"It's often the newest restaurants that attract the most attention-who doesn't love checking out the hottest brunch spot or buzzy cocktail lounge? There's nothing wrong with that, especially as Portland's culinary scene is relatively emergent, still discovering and building its own identity each passing year. But as we adore the new voices, we also cherish the legends, those classics and mainstays of the city's culinary world."
"While Berlu chef and owner Vince Nguyen earned a James Beard for his minimalist Vietnamese tasting menu, Berlu, it's his gluten- and dairy-free bakery of the same name that won Portland's heart. And amid the pandan waffles and coconut-dusted egg tarts, the vibrantly verdant bánh bò nướng reigns supreme. A delightfully springy, mildly sweet sponge cake made with tapioca flour and flavored with pandan, its cult status is so entrenched its likeness lines the walls of Berlu Bakery's bathrooms."
Portland's restaurant scene simultaneously celebrates new openings and venerable classics that shape the city's culinary identity. The city lacks a single signature touchstone but has recurrent iconic dishes that diners return to repeatedly. Examples include spongy Vietnamese tea cakes, duck liver–filled pastries, and shallot-dotted fried chicken. Berlu's gluten- and dairy-free bakery produces a cult-favorite bánh bò nướng, a springy pandan-flavored tapioca sponge cake whose image appears on bakery merchandise and decor. Berlu's owner Vince Nguyen also received a James Beard for a minimalist Vietnamese tasting menu. Rose VL Deli serves cao lầu on Saturdays, offering thick, chewy tapioca noodles with sliced chicken, pork, and abundant herbs.
Read at Portland Monthly
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