35. Chin’s Kitchen
Güero
4126 NE Broadway, 503-281-1203. 11 am-9 pm Tuesday-Thursday & Sunday, 11 am-10 Friday-Saturday. $-$$.
200 NE 28th Ave., 503-887-9258, gueropdx.com. Lunch and dinner TuesdaySunday. $.
It's also known for dumplings. And Cindy Li's eight-deep menu of handmade dumplings ($10.95 for 10) is nothing short of a revelation. Her Dongbei-style take is a thicker and denser country cousin to more delicate Shanghai fare, a spongy exercise in extreme comfort that melts tenderly into the bright dipping sauce and then across the palate, like tired shoulders into a hug. The fresh, thick noodles are an equal comfort, especially when soaking in umami-drenched beef broth blooming with anise. And, if you'd like, you can watch Li through the restaurant's interior glass window as she hand pulls those noodles. But you'll be too busy eating the starter that begins each Dongbei meal: a bowl of roasted peanuts and a daikon-and-carrot white kimchi, a palate cleanser pairing earthy nuts with light, bright acidity. Among two visits and many dishes, nothing failed—whether a surprisingly flavorful cold plate of wok-kissed tofu silk tossed with charred red chili and cilantro, or a wildly spicy and saucy plate of cumin beef. The sauce on the latter was viscous, with ground spice; the fiery mix of cumin, chili, red pepper and garlic was like a fresh take on Lawry's taco seasoning. Meanwhile, a beef-and-potato pot roast was richer and fattier than most French fare, the short rib in the pot lightly crisped. Meanwhile, neon shop Neon Gods has taken up an online collection to restore the Chin's Kitchen sign to its full glory, so the animated neon figure of Mr. Chin will once again eat brightly from his bowl. You should probably join him. M AT T H E W KO R F H A G E .
Pro tip: Chin’s Kitchen doesn’t take reservations, and it’s small and unholy busy these days —the secret’s pretty much out. If you can get out here for a late lunch, that’s your best bet.
Restaur ant Guide 2017
In a sunny room with pottery from Jalisco, much-loved former food cart Güero serves mammoth carnitas and pollo pibil tortas slathered with lime-chili mayo on telera bread. The menu is bolstered by new favorites like an egg-and-braisedbeef breakfast desayuna torta.
Wares 2713 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-954-1172, warespdx.com. Lunch and dinner daily. $. At Johanna Ware’s new fast-casual spot at the Zipper, that bold fish-sauce fried kale is back, yuzu-miso rice bowls are terrific and Chinese-sausage congee at brunch on weekends is a goddamned revelation.
Pollo Norte 2935 NE Glisan St., 503-719-6039, pollonorte.com. Lunch and dinner daily. $$. Mexico City-inspired rotisserie chicken spot Pollo Norte may have closed its original northerly location, but this one’s better anyway. The slow-cooked chicken still drips onto the cabbage beneath, and that green salsa is still one of the freshest things in town. But now there are margaritas and a patio.
Stammtisch 401 NE 28th Ave., 503-206-7983, stammtischpdx.com. Dinner and late night nightly. $$. At the younger, better-behaved sibling of Prost, owner Dan Hart has built far more than a world-class German beer hall. It’s home to excellent Riesling braised trout, Portland’s finest spaetzle and light, subtle Maultaschen dumplings filled with leek fondue.
The Sudra 2333 NE Glisan St., 971-302-6002, thesudra.com. Lunch and dinner daily. $$. Unlike most vegan restaurants, nothing on the Sudra’s western-influenced Indian menu seems like a substitute. For the most variety and some seriously fresh chutney, order one of the plates.
The fried chickpea “cutlets” are pillowy and the black lentil kofta balls have a nice crispy shell.
Tapalaya 28 NE 28th Ave., 503-232-6652, tapalaya.com. Dinner nightly, brunch Saturday and Sunday. $$. At bright-walled Tapalaya, chef Anh Luu mixes the food of Vietnam and New Orleans. Try anything fried, or the creamy Crawfish Étouffée over grits with an Abita Purple Haze. Brunch and happy hour are great times to visit.
Dove Vivi 2727 NE Glisan St., 503-239-4444, dovevivipizza.com. Dinner nightly. $$. Some insist that Dove Vivi’s thick, lovely cornbread-crust pies are more casserole than pizza. To them we say: Who cares, and what’s wrong with you? They’re delicious and gooily cheesy, with topping combos like thyme, yellow onion and blue cheese. The two-tap beer selection is always somehow perfect.
Screen Door 2337 E Burnside St., 503-542-0880, screendoorrestaurant.com. Brunch and dinner daily. $$. Most famous for its huge fried chicken and waffles at brunch, Screen Door’s Southernish home cooking also brings lines out the door at dinner with a sampler plate that lets you mix up wings, catfish and a pork chop.
Navarre 10 NE 28th Ave., 503-232-3555, navarreportland.com. Dinner MondayFriday, brunch and lunch weekends. $$$. You can order à la carte, but the $32 tasting menu at chef James Melendez’s pan-European bistro brings you 10 courses of ultra-seasonal small plates like French radishes with cultured butter, chicken livers in mustard crème fraîche sauce and cod confit. Enjoy them with a three-wine pairing with unusual glasses like a jammy sparkling red from the Loire.
Nearby in Our Top 50: Luce (page 55), Langbaan (page 28), Davenport (page 74), Han Oak (page 61), Laurelhurst Market (page 66)
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PHOTO: Hilary Sander
At nearly 70 years old, Chin's Kitchen is a gaudy neon monument tucked away on a Hollywood District side street. It's one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Portland, and since July 4 of this year, it's also one of the best. Quietly this spring, Chin's was bought by Chang Feng (Wendy) and Change (Cindy) Li, two sisters from the city of Harbin in China's far northeastern rust belt, known for the breads and soups and sweet-and-sour flavors of Dongbei cuisine.
[DUMPLING GANG]
This dense food ’hood has city-beating tortas, inauthentic Asian and Mexican rotisserie chicken.