Postcard from Portland: Biwa Restaurant

Yoko and I are here for Portland Cocktail Week, where we were on a panel about import/ export/ distribution yesterday (it was great!). We have been here for three nights, and it's been a total blast. Portland has changed so much since we were last here -- Yoko in 2004 and 2007 for me. It's so hip and clean and so easy to get from point A to B.

We made some new friends, Allison and Ed, and had a fantastic meal together at Biwa, a little Japanese izakaya nestled in a cozy basement on the SE side. They serve anything from sashimi to homemade gyoza to yakitori to ochazuke and ramen. They have an extensive sake list and excellent cocktails too. The atmosphere was moody but unpretentious, and the food was so fresh and cooked just right.

My favorite dish of the evening were the chicken livers -- they were creamy and smoky from the grill. I ordered a second plate for dessert. Of course!

We'll be back, Portland!

BIWA
215 SE 9th Ave
Portland, OR 97214
T: 503.239.8830