Two new Portland restaurants have applied for approvals from the City Council to open in October.

Qi Shen of Yarmouth plans a restaurant featuring Sichuan Chinese cuisine at 612 Congress St., the former location of Anna’s Used Furniture and Collectibles and just two doors down from The Green Elephant vegetarian restaurant. The new place would be called Piao Shang Sichuan Kitchen, and be open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The target opening date is Oct. 16.

The location has two floors. There would be a bar downstairs and seating on both levels. A sample menu filed with the city lists lots of beef, pork and fish dishes, including fish soup with pickled greens and spicy steamed beef with rice.

Raphael Kabata of Portland, who is from the Democratic Republic of Congo, plans a new African restaurant called Chez Okapu at 249 St. John St., the former location of Taqueria Tequila. The target opening date is Oct. 1, and the restaurant would be open daily from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

The sample menu lists items such as beef and pork steaks, as well as salmon, chicken and fried tilapia. Prices range from $6 for two sambusas (triangular stuffed pastries) to $15.99 for a dish featuring goat meat. Sides would include fumbwa (a wild spinach that grows in central Africa), beans and dishes made with cassava leaves, such as sombu and a stew called pondu flavored with onions, palm oil, chilis, eggplant and fish.

Licenses for the restaurants will be reviewed at 7 p.m. Wednesday at a public hearing in the City Council Chambers on the second floor of City Hall, 389 Congress St.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.