I’ve written about Nodoguro multiple times, so instead of repeating myself explaining Nodoguro I’m going to just jump straight to the recap of the courses on my visit for the Nodoguro Princess Mononoke Sousaku themed dinner.
Nodoguro Twin Peaks Dinner and a Guide to Nodoguro
When I was at dinner at Nodoguro yesterday, a guest sitting to my right asked me if this was my first time or if I was a regular. And I sorta realized I *am* a regular- I’ve been to seven Nodoguro dinners, including this one. Thanks to all the great press Nodoguro has gotten, there are lot of new people discovering and experiencing Nodoguro.
As a regular patron of the Nodoguro culinary arts, I thought besides my usual photo recap of my latest Nodoguro dinner, I would provide an overview of what to expect your first time. So here’s my Guide to Nodoguro, as well as a recap of the Nodoguro Twin Peaks Dinner theme.
The March tickets just went on sale for the new Spring theme so HURRY and snap one up!
What kind of food is Nodoguro?
There are two main kinds of experiences with Nodoguro. You may see tickets for a “Hard Core Omakase” dinner sometimes. Those are sushi/sashimi dinners where you put your fate in them to take you on a chef’s choice journey based on whatever was just flown in from the famed fish markets of Japan.
The second are “9 course Tasting Menu“. This 9 course tasting menu changes based on the theme, which generally changes every month. To give you an idea, here is a listing of the themes I experienced before this post’s Nodoguro Twin Peaks Dinner theme of February 2015
My Previous Nodoguro Coverage:
- “MacDonalds” Fast Food theme (November 2014)
- Totoro / Hayao Miyazaki theme (September 2014)
- Haruki Murakami theme (August 2014)
- Tanabata Matsuri Japanese Festival theme (July 2014)
- Firefly theme (June 2014)
- Nodoguro – my first time when it popped up at Yakuza (April 2014)
As far as I know, I only missed the theme of October 2014 (Tribute to Water) and December (Glitter) and January (Izakaya). Because I’m a stalker I can refer you to Misadventures with Miso for the better than I would have written anyway recaps of Water with Nodoguro and Time to Get Your Sparkle On Nodoguro Style posts.
Anyway, the 9 courses are served in what I, who am not Japanese and not very well versed in the complexities and intricacies of Japanese culture, would describe as a combination of Modern Kaiseki and Kappo Ryouri style. The Modern Kaiseki description I picked because the dinner is very formal in presentation and the food philosophy is sophisticated simplicity to respect the local and seasonal ingredients.
In presentation, each individual dish tries to showcase taste, texture, appearance, and color. Both the food and the dishware count as important elements of the visuals. Nodoguro carefully considers what plates and bowls they will use as well as carefully arrangement of every element in plating the ingredients. You might even notice in even placing the dish in front of you, they may even turn it just right to face you. All these artful dishes will be small, but trust me, they do add up so you will be satiated.
In terms of hearing it’s simple food, don’t be fooled. There is always a printed menu at your seat, and often there will only just be a handful of words to describe what the dish is – say one dinner there was a dish described as Dungeness Crab and Fennel Sunomono. In this dish, there was this tubular vegetable thing that had some sort of weird melt in your mouth taste and texture in it? Oh says Ryan offhandedly, just Uni wrapped in Kelp. No big deal. There are so many times that you ask about one element – why does this Dashi broth in this Black Cod with Dashi dish feel so soft, what is that other flavor? Oh, I vaporized sake in it, explains Ryan. There is all sorts of hidden complexity in the simplicity.
The Kappo Ryouri description I picked because you will be sitting right across from the chefs at a kitchen counter. If you’ve been to a Japanese restaurant before and seen the sushi counter – it’s very similar to that, but without any glass case needed to keep seafood cold for sushi. Kaiseki also has a specific set of rules of the progression of food, while kappo ryori has more freedom on what each course may have in terms of ingredients and cooking style.
At a high level, based on my dinner experiences so far, there will always be generally within the first few courses some sort of raw and/or sashimi dish. There is always a sunomono dish, a “salad” which as Ryan wryly explained, is “stuff in vinegar”. There is always a cooked fish dish – it may be smoked, or broiled. After that is some sort of meatier dish, which may be just generous protein or a protein on top of rice bowl dish. There is always a sweet rolled omelette dish (tamago) as the 8th course, followed by dessert as the 9th course, and that is usually finished with hot Japanese tea and manju snack.
Where is Nodoguro?
Nodoguro’s origins are as a nomadic pop-up restaurant, since it had no permanent home. My journey with them started at Yakuza, and then they moved to Evoe, where Nodoguro would visit for a few days every month. They would literally be bringing in the prepped ingredients and food in boxes that day and at the mercy of what Evoe’s kitchen state was, with the Evoe menu on the chalkboard taking up most of the largest wall a reminder that we were only visiting.
When Evoe shuttered in August, the space then permanently became Nodoguro at 3731 SE Hawthorne Boulevard. This is an attached space directly to Pastaworks, a gourmet grocery store. You can see a Nodoguro sign to the left (facing them) of the Pastaworks with a door, but also if you enter Pastaworks, on the left side as you step in, you will see the Japanese style sliding doors that demarcate the grocery store from Nodoguro’s dining space and you can also go in that way (sometimes musicians seem to camp very close to the Nodoguro door, so you may feel more comfortable coming in/out from Pastaworks).
There will be some that probably would debate whether Nodoguro still qualifies as a pop-up since it no longer moves around and has control over their kitchen and dining space. At the same time though, the same philosophy of a pop-up still is a driving force, since
- Nodoguro is constantly doing something new, creative, and experimental because the change in themes every month allows for a lot of freedom and flexibility
- The menus at Nodoguro are always prix fixe because of the limited nature of the kitchen and number of guests, it is always a very crafted controlled menu progression designed by Nodoguro
- The small space also limits Nodoguro to one seating per day, with a limited number of seats, and you have to purchase your “dinner ticket” ahead of time. They are only a few days every week.
Who is Nodoguro?
If you haven’t heard, Ryan Roadhouse is nominated as one of the James Beard Best Chef Northwest for 2015.
Ryan was also highlighted as a Rising Star Chef 2014 and Nodoguro listed one of Portland’s Best Restaurants by Portland Monthly, Ryan and Nodoguro also made the Eater PDX Top 3 List for 2014 Chef of the Year and 2014 Restaurant of the Year.
There has been coverage of some of his themes by pretty much all the local media ranging from their first highlight by the Oregonian when opening as a pop-up to being part of the Restaurant of the Year roundup when the Oregonian dubbed the winner “All Portland Pop-up Restaurants”. There are also swoons by the Portland Mercury on the Haruki Murakami menu or recently the Examiner on the Twin Peaks menu I also am writing about in this post.
Besides Chef de Cuisine Ryan, he has 3 main partners in his crafting of the Nodoguro experience. There is Mark Wooten of Phantom Rabbit Farms who is providing so many of their ingredients. Apparently they just sat down with some coffee with a Japanese seed catalog and oh, decided what to grow all year. You will see Mark and his beautiful natural locks also working as Ryan’s sous chef.
The second and best looking of the Nodoguro trio is Elena Roadhouse. Besides being Ryan’s wife, Elena also is the hostess who greets you and often explains the dishes and beverage pairings if you choose to purchase beverages AND is the designer extraordinaire who updates the atmosphere of Nodoguro every month based on the current theme. No detail is left unturned, be it the sign at the entrance to the tablescape to your menu or the art on the walls or hanging from the ceiling.
Finally, Paul Willenberg consults as the Beverage Director, with beverage expertise that includes beer, wine, sake, cocktails, probably everything liquid. Every menu has new pairings that he creates, and there always are surprises that challenge what you think of what a sherry or gewurtz or gruner are, and maybe new grapes or styles of sake you’ve never heard of before. He brings the best he can think of from around the world, but also always includes a local purveyor as well.
How do I experience Nodoguro?
There are limited seats and dates of the dinners. Every Nodoguro guest must always go online to buy your ticket beforehand. Follow on Twitter Nodoguro or Ryan Roadhouse to keep up for when new tickets or events for more Nodoguro Upcoming Offerings announcements as they come.
If you are dining with friends, buy your tickets together or communicate to Nodoguro to let them know because there are only a dozen seats. If they know ahead of time how many are in your party, they can make sure that there are seats together for you. You should let them know any constraints you might have (I often dine with a friend who can’t eat salmon and she is always accommodated for, and another time there was someone who could not eat pork) so they can prepare an alternative if needed.
After purchasing your reservation online from the Nodoguro website, usually a couple days before your dinner Ryan will email you what the specifics of the menu for your dinner evening will be, and let you know what time to arrive.
Dinner from start to finish is about 2 hours or so. When you arrive, after picking your seat, you will also have the chance to peruse the beverage menu and then choose to order drinks a la carte or do a pairing.
Be aware that since you are sitting at a chef’s counter, you will likely be sitting right next to each other and mostly talk to your dining friends immediately to the right or left so set yourself up accordingly. After tea service, generally one of the Nodoguro people will have a tablet running Square so you can pay for your drinks/gratuity using a credit card, or of course cash.
Twin Peaks Dinner Recap in Photos
Nodoguro Twin Peaks Dinner theme in 2015, decor by Elena Roadhouse
Started off with a Welcome drink of a Long Stemmed Cherry Cocktail with shoyu and sake
Cod in the Dashi Percolator, with flash fried black cod, dashi with vaporized sake, mustard greens, crispy parsnip
Sesame Pressed Trout Sashimi, it was cured with sesame and Ryan lovingly brushed sesame and sprinkled the Phantom Rabbit tiny green garlic on top
One damn good cup of coffee, in the form of Coffee Cup Custard (chawanmushu) with Black Trumpet Gel and freeze dried Corn
It lived up to what it needed to be.
Turnip Waldorf Salad and Miso with fresh apple
Smoked Cheese Pig with fresh mozzarella cheese in dashi
Seared Duck with Huckleberry and Real Potatoes
Uni Porridge with Coffee, a dish of Japanese rice in dashi and uni butter sort of like risotto but done to resemble gruel, topped with ground espresso. OMG SWOON.
Omelet
Toasted soba ice cream wtih roasted soy bean powder and black sugar syrup and light as air cinnamon sugar donut, served with Roasted Tea
I have to give a special bow also to the amazing pairings by Paul Willenberg for this meal, which I thought was the best pairing he’s ever done. I had the sake pairing and every single one was spot on, complimenting and revealing additional flavors to enhance the food.
The Hatsumago Junmai Kimoto with the Smoked Cheese Pig… those are flavors that were just once in a lifetime that I could experience, because I don’t think anyone would ever put all those things together ever again. On Paul’s Instagram I learned this was a Pairing he adored as well:
See, how smart is that? The wine pairing (which I sampled a few sips of from my dining companion) was full of unexpected surprises, and I thought the fact that wines/grapes were unusual and not what you would initially think was a great nod to the theme of Twin Peaks. The La Cigarrera Manzanilla Sherry was not one I would like by itself, but with the Cod in the Dashi Percolator it emphasized the Dashi flavors wonderfully and who would normally think to start off with sherry?
He also reminded me of a grape he had introduced me to last year at the Totoro dinner, a Blaufränkisch which at this dinner he paired a Blaufränkisch wine (this one with Wachter Wiesler 2010 Pfarrweingarten Blaufränkisch) with the seared duck and it was heavenly. Actually both pairings with the duck – the wine and the sake- were so good I kept taking sips from both while my dining friend was in the restroom as I just couldn’t decide what worked better.
I was constantly the last person to finish my dish and would look around to see everyone’s place was cleared and I was taking way too long with my mini-bites trying to make it last as long as possible.
Overall, this was my favorite dinners from Nodoguro ever because although all the dishes are tasty, this was one progression just seemed like all were hitting it (though my favorite Nodoguro dishes of all time still remains the Chiashu with Turnip, Miso, and Walnut with the 2012 Johan Vineyards Blaufränkisch and his dessert of Sterling Tiramisu). I can’t wait to see what Nodoguro does next!
The March tickets just went on sale for the new Spring theme so HURRY and snap one up!
Nodoguro Upcoming Offerings, Recap of November MacDonald’s Menu
This month of December and expanding into January, Nodoguro is offering two different kind of dinner experiences you can choose from. I have written about Nodoguro many times previously, and will recap the November “MacDonald’s” fast food playful theme shortly, but wanted to get this important news out first so you can act upon it.
The first of the two dinner options you can currently choose from is, just as in the dinner I am about to recap, to let chef Ryan Roadhouse take you on a themed journey that includes nine courses, with optional beverages you can order separately or as a pairing when you get there for $85 (gratuity not included). Previous themes included Totoro, Haruki Murakami, a July Tanabata Matsuri Japanese Festival theme, and Firefly, for instance as well.
For December, the theme is GLITTER. Check the website for the dates that are available. There is a recap already from another blogger, Misadventures of Miso, of the Glitter Dinner as well!
In addition, Ryan is also offering this month a couple times and multiple times in January a Hardcore Sushi Omakase experience for $120 (again with optional beverages you can order separately, gratuity not included). If you first got to experience Ryan or wish you had experienced Ryan when he was working at Masu, now’s your chance to try a more traditional Japanese sushi dinner. Some of the fish is being brought directly from the famed Tsukiji Market in Japan, which Ryan and Elena painstakingly pick up from the airport after midnight for you and the fish is extremely high quality, beautiful, and delicious.
AND/OR, you can also buy gift certificates to give to friends and family who you think would enjoy the Nodoguro experience, with or without you! You can purchase the gift certificate on their website on their Reservation page. I also hear he is open to hearing other proposals such as catering or classes, so be sure to inquire if you have ideas and requests. If you could see the small kitchen he currently works at then you would know that he can put together amazing things no matter what is or is not in your kitchen or desired dining space.
You should definitely try to snap up your reservation tickets online ASAP as they are selling out quickly. And, I think both of these fixed dinner prices is a steal considering that Nodoguro and Ryan have recently been the subject of lots of award and praise,. It began just earlier this year with Michael Russell at the Oregonian article “Nodoguro pop-up bringing creative Japanese cuisine to Northeast Portland who helps highlight why you should be thinking pretty hard about trying Ryan’s Hardcore Sushi Omakase.
Then recently Ryan was highlighted as a Rising Star Chef 2014 and Nodoguro listed one of Portland’s Best Restaurants by Portland Monthly, which makes a case for the themed menus that I have been dining at and the upcoming Glitter menu. Ryan and Nodoguro also made the Eater PDX Top 3 List for 2014 Chef of the Year and 2014 Restaurant of the Year. Ryan will also be participating in the exciting Chefs’ Week PDX alongside many of the best and brightest culinary talents in Portland.
After purchasing your reservation online from the Nodoguro website, usually a couple days before your dinner Ryan will email you what the specifics of the menu for your dinner evening will be. During the reservation process you can let them know any constraints you might have (I often dine with a friend who can’t eat salmon and she is always accommodated for, and another time there was someone who could not eat pork).
Dinner from start to finish is about 2 hours or so. The email will let you know when they will start seating, and when you enter they have only a small amount of space so knowing what size parties they need to balance, Elena or someone from the Nodoguro team will let you know where you will be seated. This is when you will also have the chance to peruse the beverage menu and choose to order drinks a la carte or do a pairing.
I am recapping a meal that was last months’ theme which means you can’t get it anymore. However, I like to think it helps you readers who might be researching what the experience might be like by seeing these recaps each month.
As usual, the meals do vary even within the same month or even same week based on what is fresh – I think this time I was unlucky because a very cold weather front came in during November that froze a lot of vegetables, so diners earlier in the month I think got a little bit more.
Large Cola
I know it was described how they created this homemade soda, but I brought a guest this time to dinner who was new to Nodoguro so chatted a lot more than my normal attentive dining so confess I totally missed it, sorry 🙁
Crab, Bread and Butter (Crab, ikura, and dill)
I don’t know what to say except yum…
Wartime Sashimi (soy cured ocean trout and wasabi)
During wartime new fishes entered the Japanese diet as their regular fish were not always available, as represented here by this trout
Tofu nuggets with special sauce (tofu, uni, and aged soy)
I love uni, and keep enjoying the magic Ryan has been pulling off with taking tofu and breaking expectations of what tofu tastes and feels like.
Filet o fish (yuan yaki Ling Cod and tartar sauce)
I can never say no to anything Ryan seems to pull out of that oven every dinner, and this cod is no exception. I was wondering what I would think of this homemade tartar sauce and whether it would get in the way of the beautiful flavors of the fish, but I found it to be a nice contrast and didn’t leave any sauce left on my plate.
Chocolate Sukiyaki (wagyu sukiyaki, potatoes, miso, chocolate)
The addition of chocolate is so genius here. I haven’t seen this in the US, but in Asia sukiyaki is a type of fast food restaurant in which you don’t grab and go, but you sit at tables that have big pots of boiling broth. You are given pretty much raw ingredients (your choice of fish, pork, chicken, beef, potatoes etc) to cook in and because the broth is already so hot everything cooks extremely fast. It’s a family style meal where everyone gathers all at once simultaneously cooking and eating together but without having to prep anything beforehand and clean anything else up at the end.
Coco Ichiban salad (Persimmon and root vegetables with curry vinegar)
Coco Ichiban is a curry chain restaurant, so you might have expected a curry dish but Ryan took it up a level by cooking curry down to use as the dressing!
Yoshinoya bowl (seared Bonito, onion, Mizuna, and spicy soy)
Yoshinoya is a rice bowl chain restaurant famous for their beef on top of rice, though you can also get other proteins to top your rice bowl.
Omelet with Rice! (dashimaki tamago)
Kit Kat
I couldn’t think of a better choice unless it was pocky because seriously Kit Kats are so well loved there. If you ever see Green Tea Kit Kat, buy it. You will get obsessed over it like so many others who have fallen for its flavors… but this upgraded fancy Kit Kat from Nodoguro with whipped coconut milk in the back is excellent too.
Hamburger snack (manju) and Drive thru Coffee
OMG the most adorable little manju I’ve ever seen, and that was a high bar given the previously I’ve admired the rabbit in the moon one at a previous Nodoguro dinner.
I have to give a big hand again to Elena who always puts together the atmosphere for the new theme each month- it’s the second thing I look forward to, after the food of course. I want to see what food magic Ryan and partner in crime Mark Wooten of supplier Phantom Rabbit Farms has put together, and I want to see what decor Elena and her father/children have created. I was all excited like I haven’t been over Happy Meals for a long time when I saw the treats inside… which ha ha I’m not sharing the pics with you but they are super cute toys. I somehow missed the Menu Board that Misadventures with Miso did capture, so be sure to check out the recap at that blog as well, MwM seems incredibly knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine and understands the inspirations Nodoguro is rifting off of much better than I did.
Follow on Twitter Nodoguro or Ryan Roadhouse to keep up for when new tickets or events for more Nodoguro Upcoming Offerings announcements as they come.
What do you think of the Nodoguro take on Japanese fast food? I’m sort of inspired by the idea, though I couldn’t do it with Japanese fast food, but a dinner using American fast food inspirations could be a fun challenge!
September Nodoguro Theme Totoro
I think this has been my favorite tablescape yet, with September’s Nodoguro theme Totoro from My Neighbor Totoro, a film by Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.
Seriously, at nine courses for $85, these Nodoguro PDX dinners are such an amazing value. Now that Evoe has closed and the space next to Pastaworks on Hawthorne is theirs, I expect Nodoguro to start settling in now that it’s not a hobo that needs to pop up at different locations.
So far, the main noticeable change is the expansion of when they can have their dinners: the one I attended was on a Saturday evening, instead of being limited to Tuesday and Wednesday nights like before. The chalkboards that used to list the Evoe menu have been wiped clean, and I hope that Ryan and Elena will display all the various paintings that have been created for each of the past pop-up dinner themes, sort of like a Nodoguro Art Exhibit. Although I loved Totoro, and of course the food and my dining companions, one of the highlights this past dinner was meeting Elena’s father, who paints an art piece each month reflecting the latest Nodoguro theme. I would be proud to hang any one of his work on my walls at home!
A new addition to the menu is that Nodoguro also debuted a pairing menu for their courses that was suggested by a very knowledgeable guest and locally known drinks connossieur Paul Willenberg. At $50 for six beverage pairings, and at least at my seating everything but the beer was a full pour (and the beer was still at a generous 10 ounces), it’s another bargain value and all together makes for a very filling meal indeed. There were several bottles that I jotted down the name on my phone to seek out later as they were great unique finds, and I loved being introduced to them. I would definitely recommend the pairing menu.
If you are going to explore and be taken on a culinary adventure, might as well go all in right? So eat light the day you are coming to your dinner!
I knew I was going to have a fabulous time when I saw the new Nodoguro host standing there to greet us as we arrived. I hope they continue to employ him because he was so welcoming and warm and I immediately felt comfortable.
Meanwhile, on the side of the wall that is usually the latest Nodoguro theme painting, a projector instead showed the Totoro movie while just below the screen seemed to be a little shrine…
The tablescape also included Totoro on the menus for food and drink, and peeking at guests as they dined from the terrariums. A dragon also was a callback to another Hayao Miyazaki film, Spirited Away.
First Course: Phantom Rabbit Melon slice
I can’t get over Totoro with his little “o” on his mouth watching me eat this melon with the champagne pairing, as you can see in the last photo in the background. I can never complain with starting a meal with a pairing that includes sparkling, in this case the Lamiable Champagne Brut Grand Cru.
Also in the background, as a little dinner party group we also decided to bring some corn as a little joke to Nodoguro – the youngest daughter bringing a fresh sweet corn to her mother is an important plot point in the Totoro movie.
Second Course: Poached Octopus with Wasabi and Citrus
A glimpse of Chef Ryan Roadhouse slicing the Poached Octopus like a ninja.
Don’t be afraid of the little suckers of these tentacles- eating these was so soft, reminiscent of the texture of a poached lobster, this was so tender.
Third Course: Tomato Oden with Ham and Eggs
Teamwork in plating the course between Ryan Roadhouse and Mark Wooten!
And the beautiful result of two tomatoes, 3 year aged ham, and egg yolk cream…
Not pictured is the beautiful glass of the next beverage pairing, a 2013 Fossil and Fawn Rosé of Pinot Gris, Crowley Station which was just lovely. I thought I took a photo of it to show the colors of that beautiful rose color (in fact it bordered more on strawberry red than a light pink!) of this Pinot Gris with the tomato, but apparently I got excited and just ate this dish.
Fourth Course: Dungeness Crab and Fennel Sunomono
Time for a little palate cleanser with the “salad” course of sunomono, which as Ryan wryly explained, is “stuff in vinegar”.
What is this tubular vegetable thing? Oh says Ryan offhandedly, just Uni wrapped in Kelp. No big deal.
Fifth Course: Monkfish Liver Torchon with Ground Cherry Miso
I don’t know why I’ve been so lucky to get to eat delicious rich fatty liver for 3 weeks now!
This is where I had my very favorite pairing, which was the Fuku Chitose “Happy Owl” Yamahai Junmai sake that had a very mushroom quality to the flavor that really complimented the melt in your mouth liver torchon here.
Sixth Course: Smoked Salmon and Nanban Carrots
As soon as they opened the oven the room practically fell into silence as we breathed in heavily the incredibly smoky aromas of this dish.
This time Ryan went with smoked alder on sashimi grade salmon, and the beautiful colors of the corn and carrot flowers adding some delicacy to this big hunk of fish that just tenderly flaked off with our chopsticks. I almost wished I had a whiskey to enjoy with this, but the sake also went well in emphasizing the grand earthiness of this dish.
Seventh Course: Chiashu with Turnip, Miso, and Walnut
This chiashu is a call back to Spirited Away, which is one of the foodiest movies Hayao Miyazaki has made. In the movie, the heroine’s parents are turned into pigs as they eat like pigs at an empty restaurant stall on food probably much like this luscious pork belly. I imagine if I saw an empty foodstand with the dish lined up like this, it would indeed be a mighty strong temptation…
The mustard greens and the beverage pairing, a 2012 Johan Vineyards Blaufränkisch (a grape I had never heard of until I was introduced at this meal, and was very pleased to make the acquaintance and look forward to being friends) were a great contrast to the richness of the meat. Yet, at the same time the Blaufränkisch was contrasting it with a hint of spice, the wine was also wonderfully complimenting the meat with its round fruit that is silky and rich without heavy tannins.
The miso was providing extra umami along with a bit of salt highlight, and the turnip here being a nod to the use of radish.
Can you tell I was excited by this slow roasted pork dish?
Eighth Course: Satsuki’s Bento
This is the Nodoguro interpretation of the bento box that the older sister character puts together for her family in the My Neighbor Totoro movie. This was the only pairing that I didn’t like, as at least for me the Upright Six dark rye saison beer had caramel notes that I didn’t understand with the mackerel fish and Italian plum flavors of this rice bowl.
Ninth Course: Tamago Sushi
On the other hand, I did like the Rye Saison beer with the rice stuffed sweet rolled egg!
Tenth Course: Acorn, Figs, and Honey
Acorns play a big part in Totoro, so I was not surprised to see them in the decorative elements of the restaurant this month as well as in a dish. This was paired with a 2001 Jos. Christoffel Jr Orziger Wurzgarten Riesling Auslese, a terrific riesling that offered both sweetness that blossomed into spiciness that was so incredibly I preferred drinking it alone to eating it with the food so I could enjoy its complexity.
In this dish, the acorns are in gel form and paired with popped soba and figs right from the chef’s personal family garden and some Bee Local Honey (no surprise as besides having amazing honey, I saw these two dark haired curly gentlemen Ryan at the and Damian of Bee Local right next to each other at the Feast Oregon County tables on Saturday.
Tea Service: Moon Manju with Peppermint Tea
And then all too soon, it was the end, with the traditional Japanese tea service of a manju with a rabbit on it (a popular folklore in Asian cultures is that a rabbit lives on the moon) and the peppermint tea which started as green tea and then added the peppermint layer.
It was a pretty delicious dinner, as always… interestingly enough, there is a LOT of food in the Hayao Miyazaki films, particularly Spirited Away which had tons of food including a street full of food stalls inspired by the town of Jiufen in Taiwan. Maybe some day in the future… a repeat with dishes inspired by more films?
The October theme for the Nodoguro Dinners is “A Tribute to Water”. Check the website often as they will sometimes announce new dates! Buy your seats and experience what I think is the best Japanese cuisine in Portland!
Some of the draft courses (dependent on what is best and fresh at the time of the dinner, they even change it out during the month sometimes as needed) include dishes like
- Charred Hakurei Tofu with ikura, and Matsutake
- Hirame Usuzukuri (a thinly sliced Halibut sashimi served with Ponzu sauce)
- Orca beans, scallop, Uni, and water pepper
- Air dried Sanma with citrus, and grated karaine
- Duck, Soba, and Chrysanthemum
- Chocolate and Filbert Beer Float
Get your tickets at the Nodoguro website!
The Nodoguro Haruki Murakami August themed pop-up
Here’s my recap of the Nodoguro August themed pop-up- which this month was themed after the author Haruki Murakami, a famous post-modern literature author. I attended this dinner on 8/12/2014.
For next month, September, the new theme will be Totoro, from the animated move My Neighbor Totoro by Hayao Miyazaki!! Buy your tickets now for this pop-up of Nodoguro PDX that pops up at the Evoe space. The menu changes every month so it is only for a special 6-8 time culinary performance by Ryan Roadhouse and partner in crime behind the kitchen Mark Wooten of Phantom Rabbit Farms. At least, it seems, until they are ramped up to take over the Evoe they have been popping up in permanently!!
This time, because of where I was sitting by the counters, I took some special edition photos of our two chefs Ryan in the hat and Mark ready-for-a-shampoo-commercial preparing and plating the dishes. You will also get a glimpse of hostess and pop-up atmosphere curator Elena assisting in serving and explaining the dishes.
The Nodoguro Haruki Murakami theme this month meant creating dishes as described from various books by Haruki Murakami inspired a diverse journey of flavors, and yielded my most favorite sunomono yet from them. Each dish came from a description of the book listed with the dish (shown in bold italic), and spanned across 5 novels.
For the optional beverage pairing, I shared a bottle of Ippongi Denshin Yuki Sake with my two dining friends, though I was tempted by the Wind Up Bird cocktail (The Wind Up Bird is another Haruki Murakami novel).
So now, come take this visual journey…
Torke Oyster with Uni, and ginger blossom
From Hotel Lobby Oyster
Fig Salad with tofu cream, chanterelle and pine nut
From 1Q84
Bonus photos of some of the prepping of the tofu cream mixture by Mark
And here is the super tasty dish, which I think surprised many guests in its interesting flavors.
Sea Bream Sashimi with citrus, skin salad and water pepper
From Kafka on the Shore
Ryan Roadhouse and Mark Wooten prepared these dishes on the cool fish plates while Elena Roadhouse explains something to a fellow guest diner
Midori’s Broiled Sablefish and spicy Lotus root
From Norwegian Wood
It smelled sooo good when Ryan opened this oven door. Sure, the handle fell off a little later, but it did the trick for this melt in your mouth fish with its crispy skin.
Definitely one of my favorite dishes of the evening.
From Norwegian Wood/1Q84
I liked this sunonomo the most because it’s been more substantial then previous ones that were more palate cleanses, this one felt much more like a course that just happened to have refreshing acidity (and which I still picked up the bowl at the end and drank the rest of the vinaigrette). I liked that this time it had egg which gave a little creaminess to it as well.
Seared Japanese Eggplant, bonito, ginger, and red miso
From Norwegian Wood
The teamwork continues…
And the artsy plating of the dish
Salmon Oyakodon with Koshihikari Rice
From 1Q84
The wasabi was grated with this shark skin paddle:
I never get tired of fish eggs and sashimi cut fish on rice.
Omelette in Dashi
From Norwegian Wood
From Hear the Wind Sing
Watermelon Manju and Genmai matcha
You can see past recaps of Nodoguro dinners I have attended here for July and here for June and here for May!