Portland’s Sustainable Sushi Empire Will Open Two Bay Area Locations

Despite many Bay Area diners proclaiming the “eat local” mantra, they seem to make an exception for sushi. Most sushi restaurants aren’t remotely sustainable, serving overfished seafood like bluefin tuna flown in from faraway lands. Enter Bamboo Sushi, the world’s first certified sustainable sushi restaurant, which is coming to San Francisco and the East Bay.

Bamboo Sushi first opened in Portland in 2008 with a focus on sourcing — following Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program’s guidelines — and operating with a relatively low carbon footprint. That means most fish isn’t flown in from Japan. Instead, the current menu features sweet shrimp from British Columbia, salmon from Alaska, geoduck from Washington, albacore from Oregon, and tuna from Hawaii. Bamboo has grown gradually over the past decade, with five restaurants in Portland and another in Denver.

While the exact San Francisco location hasn’t been announced yet, the East Bay restaurant will land this year at San Ramon’s City Center Bishop Ranch, joining the Slanted Door, Delarosa, Boba Guys, and more popular local restaurants at the ultra-modern Renzo Piano-designed complex.

The San Ramon restaurant will be Bamboo Sushi’s first location in California, where folks can expect a mix of traditional nigiri, creative sushi rolls, Japanese-inspired small plates, and full-on omakase. The Portland restaurants’ popular vegetarian and gluten-free options will likely carry over, while the San Ramon chef is also expected to serve some unique dishes featuring local ingredients. With a full bar, the San Ramon Bamboo will offer cocktails alongside a large sake list.

Stay tuned for more details as both openings approach.

• Bamboo Sushi [Official]