I remember the first time I ate at Sushi & Maki. It was about 3 or 4 years ago. My fellow blogger Warren and I were craving sushi, and we were in the area of Clackamas Town Center mall. I searched for Sushi places online, and found that Sushi & Maki had the best reviews. I liked it, Warren didn't. For me, I see it as a hidden jem. It's a tiny little restaurant next to a furniture store and two mattress stores. The outside is unassuming and hard to see from the main road, 82nd Ave.
Once you get inside, there is an explosion of color and textures. There are posters on the walls, little umbrellas dangly from the ceiling, and plenty of seating for such a small space. Up in the front of the restaurant is a bar where people can sit and watch the master sushi makers create their delicious art.
As you can see in my photos, we went at a great time last Saturday. It was at about 11:30, so it was just after the place had opened but before the lunch rush. Since my first time at Sushi & Maki, I've gone back about 6 other times with friends and family. I've even used the loyalty punch card to earn a free plate of "state" rolls. To explain their menu, the main attraction are dozens of types of sushi that are named after American states. My two favorite are the Oregon roll (sushi with asparagus and salmon), and the Texas roll which is fried and filled with cream cheese, imitation crab, salmon, avocado, and topped with eel sauce.
This last weekend, I also tried the Wyoming roll for the first time. It features chopped soft shell crab, tempura imitation crab, spicy tuna, and cucumber topped with salmon and avocado. It was spicy yet refreshing. The small portion of each seafood in the roll melded together in a melody of sweetness. It was also the most beautiful of the rolls we ate on this visit.
The other state we tried was Massachusettes. It wasn't as pretty as the Wyoming roll, but the saltiness was just right to round out our meal. This roll was stuffed with fried prawns, real crab, and cucumber. It was topped with eel, avocado, and eel sauce.
Before our sushi plates came out, we also tried the white mackerel tempura. It was light and crispy. The fish was not too fishy, and it really sang when dipped in the table soy sauce. This was the appetizer on special. I generally like to try a different appetizer every time I go. In the past I've had tempura prawns and vegetables or a bowl of miso soup. You can also pair your sushi with tea, alcohol, kimchi, red bean ice cream, or one of the many other delicious things from their menu. Visit their site to see the full menu:
http://sushinmakior.com/ They have two locations Hillsboro, and the one I go to on 82nd Ave in Clackamas. The prices are reasonable, and I leave feeling satisfied but not weighed down.
