Yosaku Japanese Restaurant

We arrived home in Vermont about 30 minutes ago and I am still blown away by how great Yosaku was. What a great surprise!! We ordered salmon, scallops, crab, kaki, and uni (sea urchin) nigiri... and all were fresh from the ME sea water. Even the uni... and it was great! REALLY CREAMY!!!! The aji was from Japan and really good, and we also had lobster sashimi... from ME, of course. The taisho (owner) was pleasant the whole time, a little distracted by the golf match on TV... but that's OK. I would be distracted if it were the Red Wings. He spoke to us often, and even sent us a free bottle of sake. After not living in Japan for the past two years, and having sub-par sushi at local restaurants in our town, my wife and I are having a really hard time believing that we ate sushi so good just a few hours ago, in the US. I have not visited other sushi places in Portland, since this was our first time in the city... but if they are all this good, we may be quitting our jobs and moving there very soon. more

everything on the menu is great. Pros: nice people Cons: when it's busy you have to wait more

After eating sushi at many places during my travels around the globe, I'm always happy to return home to eat at Yosaku. While the service can be a bit slow, the help is always that- helpful. The atmosphere is great- especially outside. The bartenders are talented and the food is definitely worth the wait. The owner has been gracious every time we have stepped foot through the door. I highly recommend this restaurant. Just don't go if you're in a hurry. Pros: Great sushi, fun atmosphere, great location Cons: can be a bit of a wait. more

This is hands down, the worst sushi place we have ever frequented. Each time we leave, we wonder why we go back. NEVER AGAIN! The service is awful, slow and painfully rude. The bartenders must be hired for their ability to get customers to leave the bar area quickly because they certainly aren't hired for their wonderful personalities. Bring your shaving kits too because you'll need to clean up during the days it takes for your food to arrive. Oh, and if your rolls are falling apart on the plate, don't bother to ask them to remake them. The owner of the place is awful. He couldn't care less if you never go back and he doesn't value you if you are a loyal customer either. Try one of the three other sushi places in Portland and leave this one to wallow in its own misery. Pros: good patio in the summer Cons: everything else about this place stinks more