Step through the doors of Portland's Warsugai and get ready to travel back in time. Channeling the flavors of "vintage Asian food" from his youth, Kyo Koo, the former head chef at Danwei Canting, has opened a new dining experience that pays homage to the dearly missed Asian American eateries of the Pacific Northwest. Trading a focus on Beijing-style cuisine for a menu bursting with nostalgic favorites, Warsugai delivers a wide array of classic dishes with a distinct Pacific Northwest twist. According to a recent PDX Eater article, Koo expressed his intent: "I wanted to open up a place that isn’t just inspired by those places, but brings back those memories of eating at those restaurants."

Located at 727 SE Washington Street, on the Southeast side of Portland, Warsugai officially planted its roots in the community on January 31st. Occupying the former Taqueria Nueve space, long gone are the days when Koo's family would hop from Southwest Macadam’s Shanghai Noble House to Beaverton's Lin’s China Jade and Chen’s Dynasty. Carrying his Korean American heritage proudly, Koo grew up enjoying a plethora of Asian cuisines when dining out, familiarizing himself with dishes like almond chicken, barbecue pork, and potstickers—favorites that have now found their way onto his own menu. Warsugai features dishes like Noble House Pork Potstickers, a handmade homage to the dumplings of yesteryear, and Kampong Shrimp, a play on the sweet-and-spicy Korean Chinese shrimp once served at Lin’s China Jade that, in a statement obtained by PDX Eater, made Koo's family exclaim, "It reminds me of China Jade."

Koo's culinary creations extend well beyond imitation. Marrying locally sourced ingredients to these traditional favorites, the menu includes a char siu with a 48-hour brined pork coppa glossed in a hoisin sauce fortified with chicken stock, then sprinkled liberally with Oregon's own crushed hazelnuts, as an homage to the now-closed pork producer Tails & Trotters. The crab rangoons also take a local turn, featuring Oregon Dungeness and crème fraîche. These thoughtful updates underscore an attention to detail and a regional pride that imbues warsugai's offerings with an undeniable sense of place. As described in an Oregonlive report, it's not just about recreating the dishes but evoking the memories associated with them.

The ambiance of Warsugai mirrors the retro aesthetic its menu embodies, drawing inspiration from the sultry, neon-drenched visuals of Chow Yun-fat films like "A Better Tomorrow." The dining room's red neon glow offers patrons a relaxed atmosphere paralleled with the comforting embrace of familiar tastes. Enthusiasts of Asian American classics can expect to find dishes like pounded, hand-pulled cabbage spiced with chilies, Sichuan peppercorn, and the Chinese sausage, lap cheong, according to a sneak peek by Spot on Oregon. Whether seeking the war su gai of Chen's Dynasty's yesteryears or a Pacific Northwest-ified almond boneless chicken, Kyo Koo and Warsugai serve up a taste of the past tailored for today's Portland palate.