Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya opened to little fanfare in the Bend Factory Outlet Stores strip mall last July. After my visit last week, I walked away stunned by the top-notch nigiri and highly professional service, wondering why there hasn’t been more buzz about the Japanese restaurant.

A fresh shipment of fish arrives every Wednesday, according to one of the servers. Last week, it included butterfish, bluefin robin, horse mackerel and halibut, among others.

The restaurant recommends that first-time visitors order one of the nigiri boxes, which offer a chef-curated experience and a taste of the freshest ingredients on hand. I tried the “original box,” filled with nine pieces of nigiri and a roll of sushi maki ($45).

A bowl of miso soup arrived at the table first, served in a ceramic bowl with a wooden spoon. It was savory and steaming hot with freshly chopped green onions.

The chef’s box soon followed, presented like a piece of art. The wooden platter was divided into spaces with nigiri on each patterned plate. The chef had ordered each piece from the mild-tasting to strongest-tasting fish.

Each bite was delectably fresh. None tasted fishy. Most were delicate with a hint of flavor.

The stronger-tasting nigiri included squid, bluefin tuna, salmon and tamago. It was my first time eating squid nigiri, which had a ribbed exterior and a slight briny flavor.

The tuna was some of the freshest I’ve ever tasted, and the King Salmon was pillowy, buttery and soft. The final piece was tamago — sushi rice topped with cooked egg and wrapped in a strip of nori — offered a slightly, custard-like taste akin to dessert.

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Fresh fish deliveries

Ryoshi’s weekly fish imports are sometimes shared on the restaurant’s Facebook page and handwritten on the restaurant’s chalkboard next to the sushi bar.

The contemporary Japanese restaurant specializes in nigiri and sashimi, opting for fresh ingredients, rather than leaning on extravagant rolls with bold sauces that cover the flavor of the fish.

Although expensive to import, Ryoshi recently began sourcing bluefin tuna for its rich taste, a server said. In late September, it imported a 60-pound bluefin tuna fish from Mexico.

The menu also features Japanese-style skewers (kushiyaki), bento boxes and signature sushi rolls. Many online restaurant reviews rave about the Sunset roll ($18) topped with spicy tuna, avocado tempura flakes and crispy rice.

It’s not a cheap meal, but the quality ingredients and service, which was attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating, merit the price.

The server asked me what could be improved at the end of the meal.

Nothing came to mind.

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Details

What: Ryoshi Sushi & Izakaya

Location: 61334 South Highway 97, #360, Bend

Contact: ryoshisushibend.com, 541-306-4411

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Wednesday-Monday

Price Range: Sushi rolls ($6-$20), bento boxes ($19-$21), nigiri boxes ($45-$88), kushiyaki ($4-$12)