Beast Restaurant Review, Portland

Reviewer: Foodnut.com Beast 5425 NE 30th Ave Portland, OR 97211 (503) 841-6968 Beast Website

Why did we dine here? – Beast was recommended by a friend. Naomi Pomeroy has been charming Portlandians for a while. There are two communal tables were everyone is served at a 6pm or 8:45pm seating Wednesday through Saturday. Sunday has a 7pm seating. $75 Six-course prix-fixe dinner. Brunch is served on Sunday at 10am and 12pm. There is only one menu for the week and no substitutions are allowed. If you have allergies to certain items, they will remove them from the plate. True Portlandia omakase. We can’t think of one restaurant in San Francisco that does the same thing. Beast is highly rated at 4.5 stars on Yelp.

Beast is a small intimate restaurant where you can easily see the final food plating and preparation almost on exhibition.

Many chefs would die for this dining format. Being able to focus on just a couple dishes all created at the same time would definitely increase consistency and quality of the food.

Insider Tip – Make reservations ahead of time, trust the chef.

Cuisine – French, New American
Location – Northeast Portland
Opened – 2009

Service – Beast had service with a smile. It was a bit restrained, but very efficient and very serious. They take pride in their job and want to insure you have a great experience. No worries with water, napkin folding, and the like.

Verdict – Beast was definitely worth dining at. A unique experience and some excellent food. Foodies coming to Portland should definitely give this place a try. This place reminded us Saison, but on a smaller scale and at a fraction of the price.

Is this restaurant worth a 5 minute drive? Yes. 30 minute? Yes. 1 Hour? Yes.

Beast’s Menu changes every Wednesday. Often times you will make reservation so far ahead, you’ll have no idea what’s on the menu. Sometimes that’s a good thing!
Optional wine pairing for $35, which is a steal. Vegetarians should probably avoid this restaurant.

Website Beast Menu

Our dinner menu:

Spring French Onion Soup
Walnut Toast & Herbed Sheep’s Milk Cheese
Mustard Blossoms

The opening soup was made with a veal, duck, and lamb stock along with a sprinkle of fish broth. It was well done with intense flavors and wasn’t too rich.

Charcuterie Plate:
Foie Gras Bon-Bon, Sauternes Gelée
Chicken Liver Mousse, Leaf Lard Cracker
Steak Tartare, Quail Egg Toast
Crispy Tails & Trotters Rillettes
Black Pepper Bresaola
Boudin Blanc

A beautifully plated assortment of goodies. We saw them spend a lot of time perfecting placement. Our favorite items include the blood sausage and the interesting foie, that was sandwiched between pecan shortbread and gellee. The pickle with hot mustard was also a nice touch.

Seared Squab Breast & Confit Leg
Denoble Farms Carrot Puree
Roasted White Turnips
Tempura Fried Lovage
Red Wine Jus

We are big squab fans, so we were excited to try this dish. Extremely tender, cooked to a perfect medium rare with lots of juices intact.

Shaved Asparagus & Breakfast Radish Pastry
Watercress with Confit Lemon Vinaigrette

This was an interesting dish. A salad on top of a crispy, flaky tart. A little modern with a balanced flavor profile.

Selection Of Cheese From Steve At Cheese Bar
Champagne Poached Apricots & Candied Hazelnuts
Local Honey, Olive Oil & Black Pepper Crackers

It was funny that some of the cheese was from Cowgirl Creamery down in our neck of the woods. I would have thought that they would want to keep it local. Nonetheless, it was an excellent selection of cheeses and some nice accompaniments.

Chilled Jasmine Blancmange
Roasted Rhubarb
Coconut Tuile & Cardamon Whipped Cream

French milk custard panna cotta was very delicate and smooth. A nice contrast with the tuile and the sweet whipped cream.

The dinner was paced fairly well and food quantities proved more than adequate. All in all, a great experience at a reasonable price.

Do you agree with our review? Have you found other similar restaurants that are better?

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