Langbaan—from the Earl Ninsom kingdom that includes Eem and Yaowarat—takes over Phuket Cafe Wednesday-Sunday (Phuket Cafe is still open then). It’s always the right call for a big night-out dinner when you want to spend a small fortune on modern Thai dishes built to impress. Even with the recently added seatings, reservations still go fast, so plan ahead.

Portland has no shortage of spots to grab a steamy bowl of phở. But nothing beats Hà VL. This Vietnamese place on 82nd has a daily changing rotation of two or three soups, which might not necessarily include phở. The options could be bún chả ốc with snail meatballs, tofu, and tomatoes on a Thursday, or bún cari gà, coconut chicken curry soup, on a Wednesday. To prevent any broth-based heartache, go early if you’re set on a particular soup since they will sell out by lunch.

Murata feels like it was transported from Tokyo in 1983 to the ground floor of a high-rise building in downtown Portland. The neutral decor hasn’t changed in decades, reservations still happen by phone only, and the specials board rotates through Hokkaido uni, firefly squid, and other delicacies that make sushi nerds sit up and pay attention. While the pristine sushi is a draw, the dinner menu is full of sleeper hits like Osaka-style pressed sushi and zosui.

If you want to splurge a bit on dinner, go to Le Pigeon. This East Burnside restaurant serves some of the best French food in the city, in a space that has bare brick walls, communal tables, and a tiny open kitchen. The tasting menu changes daily, so you might see things like halibut with kimchi glazed pork belly or beef tartare with saffron pickled potatoes. The iconic foie gras profiteroles with caramel are always served as a meal-ender and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

There are a few things you can count on when you eat at Kachka: the room will be lively, a silly amount of vodka will get passed around, and you’ll be wowed by the Belarusian food. This southeast spot is a great place for dinner before a night out, where you can fill up on stuffed dumplings with farmer’s cheese or pelmeni with three different types of meat. They also have a wide variety of infused vodkas, including birch, sea buckthorn, and Hood strawberry when in season.

This kappo-style restaurant seats only 15 people, doesn't take reservations for more than two, and flies in high-quality seafood from Japan while still keeping things relatively affordable—almost everything on the menu is less than $20. Rotating specials like golden-eye snapper and half beak will satisfy the sushi nerd in your life, while the saba battera, a house-cured mackerel served in a square-shaped roll, is buttery enough to win over that friend who always sticks to California rolls.

This Korean restaurant in Kerns is quintessentially Portland. There are cheffy dishes, a warm DIY setting (in a converted garage)—and a crowd that ranges from date-night duos to bridal parties who are here for the $65 prix fixe menu that still delights nearly a decade after its debut.

Kann is by far the biggest Portland restaurant opening in the past couple of years. Maybe that has something to do with a former Top Chef contestant in the kitchen, or the fact that they smoke their own meats over a live fire. We think it’s because the Haitian-ish, family-style meal here always feels like a party. Reservations are no longer as hard to nab as they were when Kann first opened, but don’t count on being able to waltz in on a weeknight.

Portland doesn’t really have strong pizza traditions, which means you’ll never be subjected to a Chicago deep-dish vs. NYC slice debate. If anything could stand as Portland-style pizza though, that’d be Lovely’s Fifty Fifty on N. Mississippi, an ideal place for taking a lunch break in one of the big wooden booths. Expect tangy sourdough crust, no sauce, and seasonal toppings like cherry tomato confit, summer squash, and orange-infused olive oil.

Blandness is banished the second you enter Akadi (2.0), the Ladd’s Addition West African restaurant that’s been winning accolades since reopening in 2022. It doesn’t matter how many times you’ve had the punchy sauces and nutty spice blends cooked up by chef and owner—you’ll leave each meal eager to plan your next visit. It’s always good energy and smiles all around inside the industrial space with plenty of hanging greens.

Matt’s Texas-style BBQ already had a legion of local fans, but when they started serving their now legendary slow-smoked brisket and pulled pork on homemade flour tortillas, their popularity soared. Located at Hinterland Bar & Carts near Mount Tabor (you can also get them inside Great Notion Brewery on NE Alberta), people come for the all-day breakfast tacos and more-is-more creations.

Despite Portland being located near multiple bodies of water, the city hasn’t always been known for its seafood or high-end sushi. That was before Nimblefish. Between imported ingredients like saba mackerel that’s cured in-house, the use of local shellfish, and the perfectly cooked and seasoned rice, this Hawthorne spot serves some truly excellent sushi. They’re only serving an omakase for $85, and it’s worth snagging one of the 12 seats at the minimalist sushi counter for a special night.

This small spot just up the street from Le Pigeon (and from the same team) reminds us of a Parisian wine bar because of their incredible small plates. You’ll eat things like the duck stack—pancakes topped with a duck egg, smothered with gravy, and topped with an optional slice of foie gras—and the delicious mini steam burgers, Portland’s answer to White Castle.

The Thai food and Texas BBQ mashup at Eem might seem unexpected at first, but the more you think about it, it totally makes sense. The combination of smoked meats, bird’s eye chilies, and handfuls of herbs go perfectly together, making a meal here worth the wait. They only take reservations for parties of six and more, so put your name on the list before heading to nearby Migration Brewing or The Box Social to buy some time.

The Taiwanese-American chef duo behind Hollywood’s Xiao Ye gives a delicious lesson in “first-generation American food.” Pasta dishes like Jolyn’s Favorite Noodle V. 1, a riff on late-night meals made with pantry staples like black vinegar and chili crisp, are both tasty and comforting. Order the madeleines made from masa and mochi, served with whipped butter and jalapeño powder, to really understand their playful vision that hopscotches globally.

Ken’s Artisan is the old guard in Portland’s short pizza history. And while every aspiring pizzaiolo now vibes with long-fermented dough, hand-pulled mozzarella, and imported tomatoes, this wasn’t the norm when Ken’s opened their rustic wood-fired operation nearly two decades ago. The corner restaurant maintains its casual neighborhood feel, despite hungry visitors killing time outside until it’s their turn to try these world-class pies. Reservations aren’t taken, but it’s worth the wait.

Apizza Scholls was a pioneer of Neopolitan(ish) pies in Portland when it burst onto the scene two decades ago, and it still draws in fans who line up on Hawthorne before the doors open. That’s because they take the best of wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizza—thin, charred crust, and all—and supersize it. These pies are more American in taste, big as hubcaps with lots of toppings.

The city’s Mexican restaurant scene leans toward overstuffed burritos and birria, and Comedor Lilia is a nice change of pace. The ambitious restaurant from República & Co on the South Waterfront is the answer for upscale Mexican food that goes deep into the hyper-seasonal Pacific Northwest thing. The daily changing menu might feature Hakurei turnips in mole or a carrot tlacoyo, moodily plated with pipian negro, black truffle shavings, and a pop of orange carrot foam.

The latest debut from Ninsom introduces the Thai-Chinese cuisine you’ll find in Bangkok’s Chinatown—a.k.a. Yaowarat. The prices (and portions) are pure 2020s Portland, though. A trip to this fun, casual spot in Montavilla is your chance to enjoy grilled squid swimming in spicy dressing, some of the silkiest mapo tofu you’ve ever tasted, and bright curries like Yaowarat’s green version with springy fish balls and winter melon. Skip the Singha in lieu of one of the fanciful cocktails.

There aren’t many places in town to try food highlighting Mexico’s culinary history. If you want to have the type of transporting experience found while dining in contemporary Mexico City restaurants, República’s seven-course tasting menu is a great approximation closer to home. You’ll get small bites using Mexican and Indigenous ingredients, alongside dishes that draw from ancient Mayan times. Come for a special occasion and add on a wine pairing.

Oma’s Hideaway, Gado Gado’s sister restaurant, shows off the city's love for fun, Asian-influenced mash-ups. There’s surf and turf served with Hawaiian rolls, traditional Indonesian corn fritters served with peanut sauce for dipping, Fruity Pebbles Rice Krispie treats kissed with lime leaf and lemongrass, and more dishes inspired by the chef’s Chinese-Malaysian grandmother. Somehow, it all just works—and is perfect for sharing.

Jeju, from the team behind Han Oak, goes beyond the usual all-you-can-eat deals and DIY tabletop grilling you see in many popular Portland KBBQ spots. The $75 set menu features nose-to-tail cuts, all cooked over live fire. While the sliced meat, eaten bo ssam-style, is the main attraction, the banchan are so good they could probably succeed as standalone dishes.

Magna Kusina, a boisterous space punctuated with reds, blues, and yellows borrowed from the Philippines’ flag, is a great place for modern takes on Filipino food. While you can find pork-stuffed lumpia served with spiced vinegar and vegetarian pancit bihon, you should focus on dishes like Mom’s Crab Fat Noodles made from squid ink and local Dungeness crab or kaldereta stew with braised lamb neck. Whatever you do, start off with a few grilled skewers to share.

Nong’s Khao Man Gai started as a food truck in 2003, and the local legend has since expanded to a couple of brick-and-mortar locations on both sides of the river. The counter-service Thai spot mainly serves their namesake dish: deceptively simple chicken rice that’s more than the sum of its parts. Stop in for a casual lunch featuring the now iconic Portland dish and make sure you order some chicken liver on the side if it’s available.

A little French, a little Scandinavian, Maurice has been a daytime oasis for over a decade. Stop into the whitewashed downtown cafe for their fika—a.k.a. coffee and a black pepper cheesecake with three-nut sablé. This spot is also the move for leisurely midday meals full of winter greens overflowing with matsutakes and warm goat cheese, open-faced Norwegian smørbrød topped with anchovies, trout roe, and black radishes, plus glasses of orange wine.