Street food icons
By: vice
May 6, 2021
Yoshimasa Ikeda learned how to make sushi back in Tokyo under the instruction of his father. Wanting to see what more of the world had to offer, he ended up on America’s west coast. He eventually settled in Portland, Oregon and created Yoshi’s Sushi, a food truck that serves fresh sushi daily. His cart specializes in hokkaido scallop, salmon, and tamago nigiri. He also makes classic rolls like the California roll and spicy tuna roll. After spending many years training people to become sushi chefs, Yoshi took a demotion so he could spend more time cooking, and then went on to start his own business.
EATER-PORTLAND
Written By: NICK WOO BROOKE JACKSON-GLIDDEN
May 17, 2021
Bamboo sushi veteran Yoshi Ikeda opened this sushi cart in the Multnomah Village French Quarter food cart pod last year and has been serving up high-caliber fish ever since. Fun, innovative rolls like the lime green roll with sesame-crusted spinach, cucumber, roasted pepper, avocado, microgreen salad are only improved with the cart’s ginger miso. Rotating nigiri and occasional hand rolls showcase super fresh seafood Ikeda is sourcing. The cart is open for phone orders.
The Oregonian/Oregonlive
Written By: Michael RUSSELL
June 19, 2019
Yoshi’s isn’t Portland’s first sushi cart (before opening its brick-and-mortar lounge, Sellwood’s Zenbu had a nearly decade-long run as a cart). It’s not even the first sushi cart from a former chef at sustainable seafood joint Bamboo Sushi (that would be St. John’s Kazumi). But at a time when utilitarian sushi burrito trucks seem to pop up wherever carts are found, Yoshi Ikeda’s bright green Yoshi’s Sushi in Multnomah Village stands out. That’s in large part because Ikeda, a second-generation sushi chef whose father’s restaurant just celebrated its 50th year in Tokyo, goes the extra mile to ensure freshness, driving from his Beaverton home to Vancouver each morning to pick up just the right amount of fish for the cart that day and making relatively small eight-cup batches of rice every hour. No, Yoshi’s sushi isn’t on the level of elite Portland sushi restaurants Nodoguro, Nimblefish and Zilla. But Ikeda, who ended his four-year run at Bamboo Sushi overseeing sushi operations for the chain’s Northwest restaurants, brings serious finesse to the cramped quarters he shares with right-hand-man Nino Ortiz. Seared sea scallop nigiri is dabbed with a fragrant yuzu marmalade. The vegan, gluten-free-friendly Lime Green roll comes with micro greens Ikeda picks up in Tigard. Sweet tamago is branded with the cart’s name. And every once in a while, Ikeda and Ortiz take over the French Quarter pod’s empty bar for an all-out omakase sushi pop-up.
EATER-PORTLAND
Written By: Joy Church
May 7, 2019
FRESH CATCH — On March 1, Bamboo Sushi veteran Yoshi Ikeda, with the support of his trusty sidekick Nino Ortiz, opened Yoshi’s Sushi in the Multnomah Village French Quarter food cart podafter a month of trial-and-error. With a remarkable reception, this duo is moving through sushi at high speed — aka, the cart’s fish is super fresh. Tips: Ikeda has a particularly deft way with sauces; visitors shouldn’t skip his ginger miso. Newbies should imitate the Village locals by grabbing a bottled beer or a glass of wine next door at the coppery cart, Bird In Hand, and head inside the French Quarter for live music and hyper-local boutique shopping.