Shortly after husband-and-wife co-owners Humiko Hozumi and Jason Duffany relocated from San Francisco to Portland they opened their fully vegan Japanese pop-up Obon Shokudo. It debuted in 2014 at the Jade Night Market before serving a two-year stint at the Lents Farmers Market and later the Morrison Market food hall, but it wasn’t always smooth sailing. Although Portland is a vegan food mecca, the city had yet to develop an affinity for traditional Japanese cuisine such as ramen, sushi, or umeboshi onigiri. After years of educating locals, free sampling, and a handful of patience later, Obon Shokudo will be graduating into its own brick-and-mortar storefront where it will take over the former Kachinka space.

Organic Vegan Japanese Dining at an Affordable Price

Unimpressed with how organic vegan food has adopted a reputation for being overly pricey, Hozumi and Duffany were committed from the start to provide a comprehensive Japanese dining experience that is accessible at a reasonable price point. The menu will center around seasonal Japanese comfort food that draws heavy inspiration from Hozumi’s hometown in the Saitama Prefecture region of Japan. She hopes to bring the joys of her home-style favorites like panko-breaded tofu katsu and kenchinjiru miso vegetable stew from the stovetop of her home kitchen to the plates served in Obon Shokudo.

You can also expect a variety of house-made fermented vegetables to anchor the menu thanks to Obon’s sub-brand Obon Kojo. This brand will provide miso and koji to Obon Shokudo in addition to other Portland restaurants all while adhering to the county’s fermentation regulations. Bentos and okonomiyaki (a savory Japanese pancake) will grace the lunch menu while izakaya-style small plates (think Japanese tapas) will adorn the dinner menu. A bar stocked with soju and sake will make an appearance once the restaurant gets up and running. You can enjoy all of this and more when doors open July 1st.

Obon Shokudo’s new brick-and-mortar restaurant will be located at 720 SE Grand Ave, Portland, OR 97214 and open July 1st.