Yataimura Maru....hmmmmm Japanese food
“Rumble..Grumble…Gurgle….” *Burp*
Hello if you were to know me, you would know that I love many a hedonistic things. Some of which I will hold back on mentioning on here because well this blog? Feed? Thingy is about food. So let’s ignore the perverse nature of my life and focus on the other things that go into my mouth. Who knows? Maybe you’ll find out that you like them as well. Albeit a dive bar burger or another goddam hipster novelty place. Either way hopefully you sick bastards love reading about my gastric journeys through Portlandia.
Let me start off with mentioning a place I go to quite a bit to get my fix of Japanese food. Now fair warning, I will call myself out on my bias towards asian food right now. Not that I hate any other kind of food, but when it comes to cravings, I tend to lean towards savory and umami (that’s the new taste bud……bud) and Japanese food satiates that to a T.
I remember when I first moved here ages ago, there weren’t that many Japanese style Izakayas (bar/grill style foods) and or ramen joints in Portland. We had our fair share of sushi joints, most eh! But nothing that displayed the diversity found in Japanese cuisine was present in Portland. Slowly but surely places started popping up. Whether it was food carts or full on restaurants catering to All types of Japanese food, Portland has finally stepped it’s game up when it comes to introducing Japanese food to the Northwest. But I digress and salivate.
One of my favorite joints to go to these days for Japanese food (especially Ramen and Izakaya style food) is Yataimura Maru located near SE 39th and Division. From the people that brought you Shigezo Izakay located downtown, comes another good Izakaya joint.
The food is great and the prices are reasonable on the pocket for what you get in quality. If you are expecting portions the size of the moon, well then fuck off cause that’s not what it is about. What you pay for is the flavor. Admittedly I have tasted on par Ramen, however the price tag is better at this place then most places that try to steal your dough.
On a side note: Mirakutei really?! Your shits good, but overprice mediocre potstickers are a turn off
Some dishes I would recommend to grab up at Yataimura Maru would be a nabeyaki Udon. For those of you new to the Japanese game, this is a fairly traditional noodle soup dish. Served the way it should be, in a hot stone pot, this dish is perfect for the overcast and rainy days of Portland with it’s balance of between rich flavors and humble but filling nature. The broth is fairly light and allows for the fuller flavors from the shrimp, egg, and other ingredients to be present as well.
Their takoyaki (a ball of cooked batter filled with octopus) is fairly well executed. Admittedly not the best I have in town, however still really great and for something really hard to find on menus around town, this is the better place to get them. Tip though; go for the okonomiyaki. Even though these are by technique two completely separate dishes from another. The okonomiyaki mimics the same play of flavors found in takoyaki but in a delicious Japanese savory seafood pancake.
Gyoza (Japanese style potstickers filled with pork and green onion that are usually pan seared and or steamed) is something I ALWAYS recommend regardless of the join because it is, alongside the aforementioned nabeyaki udon, a dish I tend to judge a Japanese restaurant by the most. There, they do a generous knock-off of the usual gyoza found around town. Instead of the traditional potsticker format, they’ve sacrificed traditional form for a more basic wrapping technique. They are filled to the rim and hit the spot.
The service is average. Servers are nice (some of them sexy too boot call me you hot sleeve tattooed waiter tee hee) However, this place can be packed sometimes on the weekend and because of that, service can be kinda below average, but that is only because of the amount of time and attention that has to be given to each customer. Other than that, no complaints.
Two notes before I grab a good sake and relax on my porch before going to bed:
-Yataimura Maru’s happy hour is great for those who want to experiment with what they have to offer or to just try your hand at Japanese food if you haven’t already experienced any.
-I hear they have a bidet toilet in their restrooms and I am ashamed that I haven’t tried it out yet! So maybe follow up needed is needed where I use and review their bathroom. Join me won't you. ;) *burp*
Hmmm takoyaki
Happy hour portion of their Tokyo Ramen
One of their old specials that reflects post war western influence: Omurice (Omelet stuffed with rice), Japanese style potato salad, fried shrimp tarter sauce, and hamburger steak topped with egg.