Special meals/eateries abound in Portland. Regardless of taste, every kind of eater can be accommodated in Portland’s restaurant scene. In fact, Portland’s culinary landscape is so diverse that it boasts a number of “special” dining options, some more well-known than others.
Special meals/eateries abound in Portland. Regardless of taste, every kind of eater can be accommodated in Portland’s restaurant scene. In fact, Portland’s culinary landscape is so diverse that it boasts a number of “special” dining options, some more well-known than others.
Omakase at Bamboo Sushi
This place isn’t a secret to most of Portland’s sushi aficionados, but chances are that you, college student, are not in on it. (Or you think you are, but not on the level that denotes prior omakase knowledge.)
We know now that omakase is available at sushi restaurants, so it must be some kind of seafood. In fact, omakase is the sea.
Meaning “it’s up to you” in Japanese, omakase is the diner’s way of letting the chef know that the experience is in his or her hands. Only the best sushi restaurants with properly trained sushi chefs offer this option, and you’ll find omakase to be nowhere on the menu. As Bamboo is arguably the best sushi in Portland, this is a great chance to try it.
When you arrive at Bamboo, be sure to request seating at the sushi bar. Omakase requires bar seating; if you sits anywhere else, you will be informed that you need bar seating the second you utter the word.
So what should you expect?
Have you ever seen the TV show Iron Chef? It’s a lot like that. The chef asks you what you don’t want to eat, then prepares your meal one dish at a time. Most often, this will be the freshest fish available, and some of it won’t even be on the regular menu.
Before the chef lets you dig in, they explain each part of the dish—quite an experience for the lay diner! A recent omakase order yielded a succulent amberjack nigiri and a geoduck sashimi so fresh that it tasted like the air in my coastal hometown.
The bill, however, is a different story. The check my companion and I received came to $122. Remember what your mother told you: If it’s not on the menu, it’s expensive.
Simpatica Dining Hall
If you want to talk exclusivity, let’s talk about a restaurant that accepts no walk-ins.
Yes, you read correctly. Simpatica only lets you in if you have a reservation. How do you make a reservation? Simple. Subscribe to their email list and they’ll email you the menu for that weekend. (Yes, they’re only open on Friday and Saturday night for dinner.)
The beauty of Simpatica is that they have limited seating and never overbook. They only make enough food to feed the amount of people that make reservations—no more, no less. If you show up without a reservation, you will be turned away.
So what should you expect?
Some of Portland’s best food, bar none. Simpatica has been around for a while now, and people rave about it to this day. High-quality establishments seem so fly-by-night in Portland that if one sticks around, it’s likely head-and-shoulders above the competition.
Communal seating reigns at Simpatica, so you will likely sit with people you don’t know. A four-course dinner with drinks will run you upwards of $40 per person. Exclusivity and good food costs money.
