A Touch of Japan: Sapporo

According to our server, not many people visit Sapporo just to drink booze - they come for the authentic Japanese food and atmosphere, which makes sense since the food is beloved and the bar is, well, not a full one.

Beneath the low ceiling with warm, orange lights and earthy wooden walls, we sat at the sushi bar. Instrumental jazz hummed and the sushi chefs expertly rolled maki. Even though I'd just eaten dinner, there was no way I could walk out of that place without some tobiko in my belly.

First thing's first. I needed a saketini. I scanned the price - $6.50 - a little high for my budget, but I really wanted one. "May I please have a saketini with Grey Goose?"

"I'm sorry. We only have Absolut and Stoli," my server apologized.

"Huh?" That strange vodka sentence was making no sense. Only Absolut (gross) and Stoli (eh)?

"We don't have a full bar," she explained.

My disappointment stank up the vibe. Grey Goose is the only vodka I want in my sake. I know this because I tried to make them at home once using Three Olives (which is quite good with tonic) and the saketinis were a disaster - possibly because the vodka was cranberry flavored. Okay, a bad choice on my part…

I settled for 300ml Yamada Nishiki ($12.95), my partner hooked up 300ml Karantanba ($12.95) and we shared a pitcher of draft Kirin ($13.50). I was hoping to try a new unfiltered sake, but like every other Japanese restaurant in this town you can only get the same brand.

While we sipped the sake and nibbled on a small assortment of sushi, I glanced at the big-screen TV to my left. It was a little distracting, but if you were into the game you would may have been happy to watch it in a quiet setting. Our server told me there's no happy hour or drinking specials but every Friday and Saturday night they dim the lights, crank the music and pull down a big screen to project music videos. You can also get some sushi deals then.

On the website you'll find a lunch menu, lunch sushi menu, dinner menu and dinner sushi menu. You don't need me to tell you the food is good. Everyone knows that already.

What's important is the drink. The booze. The sauce. The hooch. The choices on the drink menu include the following beers for $2.75-6.50: Sapporo, Kirin bottled and draft, Shipyard, Budweiser and Miller Lite. You can get a glass of $5 house wine and bottles of red or white for $13-27. Cocktails include Mai Tai, Zombie, Karate Chop, Saketini and Plum Punch for $6-6.50.

The sake list is a little small for the rice wine connoisseur, but for the average schmo there's a fair range of sakes including the usual Ozeki - hot or cold - Nigori and Plum Wine. Even having a modest selection and big competition in the Japanese restaurant selection of Portland, this little restaurant and sushi bar is a hot number on Commercial Street.

Amy Martin is a freelance writer.