The 44th annual Golden Nugget awards program is the premiere event of the annual PCBC (Pacific Coast Building Conference). Mikuni restaurant builder, Walsh & Forster, Inc., based in Portland, Oregon, with an office in Sacramento, submitted the Mikuni Elk Grove restaurant in the category of Best Specialty Project. Kevin Donnelly, of Ekistics Design Studio in Sacramento, was the project architect.
“We are thrilled with this achievement. This was unexpected and exciting due to the field of international competition,” said Derrick Fong, chief executive officer of Mikuni.
There were 218 winners who emerged from 560 entries in the competition this year. Four received an Award of Merit in the Best Specialty Project category. Mikuni won in competition with Lynmar Winery in Sebastopol, California; Canyons Restaurant at Bighorn Golf Club in Palm Desert, California; and Trader Vic’s in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The oldest and largest program of its kind, Golden Nuggets honor creative achievements in architectural design and land use planning for residential, commercial and industrial projects. Entries come from 14 Western states and international entries are accepted for all countries. Golden Nugget territory includes the Pacific Rim and countries bordering on the Pacific Ocean. Expanding “Best In The West” to such countries as Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and Thailand. This inclusive approach acknowledges the growing ties between the U.S. and Pacific Rim countries.
Since 1987, the award-winning Mikuni restaurants have blended traditional Japanese cuisine and sushi with American innovation. Mikuni employs more than 500 people and currently operates five upscale, casual dining locations in the Sacramento region. Mikuni’s extensive menu features more than 300 original sushi creations served in an eclectic, energetic, dining settings.