Inside a very small sushi restaurant on an unremarkable downtown block, big things are happening. 

Hamono Sushi has been tucked away on SW 9th, just around the corner from Nordstrom, since 2021. But until last fall, it was merely one of the many sushi-ramen-bento-yada-yada spots you find yourself at when you’re hungry and downtown. Now, with a change of ownership, it’s a destination that requires preparation: both by making a reservation, and by prepping your stomach for a large influx of delicious bites.

In August, the new owner introduced an all-you-can eat experience that somehow offers both quality and quantity. For $95 a person, you get a 14-course omakase menu and a flight of three glasses of sake. After that, you’re given free reign of the menu to eat as much as you can.

An assortment of nigiri at Hamono Sushi. Photo by Suzette Smith

Hamono’s omakase kicks off strong with a miso soup, well-laden with lumps of snow crab meat, and cascades from there. The chef’s choice portion started with several rounds of nigiri—ours included a sweet shrimp, served with the head fried up for crispy bites; a buttery, firm white kanpachi; and uni sourced from Japan’s northern Hokkaido prefecture. 

A slice of thin, marbled wagyu on rice appeared, as did a delicate chawanmushi, or steamed egg custard, topped with uni and bright orange salmon roe. Fish rotate on and off the menu seasonally. As you might have surmised, this isn’t sushi for beginners or cream cheese lovers. 

Throughout the meal, Nate, the single server in this roughly six-table restaurant, keeps things humming. He’s got a whole spiel for every fish that hits your plate—you will come away knowing that the cool waters of Hokkaido make for the world’s best sea urchin, for example. That could be a drag, but he’s actually funny. 

The restaurant is cozy enough to only need one server. Photo by Suzette Smith
Hamono's faux cherry blossom ceiling. Photo by Suzette Smith

As for which sake to choose, if there are two of you, the move is to order one glass of each of the six bottles on offer. The sake ranges from a funky Afuri Shin Saku, which tastes like a natural wine, to more traditional dry junmai. 

After you’ve worked your way through the omakase, there is a set, but ample, menu for the all-you-can-eat. Nate brings back the menu so you can peruse prime cuts like fatty o-toro and scallop, along with tender king salmon, yellowtail, eel, and mackerel. While you can order tempura, roasted kabocha squash, and udon, we did not stray from straight fish. Shockingly, there’s no time limit for the AYCE, so potentially you could really get your $95 worth here. 

After the initial omakase, we managed to get through a surprising amount of at least 10 more pieces of nigiri each, plus a handroll, though Nate assured us he’s seen far more damage than what we did. Of course, once you’re tucked in, it’s easy to also add to your bill via more pours of cloudy nigori and Kirin beer, so watch out for that (or don’t, you’re here for a good time, aren’t ya?). 

Hamono offers “omakase unlimited” during most of its open hours, but reservations should be booked, on the site or by phone, well ahead of your planned feast. A few tables seem set aside for omakase experience, while the majority remain open for quicker à la carte walk-ins.

While Hamono isn’t at the pinnacle of sushi fine dining titans, like Nodoguro and Kaede, it’s far better than your run-of-the-mill purveyor. Whether it’s a special occasion or you’re trying to bulk up before a wrestling match, the Hamono omakase is worth adding to any Portland must-eat list. 

Hamono Sushi, 620 SW 9th, hamonosushi.com, reservation required for omakase.