The second location of Kristofer Lofgren’s ultra-sustainable Bamboo Sushi opened its doors for a friends & family preview dinner last night, allowing me to sneak inside for the first look photos.

After over a year of media buzz for the new Northwest 23rd restaurant—Bamboo NW was hailed as Bon Appetit’s Best New Sushi Restaurants in America earlier this year, before the space even had chairs—the team is prepared to make good on a long checklist of promises.

The 3,200-square-foot Northwest 23rd space is an eco-design marvel, with sustainably-harvested wood and a cutting edge LED lighting system—the entire restaurant is lit using less power than three 100 watt bulbs. A large mural in the dining room displays life-size paintings of the tiger shark food chain native to the Berry Islands Marine Preserve in the Bahamas, which Lofgren and Bamboo helped protect this year, and the miniatures used to film Bamboo’s The Story of Sushi video are displayed in the waiting lounge.

Bamboo’s flagship location on SE 28th opened in 2008, quickly drawing accolades for its staunch commitment to sustainable seafood and eco-friendly design. Fans of Bamboo Southeast will recognize elements of the original restaurant’s layout in the new space, only on a larger scale. The sushi bar has doubled in size, serving as a 22-seat amphitheater to witness the craft of Bamboo’s team of sushi chefs, there’s more space in the bar (which means more room for Bamboo’s popular happy hour), and the dining room between is intimate and chic.

Billed as "the first certified, sustainable sushi restaurant in the world", Bamboo’s menu is based on partnerships with and recommendations from organizations like the Marine Stewardship Council, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Blue Ocean Institute, Salmon Nation, and KidSafe Seafood, ensuring the freshest fish, meats, and produce while prioritizing marine stewardship, sustainability, and the environment.

Stop into Bamboo Sushi Northwest once it opens to the public on Monday, June 25th, and in the meantime, check out my slideshow of photos by clicking the link above, then head to the Bamboo Sushi website for full menu details, beautifully-produced educational videos, and more.

Bamboo Sushi Northwest
836 NW 23rd Avenue; 503-229-1925
bamboosushi.com