Kobe Sushi finds its niche on HR waterfront

This is the third location for Kobe. Sean Chen started his first location four years ago in west The Dalles and added a second location a little over a year ago not far from the original location.

The Hood River site opened six weeks ago and is off to a good start, according to co-managers Heather Maurin and Laura Kahler.

“Just word of mouth, it’s really gone well. Every day just a little more business,” Maurin said. “We have a lot of happy customers so far.”

The 20 or so employees work together to prepare food from a widely varied menu, including vegetarian sushi and “very, very fresh sashimi, it comes sometimes twice a week,” Maurin said. Chefs put together daily sushi items specials, depending on product and ingredient availability.

“It’s very fresh and the presentations are just beautiful,” Maurin said. “The flavors we expand: Some are Thai, Chinese, a little Vietnamese. It’s a big mix.”

Items include Asian steak, Pad Thai, and a variety of curries and rolls. Lunch specials range from $9 to $13.

For example, Crazy Man roll includes eel tempura, cucumber, avocado, eel sauce, and misago — fish eggs.

The sake list is “pretty extensive,” said Maurin, former Kobe bar manager who does the mixology at the Hood River site. Sakatinis and other cocktails are a specialty. Kobe has connected with a local farm to provide herbs for the cocktails.

The restaurant has full bar service but at press time, alcohol consumption was limited to the inside of the restaurant.

Each month the restaurant puts the focus a local winery, with Mosier’s Annalema to be featured throughout August. In July it was Garnier, also out of Mosier.

The appealing interior pulls in plenty of waterfront light. Outdoor dining tables face Nichols basin. The interior space was designed by Mark Vanderzanden, and Kahler’s husband, Douglas Kaehler, was project manager.