A Japanese bar and grill offering an extensive sake menu and whole grilled fish is expected to open in Portland this summer.
Bar Futo will open at 425 Fore St. in the Old Port. It will be the third restaurant opened in Portland by partners Jordan Rubin and Marisa Lewiecki, and their second opened during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The opening comes as Portland restaurants struggle to rebound from pandemic-related drop in overall restaurant revenue in Portland and decreases in the total number of restaurants.
The restaurant’s menu will feature seasonally available whole fishes grilled over Japanese charcoal along with a few meat and vegetable skewers, Rubin said. For dessert, it will serve kakigori, a snow cone-like staple in Japan usually flavored with syrup and condensed milk.
Rubin has worked in Japanese sushi bars and restaurants across New England for the past two decades, he said.
“While sushi has been a big focus, I’ve picked up a lot of other techniques along the way,” he said. “We’re really excited about bringing unique dishes like kakigori to Portland.”
The project has been in development since around last September, Rubin said, but does not yet have a firm opening date.
Rubin and Lewiecki previously opened sushi restaurant Mr. Tuna at Monument Square in 2018 and Crispy Gai on Exchange Street in 2021.
Rubin noted his and Lewiecki’s experience opening Crispy Gai last July will help as they now know what to expect from opening in a pandemic climate. Still, he said he was looking forward to bringing a restaurant he called the “first of its kind” in Portland to the Old Port.
“We have a really loyal following at both Mr. Tuna and Crispy Gai,” he said. “We can’t wait to share a new experience with them.”
Alyssa DiPasquale, who will curate Futo’s sake list, opened a sake bar in Boston last month. She has made it her goal to expand the popularity of sake in the United States beyond a novelty drink at Japanese restaurants. There are also plans to include other cocktails on the menu, Rubin said.
“We’re excited to bring our guests a new experience in this under-explored beverage,” Rubin said.