Buranko Cafe & Bar — Restaurant in Portland

How can you not love this place? Seriously. This was just a heart warming experience.

The ambiance / vibe / whatever you want to call it was just adorable. Backyard garden vibe is accurate. The place feels like and airy. The chairs are so cute and unique. If it wasn't awkward to do so, I would have taken a video of the inside. The fish tanks and decorations and everything was just so wholesome. I'm smiling thinking about it now.

The food was so yummy! We got the teriyaki chicken dumplings to share, the boy got the ramen special and I got the orange chicken (pictured.) Yum! It tasted so fresh! That dumpling sauce was to die for! The orange chicken was properly crunchy and zesty. I wish the zucchini had a hint more salt but what a small complaint. The portion sizes felt right, rather than the usual GIANT servings. And it wasn't too expensive! $31 including tip.

The only reason this isn't five stars is service was just, slow. But hey. It's the first week restaurants are back open and I don't fault them. It just took awhile to get noticed, get water, and place our order. We actually were never checked on and had to seek out the server to pay. But this would never detract from coming back.

It was all very COVID safe and I will be recommending this place...

Buranko Cafe is a fusion Asian restaurant and bar serving comfort food from various countries including Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and more. We went in because we saw a lot of cool chairs, and it had an "outdoor patio" vibe, although it was inside. They don't turn on the air conditioning, so it may be too warm for most people. There's a children's play area as well, so this could be good for families.

[COCKTAILS]

+Tamarind Margarita (jalapeño infused tequila, tamarind, serrano, lemon, simple syrup, salt, and chili) for $15 - 4/5

[MOCKTAILS]

+Lychee Ginger House-made Fizz for $6 - Although this tasted good with a lot of lychee flavor, it was much too sweet. I personally wouldn't order this. - 3/5

[FOOD]

+Galbi (marinated Korean beef short ribs, scallion, roasted sesame, sautéed zucchini, kimchi, and rice) for $17 - 4.5/5

[SIDES]

+Okonomiyaki Fries (Japanese mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, furikake, nori, sesame, bonito flakes, and green onion) for $10 - 4/5

+Chicken Gyoza (pan-fried chicken dumplings glazed with homemade gyoza sauce, fried garlic, sesame, scallion, and cilantro)...

My husband and I were on a road trip from Portland and after 3 hours on the road, we found this cute joint half way through our journey.

I loved the sign at the front that says "we are good food not fast food" and by golly that sign was absolutely true. It is a small place but packed with flavors! My husband and I shared an order of chicken fried steak, the waitress was kind enough to put our order into two plates. The portion was just the right amount, in fact it was more than I expected.

But truly the meal was incredible, the biscuits were homemade, fluffy and crispy at the same time. The chicken fried steak was crispy and delicious, and the meal was exactly how I imagine a biscuit and gravy is supposed to taste like. Not that boxed or canned crap.

The waitress even offered us a side of whipped butter and their homemade freezer jams that my husband absolutely devoured.

Love this joint, will visit for sure when I am back...