Monique Siu to retire after 35 years, close Portland’s OK Omens restaurant

Monique Siu to retire after 35 years, close Portland’s OK Omens restaurant

Published 2:24 pm Tuesday, September 29, 2026

Portland restaurant owner Monique Siu is retiring at 74 after 35 years in the hospitality industry and will close OK Omens, her wine-focused bistro on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.

OK Omens, located at 1758 S.E. Hawthorne Blvd., will serve its final day Saturday, Oct. 17.

Siu announced the closure in a social media post, describing the decision as the end of a 25-year chapter that began with Castagna and Café Castagna before continuing with OK Omens.

“It is with a heavy yet grateful heart that I share the news of our upcoming closure. After 25 years of great food, wine, and incredible memories, I am officially wrapping up this chapter and heading into retirement!” Siu wrote.

Siu’s Portland restaurant career began before Castagna. She was one of the founding figures behind Zefiro, the Northwest Portland restaurant that opened in 1990 and became an influential part of the city’s restaurant scene. Zefiro emphasized seasonal ingredients and helped launch the careers of people who would go on to become prominent Portland restaurateurs.

In 1999, Siu opened Castagna on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard with chef Kevin Gibson. The restaurant became one of Portland’s most acclaimed dining destinations. Castagna was named The Oregonian’s Restaurant of the Year in both 2000 and 2010.

Café Castagna, the more casual restaurant associated with Castagna, occupied the neighboring space. In 2018, Siu, Justin Woodward and sommelier Brent Braun transformed it into OK Omens, a more casual wine-focused restaurant. It opened June 11, 2018, with Woodward’s food and Braun’s wine program.

OK Omens went on to receive national recognition for its wine program. The restaurant was a semifinalist for the James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program in both 2023 and 2024.

Siu herself was previously a James Beard semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurateur in 2017 and 2018.

Chef Joseph Papas took over the kitchen after Woodward left OK Omens in 2024, later passing in 2025.

Papas’ cooking had recently drawn attention for its focus on Pacific Northwest ingredients and seafood. A September review in Willamette Week described OK Omens as having become one of Portland’s exciting seafood destinations shortly before the closure announcement.

For Siu, however, the restaurants’ legacy was about more than awards and food.

“When I opened Castagna and Café Castagna, the goal was to create a beautiful space serving exceptional food. OK Omens has been the continuation of that vision,” she wrote. “Looking back, the true legacy of this corner isn’t just the accolades or the menus — it’s the vibrant community that came to life within these walls.”

Siu also credited the employees who worked at the restaurants throughout the years.

“To my phenomenal staff, past and present: you have been the absolute heartbeat of this business,” she wrote.

She thanked longtime customers as well and encouraged them to visit before the restaurant closes.

“To our wonderful guests: thank you for making us a part of your lives. Sharing your special occasions and milestones has been a great privilege,” she wrote.

Siu said the restaurant’s final weeks will be a chance to reconnect with customers, open bottles from its cellar and enjoy Papas’ food.

She added: “Let’s raise a glass.”