Asian Restaurant Janken Has Taken Over the Former Bluehour Space

The sprawling, opulent restaurant space that Bluehour called home for 20 years now has a new occupant.

Janken, an Asian restaurant with a focus on Japanese and Korean cuisines as well as a creative cocktail program, opened at the tail end of November. Located at 250 NW 13th Ave., the 9,000-square-foot building is led by recent Miami transplant and executive chef Rodrigo Ochoa.

Ochoa may be a new name to many Portlanders, but he was known in Southern Florida’s culinary world, having worked at kitchens at a number of high-end restaurants, including StripSteak by Michael Mina inside the iconic Fontainebleau hotel, Komodo (the highest-grossing independent restaurant in the country last year), the U.S. flagship location for izakaya-style eatery Zuma, and BLT Steak by Laurent Tourondel (now LT Steak & Seafood). He was also corporate chef at David Grutman’s shimmering nightlife empire, Groot Hospitality.

So what prompted Ochoa to abandon the warm sands and swaying palms of Miami earlier this year? His honeymoon, which he spent here in 2020 and ended up falling in love with the city.

Janken has a diverse team of chefs that includes two of Ochoa’s former Florida co-workers: executive sous chef Juah Oh and sushi chef Erich Hentschel. Gabriella Martinez, formerly of Republica, will helm the pastry program, and Luna Contreras, who founded Mexican pop-up Chelo, will hold the title of sous chef.

You can expect a family-style menu of shared plates that incorporate meat, fish, produce and more from Oregon, Japan and Korea. Signature dishes include hamachi crudo with ponzu and crispy shallot, kimchi fried rice, tableside hot stone-cooked A5 wagyu with fresh wasabi and a three-day Peking duck. For special occasions, diners might want to splurge on Janken’s caviar service, with your choice of Siberian osetra ($95), Russian royal ($130) and imperial gold ($225) served with latkes, blinis, crème fraîche, quail eggs and more.

Drinks include half a dozen wines by the glass (though there is a more extensive bottle list), a handful of beers, three sakes and a cocktail menu. Right now, the two highlighted drinks are the Pineapple Express (mezcal infused with the grilled fruit, which arrives in a smoke-filled glass cloche) and The Rose City (peach blossom vodka, peach rooibos tea, orange syrup, lemon juice and Prosecco—not to be outdone by the Pineapple Express, this one is served in a rose-shaped ice sphere).

All of that Miami culinary flair is paired with a design that’s meant to evoke a sense of calm and serenity—think lantern pendant lights, soft tones, geometric shapes and even a cherry blossom tree.

“We are so grateful to be here and to be a part of the Portland community,” Ochoa stated in a press release. “Through our food, hospitality, and everything we do at Janken, we want to celebrate cultures and bring people together.”

Janken is open 4 to 10 pm Wednesday through Thursday, 4 to 11 pm Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 10 pm Sunday. Ochoa plans to expand dinner service and add lunch down the road.