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. You can even buy socks printed with its visage. —Alex Frane

Have you truly dined at chef Kristen D. Murray’s cute and cozy luncheonette if you didn’t finish with the heavenly black pepper cheesecake? We’re not willing to find out. Since Måurice opened in 2013, these delicate, miniature desserts have capped off celebratory lunches, leisurely afternoon teas, and romantic brunches. A rounded cumulus spotted with hand-cut peppercorns rests atop a nutty sablé, garnished with rotating accoutrements—maybe persimmon, fresh currants, rose petals, or strawberry leather. Like everything here, its flavors are subtle and nuanced, its silky sweetness playing off bursts of mild heat. Enjoy it with a glass of bubbly or a nice black tea and be transported to a bucolic French countryside. —AF

Christina Luu’s Vietnamese soup mini empire had secured a position as one of Portland’s culinary greats even before it added this regional delicacy in 2018. But if it hadn’t, the cao lầu would have cemented that legacy. Residents and tourists slurp these tapioca noodles along the canals of the coastal city Hoi An, and on Saturdays at this low-key restaurant in Portland. While the noodles here aren’t made with tree ash—as they often are in Vietnam—they’re just as thick and chewy as the ones from the mother country. Stir in the sliced chicken and pork, as well as the garden’s worth of herbs, but hold off on splashing in the pristine pork broth served on the side—it’s meant to be sipped along with the meal. —AF

Olympia Provisions may be Portland’s best-known charcutier outside of the city, but Greg Higgins—patron of one of the city’s most influential restaurants—has been mastering the art of pork butchery for decades. Higgins works directly with purveyors for his porcine needs, transforming the meat into a platter of cuts inspired by European traditions and perfected by his own practiced hand. Food critic, cookbook author, and host of The Splendid Table Francis Lam called it “extraordinary” and “otherworldly.” Sit at the bar, order a local ale or Willamette Valley wine, and ruin yourself for any other cured meat. —AF

Things have changed at the endearingly twee Sweedeedee since its 2012 opening—chefs and bakers have come and gone, and the salted honey pie is no more. But the lo-fi café and restaurant’s corn cakes have endured as Portland’s finest griddled carb. Toastier than the typical pancake, they benefit from stiffly whipped egg whites that give them a surprisingly airy texture considering the presence of cornmeal and dairy heavy-hitters sour cream and buttermilk. The result: tangy-savory cakes that can stand up to a couple sunny-side ups and god-tier bacon, as well as a syrup drench. Nothing too fancy—it’s the little black dress of breakfasts, and a legend for a reason. —Brooke Jackson-Glidden

Midflight, en route from San Francisco to a new life and restaurant in Portland, an avocado popped into Garrett Benedict’s mind. Icons hardly ever come about on purpose, but, to his memory, G-Love’s star player came about while thinking hard on a restaurant-defining dish as the seatbelt sign went on. Apocryphal? Who cares. Frankly, the dish is ridiculous in the way any icon must be: half an avocado crusted with seeds (to mimic the skin) and stuffed with tuna poke, like something found at a hokey corporate sushi joint, including the optional caviar supplement. I think Benedict was still in Golden State skies when he came up with the idea; it’s a fitting and delicious star on top of the Christmas tree that is Portland’s most Californian restaurant. —Matthew Trueherz

Voodoo Doughnut’s vegan maple bar may have dominated local doughnut conversations in the early aughts, but that’s before we knew better. Then in 2013, Pip’s Original opened its doors in the Cully neighborhood and proved that the magic was not, in fact, in the hole, but in the size of the doughnut. Pip’s miniature fried treats create the ideal ratio of crispy exterior and fluffy filling. Debates rage over which of the four flavors wins top marks, but for our money, the raw honey and sea salt best demonstrates the deliciousness of simplicity. Don’t skip an accompanying steaming mug of chai, any of the four standards or whatever special is on the board. —AF

The foie gras profiteroles that have finished dinners at Le Pigeon since its early days encapsulate what makes this not-so-French bistro one of Portland’s legends—mainly its audacity. It should be an overly rich mess. Instead, the pâté makes the ice cream filling that much silkier, and the salt makes the flavors of vanilla and caramel truly pop. Indulgent? Yes. Over the top? Maybe. But it pulls it off by also being dialed-in and delicious, the ultimate end to one of Portland’s top tasting menu experiences. —AF

Portland loves its Thai food and its fried chicken, so when Akkapong “Earl” Ninsom and Alan Akwai opened Hat Yai in 2016 it was an immediate hit. There’s plenty to love here—brisket curry, oxtail soup, an incendiary ground pork salad—but it’s hard to skip the fried chicken combo. A light, shatteringly crisp rice flour and tapioca breading spiced with coriander and dotted with crunchy shallots envelopes the moist and juicy bird. On the side, flaky, buttery roti and a bowl of Malayu-style curry so earthy and unctuous you’ll want to pour it over the whole feast. A few eye-watering pickled veggies provide a palate cleanser between mouthfuls of chicken and roti. —AF

Who knew something as simple as poached chicken, steamed rice, and sliced cucumbers could take the city by force? Apparently, Nong Poonsukwattana did when she opened her first food cart, peddling paper parcels packed with poultry perfection. Tearing open the package releases a burst of steam redolent with ginger, garlic, and pandan. White or dark, the chicken is fork-tender, the rice fluffy and aromatic, and the clear broth served on the side bright and soothing, soft cubes of Chinese winter squash disintegrating into it. Some sprigs of cilantro and rounds of Persian cucumber add color and a crisp bite. —AF

There was a time before Lardo, a time when kale and seitan were more ubiquitous around these parts than pork belly. But then Rick Gencarelli opened his bombastic sandwich cart, now a brick-and-mortar on SE Hawthorne. Throughout Lardo’s multiple iterations and locations, its flagship sando brought in the crowds. Succulent pork belly, peppery kimchi, and a creamy, slightly spicy chile aioli come together with a sprig of cilantro on grilled ciabatta for a sandwich that drips down your wrists with each hedonistic bite. Order it with a side of “dirty fries”—french fries buried in pickled peppers, pork bits, and parmesan—to get your weekly sodium intake in a single meal. —AF

Maybe the Herring Under a Fur Coat gets the most attention at Kachka for its stunning presentation, an ombre of blood-red beets, bright orange carrots, and pale fish. But as lovely a starter as it is, the delicate little dumplings known as pelmeni and vareniki steal the show at this Eastern European–inspired darling. There’s the creamy farmers cheese vareniki brightened with chives, the decadent potato dumplings topped with caviar beurre blanc (baller, as the menu describes), and the sweet-tart sour cherry dumplings. But the pelmeni remain the dumpling champions, stuffed with a combination of beef, pork, and veal. It’s tempting to think of them as Russian ravioli but topped with sour cream or served with broth. Whatever the case, they’re a warming, soothing dish ideal for cool winter evenings—or a spectacular finish to a raucous night of vodka and caviar. —AF

Partially due to OLCC sustenance requirements and partially because chefs can’t help but impress no matter what kitchen they’re in, Portland bar food often stands up to any restaurant’s fare. The sultry, far-flung Expatriate epitomizes this, the love child of the late, legendary chef Naomi Pomeroy and her husband, cocktail maven Kyle Linden Webster. It’s hard to pick just one item from the menu—the killer cheeseburgers, the iconic James Beard onion sandwich, Indian-spiced fries—but our favorite has to be the wonton nachos. Crispy-fried rice paper stands in for chips, gooey cheese gets a mild kick from Thai chiles, and the ground beef folds in spices and lemongrass. A bit of crema, makrut lime, and fresh herb salsa make this a throwback fusion dish that stands up to countless revisits. —AF