chelo — Restaurant in Portland

Everything about our experience was exceptional. Every dish hits the perfect flavor note. If you like deep, rich and flavorful latin food, this is the place to go. Not only is the food delicious it is also stunningly prepared and accompanied by equally as delicious salsas. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu, as my party and I had pretty much everything! The aqua chile was spicy in a lasting heat kind of way. I love heat but that was a little hot for me. I will be dreaming about the chilaquiles for a long time. It was somehow bringing me back to my childhood in which we did not eat chilaquiles, but the comfort in the food was so strong I felt nostalgic. Easy to navigate the menu as someone with dietary restrictions. There is something for everyone here. I also had a zero proof spirit that did not disappoint. Sadly, I was not the food photographer of the party, but I have been telling everyone to go here while they can still get...

I'm not sure if I was here on an off day, but I had a very strange and disappointing experience here. The location itself was difficult to find because there was no sign; we walked past it three times. Later, I realized they had a sign that must only be used during the day because it was inside. They were playing loud pop music when we arrived, and it was difficult to hear. The wine was expensive and lackluster. We waited a long time for our "snack" order, which was a VERY small salad with a few pieces of scallop; it would have helped if they explained any of the dishes to us. 30 minutes later, the waiter, who appeared to have been on his phone the entire time, came to tell us they were out of the lamb. After waiting for an hour, we received a dish we did not want, which had cheese that I could not have. The menu is not labeled for people with dietary restrictions. We ended up taking a few bites and leaving; they did not make us pay...

I have been following Chef Luna for quite a while and finally had the chance to tick something off my bucket list and pay a visit with my partner for Valentine's Day. Despite how slammed the place was, the staff were so kind and communicative! For Valentine's Day there was a prix fixe menu which did not disappoint!! Everything has such vibrant and unique flavors that all worked well in harmony together. Every bite was a culinary journey with impeccable presentation. We also had the lovely opportunity to sit at a table that gave us a very clear view of everything happening in the kitchen, which was just positively fascinating! Just like sitting at a "Chef's Table." Also love the movies that they play on the projector in the background, while we were there they were playing Lady and the Tramp ♥️.

As a grad student I don't have a lot of money to throw around, but coming here left me with zero regrets and we will definitely be back...