Zilla Sake Information

Zilla Sake is a chef-driven sushi restaurant and sake bar which offers an educational experience in both. We strive to connect with our guests on a personal level to share our knowledge and love of our craft so that they may enjoy sushi and sake as much as we do. HISTORY Zilla Sake—Portland’s first dedicated sake bar—opened its doors in the spring of 2007 and quickly claimed a role at the forefront of Portland’s growing sake movement. Today, the city is one of the nation’s top sake importers per capita. At Zilla Sake, our program has grown from 40 original sake selections to 90, encompassing well-known favorites and exclusive items hand-picked by our owners. In the summer of 2008, head sushi chef Kate Koo established Zilla Sake’s sushi bar, marking its evolution into a traditional, high-end sushi destination. In 2016 she took ownership with a co-owner and in 2018 Kate Koo formally took sole ownership of the restaurant. KATE KOO, OWNER & HEAD CHEF Zilla Sake head sushi chef Kate Koo began her sushi training in 2000; her education has included both traditional apprenticeships under Japanese chefs and continuous independent study. Koo’s early tutelage informs her exacting approach to the craft: one that honors sushi’s tradition of simplicity and precision while pursuing its unobtainable perfection. She opened the sushi bar at Zilla in the summer of 2008 with a focus on showcasing high-quality ingredients in traditional preparations. In the nine years in charge of the sushi program at Zilla Sake, Koo has mentored many young sushi chefs. Koo curates Zilla’s expansive sake program of nearly 90 selections. She is a Sake Certified Professional through John Gauntner’s Sake Professional Course. In 2016, Koo passed the International Wine and Spirit Education Trust’s Sake Award Level 3 with distinction; WSET’s highest level of achievement.