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Restaurateurs Peter Cho and Sun Young-Park, the folks behind Korean spots Han Oak and Jeju, have announced that they will close their West End restaurant Toki on May 26.
“Although we’re a little bit sad - we are all so excited to move forward, focus, and grow deeper,” the Instagram announcement reads. “We’ll have more time for our family, our aging parents, and our amazing staff!” Toki opened in 2021 as an offshoot of Han Oak, serving some of the lauded restaurant’s hit dishes. The team plans on carrying over popular Toki dishes like the Korean fried chicken with essence of instant ramen and bao burgers, and reprising specials like brunchified versions of the Crunchwrap and the “Hanokonomiyaki,” at Cho’s other restaurants.
Other Closings
Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen
Bambuza Vietnam Kitchen closed its longtime South Waterfront location on May 13. Its parent company, Bambuza Hospitality, is looking into opening a new location in downtown — the timeline on the opening is unspecified. “Even as we finally say goodbye to this location, we’re looking to the future,” chief operation officer Daniel Nguyen wrote in a statement to the Portland Business Journal. “We’re making plans to deepen our roots, move closer to the heart of downtown Portland, and explore new avenues of culinary innovation.” The Portland-based Bambuza Hospitality owns 16 restaurant and retail locations across several brands and three states, including Hiệp Hưng Asian Marketplace in Clackamas and a franchise of the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in Lake Oswego.
The Sudra
The last remaining location of restaurateur Sanjay Chandrasekaran’s vegan Indian restaurant the Sudra, which is located on Northeast 28th Avenue, is closing at the end of May. “After 10 years we are calling it quits,” reads the closing announcement. “This winter was the worst we’ve had in years. We were hoping things would pick up with the nicer weather but unfortunately that hasn’t been the case.” Chandrasekaran first opened the Sudra within the NE Glisan Street micro-restaurant complex the Ocean in 2013, serving dishes like chickpea cutlets and poori plates. The restaurant would later expand into a small chain with locations on N Mississippi Avenue, and in St. Johns and Beaverton.
Jim and Patty’s Coffee
The Happy Valley location of this coffee chainlet started by the founders of the popular defunct Coffee People will close on May 18. The cafe’s other three locations — on Northeast Fremont Street, Northwest Miller Road, and in Beaverton — will remain open.
There Be Monsters
The Buckman neighborhood pub There Be Monsters closed after service on Saturday, May 4, when customers got their final fix of British pub standards like sausage rolls, steak-and-Stilton pasties, and ale-battered fish and chips. “Almost ten years ago we opened the doors to There Be Monsters —we really had no idea how it would go,” the Instagram announcement reads. “It turns out that for the longest time it went great. We had (and still have) the best damn crew, a great product, and the best customers any establishment could ever ask for. We had it all and It felt great to be a part of the community we served. But, all parties must eventually come to an end and so, with sadness, we must announce that There Be Monsters is closing forever.”
