Berlu is a must go in Portland. It’s a tiny 15-seat spot brightly lit with an open prep area. The bathroom played like an old timey radio broadcast with David Bowie repeated all over the walls. Keep Portland weird right? It’s completely dairy-free and celiac friendly. You start with 5 “snacks” that were wonderful twists on Vietnamese classics. For the season what stood out was the snowskin moon cake that juxtaposes sweet and savory. There’s roe inside instead of salted egg which was really nice. Similarly with the waffle bánh kẹp that uses anchovy. Then they served a coffee sorbet as a palate cleanser in between. The geoduck is definitely one of the top dishes. They used preserved Meyer lemon with the subtle sweetness of the longan fruit, amazing. The shitake and durian dish was wonderful and a surprising mix of flavors. The stronger flavors of the shitake reduction that you pour over the dish really balances well and it was so creamy (without dairy) and delightful. The steamed Pacific cod roll with lobster paste rolled in shiso was light and flavorful. Main protein course was the aged Muscovy duck with cordecep mushrooms. Really loved the simplicity of this dish and how he brought out the natural flavors of the duck. The caramelized cassava cake brought you back with a bite on the sweet side. Loved the caviar-topped bành bò nướng that was amazing to dip the grilled pandan bread in and perfect end to the courses. You really see the “bakery” techniques incorporated into most dishes that played with interesting ingredients and flavors.
by blatantdream
3 Comments
looks good. always wanted to check out/visit the food scene in Portland. One thing they could work on though is their tableware. basic white plates for every dish it a bit dull.
Nice shots, glad you enjoyed! Went to Berlu about six months ago, and I’m still dreaming about that caviar dessert course. Incredible stuff.
Only the bakery was open when we were in pdx, but it was great. Really want to visit properly some day