​ōkta | farm and kitchen — Restaurant in McMinnville

We drove from Seattle and made overnight reservations at a hotel half an hour away to make this very special occasion happen.

Many, many thanks to Clara who understood the significance and made it possible for the three of us to be seated that weekend. Girlfriend’s birthday and the other girlfriend facing major health issue.

We made the six hour road trip with a pescatarian and someone who doesn’t eat any seafood in our group. 😅

They begin our experience with a viewing of the fresh versions of ingredients that would go into our dishes. Much appreciation for the team of chefs, who made sure that, despite the dietary restrictions in our group, the dishes echoed each other — considerable thoughtfulness was expressed in how they kept all our dishes the same with only the smallest adjustments to ingredients.

Loved the use of flowers and the unique presentations. It was an impressive tasting menu with a uniquely utilized array of ingredients. For my taste, the dishes felt like they represented a bias on the savory side. In one or two cases, the savory simply overpowered particular bites. Still all in all, beginning with the very first bowl of fresh corn prepared with silken tofu-like base, each dish offered a revelation. (Will list the menu a bit later.)

The cocktails were bright and attractive. We decided to forgo the wine pairings, but had the enjoyment of listening to the descriptions offered by the bar manager for each of the wines delivered to the neighbors dining next to us. We listened and appreciated the wines vicariously. Truly an excellent sommelier he was. Think his name was Eric.

The menu placed at our table had a narrative about this season that had inspired the dishes.

Our servers were outstanding. 20% gratuity was included in the tab. The full tasting in the restaurant came out to $342 a person. There is a tasting menu with fewer dishes downstairs in the wine cellar that is under $200. Worth experiencing with the right company on the...

The restaurant itself is inside the Tributary Hotel. The open kitchen lets you watch the chefs at work.

The four-course tasting menu is available with wine pairings.

We first chose the tomato tart. The Formage Blanc cheese inside was incredibly rich and creamy, and the puff pastry was fragrant and crispy. I loved it. My friend had the sqaush, which was just average.

The second dish I recommend is the cod, with kimchi as a side dish, perfect for Asian palates. The cod was delicious, and the kimchi had a nice, tart, and sharp flavor. My friend's shellfish pasta was just average, and I wouldn't recommend it.

The third main course was grass-fed beef. The texture was impeccable. The accompanying tart jam sauce was a novelty and interesting touch. My friend also had the ribs, which were also very good. The steak was generously coated in a fresh tomato sauce. It wasn't as rich as traditional American barbecue, but it had the slightly sweet, refreshing flavor I love.

For dessert, I ordered an orange gelato, which was delicious. The fruit brownie was a bit lackluster; the cake itself felt a bit loose and lacked the richness a brownie should have. It also didn't really go well with the accompanying peach jam.

At the end, the restaurant gave us two tiny chocolate hazelnut treats.

Throughout the meal, the waiter explained the origins of each dish, including which organic farm it came from and what ingredients were used.

While the overall style was more important than the substance, it was quite interesting to watch the chefs prepare the dishes and then serve...

One of the best meals and best restaurant experiences I have ever had!

A virtually flawless experience. While we had parked nearby, were surprised to find that even the valet had our name and escorted us to the door.

Everything was so dialed in it was hard to believe they have only been open since last summer.

We were lucky to sit next to the kitchen and were able to enjoy all the activity. Very quiet and professional.

The decor is simple but elegant. The craftsmanship is noteworthy. Adds to the experience without taking away from the food.

You are greeted at the door when you enter and there is a beatiful display of some of the featured items for the evening which are explained. A great start!

Friday and Saturday featured an extended tasting menu, but you wouldn't go hungry with the three less items served on the other nights.

While we had fifteen plates, they were all memorable. My favorites included the first dish - Parsnip, custard and abalone with chrysanthemum leaves and seaweed. This was accompanied with thinly sliced black truffle atop a truffle tart with butterflies cheese.

Other favorites were the Foie gras sandwich with buckwheat wafers; the geoduck with hazelnuts; caviar with red kuri squash and butternut squash - where the squash was the highlight; and the grass fed tenderloin with foraged mushrooms. The tenderloin was the most tender I think I have ever had - think Wagyu tender.

This restaurant is going to get...