Bamboo Sushi

Bon Appetit recently posted two blogs on what you order during a date says about you. Men and women both responded to the options -- steak (“If he orders it rare, he’s trying too hard. If he orders it medium, I’ll take my chances. Well done? No.”), salmon (“Zzzzzz. It’s not halibut. It’s not a steak. It’s just...salmon. Salmon really wants you to like her.”), even mac’n cheese (“She probably has daddy issues.” “Mama’s boy.”).

They also surveyed about those who order cooked meals at sushi joints.

“I don’t get it. Did she just agree to come here to make me happy?” “Only OK if he has an immune disorder. Or mercury poisoning. If he doesn’t like it, why are we here?”

In our opinion, there’s another reason to do so: The burger. That’s why for our next burger at Bamboo Sushi, we painstakingly swapped chopsticks and sake for ketchup and beer.



For those who aren’t familiar with Bamboo Sushi just stop reading. You’re not worthy to enjoy our blog.

Nah, just kidding. But it’s hard to be a sushi aficionado or live in Portland, be a food lover (And who isn’t here!?) and NOT know about Bamboo. It’s the WORLD’S first certified sustainable sushi restaurant. That means they’re dedicated to sustainable fishing practices, serving fish that’s only okay with the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Blue Ocean Institute. And they do it with delicious flair, too. Also, check out The Story of Sushi, it's amazing.

But sadly, this post isn’t about the amaebi, Tasmanian ocean trout or the sunomono salad. Oh wait, there’s a little amaebi in there.

This post is about the burger: ½ pound Snake River Farms Wagyu burger on brioche with aged Tillamook white cheddar, caramelized onions and onion rings. $14. Add Nueske’s applewood smoked bacon for $2, free range fried egg for $1 and togarashi fried shallot rings for $1. Or, get it all with the Sumo for $17.

So did Bamboo still have the same chops in the kitchen as they do in the sushi bar?

Bun Quality: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Perfect. That baby held up to the meat juices, non-descript sauce , pickles and the subsequent amaebi head we added to our burger.
Meat Quality: Jason (.75), Amie (.75)
After looking up Snake River Farms, I definitely respect them more than I did the night of the burger fiesta. I just found mine a bit too...eh...rash, if that makes sense. It wasn’t bad per say, but I didn’t feel totally awesome eating it.

Made to Order: Jason (.5), Amie (.75)
It’s such a weird experience to have one burger cooked perfectly and one not cooked well. I feel bad for Jason because more often than not, I get the good one. Maybe it’s the addition of the cheese that throws grill cooks off? I’m not sure, but these burgers just weren’t done the same, and that’s a big time bummer.

Sauces: Jason (.75) Amie (.75)
Fishy orange sauce that we weren’t sure of. Not like, fishy as in fish sauce fishy. But just something...a bit off. While it didn’t ruin the experience, it didn’t really help either.

Quality of Accoutrements: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Crispety crunchety pickles, flavored in essence of the sunomono salad I love so much. Fresh lettuce. Caramelized onions that melt with a bite. There’s no complaining here.

Add On Options: Jason (1), Amie (1)
The fact that Nueske’s bacon has been continually lauded as the best GD bacon ever, including awarded accolades from the New York Times, we can’t help but appreciate that Bamboo gives its customers such high quality food. I mean, what else can you expect from a restaurant dedicated to sustainability and high quality fish? An egg is always a fantastic time and togarashi style of cooking, with its nice spicy chile flavor, is that perfect level of heat, piques the tongue but doesn’t make you sweat. Well done on the add ons, Bamboo.

What It Comes With: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Onion rings onion rings onion rings. At first we thought these were also ON the burger. But they’re not. They’re served on the side in lieu of french fries or tots and they are delish. DEEEELISH.

Meat Flavor: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Umami. That’s the only way to aptly describe the flavor of this burger. I’m not quite sure what they added to the meat, but the burger was bursting with that very definitive Japanese flavor of rice vinegar, mirin, soy and awesomeness.

Presentation: Jason (1), Amie (1)
Was there anything to add on to the burger? Nope! It came with pickles, accoutrements, add ons all ready to go. That’s why we’re totally stoked with the bun on.

Hit the Spot Factor: Jason (.75), Amie (1)
Regardless of the fact that we may have been a bit tipsy by the end of the evening (We may or may not have partaken in some Hot Monkey shooting before we went out), the burger totally hit the spot in the best way. In fact, it packed in so much delicousness and hit-the-spot factor that Jason, despite his big appetite, couldn’t finish it. I did...though I’ll admit after a ½ pound of beef, wasn’t really feeling up for breakfast the next morning (Good thing I’m running though, eh?)/

Bonus Pickle? Zero.
But the addition and side order of amaebi was delicious. Cold, sweet and raw with a crispy, crunchy head...that yes, we did put on our burgers. I mean, why not? Kind of like a pickle, minus the whole fermentation process.

Total Score: 9

Recommendations: If you want to be the jerk who orders cooked food at a sushi joint, do it with gusto here and order the freaking burger. It’s awesome and as long as you don’t order it while at the sushi bar, nobody’s going to look down on you or wonder why you ordered the freaking burger. You know, unless you’re on a first date.