Skip to main contentUnlike most places in Portland offering food inspired by the izakaya—a Japanese bar that serves small plates of raw fish, grilled meat and pickles—Janice Martin's Nob Hill establishment actually aspires to be one. Yes, she makes extraordinarily good food, but the ambience and service (noisy, friendly, but slow) are what you would expect from a bar, not a restaurant. If you don't know what you feel like eating, try the omakase: You pick a dollar amount per person, and Martin cooks you a meal; $25 got us seven courses, including miso, edamame, udon noodles, hamachi sashimi, grilled skewers of beef and duck, and more.
What to drink: 21.5-ounce Sapporo, $5.
Happy hour: $1 skewers and miso, $2 sake shots 4-6 pm Tuesday-Friday.
Entertainment: TV.
WWeek 2015