Taste Of The Town: Oki Sushi
By Dennis McNabb | Photos By Carly Carpenter
Better get ready Wilsonville, and start getting those chop-stick fingers back in shape because there is a brand new Kaiten-Sushi style restaurant in town. Located between Fred Meyer and the Oswego Grill, Oki Sushi & Grill is the newest dining option to come to Wilsonville.
What is Kaiten-Sushi? Well it translates to “rotating sushi” and in Japan, where it originated, it’s described as a fast-food style of sushi served on conveyor belts that run throughout the restaurant, from which customers can select their choices. If you’ve eaten sushi in or around the Portland Metropolitan area, you’re probably familiar with this type of place. Something a little less common, however, is that in addition to their sushi track they also have the grill mentioned in their name. From the sushi track you can select a wide variety of smaller plates, whereas with the grill you can order a more standard full meal. This means that you have an endless array of delicious Japanese dishes available to choose from!
Owner Michael Jiang was born and raised in Japan, and has lived in the United States for the past 20 years. He learned at an early age that he had a special love for sushi. Various friends of his have owned restaurants, and through those connections he was able to receive the necessary instruction to start his own. In the last five years, he has opened five sushi restaurants around the area, Oki Sushi being the newest. Each location is slightly different and offers different culinary experiences, but they are all high quality sushi bars.
Having opened recently in the midst of the pandemic, Michael and his team have been working through a few setbacks. Like most places right now, their dine-in seating availability is limited, and the conveyor track is not operational at the moment. However the kitchen is up and running, ready to fill lots of take-out orders and they are excited to feed Wilsonville some fantastic Japanese cuisine!
In any sushi restaurant in America, you will generally see roughly five types of sushi. They are “nigiri” (a topping, usually fish served over sushi rice), “sashimi” (fish alone served without rice), “maki” (sushi rice with various other fillings wrapped in seaweed), “uramaki” (rice is on the outside with the seaweed wrapped filling in the middle), and “temaki” (hand-rolled sushi ingredients in a cone of seaweed). Within each general type of sushi will be many varieties and combinations to try. Also commonly served with your sushi are Wasabi (a spicy “Japanese horseradish” type of paste), pickled ginger, and soy sauce for dipping.
One of their best selling rolls is the Phoenix Roll, which is filled with cream cheese, tempura salmon and avocado, and topped with spicy crab meat, masago (roe), and spicy sauce. Another popular choice is the Tokyo Roll. It’s filled with raw spicy tuna and avocado, topped with tempura red snapper, spicy mayo, eel sauce and sweet chili sauce. So tasty! (In preparation for writing this article, I was lucky enough to be able to sample a few of their rolls, and they were fantastic! Two thumbs up!)
So what about those who don’t like sushi? Well if you are someone who has previously steered clear of sushi restaurants in general, you might be under the mistaken impression that it’s nothing but raw fish and rice. Of course those options are on the menu, but it’s also so much more than that.
Some of the sushi rolls are made with cooked fish rather than raw, and there are vegetarian options as well. Gyoza, eggrolls, and more appetizers are also available, and the grill serves delicious Teriyaki, Bento, and even vegetable Yakisoba. You can also order combo plates where you can mix and match your protein along with fresh grilled veggies. There really is something here to satisfy almost everyone’s tastes. There’s even plans in the works to add a full bar in the near future!
Even in these early stages (and especially considering the current difficulties facing new businesses), it’s clear that Oki Sushi is a step above standard Kaiten-Sushi restaurants. The décor, with a striking contrast of dark wood and bamboo against a white backdrop, provides an ambience that is sleek and modern while simultaneously comfortable and serene. Once restrictions are relaxed and Michael and his team are able to bring the restaurant to its full potential (with a working conveyor belt and full capacity seating), this will surely be your favorite new spot for sushi.
Whether you’re a sushi connoisseur or you have never tried it before and are a little curious, you definitely need to give Oki Sushi a try. In-house seating is limited, but you can place an online order for pick up as well. Come on down and give this brand new, locally-owned business a hearty Wilsonville welcome!
Oki Sushi is located at 30100 Sw Boones Ferry Rd, Ste 56 in Wilsonville.
They’re open from 11am to 9pm daily, and you can call them at 503-563-6110 or place an order online at okisushigrill.com.
