Poke Mon Will Not Renew Its Lease Following Nearly a Year of Slow Business Due to the Pandemic

Poke Mon, the restaurant that led Portland's poke craze when it opened in 2016, will serve its last bowls of ahi and albacore this week.

The business on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard is scheduled to close after one final takeout dinner service on Nov. 25. Eater reported that executive chef Steven Woerdehoff said the lease on the space was up and the ownership opted not to renew. The pandemic also caused a drop in business during the past eight months.

First opened under chef Colin Yoshimoto, who was general manager at Nong's Khao Man Gai and a cook at Nodoguro, the Hawaiian-style raw fish served with your choice of rice or mixed-greens base and a variety of vegetable toppings, made Poke Mon an instant hit.

However, ownership let go of Yoshimoto in 2018 due to a division about the direction of the business. Workers upset by the decision protested by abandoning their shifts. That resulted in a sign being posted on the front window explaining the closure was for "much-needed maintenance."

Poke Mon reopened under Woerdehoff, previously the chef at several Portland restaurants, including Produce Row Cafe and North 45, and new staff. But the menu remained largely the same and maintained a devoted following thanks in part to its supply of sashimi-grade ahi from Hawaii and locally caught fish.