This location does bring in the down-town-attitude. The restaurant is busy with locals and tourists alike. The tables are communal tables with more private seating along the outer edges. For those who are looking to meet new people, the center communal tables provide a great environment to start a conversation with someone new. The window seats are great for individuals or pairs looking to enjoy their meal in peace. Outside the windows are great views of downtown Portland and the individuals who inhabit downtown.
Afuri is a great Japanese restaurant with several locations world-wide. According to their website;
"Afuri [named after a mountain in Japan] has long been known for its waters, and
in days past, it was considered a sacred mountain of good harvest, and thousands would journey to Mt. Afuri every year in pilgrimage. We like to think we're bringing sacred Mt. Afuri to the rest of the world. The mountain provides us with a kind of philosophy. It can be a little tricky to translate it literally from Japanes, but let's just call it "Higher". We push higher in everything we do - everything, from pickling to serving - and we intend to reach for excellence as we are AFURI. Mt Afuri remains - straight, honest, steadfast, dependable. That's our aime. One ramen. One staff. Always higher."
When you first enter the restaurant seat yourself, on the table are containers with chopsticks, napkins and an ordering explination. On the table are laminated QR codes to scan for the menu. I personally do not mind QR code menus and with COVID have noticed the recent increase in popularity. I do, however, know there could be potential difficulties with this. For this restaurant you do everything from the QR code. Each QR code is specific to where it is located within the restaurant. From the menu you can start a tab, order and pay all from your mobile device. For groups this makes splitting the bill much easier, but for families or groups that want to be on one check this means everyone has to share the one mobile device that it is set up on.
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| Yuzo Shoyu |
I ordered the yuzo shoyu, a ramen in chicken broth with bamboo shoots, an egg, pork, fride garlic and nori (seaweed). Roy got the yuzu ratan, a slightly spicer ramen made with, chicken broth, bamboo shoots, sesame, peppers and lemon peel. While ours were not, they do offer gluten free and vegan options.
Another popular menu item is the gyoza dumplings. We have too many to count at home so we decided not to get some, but the family next to us got a couple servings and I almost immediately regretted not getting some.
In terms of accessability, I again did not venture to a restroom to see, but the rest of the restaurant is very friendly to all. In honest, the most difficult part would be other customers. The tables are spaced far enough apart to not only allow for customers to freely wander, but also to allow the staff to quickly navigate around crowds of people.
Afuri Ramen is a great place for lunch or early dinner. During evening hours I would not reccomend it just do to location. With that being said, Afuri has a sister restaurant (that I have not been to yet) in southeast Portland. Afuri Izakaya from it's pictures appears to have a much more upscale vibe and would be a much better dinner option, I'll try to make a trip accross the river sometime soon to verify.
Azuri Ramen + Dumpling at a Glance:
- Simple, easy to chose from menu
- Moderate volume
- Communal tables
- Great accessibility
- Easy to navigate areas, low tables, extra space
- Price: Two ramens, one drink, plus tip $45.00
