Musashi’s, an old-school Seattle restaurant known for its generous portions of inexpensive sushi, has opened in the Southeast Belmont Street space once home to Hokusei, several social media tipsters report.
The new location, most recently home to the second location of the now-closed Russell Street BBQ, brings nigiri, sushi rolls, chirashi bowls and teriyaki dishes to a surprisingly sushi-light pocket of Southeast Portland. (The original sit-down Russell Street BBQ, meanwhile, will soon be home to the ninth corporately owned Killer Burger location, per a press release.)
Musashi’s, which has undergone a recent Seattle-area expansion, is probably best known for its chirashi bowls, which comes filled with sushi rice, sashimi (typically tuna, yellowtail and salmon) and other delights, often including eel, shrimp, bay scallops, flying fish roe and more. Musashi’s chirashi bowl costs $17.50, or about $10 less than most higher-end Portland sushi spots.
These bowls, which are joined by hot versions topped with broiled eel or grilled salmon collar, seem well-situated for Oregon’s current dining “freeze,” which will limit Portland restaurants to takeout for at least the next four weeks. Other Portland sushi restaurants, including Nimblefish and Nodoguro, have pivoted to chirashi bowls and bento boxes during the pandemic.
Find Musashi’s first Portland location next to Slappy Cakes at 4246 S.E. Belmont St., #2; 503-805-0958; musashiswa.wixsite.com/musashis
-- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell