Some additional info on Kushiya Benkay, the new Japanese restaurant under construction in Longfellow Square, has surfaced in documents filed with the Portland City Council.
As the name seemed suggest, Kushiya is indeed a sibling of Benkay on India Street. The draft menu (page 40) supplied with the liquor license application is available online. It includes a full traditional sushi menu as well as a list of Yakitori options.
Owner Hyon Kim is planning on an opening date in July.
why would you open a yakitori place across from a yakitori place, (pai men has a fantastic yakitori menu)? What is it with this in portland?
Called over saturating
What’s the big deal? Pai Men might have a yakitori menu, but it has much broader offerings than just yakitori. Likewise, the new Benkay apparently will feature sushi, tempura, etc. i in addition to yakitori.
You could have said the same thing about Pai Men when it opened up across the street from King of the Roll. After all, they both are Japanese restaurants with sushi on the menu.
For the record, I love and frequent both Pai Men and the original Benkay. I see no reason why both Pai Men and the new Benkay can’t both be successful.
Yep, this is that same old argument. No, there is nothing illegal about it, and yes, its downright american to have the competition, but it doesn’t make it right. Pai Men is/was a ramen shop, (which is different from a sushi restaurant), then started serving Yakitori. In both instances it was the first time such food had been served in Portland. Yes, they can both be successful, but one, (Benkay), is making a hostile move, trying to take the same traffic, in the same area, away. When you really think about it, and maybe try to put yourself in Pai Men’s shoes, is there any other way to interpret it? Personally, I think it’s lousy. I know business owners here in portland who make ethical decisions not to do stuff like this all the time. Also, and I know it’s sentimental of me, but I tend to think that the integrity, or lack thereof, comes through in the product.
It’s funny how Stephen says its unethical but did he say the same thing when Miyake moved into the hotel near Benkay. Regardless of that, with the diversity of restaurants in Portland another one isn’t going to break the business of another one unless its product is sub-par or overpriced.
I’m looking forward to Benkay’s approach to kushiya. I think Stephen is concerned that Pai Men has always had an uneven approach to the price, service and quality triangle. My experience with Benkay is consistently very good and sometimes eventful. I just wish they would hurry up and open.
As Nolasox says”What’s the big deal.” The more the merrier,those that do it right will do well.