Sneak Peek at Japanese Transplant Shigezo Restaurant: Swanky.

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Earlier this year, the Tokyo-based restaurant chain Shigezo made news for taking on the long-vacant downtown space that once housed Pinocchio Italian Restaurant — and what a change they've made. Eater got the sneak peek at how things are unfolding at the 120-seat restaurant (the company's first in the United States), which now features designated areas for a sushi bar, boozy bar, robata, dining room, private rooms, intimate "tea room," and a dessert station (!!!) holding ground right near the entrance. (In the blueprints, note the giant suspended log — yes, sourced from here in Oregon — that'll eventually hang over the dining room floor.) Three chefs — once each to man the kitchen, robata grill, and sushi bar — are making the permanent move from Japan to PDX; projected opening date is October 21.
· All Previous Shigezo Coverage [Eater PDX]