Gastrolust

I raved about my previous visit to Tanuki, marking it one of the top three meals of last year’s trip to Portland. As it’s in this trip’s top three as well, I can solidly say that Tanuki is an eating experience I highly recommend in the Rose City. Or is it a drinking experience? Chef Janis Martin will tell you that Tanuki is a bar, not a restaurant. (Tanuki is truly an izakaya.) This woman knows sake, so let her choose some pairings for you. (Though coming off my SakeOne sampling, I recommend trying some nama-zake.) And let her choose your food; just say “omakase” and you’re in for an amazing and affordable ride. (IF one were to see the kitchen, one would be astounded at the quality of the food that comes out of it. Not that I had a peek at the kitchen. Let’s just say that Martin makes magic back there.)

Factor in my afternoon of sake sampling, then add in drinks at Tanuki, banter with friends (and workers and people at neighboring tables), and the delightful distraction of seedy Japanese slasher flicks on the television, and you can see why it was a rollicking evening. As the lights dimmed and drinks were poured, my photo quality degraded quickly. For better photos, I recommend you check out my friend Lorna’s blog – the camera and camera operator were both far more capable.

I should add that this is far from the most politically correct meal, and it’s served up by someone who prides herself on not being politically correct. (Well, she thinks she’s correct!) I’d like to serve up sake as my excuse, but I can’t. So let’s say that I strive to eat sustainably, etc., but that for this one night, I put myself in the hands of a chef whose skills and sense to make superb Japanese-inspired food continue to astound me. And someone who, politics aside, works hard, plays hard, and takes pride in her product.

Kusshi oysters with kimchi shaved ice – always a favorite

Ojingohchae bokke (wokked dried squid in chili kewpie sauce)

Uzura nikkei (spicy cinnamon tea quail eggs)

Mushroom and duck salad (with duck skin!)

Kyushu hamachi belly sashimi with pickled ne-shoga (ginger root), namashoyu and fresh wasabi

Maguro with avocado, green apple, frozen white ponzu and wasabi

Wild boar steamed rice dumplings (“rags”) with fried shallots, shiso, Thai basil, mint and sweet and sour sauce (a favorite of the evening)

Sake-steamed unagi (eel) noodles with mitsuba and ginger in sweet miso sauce

Shark cartilage and ume (plum) nori roll

Candlenut-seared halibut cheeks with curry-braised pig tails

Jellyfish and Dungeness crab salad with grated sake-poached monkfish liver (and spicy carrot tops!)

Unagi burger with spicy tuna mayonnaise

The evening is getting hazy at this point…this might be sayori?

Beef tendon and caramelized marrow with fried peanuts, candied ginger and cilantro

Beef onglet with kimchi and salt-preserved liver sauce

Here we are at course 16, and time to turn to Lorna’s blog if you want a better look at this pork-belly and daikon in duck dashi (or any of the previous dishes, really)

Trust me…there’s a lot of uni here (and we consider sweet uni dessert!)

You may not be meant to see what’s in here…