Worth Crossing the River For, at Saburo's

Dinner was the Seared Salmon at Saburo's Sushi House, a sushi spot in the Sellwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon that I only make it to a couple of times a year — and that's really the whole review. It's good enough to be worth crossing the river for on exactly that kind of schedule.

Huge portions, and the prices aren't terrible

Saburo's has a reputation that precedes it: sushi pieces built noticeably larger than what most places serve, at prices that don't punish you for the size. That tracks with what was on the plate — portions huge enough that the value is the first thing you notice, before you've even gotten to how good the Seared Salmon actually is.

The reason to drive across the city once or twice a year to go get it.

Is Saburo's Sushi House worth the trip?

Saburo's is at 1667 SE Bybee Blvd in Portland's Sellwood-Moreland neighborhood, open for dinner only — 5 to 9pm, Monday through Saturday, closed Sunday — and it runs first-come, first-served with no reservations, which is why there's almost always a small line on the sidewalk out front, like the one in the photo above. It's been a fixture of Portland's sushi scene for years, the kind of place that shows up on local best-of-sushi lists on the strength of huge rolls and honest prices rather than anything fussy. Five stars: it's not a weeknight spot, it's a once-or-twice-a-year one, and it earns that trip every time.