Shizuku by Chef Naoko
| Shizuku by Chef Naoko | |
|---|---|
| Restaurant information | |
| Closed | June 23, 2023 |
| Owner(s) | Naoko Tamura |
| Chef | Naoko Tamura |
| Food type | Japanese |
| Street address | 1235 Southwest Jefferson Street |
| City | Portland |
| State | Oregon |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 97201 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°31′00″N 122°41′13″W / 45.5168°N 122.6869°W |
| Website | shizukupdx |
Shizuku by Chef Naoko was a Japanese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Chef and owner Naoko Tamura opened Chef Naoko in 2007 and rebranded the business to Shizuku by Chef Naoko in 2017. The rebrand accompanied a redesign by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. The restaurant earned Tamura a James Beard Foundation Award nomination in the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category in 2020. Tamura announced the restaurant's permanent closure in 2023.
Description
Shizuku by Chef Naoko was a Japanese restaurant on Southwest Jefferson Street in Portland.[1][2] Alex Frane of Eater Portland described the restaurant as a "beautiful space that hovers between traditional and contemporary Japanese design, and that honors the food served at Shizuku".[3] Willamette Week's Matthew Korfhage called the space "an ethereal world of sunlight and undulating bamboo screens".[4]
An umami lunch was launched in 2018; udon options included a tonkatsu pork loin hot sandwich.[5] The restaurant also served bentos, onigiri, and tamagoyaki.[6]
History
Chef and owner Naoko Tamura opened Chef Naoko in 2007.[7] The restaurant was rebranded to Shizuku by Chef Naoko and redesigned by Kengo Kuma in 2017.[8][9][10][11] In February 2018, Shizuku closed temporarily to convert to a omakase format.[12]
Shizuku closed temporarily during the summer of 2022 to "reorganize ... operations around the many post-pandemic challenges" and set up a "new format". The restaurant re-opened for takeout service in January 2023.[6] In June 2023, Tamura announced plans to close Shizuku permanently on June 23.[13]
Reception
The restaurant won the Design of the Year category at Eater Portland's annual Eater Awards in 2017.[8] In 2020, the business earned Naoko a James Beard Foundation Award nomination in the Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific category.[14][15]
See also
References
- ^ "Chef Naoko's Shizuku Is So Full of Japanese Families That Every Server Has to Speak the Language". Willamette Week. November 10, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Chef Naoko Bento Cafe | Restaurant Listing". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on June 29, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Frane, Alex (February 27, 2018). "Shizuku's Architect Talks Tradition, Balance, and Bamboo Screens". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "Portland is the Playground of Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma". Willamette Week. February 14, 2018. Archived from the original on March 23, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Forster, Tim (March 2, 2018). "Bamboo Sushi SE Starts a Month of Brunches This Sunday". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Wong, Janey (January 27, 2023). "Celebrated Japanese Restaurant Shizuku by Chef Naoko Has Reopened for Takeout". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on March 25, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Bamman, Mattie John (January 9, 2017). "See Inside Shizuku by Chef Naoko; 10 Things to Know". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ a b Bamman, Mattie John (December 5, 2017). "Portland's Eater Awards Winners 2017". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on September 25, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ ""Shizuku by Chef Naoko" Restaurant by Kengo Kuma | 2017-07-01 | Architectural Record". Architectural Record. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "kengo kuma hangs sudare screens above japanese restaurant in portland". designboom | architecture & design magazine. April 30, 2017. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Cheah, Selina (May 2, 2017). "Kengo Kuma fills Portland restaurant with delicate bamboo screens". Curbed. Archived from the original on February 4, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Perkins, Erin (February 13, 2018). "Shizuku Temporarily Shutters to Switch to Omakase Format". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on December 5, 2022. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ Lawrence, Demi (June 16, 2023). "Lauded downtown Japanese restaurant Shizuku announces closure". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journals.
- ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (February 26, 2020). "Here Are Portland's 2020 James Beard Awards Semifinalists". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on May 13, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
- ^ "The 2020 James Beard Award Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. Archived from the original on June 12, 2023. Retrieved June 17, 2023.