HOOD RIVER — On Aug. 6, 2025 Sushi Okalani celebrated its 20-year anniversary. The celebration took place at The Ruins, the same location where they held their 10-year anniversary, while being “easily twice as big,” according to owner Justin Williams.

Passion and precision are two words that help to describe the expansive life of Mathew Coerper, who died Dec. 22 at age 32.

It was a packed house Jan. 17 in Hood River Valley High School Asian Club Adviser Dingfei Shen’s classroom, where students learned how to make California rolls from Justin Williams, owner and chef at Sushi Okalani in Hood River.

Crazy Pepper Cantina and Mexican Restaurant has changed hands. But the new owner, Tommy Ogawa, plans to keep the “crazy” intact by stirring the restaurant’s traditional Latin American cuisine with a new twist: freshly prepared Japanese sushi and burgers.

Kaze is back.