by Nicole Warren
Sushi used to scare me. The first time I ate it, I was riding a train in Japan and my choice was either some long, white, giant sperm-looking tentacles (squid) or what seemed to be part of a white and purple tire (octopus). Not a good introduction. However, I had no choice and after opting for the tire piece, I was a changed woman, enlightened to the joys of sushi. Hence, I’ve been on a crusade to find the best, freshest sushi this side of a tsunami, and I believe I’ve found it. Syun Izakaya…
While most Japanese restaurants get their fish from local fish distributors, Syun takes it one step beyond and flies their goods in directly from Japan. “Japan is far,” you say, “how could it possibly be fresh?” I wonder the same thing myself, but all I know is their salmon nigri ($3.50) is soooooo fresh it falls apart while resting on the rice. The maguro (tuna) nigri ($4.25) is blood red, not pink as some places will have you believe is standard, and it tastes like butter melting in your mouth. Last time I ate there, I ordered the maguro ($7.50) and on my server’s recommendation, I upgraded to the blue fin tuna–one step below toro, fatty tuna, but one step above regular maguro. As I was told, it was amazingly tender; I think I could have swallowed it whole without chewing. Syun offers a fine range of sushi. Perfectly sized, the spicy tuna ($4.25) hits your tongue and shoots wasabi tears out your eyes. The spider roll ($7.50) combines the perfect level of crunchy and sweet while not overwhelming you with shell. We also ordered the “Syun Special” roll ($7.50), which ended up being crab, eel, and cucumber with unari sauce drizzled over the top. I’m a big fan of that one.
“Izakaya” means “pub” in Japanese, so the non-sushi items are all smaller portions, kind of like a Japanese tapas restaurant. The green salad may seem rather passé, but the sesame-ginger-vinegar dressing helps liven it up. Agedashi tofu (deep-fried tofu chunks in a soup broth–$3.50) is one of my favorites. Syun’s takes it a step beyond and adds shitake mushrooms to the mix. I also sampled the kani korokke ($7.50), a mixture of crab and mashed potatoes that is deep-fried and topped with tonkatsu sauce. There was more potato than crab, and while I’m all for deep-fried goodness, I only tasted deep-fried mashedness. And, for those of you who say to hell with the Atkins Diet, the sake yakionigiri (baked rice ball with salmon– $4.50) is killer. Pick it up and take a huge bite of warm, slightly browned rice with sweet salmon in the middle.
The one and only drawback to this place is its distance from town–it’s in Hillsboro. So when you’re going to Syun, you’re going to Syun. However, there is a light at the end of this tunnel. The MAX runs directly to the restaurant, and with over twenty kinds of sake offered, it allows for maximum drinking with minimum risk.
Make the trek to Syun. It’s a little pricier than say, Koji’s, but the fish quality is unbeatable. And hey, don’t you want to do your part and keep Portland green by using public transportation? Especially if sake is involved?