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Toki (restaurant)

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Coordinates: 45°31′17″N 122°41′01″W / 45.5213°N 122.6835°W / 45.5213; -122.6835
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Toki
The restaurant's exterior, 2022
Map
Restaurant information
EstablishedJanuary 2021 (2021-01)
Owner(s)
  • Peter Cho
  • Sun Young Park
Food typeKorean
Street address580 Southwest 12th Avenue
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97205
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45°31′17″N 122°41′01″W / 45.5213°N 122.6835°W / 45.5213; -122.6835
Websitetokipdx.com

Toki (sometimes Toki PDX or Toki Restaurant) was a Korean restaurant in Portland, Oregon.[1] It closed in 2024.[2]

Description

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Toki was a Korean restaurant in downtown Portland, "spun off" from Han Oak and specializing in bao bun burgers and "snacky" brunch specials.[3] The menu was an expanded version of Han Oak's[4] and included bibimbap, bulgogi, dumplings, gimbap, Korean fried chicken, noodles, and a steamed bao burger.[5][6][7] There were three varieties of Korean fried chicken: Korean-style hot chili oil, sweet garlic soy glaze, and Han Oak's "essence of instant ramen" seasoning blend intended to taste like instant noodle flavor packets.[8] According to Willamette Week, the Gim-bap Supreme was inspired by Taco Bell and the TikTok "wrap" trend, in which "a tortilla is partially cut into four quadrants, topped with four different ingredients, folded into layers, and griddled".[9] The Buldak-ra-Bboki was described as a "creative mashup" of buldak and tteokbokki.[10] The brunch menu had doughnuts and breakfast sandwiches,[11] including a bao bun with everything bagel seasoning, koji-cured pork belly or a sausage patty, egg, and cheese.[12] Dalgona coffee was also served.[13]

History

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Peter Cho, chef and owner of the Korean restaurant Han Oak, and partner Sun Young Park opened Toki in January 2021,[7][14] in the space which previously housed Tasty n Alder.[15] Initially, the business operated via take-out during the COVID-19 pandemic.[16][17] Michael Russell of The Oregonian has said Toki was "fueled by tasty TikTok trends".[18]

The restaurant closed permanently in 2024.[2]

Reception

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Exterior, 2022

In 2021, Michael Russell included Toki in The Oregonian's list of "Portland’s best new restaurants of 2021 (and 2020)" and recommended "noodles, dumplings, the lunch doshirak with mackerel and fried chicken in all its forms".[19] He later included the restaurant in The Oregonian's 2023 list of Portland's ten best new brunches.[20]

Toki was included in several Eater Portland lists in 2021: Alex Frane included the restaurant in "17 Spots to Grab Amazing Breakfast Sandwiches",[12] Nick Woo and Nick Townsend included the Korean fried chicken in "14 Real-Deal Fried Chicken Spots in Portland",[8] and Zoe Baillargeon included the Buldak-ra-Bboki in "Where to Find the Cheesiest Dishes in Portland and Beyond".[10] Additionally, the website's Brooke Jackson-Glidden said Toki "has become a must-visit spot for downtown brunch".[21] The business was included in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland".[22]

Portland Monthly included the pork belly breakfast sandwich in a 2021 list of "11 Breakfast Sandwiches to Get You out of Bed".[23] The magazine's Katherine Chew Hamilton also included the restaurant in an overview of the city's best fried chicken.[24] Portland Monthly included the omurice in a 2022 list of "The 12 Best Breakfasts in Portland".[25] In 2023, Cho was one of 18 Portland industry professionals deemed "rising stars" by the restaurant resource and trade publication StarChefs.[26][27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Russell, Michael (2021-12-10). "Toki's refined lunch offers a compelling argument for returning downtown (restaurant review)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  2. ^ a b Wong, Janey (2024-05-16). "The Portland Restaurant Closings to Know, May 2024". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  3. ^ "COVID claimed some of Portland's biggest restaurants; others pivoted their way to the future". Los Angeles Times. 2021-08-13. Archived from the original on 2021-08-30. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  4. ^ "Han Oak Chef Peter Cho on opening his new restaurant, Toki, mid-pandemic". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on 2021-05-23. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  5. ^ "10 Portland Dishes Not to Miss in 2021". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  6. ^ "Portland's Most Anticipated Restaurant Openings of 2021". Willamette Week. 8 January 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  7. ^ a b Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2021-01-15). "The Han Oak Team's New Downtown Restaurant Opens Today". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-10. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  8. ^ a b Woo, Nick (2015-05-28). "14 Real-Deal Fried Chicken Spots in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-09-29. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  9. ^ "Where to Get Food in Portland This Week". Willamette Week. 23 March 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-18. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  10. ^ a b Baillargeon, Zoe (2021-09-28). "Where to Find the Cheesiest Dishes in Portland and Beyond". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-11-19. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  11. ^ Smith, Suzette (March 18, 2021). "Takeout Club: Small Details at Toki PDX Remind Us We're in Han Oak Hands". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-09-06. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  12. ^ a b Frane, Alex (2019-02-27). "17 Spots to Grab Amazing Breakfast Sandwiches". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-21. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  13. ^ "Where to Find the Food from Netflix's 'Squid Game' in Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-11-29. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  14. ^ "This Week In Portland Food News: A New Restaurant from the Owners of Han Oak Arrives, Burrasca Says Goodbye, and Two New Breweries Are In the Works". Portland Mercury. Archived from the original on 2021-12-06. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  15. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-10-06). "The Team Behind Celebrated Korean Restaurant Han Oak Will Open a Restaurant Downtown". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-10-11. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  16. ^ Bjorke, Christopher (January 4, 2021). "Two Portland restaurants on list of 100 'America can't afford to lose'". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 31, 2022.
  17. ^ "Where to Get Food in Portland This Week". Willamette Week. 2 February 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  18. ^ Russell, Michael (2021-03-20). "Fueled by TikTok trends, Toki is a new downtown destination from the Han Oak team". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2021-12-14. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  19. ^ Russell, Michael (2021-12-09). "Portland's best new restaurants of 2021 (and 2020)". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-04-28. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  20. ^ Russell, Michael; Oregonian/OregonLive, Lizzy Acker | The (2023-05-09). "Portland's 10 best new brunches of 2023". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 2023-07-13. Retrieved 2023-05-10.
  21. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2016-08-09). "Where to Find Weekend Brunch in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  22. ^ "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland". Eater Portland. 2015-09-16. Archived from the original on 2022-01-04. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
  23. ^ "Portland's Top 11 Breakfast Sandwiches". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-11-05. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  24. ^ "The 17 Best Places to Get Fried Chicken in Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2022-01-31.
  25. ^ "The 12 Best Breakfasts in Portland". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-06-01.
  26. ^ Wong, Janey (2023-07-14). "A Guide to Portland's StarChefs Rising Stars Award Winners for 2023". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  27. ^ "StarChefs - Profile - Peter Chef of Han Oak and Toki". StarChefs. Archived from the original on 2023-07-15. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
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