Back in late April we were in SE Portland looking for a window tinting shop for Kay's car and happened to be in the neighborhood of a recently discovered little gem of a restaurant at the corner of SE Clinton and SE 21st Ave called Yama Sushi and Izakaya.

From the moment one walks in it's immediately apparent from the meticulous presentation of the dishes and the attentiveness of the staff that the owners take pride in delivering a top notch product (As it turns out with many Japanese, and even Chinese restaurants in America, this one too is owned by Korean proprietors). The ambiance was cozy and lively and with the large street-facing glass windows it seems like a great spot to people watch passers-by.

We wasted no time in ordering during our second visit because we automatically knew we would be getting not one, but two orders of their Spinach Gomae, a seasoned organic salad. This is spinach unlike anything I've ever had. The organic spinach leaves were perfectly coated in a subtly sweet and nutty dressing. The sesame paste offered a creamy richness, while the hint of soy added a savory depth that made each bite irresistible. At $8 per order you will want at least one order per person because after the first bite you won't want to share.

A vibrant Sashimi Salad arrived next, a colorful medley of ruby red tuna and delicate slices of white fish, all nestled atop a bed of fresh, crisp mixed greens. The creamy Miso dressing, with its subtle umami notes, coated each piece, while a side of golden, crispy wonton strips provided a delightful textural contrast."

We also chose to indulge ourselves a little with the Fatty Tuna Negiri Roll because anytime you can find tuna belly it's pretty much the law that you are obliged to savor it. I've never had fatty tuna in a roll before and for only $12, this was a fun and inexpensive way to enjoy it. Even with the rice and seaweed wrapper, each bite was rich melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

For the final dish (we were going light on lunch because we knew we had a dinner date that night with friends) we shared a very fresh and flavorful ahi roll with a little punch from the crispy Jalepenos.

In less than probably 20 minutes from the time we walked in we had savored the last bite and were headed out the door. Yama certainly lends itself to long engaging conversation over a savored meal but we had things to do and this was the perfect quick stop for healthy, tasty and reasonably priced Japanese food.

This has easily become our favorite Japanese restaurant and I encourage readers to go check out Yama sometime and let me know in the comments what you thought.

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