- ADAM WICKHAM
ANOTHER YEAR, another swirl of new menus. I’m in my second full year of eating as a public service and I have to say that most of 2015’s openings didn’t get me as jazzed as last year’s (2014’s Lang Baan and Kachka are hard to top). Call me jaded. Or just stuffed to the gills.
But that’s not to say there haven’t been some fantastic standouts in both the fine dining and cheap eats territory. Here’s a rundown of where I’ve returned with my paltry paychecks this year:
Nodoguro
3735 SE Hawthorne
What I Said: “Then comes the nigiri, a procession of fish flown in from Tokyo’s famed Tsukiji market and other select spots—chef Ryan Roadhouse works with a broker to find what’s best, and builds his daily menu around it. It’s amazing to think $2 sushi train plates… are even from the same planet,” [“Nodoguro Is the Best Sushi in Portland,” Last Supper, Oct 14].
Why I Go Back: I praised Nodoguro’s Japanese prix fixe meals in 2014, and promised in this same column last year that I’d be back. And I did go back, this time for the hardcore omakase sushi nights. Get a reservation ASAP because the relocation of Pastaworks, where Nodoguro is currently housed, may leave the restaurant unmoored. Frankly, I’m worried we’re going to lose it to Los Angeles or New York.
Pollo Norte
5427 NE 42nd
What I Said: “To be straight, this review is hard for me to write, because Pollo Norte is already running out of chickens early. Now you a-holes are going to be my competition. Bring it on,” [“Proclaim! It’s Pollo Norte Time,” Last Supper, Jan 14].
Why I Go Back: Over the year, some very good roasty/grilled chicken options have popped up around town (see especially: Chicken and Guns). But there’s something about Pollo Norte’s cabbage cooked in dripping fat, a succulent thigh bite, and pinto beans rolled into a tortilla that just does it for me.
