PORTLAND, Ore.-Once, as a tourist some dozen years or so ago, I took a wrong turn from downtown and crossed over a bridge to the east side of town. Let me tell you, it didn't take long to realize I wasn't in the posh Pearl District anymore.
With boarded-up windows and rundown warehouses, the Central Eastside Industrial District looked soulless. The only dude I encountered that night signaled for me to roll down my car window and inquired if I needed drugs.
Now, that drive east over the Willamette River is very much my intention, and that industrial area very much my destination.
Look at it. Warehouses all gussied up and looking like Tribeca. Restaurants and cocktail dens all shiny and new.
East of the river is where one of the city's best cocktail bars (Rum Club), sits next to one of the city's best dives (The Slammer Tavern), which sits next to a tofu house, which all sound so "Portlandia."
REVELRY
It is the party-hardy younger sibling of the restaurant Revel in Seattle's Fremont district. Rakim raps over the dining room, and after 10 p.m. a DJ takes over.
But at its heart, this is a Chang and Chirchi production. Their signature pork-belly kimchi pancake from Seattle is here. But most talked about in Portland is their sticky, spicy, boneless Korean fried chicken. Even better: the sope, corn cake topped with grilled kale and poached shrimp, brightened with coconut and fiery spices-a mingling of Thai and Mexican flavors. Fusion also crosses over to cocktails, from negroni with pho vinegar to south-of-the-border takes such as kimchi Paloma and a tequila version of a Perfect Manhattan.
BIWA/PARASOL
Last October, Biwa relocated down the hall but kept its old space to open a late-night bar, Parasol. The Japanese comfort food that was once a Biwa staple is now at Parasol. Biwa now takes on more ambitious fare such as its $55 omakase, a 14-course chef's-choice menu that featured a deconstructed clam chowder and pork-and-shrimp dumplings bathed in an XO-kimchi sauce, an umami-filled feast that was one of the best meals and deals I had on the Eastside.
The owners of these two places also own the stellar Noraneko, nearby.
DANWEI CANTING
Opened in January, it's a mishmash of different Chinese street food under one roof. The "loawai," white guy, schmoozing in Mandarin with all the Chinese diners is owner James Kyle, who spent 13 years in Beijing and brought his favorite cart food back to the Rose City-from pillowy lamb dumplings to the addicting, cumin-scented wok-fried shoestring potatoes, all best washed down with a cheap beer.
BAR CASA VALE
Like background music, the fragrant, smoky aroma permeating the dining room soothes and sets the mood. Everything gets cooked over a maple, alder and white-oak wood fire. Charred, ashy octopus to start; tender cider-braised pork cheeks to follow. The bar is shelved with 100 sherries, and the bites are inspired from San Sebastian.
I've heard the tapas of black rice, chorizo, squid, shrimp and Iberico broth and the crispy pig snout are to die for but sold out so often that I think it's all an urban legend. But the bartender swears, "Come back. We'll have it next time."
AFURI
When this acclaimed ramen chain in Japan decided to open its first outpost in North America last year, it shunned the bright lights of New York City and picked-what do you know-Portland's Central Eastside Industrial District, claiming the "soft water" and the Mount Hood ecosystem mimic the terroir of its homeland.
The wait was up to two hours when Afuri debuted in October. People come for the Yuzu Shio Ramen, a broth tasting of the ocean-salty, seaweed-y and funky from dried seafood but smoothed out with a citrusy undertone-one of the most complex, umami-packed and nuanced soups I've tasted in the Northwest.
IF YOU GO
Lodging
Jupiter Hotel is a popular lodging option on this side of town, with free parking on secondary streets, unlike touristy downtown. 800 E. Burnside St., jupiterhotel.com.
Dining deals now
March is Portland Dining Month, when 120 restaurants, including many on the Eastside, offer $29 three-course meals. Details at travelportland.com/dining-month.
More information
See the website: travelportland.com