A Look at Muselet Portland

March 24, 2016 by 7 Comments

Muselet has closed

In the South Waterfront, a restaurant named Muselet (a muselet is the wire that holds the cork and that you twist off to open a Champagne bottle – it’s pronounced “Muse-LAY”) opened in May last year, and has been a hidden dining destination gem. I felt like it was my duty to share this secret with you.

While Muselet may or may not be new to you, it has already racked up many awards by those who are in the know. It is listed on OpenTable’s online reservation site by diners as among the Top 10 Best Overall Restaurants in Portland as well as Top 10 Best Service in Portland and Top 10 Best Ambiance in Portland. You know they are serious about wine as soon as you walk through the front door and see this gorgeous light fixture and all those wine glasses all lined up for service that night…
Muselet Portland

And then there’s this:

Muselet Foie gras terrine, apple, salted brown butter, ginger tuile
Foie gras terrine, apple, salted brown butter, ginger tuile

When I first saw the above dish of Foie gras terrine, apple, salted brown butter, ginger tuile get set down, I wondered if it was dessert, it was plated so beautifully. But then when I took that bite and got all those flavors… Well, it’s still wonderful enough for dessert in its decadence and creamy texture that brings together rich savory with a hint of sweet.  I loved the additional textures bringing an extra level to this dish. In fact it’s actually on the dessert menu too, not just the dinner menu. It’s so rich, and so perfect with a flight of sparkling… You will feel like a million bucks.

Meanwhile, the #1 reason to rush down to Muselet ASAP right now – RIGHT NOW – is the Porridge with warm yolk, trout roe, and chive. Ron recommends pairing it with options such as Alsatian Single Vineyard Riesling, Domain Picq Single Vineyard Chablis from Bussieres in Burgundy, or Martino 2011 Old Vine Pedro Ximenez Blanc from Mendoza, Argentina. All sounds like win to me.
Muselet Porridge with warm yolk, trout roe, chive

As soon as I saw porridge on the menu I thought “how ballsy, they are offering porridge as a restaurant dish”. But those who have experienced know it’s a home run and a must not miss dish.  It’s a striking marriage of Muselet Owner Ron Acierto’s nostalgia for his Filipino roots of bone-warming heartiness and Executive Chef Greg Zanotti’s take of modern and eclectic, combining classic technique and progressive preparation with art of plating.

But, it’s only available for a short period of time – Chef Greg warns he’ll pull it off from the menu as soon as the weather is better because it’s too rich for the sun. So hurry in while it’s on the menu right now.

Not only that, for the month of March 2016 only for Portland Dining Month, they are offering a jaw dropping dinner option for the $29 – but instead of 3 courses you get 6 dishes! You can also add wine pairings for your courses for an additional $25. Their Portland Dining Month menu just for March includes

  • steelhead beet, brassicas, orange
  • pear burrata, kale, arugula, pecan-pistou
    Muselet Portland's pear burrata, kale, arugula, pecan-pistou "Muselet
  • bread alex’s parker house rolls, house cultured butter, maldon
  • charcuterie chicken liver mousse, cotechino, mustard, pickles
  • beets feta, yogurt, fermented garlic
    Muselet Beets with feta, yogurt, fermented garlic
  • pork coppa wild onion, hop aioli, leek fondue

I tell you, that list of six dishes for that price is a heist you should check out. But come hungry, and even with the Portland Dining Month menu, you should get that porridge while it’s in season. Somehow, even though you are getting six shared courses for the bargain price of $29, I think you will rise to the challenge of eating that porridge after you try your first comforting spoonful.

And, somehow still also save room for dessert: oh, this gorgetous, fun dessert. Everyone will jealously turn and wonder what you are enjoying, and they SHOULD be jealous of this Goat’s Milk Custard with streusel, wild blackberry, and cajeta. This dessert is also just simply known as Bubbles. Ron explains the dish was invented because he “In the beginning, I asked Greg to create a dessert that was quirky, delicious and would make guests smile. This one is like fireworks for your sweet tooth. It’s funny, the recipe is running in a future ‘1859’ magazine issue… it calls for ‘a small aquarium pump.’”
Muselet Bubbles Dessert of Dessert of Goat's Milk Custard with streusel, wild blackberry, and cajeta Muselet Bubbles Dessert of Dessert of Goat's Milk Custard with streusel, wild blackberry, and cajeta
A look when first placed on the table and basically 60 seconds later after the first photo was taken under the bubbles….

If you return after Portland Dining Month, besides the porridge and Bubbles dessert (and perhaps the foie gras either as appetizer or dessert…), you might consider splurging on the Wagyu Culotte with short rib and mushroom duxelle. This dish is perfectly cooked meat butter, tender without being too fatty. Paired by Ron with 2007 Hawk’s View Cellars Pinot Noir, the pairing is fit for royalty – seriously it wouldn’t look out of place as the dinner plate while in a ballgown and wearing diamonds.
Muselet Wagyu Culotte with short rib, mushroom duxelle

There are multiple options in Portland for oyster, but Muselet sets apart their oyster dish with its half a dozen shigoku with blood orange mignonette that you can enjoy with champagne or sparkling – such as Maysara Pinot Noir Brut Rose. Little trivia: Muselet was the first to pour Maysara Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rose in the area, and the wine is only available at the winery for their wedding events.
There are multiple options in Portland for oyster, but Muselet stands out with its Half a dozen shigoku with blood orange mignonette that you can enjoy with champagne or sparkling - such as Maysara Pinot Noir Brut Rose (Muselet was the first to pour Maysara Winery Pinot Noir Brut Rose in the area, and the wine is only available at the winery for their wedding events)

Definitely get a sparkling wine when you visit – or any wine. Wines are a huge draw to visit Muselet, since it is listed as one of Wine Enthusiast’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants in America for 2015, is one of the Oregon Wine A-List Award winners 2016 and is rated on OpenTable’s online reservation site by diners as among the Top 10 Most Notable Wine Lists for Portland / Oregon.

The Muselet wine list features 50+ Champagne (small production ‘grower’ wines) and sparkling wines, local urban wineries, and many Oregon Pinot Noirs. They offer a rotating selection of over 30 wines by the glass and more than 300 by the bottle, as well as numerous wine flights. Any wine by the glass can also be ordered as half glass, so you could make your own flight or ask Ron to pair with whatever you’d like.
Flight of sparkling wine, one of two flights you can choose from at Muselet

Ron has been developing friendships with winemakers and producers in the Willamette Valley since 2004, and expanded during his past experience managing restaurants with relationships with wine sales reps, importers and distributors.

“The key for me is to truly understand their vision and passion, and to show them the respect I have for their product. I get really excited and I love introducing guests to wines that have been made with passion, where the winemakers are caught up in the romance of their craft. It’s been fun to get to know the winemaking sons and daughters of the ‘Papas of Pinot’ who started it all.” says Ron.

The payoff for you as the customer is access to some wines that are exclusive just to Muselet, or that somehow Ron found that are local and super small that you might not find them anywhere else.

Domaine Drouhin only started making Pinot Noir Rose for their tasting room in 2010. Muselet owner Ron Acierto was able to acquire a few cases of their first Roses for Jory. Because he nurtured a relationship, he is also currently the only restaurant in Portland to serve their 2014 Rose. Their production is so small, their distributor is only able to place it selectively because there is not enough wine for a public release.There are only 2 cases left of the 2014 and it is only available at Muselet.
Domaine Drouhin only started making Pinot Noir Rose for their tasting room in 2010. Their production is so small, their distributor is only able to place it selectively because there is not enough wine for a public release. There are only 2 cases left of the 2014 and it is only available at Muselet.

In fact, at Muselet they hold weekly complimentary no purchase necessary wine tasting series in their lounge every Saturday from 5 – 6:30 PM.  A winery expert will be on hand during every tasting to answer questions about each wine. The featured wines will be available for guests to purchase by the glass to enjoy at the bar, purchase a bottle to take home, or can be enjoyed as a custom wine pairing with their meal. The current upcoming schedule includes

  • March 26 Fullerton Wines: Distinctive Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.
  • April 2 Owen Roe: Riesling, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Oregon Pinot Noir, Washington Red.
  • April 9 Le Cadeau | Exclusively estate grown Oregon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay
    Aubichon Wines | Oregon Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay
  • April 23 Ian Burrows of Consulon Wines | pouring wines from Boulay Wine Company, Swick Wines, and Guillén Family Wines
  • April 30 Jackalope Wines | Craft Nortwest Pinot Noir, Viognier, and Cabernet Franc
    Helioterra | Pinot Noir, Mourvédre, Pinot Blanc, Syrah, Arneis, Melon de Bourgogne, Rosé of Pinot Noir, and Riesling
  • The schedule will continually be updated and can be found at Muselet’s website

Ron explains “We like to think of ourselves as the ‘concierge of the Oregon wine country.’ We are able to customize wine pairing perfectly for every dish, plus provide some unknown wine varietals for non-traditional wine pairings. Imagine, instead of having to choose one or two bottles of wine for a meal, you can have a small pour of the wine that perfectly complements your dish.”

Here’s a look at a few other dishes on the current menu, which will change seasonally:

  • Beef tartare remoulade, dulse, vinegar chip (part of their bar/soirée menu which is what they have dubbed happy hour, available in the bar/lounge only)
  • Mille Fuille with creme, dulse, smoked cod
  • Cured Hamachi, pea, hibiscus, avocado. I marveled at every bite of that dehydrated yuzu (tofu skin) with pea in how it was a perfect addition of subtle flavor and great texture to go with that hamachi – I even was trying to separate it from that photogenic hibiscus sauce to try to focus on the perfect hamachi and yuzu pea combo.
  • Turnip with beurre monte, pickled shallot, trout roe, sake lees
  • Sunchoke with mole poblano, persian cress
  • Scallop with pork rind and red eye gravy
    Muselet Beef tartare remoulade, dulse, vinegar chip Muselet Potato Mille Fuille with creme, dulse, smoked cod Muselet Cured Hamachi, pea, hibiscus, avocado Muselet Turnip with beurre monte, pickled shallot, trout roe, sake lees Muselet Sunchoke with mole poblano, persian cress Muselet Scallop with pork rind and red eye gravy

So I think you’ve gotten the gist here: spectacular food and wine. But did you notice I mentioned feeling like a million bucks, or feeling like royalty too? That’s because the biggest impression I had from Muselet is white glove service without the formality but all the elegance and class. Ron is incredibly enthusiastic about the dining experience, and he knows it includes what is on your plate and in your glass, but also beyond that in how you are treated from start to finish.

The people at Muselet are dedicated to making each guest feel like a VIP, and genuinely want to welcome you the moment you step in, take care of you with an eye on every detail, and make sure you know you are valued and that you leave happy. You’ll feel like you had a high class dinner but everything is approachable and without the matching high class price tag. In a city where service is often casual, it’s feels so special to be pampered like at Muselet.

Which of these dishes at Muselet is attracting your eye?

Muselet Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Disclosure: I attended a complimentary shared blogger meal, but I also returned on my own and on my own dime. I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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Marukin Ramen

March 18, 2016 by 4 Comments

Today marks the expanded soft opening of Marukin Ramen, at least at their initial location at 609 SE Ankeny. A second location is in the works at Pine Street Market. For their soft opening so far they’ve only been doing lunch service with one ramen type, but starting today their hours are 11AM  – 3PM Monday-Friday and 3PM  – 9PM Saturday-Sunday and they will offer a few select ramen choices each day. You can see the selection each day on their website. Then, on April 1st is their official opening to expand their hours and offer the full menu.

Marukin Ramen is a ramen chain in Japan, and this is their first US location . They have even imported from Japan their chef and a few staff to ensure they are authentic. Marukin Ramen’s location at 609 SE Ankeny includes roll up garage door and lots of windows to let in the light.

Marukin Ramen's location at 609 SE Ankeny includes roll up garage door and lots of windows to let in the light. Marukin Ramen's location at 609 SE Ankeny includes roll up garage door and lots of windows to let in the light.

They are offering 6 kinds of ramen, all priced at $10.
Marukin Ramen is offering multiple kinds of ramen

All the ramen utilizes their homemade ramen noodles that are made fresh every day and that are in the Hakata style, which are thin and long.  Hakata is in Fukuoka, Japan – and ramen Hakata style is one of the 3 most popular types of ramen (the big three styles are Tokyo, Sapporo and Hakata ramen).

At Marukin you can choose from among

  1. Tokyo Shoyu, clear broth made with chicken and Carlton Farms pork bones with shoyu (a special soy sauce). Topped with greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu roasted pork, roasted onions, leeks, green onions, soft boiled egg, nori seaweed. For someone who can have meat, this is probably the lightest broth – the only one lighter is the vegan one (#6 on this list). Shoyu is the most popular and common ramen type.
    Marukin Ramen, Tokyo Shoyu, clear broth made with chicken and Carlton Farms pork bones with shoyu. Topped with greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu roasted pork, roasted onions, leeks, green onions, soft boiled egg, nori seaweed.
  2. Marukin Paitan, the famous Marukin broth uses a unique, rich, creamy chicken based broth also known as paitan. Then for your Marukin ramen flavor (ramen = broth + flavor seasoning), additionally you must choose either shio (salt) or shoyu. Topped with greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu roasted pork, leeks, green onions, soft boiled egg, nori seaweed. I love how creamy this is and it’s one of my favorites in the line up.
    Marukin Ramen, the famous Marukin broth uses a unique, rich, creamy chicken based broth also known as paitan. Marukin Ramen, the famous Marukin broth uses a unique, rich, creamy chicken based broth also known as paitan.
  3. Tonkotsu Shoyu is a creamy Carlton Farms pork bone based soup flavored with shoyu. Tonkotsu involves boiling the pork bones for a really long time to extract all the fatty richness, and it’s very common to see creamy tonkotsu pork broths flavored with shoyu. Topped with greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu roasted pork, leeks, green onions, soft boiled egg, nori seaweed. Hakata style ramen usually is a combo of the Hakata style noodles made and served here with Tonkotsu broth.
    Marukin Ramen, Tonkotsu Shoyu is a creamy Carlton Farms pork bone based soup flavored with shoyu.
  4. Marukin Tonkotsu Red is a spicy version of the Marukin ramen (#2 above). Topped with greens, menma-seasoned bamboo shoots, chashu roasted pork, leeks, green onions, soft boiled egg, nori seaweed. This is another one of my favorites – but let me clearly warn you do not wear any light colored clothing when eating this because you will get splashes of red on you!
    Marukin Ramen, Marukin Red is a spicy version of the Marukin ramen with paitan Marukin Ramen, Marukin Red is a spicy version of the Marukin ramen with paitan
  5. Miso uses a chicken and Carlton Farms pork bone broth base and miso. Miso is a fermented soybean paste, so it offers an extra depth of earthy flavor beyond the richness you would experience with Paitan or Tonkatsu broth. Topped with greens, marinated shredded Carlton Farms pork, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, shitake, maitake and shimeji mushrooms, roasted onions, leeks, green onions.
    Marukin Ramen, their Miso Ramen uses a chicken and Carlton Farms pork bone broth base and miso. Topped with greens, marinated shredded Carlton Farms pork, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, shitake, maitake and shimeji mushrooms, roasted onions, leeks, green onions.
  6. Marukin Vegan uses a vegetable and either Tonyu a Ota Tofu soy milk based broth or Shoyu a shoyu tare based broth, made with onions, garlic, shitake mushrooms, and kombu (a kind of kelp). Topped with greens, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, roasted tomato, fried tofu, shitake, maitake and shimeji mushrooms, leeks, green onions. This is the best vegan tofu in Portland.
    Marukin Ramen, Marukin Vegan uses a vegetable and Ota Tofu soy milk based broth made of onions, garlic, shitake mushrooms, and kombu (a kind of kelp). Topped with greens, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts, roasted tomato, fried tofu, shitake, maitake and shimeji mushrooms, leeks, green onions.

Ramen is eaten with chopsticks and a spoon is often provided for slurping some of the soup. Mix up all the items in your bowl except the nori – you can leave it sticking out to give you some crunchy to have between slurps. I leave the chashu usually towards the end to eat so it can help flavor the broth for a while.

Ramen noodles get soggy quickly because they start to absorb the soup and they continue to cook in the broth, so everything should be eaten immediately after they are served and finished in about 5 minutes or so while the noodles are still firm.
Marukin Ramen, the famous Marukin broth uses a unique, rich, creamy chicken based broth also known as paitan. Then for your Marukin ramen flavoyou must choose either shio (salt) or shoyu (soy sauce).

At the end, it’s fine to pick up the bowl to drink the soup directly from the bowl – you do not need to drink the whole bowl to be polite, though it is considered a compliment to the chef.
Marukin Ramen

They don’t offer extra toppings you can order yet – it sounds like that will be something that will be added to the menu later after they get used to regular service of their menu. There are some secret homemade chili oil you can supposedly ask for as well. To start they want you to enjoy the flavors and experience it as is before customizing it.

Ramen can be a one dish meal, but there are side dishes to enjoy if you don’t want ramen, or in addition to your ramen. For official side dishes,  there are options such as Pan fried Carlton Farms Gyoza, Chicken Karaage (Japanese style fried chicken served with a little mustard), Ebi Tiger deep fried shrimp karaage style, and onigiri. I definitely will report back after trying the onigiri, which was a big staple snack during my trip to Japan to carry these rice balls in our bags on hikes.
Marukin Ramen, Pan fried Carlton Farms Gyoza Marukin Ramen, Chicken Karaage (Japanese style fried chicken served with a little mustard) Marukin Ramen, Ebi Tiger deep fried shrimp karaage style

So this isn’t quite the Ramen Museum amount of ramen styles to try that I had in Japan, but it is the best chance in Portland now to try a variety of styles of ramen. I admire that they are carefully expanding their menu as they go to not sacrifice on quality and service, and hope you give them a try and be kind about their growing into their rhythm as they are so new. You can probably expect lines, just like ramen shops that are good I’m Japan –  keep in mind that ramen is eaten relatively quickly so there should be fast turnover of seats too. The unspoken rule of ramen shops is to not linger and get your ramen fix done and leave –  sort of like eating fast food.

Which ramen do you think you want to try?

Marukin Ramen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Disclosure: I attended a media preview but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.

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Japan Travel – Visiting Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum

March 15, 2016 by 4 Comments

Last week, I covered part one of our day trip to the Yokohama area, and visiting the Cup Noodles Ramen Museum and making our own custom Cup Noodles. Part two is when we headed to the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum. Shin Yokohama is located about 15 minutes from Yokohama, or about 45 minutes from Tokyo.

Just outside the doors fo the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum indicating you have reached the right place!

We didn’t stay to eat ramen at the Cup Noodles Ramen Museum during our visit because it isn’t vegetarian friendly – and by vegetarian I include not eating seafood. There are lots of places in Japan to eat delicious ramen, and you can even find several areas where there are many ramen joints close together so you can progressively enjoy multiple ramen shops at once  – the famous areas particularly are Tokyo Ramen Street at Tokyo Station, and Kyoto Ramen Koji/Street. But, good luck again finding multiple vegetarian ramen.

The Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, on the other hand, not only offers multiple ramen, including “mini” portions that are smaller intentionally to help you try multiple bowls of ramen. And, there are  multiple vegetarian ramen choices if you combine all the 9 shop options. And, the vegetarian ones are clearly marked. If you don’t eat pork, these are also clearly marked.

Atmosphere

After purchasing your entrance admission (310 yen) to the Ramen Museum here, you have a day pass – so you could come for lunch and then leave and get your hand stamped and return for dinner. After going through the turnstile showing your ticket or handstamp, you enter a entrance hallway. Here, you can see boards listing the free wifi information as well as info about the different ramen shops you can dine at and what they specialize in. They have brochures too with a map in multiple languages.
On the boards in the entrance hallway are free wifi information as well as info about the different ramen shops you can dine at and what they specialize in. There are 9 different food stands to choose from. there is also a museum shop, bar, cafe and snack shop, fortune teller at a table you can visit, a old fashioned neighborhood sweets shop, and there seems to be a game for kids in Japanese where they help look for clues and solve a crime/Wanted case as we saw them turning it into a 'uniformed officer' during our visits

I should warn now that although it is titled the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, I would not really call this a museum. It really qualifies more as a food amusement park featuring ramen dishes from different regions of Japan. The museum is part of the gift shop and maybe has only 2 walls worth of information letting you know about the 26 prefectures and showing you some historical ramen items, but not much else in terms of content. The museum is the same size as the gift shop, which is smaller than the slot race track which I’m not quite sure why it’s also here.
The Shin-Yokahama Raumen Museum is more of a food park then a museum, since this is one of the few exhibits they have on ramen, and this museum is maybe the same size as the gift shop right next to it The Shin-Yokahama Raumen Museum is more of a food park then a museum, since this is one of the few exhibits they have on ramen, and this museum is maybe the same size as the gift shop right next to it

To get to the food part, descend to the 2 floors of basement below – you can find small lockers on your way down here to leave your coats if you’d like. As you go down the stairs, the effect is as if you had just walked down the stairs from the train, and it’s also a jump back in time because the streetscape is like it’s almost dusk in 1958. Even though this area is really 2 floors of basement, the details of the sky, the 2nd floor windows with laundry and lights like they are apartments, and first floor windows are decorated like storefronts or movie theaters, really add to a cool atmosphere of old era Tokyo.
Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 and nine ramen shops from around Japan with different specialty ramen to eat

On the first floor of the basement, there are even sound effects on loundspeakers of monks chanting, or a cat meowing, or movies or radio music from the era, as you walk down the different “alleys” of a neighborhood of homes and bars that circle around the since the middle area is open to the second floor.
Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 there are even sound effects on loundspeakers of monks chanting, or a cat meowing, or movies or radio music from the era, as you walk down the fake alleys of a neighborhood of homes and bars Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 there are even sound effects on loundspeakers of monks chanting, or a cat meowing, or movies or radio music from the era, as you walk down the fake alleys of a neighborhood of homes and bars Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 there are even sound effects on loundspeakers of monks chanting, or a cat meowing, or movies or radio music from the era, as you walk down the fake alleys of a neighborhood of homes and bars Inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, featuring a streetscape like it's 1958 there are even sound effects on loundspeakers of monks chanting, or a cat meowing, or movies or radio music from the era, as you walk down the fake alleys of a neighborhood of homes and bars

There are different food stands throughout the 2 floors including 8 ramen shops, 1 Okinawa Izakaya tavern, a bar, and a cafe and snack shop. There is also a fortune teller at a table you can visit, a old fashioned neighborhood sweets shop, and there seems to be a game for kids in Japanese where they help look for clues and solve a crime/Wanted Poster cases as we saw them turning their evidence into a “uniformed officer” during our visits. We also saw other performers, like a magician.

To order, like many ramen shops, there is a machine by the door where you put in money. After pushing buttons corresponding to your food, little slips of paper with the dish names print out. This is true of all the ramen shops, the Izakaya tavern, as well as the bar at Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum.
The Bar inside the Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum where you also order by machine At Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, similar to many ramen shops, at each place you order from a machine. Here luckily plastic laminated menus explain the dishes in multiple languages with corresponding numbers to match the machine you will insert money and get your food ticket from. When there are seats available you hand it to the attendant at the front and they will bring you your food when it's ready. On the menu, there are always a few mini portions so you can try a couple different ramen from different places. Every person who sits down is expected to order ramen if they are an adult.

As a plus though, here at the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum there are also several large laminated menus in multiple languages (Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and English) with corresponding numbers to match the machine buttons and with symbols standing for whether a dish has pork, is vegetarian, etc.
At Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, similar to many ramen shops, at each place you order from a machine. Here luckily plastic laminated menus explain the dishes in Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and English with corresponding numbers to match the machine you will insert money and get your food ticket from. At Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, similar to many ramen shops, at each place you order from a machine. Here luckily plastic laminated menus explain the dishes in Japanese, Chinese, Thai, and English with corresponding numbers to match the machine you will insert money and get your food ticket from.

Not only are main dishes like ramen on the machine, but so are extra accompaniments you might want to eat such as extra meat, noodles, rice, or side dishes, or beverages. For instance at the shop Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya they offer jumbo gyoza – just look how big they are compared to my chopsticks!
At Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, you can get more than ramen- for instance Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya offers jumbo gyoza At Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, you can get more than ramen- for instance Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya offers jumbo gyoza

They were super juicy too…
At Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, you can get more than ramen- for instance Nidai-me Genkotsu-ya offers jumbo gyoza

When there are seats available you hand it to the attendant at the front and they will bring you your food when it’s ready. On the menu, there are always a few “mini” smaller portions so you can try a couple different ramen from different places. Every person who sits down is expected to order ramen if they are an adult.

Ramen Recap

The first ramen place we decide to try at Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum is at the shop Ryu Shanghai Honten, whose trademark is in its super-fat noodles folded over 32 times and that their spicy miso ramen is topped off with a scoop of the raw, spicy-hot miso. They had a mini version of this specialty spicy miso ramen that I ordered, while F got a full portion of his first vegetarian ramen.
At Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum, similar to many ramen shops, at each place you order from a machine. Here luckily plastic laminated menus explain the dishes in multiple languages with corresponding numbers to match the machine you will insert money and get your food ticket from. When there are seats available you hand it to the attendant at the front and they will bring you your food when it's ready. On the menu, there are always a few mini portions so you can try a couple different ramen from different places. Every person who sits down is expected to order ramen if they are an adult. The first ramen place we decide to try at Shin Yokohama Eamen Museum is at the shop Ryu Shanghai Honten, whose trademark is in its super-fat noodles folded over 32 times and that their spicy miso ramen is topped off with a scoop of the raw, spicy-hot miso The first ramen place we decide to try at Shin Yokohama Eamen Museum is at the shop Ryu Shanghai Honten, whose trademark is in its super-fat noodles folded over 32 times and that their spicy miso ramen is topped off with a scoop of the raw, spicy-hot miso

The second ramen place we decide to try is an Italian ramen restaurant called  Casa Luca featuring Milano Tonkotsu that is advertised as having Italian flavor, plus you can order it with Peperoncino or with Parmesan, though I did neither. The pork bone broth (tonkotsu) has olive oil added to it, the chashu is grilled after being massaged with Italian rock salt that gives a hint of pancetta, and the noodles use a blend of Japanese flour and Italian flour of Durum Semorena, a flour often used for Italian pasta and bread. This time the vegetarian shoyu ramen version looked different enough to get a photo. You can also order Italian sodas and wine if you’d like at this shop.
The second ramen place we decide to try at Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum is Casa Luca featuring Milano Tonkotsu that has Italian flavor (you can order it with Peperoncino or with Parmesan) The vegetarian ramen at the second ramen place we decide to try at Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum, Casa Luca Milano The second ramen place we decide to try at Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum is Casa Luca featuring Milano Tonkotsu that has Italian flavor (you can order it with Peperoncino or with Parmesan)

Next for the third ramen he and I separated- him to Komurasaki known for their specially-flavored oil, and roasted, crumbled garlic chips on their ramen to get the vegetarian ramen there, while I headed to the famous Sumire which didn’t offer vegetarian ramen. Here’s a look at their shoyu broth ramen and then their famous miso ramen where the meat is minced and distributed throughout the bowl so some people order a bowl of rice to go with their miso ramen. Of all the noodles I had these were my favorite of all the shops, they are Hokkaido-style noodles that are medium-thick, slightly hard and curvy.
Sumire which didn't offer vegetarian ramen. They are famous for their Miso Ramen, but I hit the wrong button and got the shoyu and didn't realize it until the ramen got served... oh well! This shoyu broth was still super delicious, and these were my favorite noodles Sumire which didn't offer vegetarian ramen. They are famous for their Miso Ramen, but I hit the wrong button and got the shoyu and didn't realize it until the ramen got served... oh well! This shoyu broth was still super delicious, and these were my favorite noodles Visiting the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum - My mini-ramen here from Sumire. They have Hokkaido-style noodles that are medium-thick, slightly hard and curvy and were my favorite among the ramen I tried. I'm getting the famous miso one. The meat is minced so is throughout the bowl - some people order a bowl of rice to go with this Visiting the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum - My mini-ramen here from Sumire. They have Hokkaido-style noodles that are medium-thick, slightly hard and curvy and were my favorite among the ramen I tried. I'm getting the famous miso one. The meat is minced so is throughout the bowl - some people order a bowl of rice to go with this

F’s vegetarian ramen from Muku Zweite and then my mini ramen with meat. The ingredients for the ramen noodles uses durum flour for pasta and flour for pizza which is unique for this ramen shop with origins from Frankfurt, Germany. For my ramen broth, the soup is boiled for 3 days with pork bone and chicken. You can also order German beer and currywurst sausage here in the shop and include as one of your toppings for the ramen sauerkraut (!? Which I didn’t do).
Visiting the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum - Fred's vegetarian ramen from Muku Zweite. The ingredients for the ramen noodles uses durum flour for pasta and flour for pizza which is unique for this ramen shop from Frankfurt, Germany Visiting the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum - My mini-ramen bowl here is from Muku Zweite in which the soup is boiled for 3 days with pork bone and chicken. The ingredients for the ramen noodles uses durum flour for pasta and flour for pizza which is unique for this ramen shop from Frankfurt, Germany. You can also order German beer and currywurst sausage here in the shop and include as one of your toppings sauerkraut

Finally, the Okinawa “Ryukyu new noodles Tondo” by tavern Ryo Next / Izakaya Ryouji with their scorched black shoyu ramen.
My mini bowl of scorched black shoyu ramen, my last bowl at the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum

Dessert at the bar included shochu and sweet potato ice cream, and beer.
A beer at the bar of Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum Dessert at the bar of Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum included shochu and sweet potato ice cream

I know some online reviews complained about having to pay an admission to then pay for food and drink at shops to eat, but 310 yen is so little for the clean access to restrooms and the wi fi and the English translations I think it’s totally worth it – and even more so if you have a vegetarian with you, or someone who doesn’t eat pork, since both those are labeled on all the menus here. As a vegetarian, F loved that he has multiple options here and so I definitely recommend if you are vegetarian and in Tokyo you come and visit.

Perhaps I could have gotten better ramen at specific shops in Tokyo, but the ones here were pretty good and all conveniently located. I did try to go to Tokyo Street later during the trip, but the lines were so long we ended up coming back to Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum a second time to get ramen we missed during our first visit. I would be impressed if you can fit more than 3 mini ramen portions in a visit – because that’s all I could handle.

Check out the Shin Yokohama Museum website for which ramen shops are here (they may rotate) – they have the menus of each of  the shops, and also an approximate waiting time if any, but only on the Japanese version of the website so you’ll need to translate. They also have videos with subtitles of visits to each shop to give you an idea of the various shop specialties before you visit available on both the Japanese and English versions of the site.

For me, my favorite style of Japanese Ramen is the intense Sapporo style ramen which has the depth of a fermented miso base, especially with the additional topping of corn and a pat of butter, and Hokkaido noodles which are thicker and wavy instead of straight, which makes a different in that they are more firm and I like the texture of the slight folds even though it means more likely splatter when slurping. The soup is so super rich that you can order an additional plate of noodles after your first bowl (kaedama) to add to your soup and still be really happy. At least that’s me.

What do you think of the Shin Yokohama Ramen Museum – would you call it a food amusement park? Would you ever visit a food amusement park – and what of food would you want to see featured?

Next time on my Japan Travel post, I’m finally going to take you out of the Tokyo area and show you our explorations in Kyoto! And if you are getting a craving for ramen after this post, come back on Friday when I talk about where you can get authentic Tokyo ramen in Portland.

Here’s a summary of my Japan Travel post series:

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Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Nuts

March 14, 2016 by 6 Comments

It’s March, so besides Portland Dining Month as I wrote about earlier, I was also inspired to look forward to St Patrick’s Day. Though I’m not a fan of green beer or over-drinking, or food with green dye (in fact I intentionally wrote a post last year promoting recipes for food that is naturally green).

Green Food for St Patrick's Day with no need for food dye or food coloring, plus suggestions for fun ways to incprorate corned beef and pastrami

Last year I also made Reuben Sliders

Reuben Sliders Recipe from Pechluck.com, great for a party and the next day as leftovers for lunch too!

This year I was inspired by the Vegetarian Times recipe for Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts. It is completely vegetarian, and ok, maybe doesn’t really have anything green in it either that stands out except for the parsley – but hey it uses cabbage for those of us who don’t want the corned beef. With the red and green colors, I would consider making this for Christmas too.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts with Butter Tomato Sauce

Serves 4-6. It’s important to remove as much liquid as you can from every part of the dish before you assemble them in the casserole. My trick to doing this is by baking it in a foil lined 8″ by 8″ pan. Then after baking, I can pour any extra liquid out and since it’s on foil easily lift and transfer the casserole onto a serving platter.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

In many ways, this is essentially a kind of eggless lasagna that uses cabbage instead of pasta for the layering.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

The original recipe makes a tomato sauce using just chopped tomatoes, minced garlic, and parsley. However, I made my own version with a butter tomato sauce that utilizes just tomatoes. To keep this vegan follow the original recipe instead, and then swap the low fat ricotta with a cashew ricotta or tofu ricotta. By using my version with the butter tomato sauce I was trying to add a little extra flavor then their simple tomato sauce, but the original version, I admit, is healthier.

Ingredients:

  • 1 can crushed tomatoes in its own juice (28 ounces)
  • 1 whole onion, peeled and cut in half
  • 5 tablespoons of butter
  • 12 large leaves of savoy cabbage
  • 3 teaspoons of olive oil, divided
  • 1 cup of chopped leeks (about 1 leek)
  • ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 1/2 of a lemon, cut into slices
  • 2 teaspoons of minced garlic
  • 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese, drained of liquid
  • 3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

Directions:

  1. In a small pot, simmer the can of crushed tomatoes with the peeled onion halves (cut it lengthwise so it will stay intact) and 5 tablespoons of butter for about 30 minutes, stirring once a while to distribute the flavor.
  2. Meanwhile, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil in a small skillet. Add the 1 cup of chopped leeks and saute until they are bright green. Now pour in the 1/2 cup of low sodium vegetable broth, add lemon slices on top and let everything simmer until there is essentially no broth left, probably about 30 minutes. Remove lemon and set aside the lemon and broth flavored leeks – again, keep in mind there should be no liquid.
  3. While those two pots are reducing, boil some salted water and blanch the 12 large savoy cabbage leaves by letting them soften in the boiling water for about 5 minutes or so and then immediately plunge each leaf in iced cold water. Remove each leaf from the cold water and pat dry on both sides and set aside for layering your casserole shortly.
    Blanched cabbage leaves that will be the foundation of layers for Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts, similar to a lasagna but can be vegan and doesn't use pasta
  4. By this point, your tomatoes should have absorbed most of the flavors from the onion and butter. Discard the onion,  or set aside for another dish. In a medium sized skillet over high heat, add 1 1/2 teaspoons of  oil. Saute the minced garlic for about a minute and then add about 1 cup of the crushed tomato only using a slotted spoon to use up the chunky tomato flesh parts – you can use the leftover of your sauce for spaghetti that is left in the other pot. For now, after adding the 1 cup of tomato to the minced garlic in the skillet, stir for a few minutes and then stir in the 3 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Now it’s time to assemble the cabbage casserole. Coat an 8 inch square baking dish with cooking spray – or do what I did which is I used a foil layer inside the baking dish, and then sprayed that with cooking spray so that I could easily lift the casserole out later and serve it on a platter.
  6. Place 3 of the large blanched cabbage leaves on bottom to start the layers.
    Place 3 of the large blanched cabbage leaves on bottom to start the layers for the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  7. Spread 1/4 cup of your tomato garlic parsley mix over the cabbage leaves layer.
    Spread 1/4 cup of your tomato garlic parsley mix over the cabbage leaves layer in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  8. Top with 1/3 portion of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks (1/3 because you will need to do 3 layers of this in assembling the cabbage casserole).
    Next, top with 1/2 of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Next, top with 1/2 of your lemon vegetable broth flavored leeks in assembling the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  9. Now spread 6 generous tablespoons of the low fat ricotta, and sprinkle 1 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper.
    spread 6 generous tablespoons of the ricotta, and sprinkle 1 tablespoons of the toasted pine nuts to finish the layer filling of the Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts
  10. Now repeat these steps, adding 2 more layers. At the end, top with your fourth layer of 3 cabbage leaves and last of the tomatoes mixture.
  11. Bake in the oven 30 minutes.

If there is a lot of liquid that comes out of the casserole, drain the liquid.
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Then serve in slices, just like you would any lasagna or casserole!
Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts Cabbage Casserole with Leeks, Ricotta, and Pine Nuts

Are you doing anything for St Patrick’s day, or making any special green or Irish inspired food? Are you too looking forward to the evenings when you come home and there is still some sunlight / natural light to enjoy now that we’ve gone through Daylight Savings time change and leapt forward?

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Portland Dining Month 2016 Review

March 10, 2016 by 4 Comments

Here’s a look at some of the $29 for 3 courses Portland Dining Month 2016 meals I’ve enjoyed so far. All of these restaurants in this Portland Dining Month 2016 Review are from the list I shared last week of my top picks from the Portland Dining Month list. This is the order I happened to dine at them…

Portland Dining Month in March 2016

Clyde Common

What I really like about Clyde Common‘s options is how it’s a mashup of Northwest goodness with a little bit of a hint of Filipino influence, which is a unique perspective. And those lumpia, which I’ve had before, keep bringing me back, along with the cocktails. Seriously, the lumpia are such an awesome match to alcohol, and every time I see my fellow bar patrons going for the fries (though they are perfectly crispy!) instead of lumpia, I see it as such a missed opportunity. I’ve been visiting the Clyde Common bar for years, but since Chef Carlos Lamagna took over the kitchen I’ve been going more often for lunch and dinner because the food options are now just as compelling as their award winning cocktail program at the bar (OpenTable rez avail). Dinner service starts at 6 PM.

  1. First course: Pork and shiitake lumpia with house sweet and sour sauce and spicy greens. I think I’ve already told you what I think of the lumpia earlier… <3
    Clyde Common Portland Dining Month 2016 First course: Pork and shiitake lumpia with house sweet and sour sauce and spicy greens
  2. Second course: Preserved ramp butter risotto with grana padano, chili oil and chicken chicharrónes. I liked the dish but wished for a little bit more chili oil to help brighten up the richness of the risotto.
    Clyde Common Portland Dining Month 2016 Second course: Preserved ramp butter risotto with grana padano, chili oil and chicken chicharrónes Clyde Common Portland Dining Month 2016 Second course: Preserved ramp butter risotto with grana padano, chili oil and chicken chicharrónes
  3. Third course: Local bee honey panna cotta with chèvre whipped cream, mixed berry jam and candied pine nuts. So good, a great play of textures with the creamy and the jammy and crunchy and sticky in a perfect proportion in every spoonful.
    Clyde Common Portland Dining Month 2016 Third course: Local bee honey panna cotta with chèvre whipped cream, mixed berry jam and candied pine nuts Clyde Common Portland Dining Month 2016 Third course: Local bee honey panna cotta with chèvre whipped cream, mixed berry jam and candied pine nuts

 

Ataula

Ataula for Catalan (Spanish) cuisine by James Beard 2016 nominee for Best Chef Northwest Jose Chesa is a must visit with this deal. The first two tapas together are usually worth $19 and a full version by itself of the third course dish is usually $34 and for two people, so I was happy that now there is a smaller portion option so you can try this paella (ha ha and then you can justify ordering another full size one if you wish to try two paellas, or a lot more tapas… muahaha). And, you get dessert with a warm fresh doughnut! Ataula opens for dinner (no reservations except for parties larger than 6 people) at 4:30 PM Tues-Sat.

  1. First course: Pulpo octopus carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and pickled cipollini onions
    Ataula Portland Dining Month 2016 1st course: Pulpo octopus carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and pickled cipollini onions Ataula Portland Dining Month 2016 1st course: Pulpo octopus carpaccio with sun-dried tomato, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pine nuts and pickled cipollini onions
  2. Second course: Tortilla de patatas con bellota with farm eggs, confit potatoes, onions and 4-year cured ibérico ham
    Ataula Portland Dining Month 2016 Second course: Tortilla de patatas con bellota with farm eggs, confit potatoes, onions and 4-year cured ibérico ham
  3. Third course: Mini rossejat negre with toasted noodles, calamari, squid ink, sofrito and harissa aioli. Instead of a pan that can feed 2-6 like their normal size, this one is individually sized (or two if you order more tapas!) I’m a cute mini pan.
    Ataula Portland Dining Month 2016 3rd course: Mini rossejat negre with toasted noodles, calamari, squid ink, sofrito and harissa aioli
  4. Fourth course: Doughnut, brioche, spiced sugar as a perfect ending
    Atula freebie fourth course for Portland Dining Month 2016 (3 courses for $29) of a Doughnut, brioche, spiced sugar

 

Willow

Willow is just opening in March right now, but they are participating in Portland Dining Month! They don’t have a regular menu available – this is their only menu for the month before shifting to their 6 course tasting menu in April, so here’s your chance to try them out on a smaller scale. Though when I say that, their 3 courses for $29 also included an amuse bouche, intermezzo palate cleanser, and a little coffee with tiny snack, so is that really 3 courses?

They are working using the Tock reservation system that automatically has you pay for the meal and tip in advance, and you have a choice of whether to also order ahead a beverage pairing whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. They are open Tues-Sat with seatings at 6 PM, 8 PM, or 10 PM. You need to get there pretty much on time because of these seatings because they serve all the dishes at once to all the guests when proceeding through the courses. When you arrive, it’s almost like you are at a supper club at someone’s sophisticated apartment – they have a lounge area for you to wait in until they are ready to seat you.
Willow PDX - waiting area before being seated at the chef's counter Willow PDX - waiting area before being seated at the chef's counter

There is also a living room of sorts that later after dinner you can be served coffee. Their small chef’s counter for the meal almost feels like you are setting at a friend’s bar – it is intimate, seating only 10 people, and easy to converse with fellow dining friends.
Willow PDX - lounge area where later we would have our after dinner coffee and snack Willow PDX - lounge area where later we would have our after dinner coffee and snack Willow PDX - lounge area where later we would have our after dinner coffee and snack Willow PDX - lounge area where later we would have our after dinner coffee and snack Willow PDX - lounge area where later we would have our after dinner coffee and snack Chef's Counter of Willow PDX

Their Portland Dining Month food menu for the month (since you get no choice – though they can accomodate some special diets within reason – for instance the person next to me had a vegetarian meal – the Short Rib steak was switched out for Kabocha Squash steak instead) are

    1. Amuse-Bouche: Itty Bitty McMuffin with squash glaze, egg yolk, dehydrated kale, their own mini muffin
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - starter snack of a amuse bouche of an Itty Bitty McMuffing with squash glaze, egg yolk, dehydrated kale, their own mini muffin
    2. First course: Cream of celery root soup with charred roots and thyme. It was first placed before the broth was added so we could admire the wonderful textures of the celery root prepared 4 ways including hay roasted and pickled, and they took advantage of as much of the whole product as they can by including the celery leaf as an ingredient here as well as in the broth. The hay used to roast the celery root also was combined with grapeseed and hazelnut oil to make the hay oil, and there were little bits of hazelnut. I loved the various layers of flavor so that every spoonful was a little different depending on what preparation of celery you may have in your scoop, and really great variety of texture.
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - first course of cream of celery root soup with hay roasted celery root, as well as the celery root prepared 3 other ways including pickled - celery leaf, hay oil, hazelnut. This is before the broth is poured Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - first course of cream of celery root soup with hay roasted celery root, as well as the celery root prepared 3 other ways including pickled - celery leaf, hay oil, hazelnut. This is before the broth is poured Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - first course of cream of celery root soup with hay roasted celery root, as well as the celery root prepared 3 other ways including pickled - celery leaf, hay oil, hazelnut. This is before the broth is poured
    3. Second course (choose one): Short rib steak with glazed vegetables, potato and sauce bordelaise or Cauliflower steak with glazed vegetables, potato and sauce bordelaise. Wow, that steak was rich and melt in your mouth, I was cutting very small pieces just savoring it.
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - second course of short rib steak with glazed vegetables, porato puree, and sauce bordelaise
    4. Intermezzo: Cilantro ice cream and yogurt. I loved how rich that yogurt was! I need Chef Doug Weiler to tell me where he sourced this from again it was so creamy and thick.
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - intermezzo of a cilantro ice cream with yogurt
    5. Third course: Chocolate cake s’more with meringue and graham cracker – this translates into a very dense chocolate cake with with praline, just toasted meringue with a huge flame by Chef John Pickett, graham, and with the best wine pairing of the night a Burmester 10 year Tawny Port from Portugal.
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - third course of chocolate cake with praline, toasted meringue, graham, with the best pairing of the night a Burmester 10 year Tawny Port from Portugal to go with the dense chocolate cake Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - third course of chocolate cake with praline, toasted meringue, graham, with the best pairing of the night a Burmester 10 year Tawny Port from Portugal to go with the dense chocolate cake
    6. After Dinner Coffee and Snack
      Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - coffee service and snack Willow PDX Portland Dining Month menu 2016 - coffee service and snack

I had the wine pairing which included 2014 Franchere Gruner Veltliner, 2013 Santa Cristo Grenache, and Burmester 10 Year Tawny Port, but the non alcoholic pairing was very intriguing as well, as it included Apple and Celery Kvass, Mirepoix Sun Tea, and Sweetened Oat Milk. There were also a la carte beverages available including Fentiman’s Rose Lemonade or Dandelion & Burdock, Lurisia, Burnside Brewing Couch St Lager, pFriem Pilsner, and Breakside Brewing Wanderlust IPA.

I can’t wait to go back to try the 6 course format in the future at Willow!

 

You can see the full list of participating restaurants at the Portland Dining Month website.

Where have you eaten, or where are you planning to eat? What’s your Portland Dining Month 2016 Review so far of the participating restaurants you’ve been?

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