Fin's Spicy Octopus, wrapped in kajiki with Orange, olive oil and wasabi tobiko
From the comments I’ve gotten, many of you feel that Portland has a long way to go as far as seafood is concerned. Many added notes lamenting the loss of Fin. I agree. For a city so close to rivers, lakes and the ocean, the state of our seafood is sad.
Out of 432 votes:
Jakes – 15% of the vote. 401 Southwest 12th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 (503) 226-1419 Map
Southpark Seafood Grill – 901 S.W. Salmon St., Portland, OR 97205 (503) 326-1300 Map
Bamboo Sushi – 310 Southeast 28th Ave., Portland, OR 97214 (503) 232-5255 Map
Honorable mentions: Andina, Cabezon Restaurant & Fish Market
I’ve never been to Jake’s or Cabezon. If one could base the vote based on one dish, I would add several more – Clyde Common and Autentica.
I’ve always thought that myself. Even on the coast, it seems as if there’s no seafood excellence in this area. It’s like the same old sad salmon on every plate.
The fact that no one even has commented on this vote speaks volumes.
Wow, Jake’s as #1? The cedar plank salmon must have been fantastic.
And Bamboo is not bad, but it is not even on the same planet as Syun in Hillsboro.
Are we really comparing a sushi restaurant to a Peruvian restaurant to a “Continental” (Jakes) restaurant? Apples to oranges. The overarching theme of “Best Seafood” is too broad to make relevant comparisons. Would we ever compare a true steak house to a BBQ joint? The following is my top hits list for the general categories of Sushi/Izakaya, Chinese seafood, and continental or fine dining.
In the downtown area, I really like Masu for sushi; I have had great luck with the fish quality and the sushi chefs have balanced creativity with tradition. If it is strictly a battle for the highest quality fish, presentation, authenticity, and derishousness then nothing beats Syun in Hillsboro. Period. The end. Bamboo is not bad, but it gets allot of fanfare for being green. This is a food survey, not a survey of *green-ness*
Wong’s King on division does a great job with Honk Kong style seafood preparation; Sam Pan clams, Lobster Noodles, Abalone….
If I want a fine filet of whatever, I would go to The Heathman over Jake’s any day. Jake’s one saving grace is its oyster selection, but other than that it offers little worth mention. For more traditional seafood preparation it is easier to find exceptional single dishes at places like Lucy’s Table or Paley’s rather than at the seafood destination restaurants like Jake’s or Southpark.
CH
I ate at Cabezon last week and it was pretty fantastic. I had the house smoked sturgeon and the cabezon fish. Both were stellar. I’d vote for Cabezon to be Best Seafood in Portland. I’ll be interested to see who is in the Portland Monthly magazine next issue.
I really enjoyed Cabezon, too. The cioppino is very good.