Shizuku Temporarily Shutters to Switch to Omakase Format

Chef Naoko Tamura will make some changes to her Japanese restaurant Shizuku after Saturday, February 17. Tamura will bring back lunch service and will focus on omakase style for dinner. The chef/owner outlines this plan in a letter to newsletter subscribers:

Thank you to all my customers for your continued patronage. It has been just over a year since the opening of Shizuku and more than 10 years in Portland, and I have come to learn that we need to adapt to this evolving city and to the tastes and needs of our customers. This message is to let you know of some upcoming changes at Shizuku. By popular request, lunch is coming back, with a completely new menu and available Wednesday to Sunday. In an attempt to appeal to my regular customers, as well as providing something different and interesting to those who haven’t tried us before, dinner will change to Omakase style – umami dashi focus on Japanese local cuisine – prix fixe menu, Thursday to Saturday. Our last day of full service dining with the current menu will be on Saturday, February 17th . After a few days of closure to reorganize, we will open again for lunch on Friday, February 23rd, and dinner will begin on Thursday March 1st. Reservations will open up as soon as we update our website with new menus. Please check shizukupdx.com in about a week or so for details of our changes including new opening days and times. We are looking forward to welcoming you for lunch and Omakase dining. And don’t forget that Shizuku is always available for private dining and special events, as well as off-site catering.

Naoko

Tamura opened bento restaurant Chef Naoko in 2007, and it underwent a major revamp from world-renowned architect Kengo Kuma in 2017 and changed names to Shizuku. The current changes at the restaurant started rumors of a closure, but it seems dinner will be back on March 1, at least according to Tamura’s letter.

• All Shizuku Coverage [EPDX]