I’ve made no secret of my adoration of Biwa. Here first, then properly, then in opposition to vastly deficient Japanese food elsewhere.
I’ve been there so much that I think I know everybody’s name. It colors my opinion, sure–so I won’t go on forever and ever about how good their food is. Okay, I can’t resist: Biwa is really really good!
I bring them up today because the FOH manager mentioned that they have a new spring menu, and I stopped in to see what it looked like:
- Radish Salad (radish, miner’s lettuce, daikon, vinaigrette), that was awesome, earthy and close to the definition of freshness (some of the lettuce was a little beaten up);
- Green Bean Salad;
- Shoyu Chicken Wings;
- A new cold (I think) scallop dish;
- Spring Onion Dengaku;
- Grilled asparagus with Hot Mustard-Egg sauce that was like the hottest, tangiest, delicious version of Asparagus Hollandaise I can imagine.
I think there may have been another new dish or three, but I didn’t steal a menu or memorize things better. It is worth mentioning that there aren’t any changes to the Happy Hour Menu.
There has been a glass jar sitting on the bar for a month or so, stuffed with Ginseng and full of vodka. They’ve started serving the elixir in a cocktail of Vodka and Carrot juice. You heard me. I hate hate hate raw carrot juice, but I loved this cocktail. I almost ordered two, but I was glad I didn’t. That delicious elixer set me back $10. Delicious, though, and thoroughly unique.
So in 5 words: Biwa spring menu. Try it.
Biwa
215 SE 9th Avenue
Portland, Oregon 97214
503-239-8830
