Benkay opened in 1997, among the first restaurants to bring serious Japanese dining to Portland. Chef/owner Seiji Ando has run the kitchen since, building special menus each week around fish shipments that arrive every Thursday from Japan.
The menu spans sushi rolls, nigiri, and omakase alongside udon, bento boxes, and a rotating set of appetizers and specialties, sitting somewhere between traditional and innovative Japanese cooking. The restaurant sits in East Bayside, in a Portland dining scene that has grown considerably since Benkay first opened its doors.
Regulars point to the quality of the fish and the craftsmanship at the sushi bar, alongside attentive service that has kept customers coming back for years. To many in Portland, the Benkay name is still synonymous with sushi.
The menu spans sushi rolls, nigiri, and omakase alongside udon, bento boxes, and a rotating set of appetizers and specialties, sitting somewhere between traditional and innovative Japanese cooking. The restaurant sits in East Bayside, in a Portland dining scene that has grown considerably since Benkay first opened its doors.
Regulars point to the quality of the fish and the craftsmanship at the sushi bar, alongside attentive service that has kept customers coming back for years. To many in Portland, the Benkay name is still synonymous with sushi.