The Best Japanese Food in Portland OR
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The best Japanese food in Portland OR, according to the experts: the James Beard Awards, Condé Nast Traveler, and Portland Monthly have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Nodoguro comes out on top, and the good stuff runs deepest in Portland.
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Murata Japanese Restaurant and Kaede hold the next two places. Portland Monthly shows up on more of this list than any other guide, with Eater next.
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Rank 1. Nodoguro
Japanese
The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Winner · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Winner · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- James Beard Awards 2025 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
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Rank 2. Nodoguro
Japanese
Each dinner follows a literal script, with courses named Acts I through V and a menu built around a short story or novel that changes every six weeks. Nodoguro is an intimate Japanese omakase tucked into a downtown building, where the chef composes each plate in front of you at the bar. Ryan Roadhouse sources his rice from Hokkaido, and the whole thing moves with the quiet precision of someone who has thought very hard about the order of things.
The awards
- James Beard Awards James Beard Awards: 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- Condé Nast Traveler Condé Nast Traveler: The 23 Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon
- Portland Monthly Portland Monthly: The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
- James Beard Awards 2026 · Nominee · Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific · Ryan Roadhouse
- Condé Nast Traveler The 23 Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon
- Portland Monthly The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
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Rank 3. Murata Japanese Restaurant
Old-School Japanese
The awards
- Time Out The 19 best restaurants in Portland, Oregon
- Portland Monthly The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland
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Rank 4. Kaede
Edomae Sushi
A 16-seat sushi counter in Sellwood where the omakase is more of a starting point than a fixed path, you can build on it with à la carte nigiri or skip the set entirely. The fish skews edomae, the sourcing is serious, and the prices are modest enough that the place fills quickly with people who figured that out early. The New York Times put it on their Portland list, and it earns the mention without any fanfare.
The awards
- The New York Times The New York Times: The 25 Best Restaurants in Portland, Ore., Right Now
- Portland Monthly Portland Monthly: The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
- The New York Times The 25 Best Restaurants in Portland, Ore., Right Now
- Portland Monthly The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
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Rank 5. Nimblefish
Sushi
The awards
- Bon Appétit #6 · America's Best New Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Best Restaurants and Food Carts in Portland
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Rank 6. Obon Shokudo
Vegan Japanese
Obon Shokudo is a small, bright Japanese comfort food spot on SE Grand where the whole menu happens to be vegan, a fact it mentions about as loudly as a houseplant. Udon comes in brothy curry or chilled with sesame, and the onigiri get a smear of miso made from things like hominy or pistachios. Fermented hot sauce and tofu get made in-house too. Portland Monthly put it on its 50 Best Restaurants list.
The awards
- Portland Monthly Portland Monthly: The 50 Best Restaurants in Portland Right Now
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Rank 7. Masu Sushi
Sushi
Masu is an omakase sushi counter that sits at the quiet end of the sushi spectrum, where nobody has ever draped a roll in roe or a squiggle of spicy mayo. The dozen or so courses are mostly about the fish itself, cut with the care of someone sizing a diamond, with the occasional hit of yuzu or grapefruit kosho. It's a sit-down, plan-your-evening, reservation-minded sort of dinner, and Eater has it on its best Portland list.
The awards