Chef Justin Cook started in the restaurant business in 1986 and has focused on sushi since 1993. Opening River West’s Kanpai almost two decades ago in February 2005, Cook describes the vibe of his bamboo-adorned sushi joint as, “busy, but chill. We’re all about the locals and creating a positive culture for our team and the community.”
He’s built his reputation and clientele by, as he succinctly puts it, “just focus[ing] on the fish.” With fresh catches delivered four to five times per week, his longevity in the industry means he’s “developed world-class relationships with our fishmongers. We get fish from all over the globe,” Cook says. Sourcing fish from locations around the country and world, including Hawaii, Washington, California, Japan and more. Cook’s main goal is to get “the freshest fish possible” so he’ll buy from wherever anglers are catching them.
The menu’s not just fish, though, with ramen, beef, appetizers, cocktails and some 30 sakés on hand. And going off menu is highly encouraged by choosing the omakase option. Available only at the sushi bar, the multi-course tasting menu puts you at the chef’s whim, allowing the sushi chef to be creative and eaters to try things outside of their normal comfort zone.
Commonly translated as “cheers,” kanpai (pronounced kan-PIE) literally means to “drink one’s cup dry” in Japanese, making “bottoms up” a better translation. Now armed with 12 Best of Central Oregon awards from the Source Weekly, it’s time to say “Kanpai” to Bend’s preeminent sushi and sake house!
Second place: Five Fusion
This article appears in Best of Central Oregon 2024.
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