Specializing in Japanese and Korean-inspired cuisine, Janken in Northwest Portland features a delicious mix of fine dining, elaborate cocktails, and a lively atmosphere. Read on for my full restaurant review.
Set in the heart of Northwest Portland’s Pearl District, Janken is reimagining Asian fine dining with an ambitious menu of Japanese and Korean-focused dishes.
The extensive menu focuses on seafood, with a wide range of makimono, nigiri, and sashimi. And if you have a big appetite, you can skip right to their selections of steaks, lamb, and duck. While there are a lot of delicious options to choose from, we recommend picking at least five smaller dishes or a pair of entrees for a table of two.
If you enjoy a cocktail, Janken also has you covered with an imaginative, if a bit spendy, cocktail menu.
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A fine dining Northwest Portland experience
You may be going to Janken for the food, but the atmosphere will likely strike you first. It’s busy and bustling with an interior that’s both minimalist clean and nature-inducing, thanks in large part to the giant artificial cherry blossom tree planted in the center of the dining room.
Set in the former Bluehour space on NW 13th Ave., Janken manages to deliver a fine dining experience without feeling stuffy. And the service staff is generously warm and friendly.
But ultimately, this is a fine dining experience, and that comes with fine dining prices. So be prepared for some sticker shock on some of the menu items, like the Surf and Turf ($179). A 20% service in charge in lieu of a tip is also added to every bill.
We were fortunate to be invited to try a hosted tasting menu consisting of 10 dishes, from light appetizers to filling entrees. Keep reading to find out which were our favorites!
🍹 Cocktails and wine
Janken has an eclectic cocktail menu designed to impress both your eyes and your taste buds. We opted for the Pineapple Express ($21) and the Alchemist ($20). The Pineapple Express features mezcal, cointreau, and grilled pineapple, and emits clouds of smoke after the waiter removes the cloche while serving.
The Alchemist includes gin, yellow chartreuse, and shiso syrup and has a pleasant umami flavor. Both drinks were a refreshing way to kick off our meal.
If you prefer wine, Janken has several wines by the glass and a few bottles available.
🍽 Upscale pan-Asian cuisine
The dishes at Janken range from delicate and light to rich and filling. And many are served in smaller portions which are perfect for both exploring the menu and sharing.
Cold starter
We started with the Kanpachi Crudo ($16), featuring thinly sliced kanpachi fish with compressed watermelon, a vinaigrette made with nuoc cham (a Vietnamese dipping sauce) and fresh herbs. It was cool, light, and satisfyingly refreshing.
Appetizers and specialties
It was served alongside salmon tacos ($15), topped with avocado and roe and maguro (bluefin tuna) foie gras ($24) adorned with shaved truffle. The maguro was rich and succulent and both dishes were the perfect size to share.
The next course included hamachi crispy rice ($19), a delightful mix of crunchy and soft textures and umami flavors, alongside steak tartare ($27) with braised mushrooms and truffle aioli. This usually comes with milk bread toast, but they substituted crispy rice for us as a non-dairy option.
Succulent seafood
But we were just getting started! Next to arrive was the satisfying crispy soft-shell crab ($19), nestled inside pillowy soft steamed buns. This was served with seared scallops ($17), which were perfectly cooked and buttery-rich.
Veggies
The penultimate savory course was the charred broccolini ($14), dressed with in-house made barley miso. This could be a great way to start the meal here or to have as part of a few smaller sharing dishes, but if you plan on eating a large meal at Janken, you may want to avoid having this later in the meal (as we did) as it is sort of a heavier dish.
Entree
The last course before dessert was the showstopper, the surf and turf. It featured half a Maine lobster with shiso ponzu butter and spices alongside a melt-in-your-mouth wagyu steak. We had mixed feelings about this dish. We loved the steak, which was deeply rich and tender. But the lobster felt both overseasoned and underwhelming, as if not quite able to hold its own alongside the wagyu.
🍨 Dessert
Janken has an impressively wide range of desserts to suit just about anyone’s tastes. Ours included a colorful selection of sorbets ($13), including wildly delicious strawberry, mango, and Asian pear. We also had the crème brulée ($16), which was creamy and light, and the decadent dark chocolate meltdown cake ($19), a lava cake that oozed with rich chocolatey goodness.
✨ Restaurant FAQs
The dress code at Janken leans more dressy casual, but when we were there, we certainly saw guys in shorts and sandals, so there’s a wide range.
Janken is one of Portland’s more popular restaurants, so definitely make reservations beforehand.
From the upscale menu to the glitzy Pearl District location, Janken is not exactly kid-friendly. I don’t think we saw any kids while we dined there. That’s not to say kids wouldn’t be welcome, but there’s no specific kids menu, for example.
Yes. You can have a cocktail and a few small plates for under $100, but a full meal for two can easily cost $200 and up with drinks. There is a limited happy hour menu available if you’re looking to try Janken but not spend as much.
Janken restaurant
Janken is a lively, inviting Portland Asian fusion restaurant with an inspired menu and superb, detail-oriented service. The dishes are beautifully prepared and the creative atmosphere is exactly what you’d expect from its Pearl District location. If you’re looking for an exceptional dining experience with a focus on Asian cuisine, we highly recommend Janken.
Janken restaurant
250 NW 13th Ave
Portland, OR
HOURS:
Tuesday – Thursday 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Friday – Saturday 4:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sunday – 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
For the latest information, please visit the Janken website.
More Portland restaurants
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