TANAKA
Sandwich shop · Downtown ·
Japanese-inspired sandwiches on milk bread, coffee, pastries
Japanese-inspired sandwiches on milk bread, coffee, pastries
"At this sandwich and pastry shop from the team behind Japanese ramen import Afuri, a pastry case filled with desserts — sweets like squares of caramel bread pudding, yuzu cream donuts, and miso chocolate chip cookies — entices diners on their way to the counter, where they order the restaurant’s signature sandwiches and savory fare. Ingredients such as pork loin, Oregon rockfish, and tofu get the katsu treatment before they’re sandwiched between two slices of Tanaka’s house-made shokupan. Fruit-and-whipped cream sandwiches are another fun option here." - Janey Wong
"The Osaka-inspired Tanaka has all the makings of the perfect cafe to camp out in with its ample seating and chill environment. It falls somewhere between a sandwich spot and a coffee shop, with a full menu of dishes like katsu sandwiches and a Spam curry dip, in addition to a full line-up of caffeinated beverages. Everything one needs to settle in for a day of work is available here, at least between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Longtime Seattleites will remember the chef's first restaurant as the city's first kaiseki restaurant, a formal, multi-course style of Japanese cuisine. That Nakajima would open such an ambitious place at the age of 25 was proof of his talent and ambition. He soon started popping up on TV programs like Iron Chef and was named an Eater Young Gun in 2018. That year he also became a James Beard semifinalist for the first time in the Rising Star Chef of the Year category, a distinction he also earned in 2019 and 2020. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the original opening, and the chef has decided to revive it for a limited time only in a series of pop-up dinners inside the currently-closed karaage space, collaborating with Portland chef Cameron Dunlap." - Harry Cheadle
"The Osaka-inspired Tanaka has all the makings of the perfect cafe to camp out in with its ample seating and chill environment. It falls somewhere between a sandwich spot and a coffee shop, with a full menu of dishes like katsu sandwiches and a Spam curry dip, in addition to a full line-up of caffeinated beverages. Everything one needs to settle in for a day of work is available here, at least between the hours of 10 a.m. and 8 p.m." - Rebecca Roland, Asia Alvarez
"Since opening downtown Portland in June 2022, I’ve found Tanaka — a Japanese patisserie, katsu sandwich shop, and brunch cafe from the team behind Afuri — to be a hit destination, offering a unique combination of shokupan sandwiches filled with fruit and whipped cream or layered with katsu-fried beef or pork, plus brunch pastries, elaborate desserts, and milk bun breakfast sandwiches; the company is opening a second location as part of Bridgeport Village’s renovation, and CEO Taichi Ishizuki says, “Bridgeport Village is fostering a dynamic culinary scene, and we look forward to being part of its compelling development.”" - Clair Lorell