Biwa

This was my second time to Biwa, and I am happy to give a glowing review! This place is a delight across all aspects. It is situated in a basement space, so walking down the steps gives an instant cozy vibe. To me, this is about as Manhattan as you can get in Portland, from a design perspective. The space is small and intimate, giving it an authentically Japanese feel, as you would imagine such places in Asia could be similarly situated. There is a certain sophistication and elegance in the clean lines and uniform wooden slat-style furniture/seating; very minimalist. In the main area, tables are lined along both walls, creating as much of an aisle for the wait staff as possible. There is a smaller secluded section to the right of the bar, and it appeared this may be the area for larger parties/reservations. Biwa is consistently crowded, so everyone has successfully learned to deal with the lack of space.

The regular bar seats as you walk into the restaurant are a great place to eat (especially when you don’t want to wait for a table, or want Happy Hour!), but the prime option are the four seats to the right of the bar, which are tucked away and sit lower to the ground, as well as offer a larger counter area for all of the food you will undoubtedly order. Total score if you can snag these. Either way, the bar area is fun to sit and watch the chefs and wait staff (you should see them make some of the cocktails – that is serious business!).

Everything on the menu is meant to be shared and enjoyed while drinking, as it clearly states at the top: “Izakaya – Meant to be shared and enjoyed with Sake. Izakaya are Japanese taverns.” The menu is separated into multiple sections: Cold (salads and cold appetizers), Hot (hot appetizers), Basic (standard Japanese fare), Yakimono (from the grill, traditional casual food), Soup & Noodles and Set Meals.

We went with the following (in order of appearance):

Sapporo Draft (2) – For some reason Sapporo just tastes fresher from the taps here…strange?
House Red Wine (2) – Nicely chosen by Biwa, hearty and smooth at the same time.

Seaweed salad - Mixed seaweeds & lotus lightly dressed

Tsukemono - Assortment of Japanese pickles

Lamb “Genghis Khan” skewers (2)
Beef hanger steak (3)
Note: All skewers simply include meat separated by onion slices. The meat is cooked to precise tenderness, and served piping hot and juicy.

Gyoza - Handmade (wrapper, too!) pork dumplings

Spicy kimchee greens – this was the special for the night, and included kale, tofu, and hard-boiled egg served in a spicy red ginger/garlic broth…amazing.

Rice - Kokuho, Kina’s pop grows it

And as if we hadn’t gotten enough just yet…

Chicken breast skewer
Oyster mushrooms – Fantastically seasoned, these were wonderfully meaty mushrooms.

There is literally not a critical thing could say about Biwa. Everything we ordered was of exceptional quality (unnecessary to add too much in my individual dish comments). This is a place you go and just order with no reservations, and just trust that every dish will exceed your expectations. The space is incredible, the food is perfection, and the prices are more than reasonable ($69 for all the deliciousness mentioned above…yes, you read that right!). Until we meet again Biwa…I can’t wait!

*Jayne