Katsura Japanese Restaurant

Got lost using Google Maps to locate this place… and then it ended up being CLOSED anyway. Like, not there anymore. Headed across the street to Abiruchi (sp?) Indian cuisine instead.

This is my second visit.
Went tonight and it was closed.
Don’t know if it is out of business.
Will try again next week.

We ate here for lunch. They have great bento boxes for $ 7. Delicious chicken and beef with vegetables not smothered in «teriyaki» sauce.
We also ordered spicy tuna and hamachi nigiri. Very fresh and tasty. They were very friendly and will give as much green tea as you want on the house.

My favorite place to eat sushi. I travel all over the western US and this place is at the top of my list. Every time I am in the area I always have dinner here at least once. The Chef is an amazing talent. It is a small place with not a lot of flash but have never been disappointed with the food.

Katsura is quickly becoming our go-​to sushi joint in Vancouver. The décor and ambiance are lacking, but the food is incredible, the staff is nice, and the prices are reasonable considering the quality. All of the sashimi I’ve tried here has been fresh and flavorful, especially the hamachi. The rolls are well-​made although some of them use a little too much rice. Don’t miss the seaweed salad as a starter.
In terms of prices, last night we had one serving of salmon nigiri, seaweed salad, a Japanese fried chicken appetizer, and 5 or 6 rolls, and our bill before tip totaled $ 42. Not bad at all, again considering the quality of the fish. Another good bargain is the Chef’s Choice set 2, which is plenty of nigiri, rolls and sushi to split between two people.

This was our first time here and we will be back. I agree with other reviewers that the décor is a bit lacking, but the food was great! My husband, 3-​year-​old and I shared plain udon, edamame, & Nevada, Alaska & tempura shrimp rolls. We left stuffed! Such a nice family, and watching the chef prepare the rolls was a treat. What an art!

Mike and Keiko go above and beyond everytime I’m in there! They are always nice and welcoming. Mike studied the art of sushi after growing up in Japan and brings his art to life in front of you.

Very friendly and rather clean restaurant. The dishes we ordered, miso soup, sashimi, were nice and the fish was fresh. The sashimi presentation can be much more interesting.
What bothers me is the fluorescent light and the bland and cheap looking decoration of the place. By the way it is a bit out of sight when you try to find it off the highway in the dark.

Has to be the best sushi in Vancouver. Reasonable priced. Good service. Love the relaxing music.

If you love Southern Japanese style sushi, then Mike at Katsura is your sushi chef. This is the best Sushi in the Portland Metro Area. Since finding this obscure little place, (which is hidden in the back corner of a little strip mall just off the I-​205 at 112^th Avenue) we have not gone anywhere else for our sushi.

I love this place, The Chef and his wife.
Small Family owned and run. Amazing chef classicly trained and OMG the food is amazing. This is one of those rare restaurants that I go to and when I sit down, I have no problem eating ANYTHING the chef puts in front of me. Try the jellyfish. Try the Oshi Zushi. Try the Paradise Roll. EAT IT ALL.
I was taken here by an friend who has eaten here many times. This restaurant is one of my local haunts. Even though I have to cross a state line to eat here.

I have finally found the best Sushi in Vancouver! I can’t believe how amazing my meal was! Yeah, it takes a bit to get your meal, and they know this. It’s more of an experience then turning tables.

I came here for dinner with my boyfriend. We practically missed the place because it was dark out and this place is a bit hidden. Outside it seemed deserted. Inside, we were the only other table, which I found a bit odd for a restaurant with such good reviews, during dinner hour.
The décor of the place is nice enough. It was clean, but there was a sort of «old» feeling to it. Maybe it was the lighting.
The service was nice. The sushi chef wasn’t Asian, which my boyfriend told me later actually made an old Japanese couple leave the restaurant right away, to which the server (who I think is Japanese) stated that she wouldn’t want to serve them anyway if they were to react in such a way.
Now as for the food, I remember it being tasty. I remember ordering a negihama and this special salmon roll that was made differently (they were rectangular in shape and in the menu it was described as a way of presentation that is not used anymore). That rectangular roll was good. It had a lot of the crab stuff in it. The negihama was tasty.
My boyfriend got the chirashi and some nigiri. The cuts of fish were thick and fresh, which was a bit of a surprise (you can’t judge a book/​restaurant front by it’s cover). He liked the place enough to continue to go back.
I want to give this place more stars because from what I do remember, the food was tasty, but the fact that I completely forgot that I even ate here really does say something. I had to wrack my brain for this review.

Excellent Sushi. Excellent Service. The Sushi Chef has some quality to say the least. Old reviews may critique the service, old owner he’s talking about. My wife from Japan asked for a particular item, and we were told he would not serve it due to the fact that in WA state, they require it to be frozen, which degrades the quality so rather than freeze something, thaw it, serve it, he would rather not serve it. I checked with the mother in law in Japan and she couldn’t believe that a American Sushi Restaurant would adhere to that.
The interior is not what you would expect, but it is rather good food. Slightly more expensive that a sushi track or circle sushi so be aware.

Nope. Just plain no. I really wanted to like this place after reading many of the positive Unilocal reviews but it’s just a no. I might give it a 1.5 star — as the sushi chef was certainly very friendly. Let’s see, where to start:
Miso soup: did not taste homemade or fresh. Tasted much like from a can or a packet.
Gyoza: Really not good. Tasted frozen, not fresh. Interesting spicy sauce that made it more edible but overall, really not good.
Yakitori: Again, not fresh feeling, at all. Edible but not delicious.
Negihama roll: This was good. I liked this roll the best of this meal.
Rainbow roll: horribly disappointing. The fish is just not high quality or overly fresh feeling. Did not look nearly as delightful as the pictures posted on this review.
Nigiri: Salmon, Tuna, Yellowtail. Meh, meh and meh. The fish fell off all 3 of my nigiri. The freshness and quality I am looking for is not here.
The room: very, very, very simple here. Tiniest sushi bar I’ve ever seen. Definitely a hole in the wall and if the fish were superior, I would not care. But it’s not.
No liquor, beer, wine or sake here either. Chopsticks on the table have to be the cheapest wooden chopsticks I’ve ever used. It took me a while to get over the wood taste coming of the chopsticks, I used them in my soup to eat the tofu, that helped a little. I was seriously thinking I would bring my own chopsticks next time … but there will be no next time for me here.
Overall, just not good fish. Perhaps better than sushi go round … pleasant sushi chef … but just not the quality and craftsmanship I am looking for.
My search continues…

Let me preface this by saying I know little about sushi and cannot compare this place to any other…
Because I’ve only ever been HERE. Repeatedly. Sometimes weekly. For nearly a decade. Katsura’s sushi was delicious eight or nine years ago (when it was Yoshi’s place), back when I was a nervous first-​timer. Later on I became nervous again as the shop changed hands, but Chef Michael quickly put me at ease.
I had sushi here back in college, ate sushi here while I was pregnant :[insert horrified gasps here]: and my four-​year-​old now comes with me to eat at Katsura regularly (chef Michael showed us how to make training chopsticks from a wrapper and rubberband).
I even cheat on my vegetarianism at Katsura. It’s that good. I love the Oregon and Philly rolls, and regularly stuff myself with an entire serving of steamed, salted edamame. The fried tofu is delicious, and somehow stays crunchy in the broth.
My son turns down Chef’s offer of an orange-​and-​white «Nemo Roll» for his favorite item: the chicken-​box (just like it sounds … teriyaki chicken over rice, served in a wooden box).
Yes, the service is a bit slow during a rush. My favorite time to eat here is just before dinner, at 4:30 on a week-​day. Just two people run the entire place. They are friendly and kind, and remember me and my son and my husband. If the restaurant were fully staffed, I’d give it five stars. But I’m going to eat here forever and always, no matter how long the wait. Because the food is worth it.

Sushi is pretty good service is terrible! One of the worst I have ever had, not just bad but consistently so.
First time I went for lunch on a Monday there was nobody at the bar and only 4 tables yet it still took them 90 minutes to delivery our table’s order. No biggie, I understand stuff happens, everyone can have a bad day.
2^nd — Friday afternoon went for lunch at 1PM saw the chef walking out saying he was closing for lunch he had errands to run. OK that is unusual but hey I’ll try again.
3^rd Went on a Saturday to give them another shot and they were closed, had a nice note on the door. But now this is getting annoying!
4^th and last! Last night I went there 17 – 20 minutes before closing and as I walked in the chef said, nope sorry we are closed. Most places you can be say right up to closing and be served.
None of these issues in and of them selves would turn me off to a place but experiencing all of them was enough. Getting descent sushi should not be such a pain in the… well neck! Seems that this place doesn’t care so much about customer experience.
I’d recommend going to Oishi Sushi, comparable place, great sushi and wonderful service. You could also go to any of the sushi-​go-​rounds in Vancouver.

Very good indeed. We had a few different dishes, and I think I enjoyed the eel most of all. We were even treated to some jellyfish by the chef and it was also good. I had never heard of eating it before, but he described the process de-​stinging it, cooking and marinating it.
The box I had was attractively arranged, colorful, and tasty. I don’t recall the name of the dish, unfortunately.
We drove past the place a couple of times, since the sign on the outside only says «SUSHI». They have a sandwich board that says Katsura, so we figured it out eventually. Anyway, I highly recommend it.

This place makes me very excited. I’ve been waiting for some really traditional sushi places in town, and this one shows more promise than any I’ve been to lately. Of course, it’s not really «in town», but if you can manage a drive up 205 it is well worth it.
I like to try a smattering of food when I first try a Japanese restaurant. Often the best sushi joints will have so-​so cooked food, and vise vera. By doing this I can be sure I don’t miss a great place to get Karaage just because I only tried the sushi.
So, the Karaage was good. Nothing to write home about, but certainly as good as I’ve had anywhere around here (except Yuzu). The Gyoza were done just right with a wonderful dipping sauce.
I was very excited to try the Eel dinner. Unagi is on every sushi menu from here to Maine, but very few joints carry the classic eel over rice in a box. It was tender, but not too much so, and the sauce was delicious. I have nothing to compare this to, but I can honestly say I would eat this once a week if I had a car :) .
I’ll be going back soon to belly up to the sushi bar, but my first trip only saw the Hamachi and Saba sashimi. Both were very impressive.
Overall I’m very hopeful that the new owners will turn this into something very special. I know I can’t wait to go back and test his skills a bit more.
notes: they are applying for the liquor license, no alcohol available as of this writing

Sitting right in the mist of the urban sprawl of Vancouver, nearly hidden away in a small strip mall just off of the 205, lies one of the finest sushi restaurants in the Pacific Northwest.
Chef Michael Okayama was classically trained as a sushi chef in Japan. Previously the head sushi chef of the Portland City Grill, he has taken over the former Yoshi Restaurant and has made it his own.
If you feel like a quick meal, go to a kaiten sushi place. At the risk of sounding cliché — this is not just food — this is a thousand years of culture. It is worth the wait.
Starting with the traditionally prepared green tea, I noted the wonderful aroma and beautiful earthy flavor. I complemented this with a little freshly cut lemon.
Obayama uses a special ingredient in his «lovingly made» miso soup. I remarked how good it was and he asked me if I could keep a secret. Thinking that he was about to reveal the secret behind his miso recipe, I replied yes. The secret that he told me had nothing to do with miso!
Sitting at the bar, you watch as Okayama cuts every piece of fine fish with deliberate precision, taking the time to make every dish in true respect to the sushi master that trained him.
I watched Okayama prepare my favorite dish, Chirashi. First he took the freshly marinated unagi and started to toast it. He deftly prepared pieces of fresh ahi, sake, ebi, tako and hamachi. The tako was especially fresh and was cut from an appetizing part of the tentacle.
I remarked that the hamachi tasted a little bit firmer and lighter than I was used to. Okayama informed me that’s because they use baby hamachi. Outstanding!
In customary fashion, I finished the fish with a few pieces of light and fluffy tamago. This is an under-​appreciated aspect of fine sushi cuisine and his held up well.
One unusual delicacy that he offers is Washington State jellyfish. He starts by removing the poisonous tentacles and soaking the jellyfish in Japanese sea salt brine. Then he marinades the jellyfish with his own special concoction. The jellyfish is served julienned sashmi style, or as nigri. Eaten sashmi style, the texture is actually a little bit crunchy but flavorful. This dish is specific to the Northwest and I’ve never had anything quite like it.
Another specialty is albacore that was seared with Japanese sea salt and marinated with another special marinade. The wonderful taste of this fish sits on the palate for what seems like eternity. I was hesitant to take another drink lest the flavor fade away.
Being one to push the envelope, I asked if he had anything «really special.» He informed me that he is certified in preparing the potentially deadly delicacy blowfish. According to him, Japanese restaurants in Japan that carry the deadliest spiny variety are required to carry adrenaline on the premises. Unfortunately he doesn’t have blowfish at the moment, but is planning to in the future.
The current restaurant has a small sushi bar and several small tables. The ambiance is definitely Japanese. Okayama is planning to expand the dining area and adding tatami rooms.
If you are an adventurous eater and have some budget to work with, my personal recommendation is to sit at the sushi bar and go «chef’s choice.» I have never been disappointed with this approach.
This may not be cheap sushi, and it may not be the fastest sushi, but this is the real sushi experience — simple, functional perfection.