The February Hit List: Casa Zoraya, Han Oak, Normandie, and More

North Lombard’s Casa Zoraya, from a family of Andina alums, has been rocking Peruvian classics on the eastside for nearly half a decade. The menu, though short, is bright and beautiful, starting with smaller plates, like a pair of anticuchos, empanadas and crunchy bites including papa rellena and chicharron de puerco, before expanding into larger meat and fish dishes. Of course, there’s ceviche, here tossed in aji limo and leche de tigre with a topping of fried calamari. And Peru’s Chinese influence has a presence here, with arroz chaufa, studded with pork belly and shrimp, and oyster mushroom saltado spiked with oyster sauce.

Northeast Killingsworth wine bar Dame has been busy. At the beginning of the pandemic, the space transitioned into an online natural and biodynamic wine store and is still going strong, with an ever-changing, too-easy-to-splurge selection of affordable wines alongside special-occasion Champagnes and high-end reds. There’s the restaurant’s own Italian-leaning menu with small antipasti and handmade pastas.

Then there’s the rotating pop-up presence taking over the kitchen on off days (Monday-Wednesday). Most recently those have been held by Companatico (currently on hiatus) which served up Italian sandwiches, hoagies and handmade pasta.

And lastly, the restaurant just finished building out an intimate space halfway up the block where former Republica chef Lauro Romero’s Mexican pop-up Clandestino has snagged a few nights a week.

Yes, there’s still plenty of Republica & Co. opening news happening in 2023. Electrica is the Mexican coffee and Japanese tea concept from man-about-town Seiji Nanbu, combining Nanbu’s Mexican and Japanese heritage with Republica & Co.’s coffee (sourced from their in-house Reforma Roasters – which produces most coffee for their various restaurant and cafe spaces). The coffee shop is tucked inside the absolutely stunning Schoolhouse Electric building, which doubles as the eponymous housewares company’s showroom and store. Drinks here deeply reflect the Japanese tea influence, with cold brew sencha, hojicha lattes, matcha and more specialty drinks like the Saikyo latte, combining sweet white miso and caramel sauce, but there’s plenty of coffee, too.

Hot Pot is back! Among Portland’s most beloved restaurants, Han Oak rose to popularity with their creative spins on Korean American dishes. Last year, they debuted their hot pot concept, trading their famed ramen-dusted wings (still available at sister spot Toki) for dry-aged meats, dumplings and noodles dipped in their #bonebrothsupreme^TM .

From Friday to Sunday for $75 per person, guests will sample a multi-course menu of shaved meats, local veg and fresh tofu dunked in a rich, beef broth alongside punchy sauces. There’s also housemade dumplings and noodles, alongside special add-ons, which have included a silky rice porridge finished tableside dotted with house-cured ikura.

Another Republica & Co. offshoot, and among the newest to join the seemingly ever-expanding family, is Matutina, a now-dedicated brick-and-mortar space for the Panaderia Americana that provides much of the baked goods at the family’s various coffee shops around town. At the opposite end of the Park Blocks from the cluster of other Republica family spots, Matutina is focusing on Mexican-forward breakfast and brunch options, like steel cut oats with pepita milk and pumpkin butter, beans and greens, and biscuits and chorizo gravy. Elsewhere in the bright, corner spot, find a pastry case with the signature Matutina goods, like rainbow sprinkle conchas, chorizo and potato empanadas, and puerquitos. Pair your breakfast with a coffee from the signature La Perlita line of drinks.

Nigiri-focused sushi spot Nimblefish recently traded its simple, fish-focused menu (think: seaweed salads, nigiri and sashimi, maki, and a stunning chirashi bowl) for a more intimate omakase experience. These days, the space has transformed into a tiny, 12-seat experience focusing on that same high-quality fish now with more intentional flow. And while the previous menu is no longer available, guests can still order some extra nigiri or sashimi to fill out the night. At $85/person, this is one of the most affordable omakase choices in town.

You can’t deny Portland is a pizza city. Among the latest wood-fired pie spots to open is No Saint, the pizza and wine sister to Southeast wine shop Mattino’s. Having been popping up in the former Seastar Bakery and Handsome Pizza space along Northeast Killingsworth, it now offers veg-forward salads and starters, like chicories tossed in roasted garlic dressing with Calabrian chilies and beets atop whipped ricotta. From the wood-fired oven comes gratin and pastas (we’re currently eyeing the trenne alla vodka) and of course, pizzas, sporting unusual but beautiful toppings, like rainbow carrots with n’duja and January king cabbage, celeriac and “anchovy essence.” And of course, if you’re a purist, there’s more traditional toppings too, including cheese and a New York white pie.

The menu at this coastal-inspired restaurant is made for those who love to share. Most dishes here are small, shareable plates and snacks that can be mixed-and-matched into dinner, alongside larger plates if you don’t want to share! Find dishes like oxtail croquettes with ancho coffee crema; broiled oysters with miso butter and chile oil; hamachi crudo paired with a charred pineapple nuoc cham; and fried fingerlings and Raclette. Larger entrees include the house burger on brioche, here layered with five-hour onions and onion rings, and seared king salmon with pickled kumquats and chicories. Close out your roving feast with carrot cake with fromage blanc ice cream and limequat marmalade, chocolate mousse with miso caramel ice cream and torched marshmallow, or vanilla bean meringues with a trio of tropical sorbets.

This new-to-Piedmont neighborhood food cart (Rusa previously called Sellwood’s Piknik Park home) brings together two cuisines seldom seen together: Eastern European and Latin American. But for Sasanna Babashoff, whose familiar roots trace back to both Mexico and Russia, it’s a matter of family history. At Rusa, beef birria borscht finds its way into tacos, lamb Stroganoff takes a spin as filling for tamales, and beef chorizo (or vegan mushroom-walnut chorizo) joins sweet potatoes in pierogi. Don’t miss the decadent sweet or savory blintze, which pair farmers cheese-filled crepes with chipotle braised mushrooms or seasonal fruit compote.

Old Town/Chinatown’s airy, Mexico City-inspired bar overlooking the river and Portland’s eastside is a fantastic place to pretend you’re somewhere tropical, without the plane ticket. Gather around the indoor fireplace, with its monstera-print stools, and enjoy chips, guac and salsa, queso, ceviche and a short menu of tacos. The bright and funky cocktail menus continues the theme with a bright and punchy list almost entirely based on agave-based spirits. If you’re lucky, you might catch a stunning winter sunset, to really make your faux-cation complete.