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— Story —

 
 

AT THE INTERSECTION OF PAST, PRESENT,
& FUTURE

In 2011, sushi chef Hiro Ikegaya opened Mirakutei as a Japanese tapas, ramen and sushi bar. For the past 8 years, Ikegaya has served the city of Portland a creative combination of traditional and fusion dishes out of his East Burnside restaurant where today, he is writing the final chapters in his career as a chef. His legacy can be traced back decades as Portland residents can remember Ikegaya’s past innovating restaurants, Hiro Sushi and Hiroshi’s. In 2018, Ikegaya semi-retired, selling the restaurant to brothers Nicolas and Job Martinez.

Job Martinez, a 22-year veteran sushi chef, started his career in the industry as a dishwasher at Ikegaya’s Hiro Sushi in Lake Oswego during his summer breaks while in high school. Since then, Martinez has worked his way to a pair of head sushi chef positions for Portland sushi bars Masu and Bamboo Sushi SE.

Martinez brings deft knife skills and a blue-collar work ethic to Mirakutei. He is joined by a staff that consists of former apprentices and cooks of Ikegaya’s.

Nico, who is also a sushi chef trained by Hiro at Ikegaya’s Sushi bar in Lake Oswego, with more than 20+ years of experience.

What the future holds for Mirakutei is in the hands of a generation of chefs trained under Ikegaya. Martinez brothers and their staff are determined to uphold the meaning of the name Mirakutei, which means a place to eat and enjoy.