Cody Auger

Coming Up

Sushi rewards a precise hand and a clear sense of structure, which is where Cody Auger’s architecture background fits the work. At Nimblefish in Portland, Oregon, the discipline of the kitchen sharpened that approach: fish, rice, timing, and restraint were the terms of the job, and he treated them like components that have to sit correctly together. By 2022, the move into the executive chef role at Takibi in Portland followed that same logic — less a change of register than a transfer of method, with proportion, composition, and exacting control carried from one room to the next.

Where They Are Now

Since 2022, the executive chef role at Takibi has given Cody Auger a platform for sushi built on clarity rather than display. His standard for plating starts with contrast, as he puts it: "There always has to be some kind of color contrast on the plate. But flavor always comes first." That order matters. The plate can carry visual tension, but the decision still has to land in taste. In that balance, the cooking stays disciplined without becoming stiff, and restrained without losing intent.

Signature

Cody Auger’s signature dishes include Shaved Onion Salad, Chives, Ikura, Itogaki, Ponzu, Tamago, Miso-Marinated Oregon Lamb Chop, Spinach, Sea Salt, Iwashi Nigiri, and tofu donut. The list reads across texture and register: bright, clean notes; richer, marinated flavors; and sushi work that depends on finish and control. Even in the names alone, the range points to a kitchen that builds from contrast, with composition serving the plate rather than crowding it.

In Their Words “There were fun plays on traditional ideas, but nothing that strayed too far from it, and it felt true to the Pacific Northwest.”