Monday, July 8, 2013

Biwa, Biwa...I love Biwa.

I am lucky I have friends that like to eat.

In fact, we figured it was time to start a Super Club to make it more official. The inspiration came after a stop at Biwa and after three hours of yummy, delicious Japanese cuisine, we were rolling ourselves out of the restaurant. It is a small, cozy spot with limited seating and a very small bar. Like any Portland restaurant, there was a wait but it was well worth it. I know, I know, I always say that but seriously, SO worth it.

For the first time anywhere, I ordered a chef's tasting menu or as they called it, "Omakase," which is a Japanese term for "I'll leave it to you." Why the heck don't I do this every time? It was delicious and I loved all the dishes except for one...out of 10+ dishes, that is fine by me. The service was wonderful and our server repeated herself on numerous occasions. I wish I could remember her name so I could properly thank her.

Two things I fell in love with that night: butterfish sashimi and honey glazed sweet potatoes. No, I did not eat them together but yes, I did eat every last last bite. Thank goodness for my kind friends, letting me eat the last bite of both dishes.

chili popcorn to start
chef's choice starter
napa cabbage salad
butterfish, beets, wasabi
honey glazed sweet potatoes
japanese style potato salad & gyoza (dumplings) 
If you are looking at the menu, don't let the Japanese items intimidate you. The servers will guide you and I guarantee they won't steer you wrong. I recommend family-style dining (shocking, I know) because the chef's tasting menu works great for sharing. Other diners ordered their own meals too so if you rather go that route, that works too!

Last, I will you with some insider information about Biwa. Apparently, the Biwa hamburger is incredible and it is only available on their late night menu at the bar. It can highly recommended by more than one person. Give it a try and let me know what you think.

215 SE 9th Avenue
Portland, Oregon
503.239.8830
open everyday 5pm - 12am | happy hour 5 - 6pm & 9 - 10pm 

1 comment:

  1. Reading this post makes me want to go back to Biwa! Yum, yum, yum, and YUM! :)

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