"Under the subdued lights of the chic Meadowrue bar on the first floor of downtown Portland's Ritz-Carlton hotel, locals and tourists are booking reservations for a trip that spans Oregon to Tokyo, all without leaving the confines of a four-star hotel: a 12-course tasting menu, with just eight seatings a night. On a chilly November evening, it started with miso-marinated eggplant, so tender it yielded to the touch of a chopstick."
"Think of omakase as the culinary equivalent of a trust fall. Its meaning in Japanese translates to "I leave it up to you," and Portland chefs are increasingly asking that diners do just that. Walk into almost any new high-end Japanese spot in town-or even a few established ones-and it's no longer just about the nigiri counter. Pedro Almeida, the executive chef for the Ritz's Portland restaurants, says that the omakase model is a chef's dream."
Meadowrue at the Ritz-Carlton in downtown Portland offers a 12-course omakase tasting with eight seatings nightly, blending Oregon and Japanese flavors. Dishes include miso-marinated eggplant with brunoised Oregon apples and lavender, akami no tataki with Fresno pepper and strawberry, and salmon nigiri topped with crumbled hazelnut, signaling Pacific Northwest meets Asian Pacific. Each course is paired with menu-exclusive cocktails instead of traditional sake, including a Dewar's whisky sour with chamomile and yuzu. Chefs use the omakase format to concentrate detail and complexity, and the multicourse experience has surged in popularity across Portland's high-end Japanese restaurants.
Read at Portland Monthly
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