Saburo's Sushi House Restaurant in the quaint Sellwood area of Portland, Oregon, is famous for its fresh, Texas-sized sushi and excellent Japanese cuisine. Whether its yellowtail (hamachi), red tuna (maguro), or river eel (unagi), the extra large portions of sushi are always tasty and fresh. For adventurous diners looking for interesting and unusual Japanese dishes, there are many choices. Menu offerings include a variety of unique rolls, including the "Sabu Roll," named after the restaurant, and created by the owner, Saburo Nakajima, which includes salmon, tuna, and yellowtail wrapped around avocado, cucumber, and smelt roe. Favorite dishes among Saburo regulars are the flavorful salmon belly, creamy scallops, or the broiled hamachi collar. For more traditional fare, Saburo's also offers Japanese standards such as tempura, chicken teriyaki, and deep-fried soft shell crab. Warning: At this restaurant, portions are extra big, so order less than you would at a typical Japanese restaurant!
In addition to the great food, Saburo's is known for its casual family dining, with cozy tables close together in order to seat about fifty people. A friendly, almost diner-like atmosphere makes this unpretentious Japanese restaurant a favorite gathering spot for Portlanders who love to share good conversation and sushi. Its lack of ambiance gives this no frills sushi spot a special charm that keeps customers coming back.
Saburo Nakajima wants his restaurant to have a family feeling among the employees as well as the customers, and he wants it to stay that way. For this reason, he plans on keeping his successful restaurant in its present location with no plans for additional restaurants. Saburo likes to work alongside the other sushi chefs at the sushi bar, and to visit with the customers, some of whom have eaten at Saburo's for years. Portlanders voted Saburo's Sushi House Restaurant as the "Best Sushi 2004" through Best of Citysearch, Portland survey.
Saburo Nakajima thinks of himself as a risk taker, willing to try new things and to enjoy a good adventure. Because of this, Saburo's world travels would take him from his homeland in Japan to Europe, then back to Japan, and eventually to the United States. Saburo lived and worked in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and finally, Portland, which he now considers home.
When Saburo was 17 years old, he began working in restaurants in his native town of Kofu, Japan. He moved to Tokyo when he was 18 to continue his education, however, he soon decided college was not his top priority. Instead, Saburo wanted to learn about the restaurant business and the art of being a sushi chef. Saburo also wanted to travel! As a young man, he decided to travel through Europe for about five years, living in Germany, France, and England, and working as a sushi chef. Saburo has always thought of himself as adventurous, fascinated with different cultures and countries.
Saburo had a dream to move to America one day. "I am a free spirit man," Saburo explains, laughing, as he remembers when he first stepped on American soil in October 1982. A sushi restaurant owner from San Francisco had traveled to Japan in search of sushi chefs interested in traveling to the United States to work in sushi restaurants, which were becoming very popular in the states. This adventure was irresistible for Saburo, so he signed on. "I think American people appreciate the skills of a sushi chef," said Saburo, who had become a seasoned sushi chef by this time.
Saburo worked for one year in San Francisco and then moved to Los Angeles where sushi restaurants were even more popular than in San Francisco. He was living in Los Angeles and working as a sushi chef when he was inspired to take another risk and head to Portland. "I was reading the newspaper one day and saw an ad for a Japanese restaurant for sale at a pretty good price," explains Saburo. He immediately decided to fly to Portland and buy the restaurant. It took Saburo two months to prepare for the grand opening of his own restaurant in December 1988, which he called Saburo's Sushi House Japanese Restaurant.
In the beginning, Saburo had only one sushi chef, his friend from Los Angeles, who came to help him. Saburo was the cook and there was also only one server for the customers. "I didn't have a dishwasher for a few months, our business was slow," recalls Saburo, "so after work the three of us would wash the mountain of dishes."
Saburo decided he wanted his restaurant to offer a new style of Japanese eating that would attract a wide range of American customers and increase business. Saburo wanted to adjust to the American culture and its penchant for hearty meals, so he began serving big portions of fresh sushi at reasonable prices. His new recipe for Japanese cuisine for American appetites caught on with the locals, and has since paid off. On any given night two hundred or more customers will eat at Saburo's, satisfying their big taste for Japanese food.
Warning: There may be a line when you arrive, but do not be discouraged-it is worth the wait! And chances are, you will be back for more.