Hungry Eye 54 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine meaghan maurice It was Tamaki, the daughter of Portland’s first sushi chef, who introduced Mill- er to Japanese cooking, and he embraced it completely. They cook together in the Mami kitchen now. And the name? It means “truth, strength, and beauty,” the hostess says. The restaurant is classic Old Port, with brick walls, a couple of sofas, a smatter- ing of tables, and a glass front overlooking Boothby Square. Local breweries are heavi- ly represented on a chalkboard drink menu, including Bissell Brothers and Austin Street on tap. “We started out at the breweries here, and everybody in Japan drinks beer. It goes great with the food,” Miller says. T he menu is also on chalkboard on- ly, and as with so many of the new Asian places, it’s very appealing price-wise. You order at a counter, select a drink, find a seat, and your food’s delivered when ready. Yakitori or shiitake skewers are $3, octopus takoyaki is $7, and Donburi rice bowls run $10 to $14. My daily special of crunchy green beans and neat cubes of tofu dressed in a house-made tahini and garnished with toasted sesame seeds is de- licious. Together with a molded cylinder of neatly cubed sushi tuna and ripe avocado garnished with pickled onion shreds, it’s a perfect lunch. The couple has a three-year-old daugh- ter and a six-month old son in addition to a restaurant and food truck. “It is a lot,” Mill- er says, grinning, a black chef’s bandana around his forehead. “But you meet some- one and you just know, I can do all this. I can do all this with you.” EAST BAYSIDE, OF COURSE As ever, inner Washington Avenue is on the cutting edge of this new wave of Asian eat- eries. Head for the glowing pink neon PHO sign on the corner of the former J.J. Nissen Bakery and enter Cong Tu Bot, a new Viet- namese spot opened by husband-wife team Vien Dobui and Jessica Sheahan. Counter seats overlook the big open kitchen, décor is simple, and bright pink walls bring a smile. The pho here is strictly chicken. “Vien is really passionate about chicken broth,” says Jessica, who is working as hostess and server on this visit. When Vien comes over, he elaborates. “In Vietnam, a lot of places specialize in just one pho. We wanted a very small focus Above:Adish of vegetable slaw piques the taste buds with chili and salty peanuts at CongTu Bot; theVietnamese restaurant bustles with an eclectic and casual crowd. Below: Kim and Sunny Chung opened Yobo on ForestAvenue this sum- mer;The Korean restaurant serves an entree of Bi Bim Bap with either beef, chicken,or tofu.“Bi Bim Bap” literally translates as “mixed rice.”