Most Worth the Wait

Call it the cult following that came from nowhere. Since opening in December, diners have swarmed Paiche for first-come, first-served Peruvian food-as-art lunches from Lima native Jose Luis de Cossio. People buzz about the architecturally plated seafood cebiches, but the former Andina chef’s vegetables are a find, roasted sweet potatoes glazed in purple corn syrup to sculptural beets with spicy watermelon and nori. 4237 SW Corbett Ave, paichepdx.com

Prettiest Sandwiches

Delis treat sandwiches as a way of life. But only PDX pastry luncheonette Maurice treats sandwiches like a state of mind—part Scandinavian open-faced smørbrød gestalt and part Portland ingredient enthusiasm, all plated in daily options on single slabs of excellent spelt bread. Watch for a striking weave of golden beets, strawberries, purslane leaves, and onion flowers or tender trout roasted in blue plum eau-de-vie and chamomile tea. 921 SW Oak St, mauricepdx.com

Most Pampered Carrot

Every Sunday at 1 p.m., Vince Nguyen commandeers the chef’s counter at Block & Tackle, daring to serve a $55 modern tasting menu in a biscuit-mad brunch town. In a setting as intimate as a cooking class, his weekly Jolie-Laide (French for “pretty-ugly”) pop-up is a window on the world of young cooks hell-bent on squeezing the life force out of vegetables. This is where even a lone carrot stick rides on a chariot of juices, curds, and advanced techniques. 3113 SE Division St; reservations at jolielaidepdx.com

Best Seoul Food

Mixing food cart bravado and a chef’s eye for details, Han Ly Hwang packs an irresistible wallop of Korean comfort in Kim Jong Grillin’s multifaceted Bibim Box. Pick your meat: short ribs rule, marinated and grilled to order. Then repair to the cart’s outdoor eating porch and swirl away, as a runny fried egg blurs into funky kimchi and smoky japchae noodles. SE 46th Avenue and Division Street, kimjonggrillin.com