Shizuku by Chef Naoko

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.

Shizuku by Chef Naoko
Restaurant information
ClosedJune 23, 2023 (2023-06-23)
Owner(s)Naoko Tamura
ChefNaoko Tamura
Food typeJapanese
Street address1235 Southwest Jefferson Street
CityPortland
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97201
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.5168°N 122.6869°W / 45.5168; -122.6869
Websiteshizukupdx.com

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
  1. "Chef Naoko's Shizuku Is So Full of Japanese Families That Every Server Has to Speak the Language". Willamette Week. 2017-11-10. Archived from the original on 2021-09-23. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  2. "Chef Naoko Bento Cafe | Restaurant Listing". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-06-29. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  3. Frane, Alex (2018-02-27). "Shizuku's Architect Talks Tradition, Balance, and Bamboo Screens". Eater Portland. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  4. "Portland is the Playground of Japanese Architect Kengo Kuma". Willamette Week. 2018-02-14. Archived from the original on 2023-03-23. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  5. Forster, Tim (2018-03-02). "Bamboo Sushi SE Starts a Month of Brunches This Sunday". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  6. Wong, Janey (2023-01-27). "Celebrated Japanese Restaurant Shizuku by Chef Naoko Has Reopened for Takeout". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  7. Bamman, Mattie John (2017-01-09). "See Inside Shizuku by Chef Naoko; 10 Things to Know". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-01-27. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  8. Bamman, Mattie John (2017-12-05). "Portland's Eater Awards Winners 2017". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-25. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  9. ""Shizuku by Chef Naoko" Restaurant by Kengo Kuma | 2017-07-01 | Architectural Record". Architectural Record. Archived from the original on 2023-05-22. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  10. "kengo kuma hangs sudare screens above japanese restaurant in portland". designboom | architecture & design magazine. 2017-04-30. Archived from the original on 2022-09-28. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  11. Cheah, Selina (2017-05-02). "Kengo Kuma fills Portland restaurant with delicate bamboo screens". Curbed. Archived from the original on 2023-02-04. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  12. Perkins, Erin (2018-02-13). "Shizuku Temporarily Shutters to Switch to Omakase Format". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2022-12-05. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  13. Lawrence, Demi (June 16, 2023). "Lauded downtown Japanese restaurant Shizuku announces closure". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journals.
  14. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-02-26). "Here Are Portland's 2020 James Beard Awards Semifinalists". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-05-13. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
  15. "The 2020 James Beard Award Semifinalists". James Beard Foundation. Archived from the original on 2023-06-12. Retrieved 2023-06-17.
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