C.
Im wondering if this place changed hands. I met someone here a couple of years ago and never went back. My last visit a couple of weeks ago the sushi was much more fresh, the rice fully cooked, items that should be cold/cool were. Items that should be hot were. Service was excellent. A real step up from what it was. I'll go back
(3)Rebecca N.
Alphabet district is my jam. I've been to all of the well know fantastic eateries around here, time and time again. After an misadventurous hiatus in SE, I recently plunked back down in the 97210 and have been trying to eat at all of the less exciting looking places that I never tried while living here before. So far, no thrilling revelations have been made. Low expectations were met with precision at Wild Wasabe this past Friday evening. As much as I love social media, I really can't expect much of a restaurant that plasters its windows with Yelp and Facebook check in offers. Our waitress was absolutely lovely and the highlight of the experience. The sushi, well, was lackluster and incredibly overpriced. We tried several rolls. The single vegetarian item available was a veggie roll, which was 4 pieces of slightly wilted salady sushi for $7.50. We tried a couple of spicy tuna and salmon rolls as well, and I'm not even sure which was which. The permutations of sushi ingredients in each were not memorable. Most rolls were awkwardly sweet, room temp, and bland. I started to question what sort of person I've become as I realized that the sushi components were cut haphazardly and each piece was a different size. Cue the existential queries. Does this mean I'm a bad person? Wait, I'm paying for this. Does this newly realized awareness of sushi quality mean I've "made it"? Why didn't I just go to Bamboo in the first place? Oh right. We came here for science. We Investigated. And then we left, still sort of hungry, $60 spent on dinner for two (no drinks) and otherwise no worse for the wear. I can't see myself coming back here, really. Of note, it looks like they have all you can eat sushi on Saturdays during the day, if you're into that sort of thing. You would probably like Bamboo better though.
(2)Tammie W.
Really great food and service coming out of this place. I'd recommend going for lunch since it's reasonably priced and you can get a bento box served with your choice of protein (I got the teriyaki salmon), served with a salad that had a ginger dressing on it, purple rice, a 4-piece cali roll and a 5 piece shrimp and vegetable tempura. All of that was around $12. My husband ordered tekka maki and the vegas roll. The tuna was tender, dark red and melted in my mouth. The vegas roll was creamy from the cream cheese and warm since they coated it in tempura batter and fried it. Yum!
(4)Marissa L.
I've lived in Japan for 5 years and was a little hesitant about the all you can eat as you wonder about the quality being served. My guy and I loved it! If you want a fun twist on sushi rolls this is the place to go. The only bad thing I can comment on is that I ate way more than I should've! Definitely will be coming back here to try more on the all you can eat list. We both liked the Green Dragon! And I liked the veggie dragon with yam tempura.
(5)Fraznyne T.
Good for: happy hour, an impromptu sushi dinner, and killing time. Very decent food & atmosphere to stumble upon and enjoy while waiting for my son at his anime group at the library. Happy hour prices were nice to partake in. I ordered the happy hour roll special (2 five piece rolls for $10) some nigiri and a hand roll - all of it had a good flavor, though the rice kinda fell apart on the nigiri. No purple rice, but beautiful presentation of all the dishes I ordered. I didn't try any of the special rolls, but they look very interesting and I'd love to try them at another time. They were out of the happy hour sake flight, disappointing, but their house warm sake was decent. Overall I'd go back for another dinner while waiting near the library, but I don't think I'd travel out of my way to eat here. Give it a try if you're close and in the mood for sushi though :)
(4)Elise A.
I will not be going here again. I went in at 6pm on a Friday night. There were 4 tables other than me; I was solo ordering takeout. I ordered 1 handroll, 1 roll and 1 order of sashimi. $26 and 30 minutes later, I had my mediocre sushi. 30 minutes for such a small order on less-than-busy night is frustrating, plus the extremely high prices made for a poor first visit.
(1)Melissa B.
This place is outstanding. Friendly helpful service (in Portland whaaaaat?!) takeout orders completely extremely quickly and the sushi is delicious
(5)A G.
Had a fantastic time both times I have visited this place. I am a vegetarian and do agree with some of the reviewers that the veggie roll is expensive for the quantity did not have any issues with the quality of the food. Their sushi is fresh, and a fresh bento box with teriyaki tofu. The best dish is the hot jade stone bowl which they make vegetarian on request, really tasty with crispy rice botton. DId I mention fresh orchids on every table? We will be back!
(4)Jason W.
I really don't understand the lower reviews for this place. We have always had the best service and some of the best quality sushi around. Not to mention their inventive rolls. This place is one of the best in town and is why we keep coming back.
(4)Naomi M.
Wow. That was some of the worst sushi and service I have ever had! We came for the all-you-can-eat, and left after eating 4 pieces each! The fish tasted old, the rice was warm and tough, they sent us out the wrong rolls, and when we let them know that the sushi didn't taste quite right, the chef defended the temps on the fridge rather than offering a solution. Don't waste your money here.
(1)Krin W.
All-you-can-eat (AYCE) sushi for $21.95 on the weekends! It was an outstanding deal for delicious and interesting rolls and the service was fantastic. Lots of really good veggie options. Fresh, tasty sushi and sizeable portions for a steal!
(5)Nick D.
I had yakisoba (chicken was dry), 2 rolls (small and somewhat bland compared to Bamboo) and calamari (it should have been called squid tempura.. Batter in way too thick). Too bad. I had my hopes up for this place, but will not be returning
(3)Karen J.
Third time is a charm, the sushi and rolls are fresh and very tasty! One of our favorite places in Portland for sure
(4)Jessica P.
I've been here a few times, and have never been disappointed. Everything tastes fresh, and is so flavorful. I love that they offer groupons from time to time.
(4)D J.
Excellent food and even better service! Each of the staff members was very attentive and sweet.
(4)Karen C.
Stopped in for lunch today and ordered the lunch special combo #2. When the food came I noticed the numbers didn't add up, so I asked a waitress to double check. She acknowledged that I was missing sushi, said "hold on" and left, I assumed, to correct the error. She didn't come back for the rest of my meal. In fact I was ignored until the check came. I don't understand... did she think I would forget? Even if she had come back and, for example, explained that their chefs don't cut their rolls according to pieces yielded (which would be a poor excuse anyway since their menu clearly states the number of pieces you'd get, not how many rolls), I would've been okay with it, because I'd know she'd actually attempted a resolution. Instead I'm left annoyed and feeling like I got cheated. I've gone to Wild Wasabe on many occasions, but they just lost a customer today.
(1)Madison S.
Great meal and service during happy hour. Solid deals to be had here: $2.50 beers between 4 and 5:30. I'd come back again!
(4)Dominic B.
STRONG little gem off the beaten path of 23rd. Hit up Groupon for an even better deal. Check them out!
(4)Danielle M.
My husband and I ate here for the first time last night. We ordered an appetizer, sushi, and sashimi. The food we received was really good but we never got the sashimi we ordered. My husband flagged down a waitress and asked about it and she said she would check but she never returned. No one checked to see if we needed refills on our drinks the entire meal. We got the check and asked if we were going to get the sashimi we ordered and the waitress says she didn't see the order and do we still want it? At this point no, we were given our check, we don't want it. Doubt seriously if we will be back despite the food being good.
(2)Andrea F.
I got a groupon a looong time ago for this place! What a great find. I'm a sucker for anything avocado and Unagi and they have some delicious dishes! They also had this interesting purple rice. Pretty sure it was food coloring and not mold since I'm still alive. They have ample seating for big groups as well as an intimate atmosphere for date nights.
(4)Sita P.
Went in for dinner. It wasn't too busy but for some reason the service was a little slow initially. We ordered a salmon teriyaki bento and a sushi/nigiri combo. The $12 bento was well portioned overall and a decent deal, but the piece of fish we got was the tiniest thinnest slice ever! The thickness of it was pretty much as if they were filleting for sushi except it was cooked. And it was unfortunately drowned in teriyaki... Otherwise it was a good portion of tempura and salad with a tasty dressing. Probably should have went with the spicy pork though. I'm not sure why they even bother adding two pieces of california roll. What did they do with the rest of the roll if we only got two pieces?? The sushi and nigiri was pretty good. I didn't really like the tuna roll because it was a very thick stick of plain tuna. If i was going to eat straight fish like that I would have saved it for nigiri or sashimi. Otherwise the fish was good. One of my pieces of fish was dripping with water though.. the six other pieces were good so I'm overlooking that. Price-wise, it's not the best deal, with a roll and 7 pieces of nigiri costing $16, but you have to pay a little more when you want something better than conveyor belt sushi!
(3)April Y.
The service was great but the food was a bit disappointing. The California roll had too much mayo but we really liked the spicy tuna. Overall so so. Probably won't go back.
(3)Joey A.
This place is awesome! Great service and the food is really tasty...the purple rice is really good:)
(5)Max H.
I had the house salad, and the sushi-sashimi combo. The fish was fresh tasting and delicious. The salad was perfectly portioned and dressed perfectly. I definitely recommend coming here.
(5)Steven B.
Our Groupon encouraged us to return to Wild Wasabe for dinner tonight. The experience left a bit to be desired. The gyoza were fried and tasteless so a weak start. The shrimp tempura were a total disappointment...greasy, thick breading, gummy with very thin shrimp. The California roll was quite small and failed to provide much flavor. The Bulgogi had good flavor, but seemed dry and got cold quickly. i wish this could be a more positive review, but it was a disappointing night.
(2)Richard R.
never going back, the servers are totally inattentive and checked with us to see how our meal was, or if we needed refills. the food was way too salty and the sushi was just ok. I do not recommend this place.
(2)Colby N.
Walked in on a hot day after a visit to the library...happy hour prices were great and very generous portions...our server was super friendly and had a great energy...recommend the sunrise roll
(4)Katherine M.
Awesome place! I first discovered this place with the help of Groupon. I got the salmon bento, which was awesome. Their fried veggie sushi and dragon roll was also quite tasty. We then ended up going today during happy hour. We got the veggie gyoza, philly roll, shrimp tempura roll, seaside roll, and fried hot salmon roll, which were all super tasty. We then got a green tea mochi ice cream for dessert, which was a great way to end that meal. And because it was happy hour, we only paid $21 for all that food. So awesome! Our server was super nice too, which added to the awesomeness. This is definitely one of my to go places for sushi. And I'm just glad that it's near where I work so I can go to their happy hour more often!
(5)Pat B.
What the heck has happened to this place?? A couple of years ago it was great but then it changed owners and it's been going down hill ever since! The volcano roll used to be amazing now it's just slop! In fact most of the rolls are slop. I can't really say anything is good except for the service- very nice servers but they should be ashamed of what they put in front of customers!
(1)Lady C.
Yummy sushi and reasonably priced. The sake sashimi was delicious. Really enjoyed the boss roll. Great service! Will come again.
(4)Wendy S.
I think I will have to try this place again in order to give it a fair review but we did try it today as I had to use a groupon. Turns out the groupon was for dinner but since it was expiring the waitress let us use it. That was nice. We shared edamame - which came out in large quantity, hot and nicely salted. I had the seaweed salad and a crazy monkey roll. the salad was a nice portion for the price and the roll was deliciously spicy. Note; I found a piece of saran wrap plastic in my salad. I showed it to the server, She apologized and took it and put it in her pocket - nothing more said. My companion had the vegetables tempura which looked amazing. And the chicken teriyaki. Definitely go for the lunch special - for the price its well worth it. It was nice that the server let us use the groupon. What would have been even more appropriate was a gratis on the seaweed salad which contained the plastic wrap..... Oh - and we had a table of about 6 Asian women sitting next to us that were most definitely having a grand old time - but they were SO loud one could barely talk.
(3)Jason F.
Simply delicious. I poured some soy sauce before the food came, but ended up not using it at all because the sushi was already super tasty.
(4)Tam O.
We've eaten here several times. The Bento box chicken teriyaki is excellent also the udon noodle soup!
(4)Mat W.
I spent my birthday dinner at WildWasabi last week. Although the food was goo and the portions were huge, the service was sub par at best. Our server didn't seem interested in taking care of us. The food came out sporadicly so half of our party was practically finished by the time the actually sushi came out. Overall it was just an OK experience.
(2)Steph L.
Being a sushi/sashimi lover, I thought I'd try this place and pick up some rolls for dinner for my fiance and I. I was the only one in the restaurant around 5 o clock on a Friday. I ordered the salmon skin, salmon avocado, eel, and yellowtail rolls. I always believe when going to a new place, the classic versions should be tried first to give a true testament to the restaurant, itself. First I ordered the four rolls, paid, and waited about 20 min for the rolls to be finished. Then I realized there were only 3 rolls and the waitress realized she forgot the last roll so she had to charge me and I waited another 15 min for the last roll to be finished - at this point I was sitting there for a while as I watched my bus roll by - the one that runs down 23rd to the MAX, which doesn't come too often on a Fri afternoon, apparently. She could tell I was in a hurry at that point so she apologized further and finally gave me my food. We got home and dug in - to a very disappointing meal. I could tell when the girl handed me the food that the sushi was not going to be good. When a place wraps the fish in way too much rice, they're definitely compensating for lack of good fish. Who wants to order sushi and pay the price of it for a ball of rice? I guess I should have known better when I glanced over at the sushi chefs and both guys looked like teenagers. If you want good sushi, go to Yama in the Pearl. Might just try Bamboo Sushi also since I keep reading great reviews.
(1)Amy P.
Excellent quality of sushi!! Had the Hawaiian Poke, salmon, crab, spicy scallop, and deep fried spicy tuna. Each dish was delicious, the salmon melted in your mouth. Very quiet atmosphere, not busy, good service. Will definitely return again.
(4)Mihal F.
I've never seen tuna this color - it looked like moldy cardboard. But okay, it was the lunch special - where apparently the chef gives you a variety of whatever fish is fresh that day, but it felt more like a variety of whatever was about to not be fresh the next day. The server seemed to loathe her job, but whatever, I was a server too and I know it can be loathsome. I feel like I just ate at the taco bell of sushi joints. Gross. *stomach grumble*
(1)I V.
Good sushi, it was my first time and probably not the last one
(5)Elyse L.
Good sushi and creative rolls however service wasn't the best. We had to wait forever before our waitress took our order. She seemed like she was paying attention but didn't get the hint we were ready to order. She was not very friendly and I inattentive. I would still give this place another try though.
(3)Misty S.
Oh man. I'm a fan... Just check your receipt if you go during happy hour. I love sushi. Very much so. I was fully prepared for Wild Wasabe to be just another so so sushi joint that I can go to for a quick sushi fix. I was wrong. I'll admit it. This place exceeded my standards from the moment I walked in. It was nicer than I expected. The service was friendlier than I expected. The quality was better than I expected, and they have a happy hour where you can get decent prices on a few rolls... I must have been in a mood that day because I wasn't expecting much. I think I've gotten into the mind set where in order for me to get awesome sushi I have to go to some dive-y place on the East side or pay NW prices. I'm glad Wild Wasabe could give me good sushi, date worthy interior, and friendly service at a decent " happy hour" price. I love sushi but I also love deals. When the receipt came to the table my husband noticed that none of the happy hour discounts were credited. Not a one. He brought it to the servers attention and she said, Oh, well, it may only be just a dollar for the miso soup but I'll check and correct anything that needs to be adjusted. The receipt came back $14 lighter. Yeah, check your receipt.
(4)Christina D.
Great place. Their $6 lunch special for the Chicken Teriyaki was great. The chicken was flavorful and moist and they give you a big portion. Usually lunch specials at many restaurants comes in a small portion, but at this place, you will have leftover for dinner. Their sushi was great as well.
(4)Emily O.
I love this little sushi place. They have an expanded happy hour and lots of good options. The purple rice option is a nice twist, too! I highly recommend a stroll through the park and picking up sushi afterward!
(4)Tracy W.
Super fresh and great service! I will definitely be back when I am in NW Portland. I'm always looking for a great sushi place with a good atmosphere and excellent service.
(4)stacey k.
Went with a friend who had a groupon. Lucky us! Everything on the menu looks amazing. The rolls are inventive. But the real thing arrived at the table and it was nothing interesting. Monster, catapillar and some spicy tuna roll that wasn't spicy. We were 1 of maybe 3 tables and it took about 30 mins to get our food. I am more a nigiri kinda sushi eater and that was also tasteless. The 2 other people we were with ate chicken teriyaki which was ok. The server was nice and helpful. But the food just not that great.
(2)Kimberly B.
This place used to be SO great! I miss the purple rice. It's still good. But the wait times have gotten REALLY long. Like when you call in your order it takes 30-45min. I'd happily up the rating if they get their mojo back!!
(2)David F.
Just watched the sushi chef sneeze twice into his hands. Didn't change gloves or wash his hands. Gross. He clearly has a cold, curious how many people he's passed that on to.
(1)Aurora D.
We were visiting Portland and came here on a Tuesday night at 8:30, right before they closed at 9. They seated us and served us in a timely manner and we never felt rushed! Great food and we would definitely recommend.
(5)ToniAnn M.
The food here is really delicious! The atmosphere is pretty simple, & the TVs are a bit "bar-ish" but the volume is off. Service is very slow, & I think a couple of the servers might actually pride themselves on not paying attention to you. They're friendly, just not real attentive. It's so awesome to watch the chefs work. They're talented & take a tremendous amount of pride in the food they put out! One of my favorites!!
(4)Leslie W.
I've only been here for lunch but I think the food and service are quite good. The yellowtail is very fresh-tasting and I also appreciate the delicate flavor of the miso soup--not oversalted like so many places. I recommend the lunch specials. Most are $10 or so and are a terrific, filling and tasty lunch.
(4)Thilo W.
Just checked out this new place on Thurman and we had a very good meal. Billed as a "Japanese Bistro," it offers a variety of Nigiri sushi, a lot of rolls, and some other Japanese items like teriyaki chicken and tempura items. Service was prompt and friendly and the space itself is modern without being cheesy. We had the unagi and yellowtail nigiri (very good), the fried spicy tuna roll (excellent), an unagi roll (very good), a ruby roll (three types of fish, very good), tuna roll (good), miso (very good), and vegetable gyoza (could have been a bit more tender, but very good flavor). Also had a beer and 2 sodas and the whole bill came to $60! I love this part of Thurman -- the small commercial area between 25th and 23rd and this reasonably-priced little spot is a welcome addition.
(4)Brian C.
Everything ordered tasted great and was attractively served. The service was good, the waitress was attentive and fairly quick. I will definitely be going back...
(4)Sharon Q.
Good fresh sushi. Great rice. My daughter and I were late getting into town, walked in about 20 mins before closing. Staff was very nice, didn't rush us. Quick service, well presented.
(4)Dirk L.
Not very good Sushi and they serve Escolar in almost everything, which is a cheap byproduct fish.
(2)JOE M.
Good option for Northwest. Decent sushi at a fair price. Northwest doesn't have a good option for fresh, comfortable sushi where can avoid the conveyor belt. Comfortable, friendly.
(4)Russ W.
This is a new restaurant that opened in the space that used to be Umenoki Japanese Restaurant. I like the new look, it feels fresh and open with more class than Umenoki had. I'll admit that I'm not a sushi expert. I've never eaten much sushi as I don't understand what I'm eating all the time. At Umenoki I used to get the pork katsu. This time I got a selection of sushi and it was awesome. My friend is a veteran sushi eater and she said this was very good sushi. I like it so much that I went back the next night and ordered the "Firecracker" again. It was awesome again! Miso soup was great and I always like my Sapporo. They had an interesting deal also where you could get a small $2 bottle of sake with each meal. Kind of enticing extra. I didn't get it either time, but I will.
(5)Liliana G.
i like to try new sushi bars so when there was a groupon for this place i snatched it up. i got the cucumber salad, a tempura appetizer and a couple of pieces of sushi. the cucumber salad barely had any flavor and clearly needs to marinate longer. the mixed tempura appetizer was huge - a great value! there was one really strange thing - the sushi rice was purple. it looked like some forbidden (black) rice had accidentally gotten into the rice maker and rather than throw it out and start over they were serving it. at least i hope that's what happened because, while the flavor of the rice was fine, the color was off-putting to the point of being unappetizing.
(3)Liz K.
This is a really solid sushi joint. Funny to read that people thought this was expensive - cheapest place I have come across. $2.75 for most sushi orders, including delicious fresh albacore. Rolls are ranked by $7, $8, $9 categories and their $9 rolls are ones you will find elsewhere for $13-$14 (shrimp, crab, etc) Great salads too - cheap. Bottom line is fresh sushi, or all else is lost. And it's got a really nice vibe and looks out on NW Thurman, rather than most strip mall places. We love it and it is our new 'hood sushi place for sure.
(4)Traci H.
Best sushi in Portland. I live in Troutdale and it is well worth the drive - the crazy monkey is my favorite perfect blend of spicy tuna with fresh jalapeno
(5)Brian N.
Went back to Wild Wasabe and was impressed. Innovative and good. Much better than before. Worth a visit.
(4)Paris O.
i will first tell you that i do not eat sushi. so, from a non-sushi eaters perspective, this joint is still really great. my gf thoroughly enjoyed her sushi. because i am unfamiliar with sushi, here is her input. they have many types of sushi she has never heard of. and everything that she has tried, was amazing. my non-sushi eating self, had the chicken teriyaki, it is/was delicious and gigantic, and under $11. the salad they serve with the chicken teriyaki, comes with a yummy orange-flavored dressing. for a non-dressing person it was really good.
(4)Craig M.
The best sushi that we've found in the NW. I've gotten carryout at least 10 times now and it's always fresh and they have a slew of creative rolls. The price is good (I am updating this part because I paid close attention the last time I went) The specialty role I got was $8! That's not expensive at all, so I disagree big time with some of the reviews claiming this place is pricey....I think it's a really good deal for high quality sushi. Can't speak to the service since we always do pickup on Friday nights...I can say pickup is always ready when they say it will be.
(4)steve e.
New owner has brought the former restaurant back from the dead with style, a full bar, friendly & prompt service, and a creative menu. The food was beautifully presented with excellent variety at reasonable prices. Can't think of another sushi bar in town with better salads. Yum. Side-lot parking is available, but even better: walk if your in the hood.
(4)Eugene L.
This restaurant seem fairly new but they seem to have positioned it well as a modern Japanese food bistro targeting younger clientele. The dishes are creative enough and the staff is young but fairly competent, efficient and attentive. I am not sure that I would go out of my way to seek it our next time I crave excellent sushi, but I would definitely stop by again if I am in the area.
(3)