PART OF THE JOY/pain/burden/responsibility of being a food critic is fielding the unending questions from friends/family/acquaintances/Twitter about where the best fried chicken/burger/pho/brunch is in Portland.
Usually, my answer requires more information, such as price range/desired atmosphere/preferred part of town. But right now, my unqualified answer to the best brunch in Portland is Expatriate.
Until a few months ago, Expatriate was solely an evening stop: dim lighting, Asian-inflected plates, and cocktails that deserve a spot on any top five list. As of March, co-owners Naomi Pomeroy of Beast and her husband Kyle Webster turned their attentions to mid-morning. Pomeroy’s handling the food; Webster’s got the drinks. (Pomeroy’s also tweaked brunch and dinner at Beast; more on that below.)
Like the evening menu, Expatriate’s brunch invokes the soul of Southeast Asia—funky and fishy and without pretense. The hash browns ($13), for example, are a centaur of a dish. They’ve got an American body of breakfast potatoes with a “pho” topping of thin-sliced round steak, pho sour cream, Thai chilies, sharp cheddar, hoisin-tamarind sauce, and fried shallots. They’re sloppy and packed with flavor—plus all the creamy dairy fat regular pho doesn’t normally supply. They’re perfect to share.
“It fucking kicks ass, right?” Pomeroy said after I told her I loved the meal. “It’s so fun for me to mess around and think of things I want to eat.”
