kann — Restaurant in Portland

For those who don’t make it through the full review, Kann is an absolute cannot miss food and culture event in Portland. The unique pan-Caribbean flavors, outstanding service program and dining room environment elevate this experience for all guests. If you’re in the midst of making a dinner decision, please go forward with a table at Kann, it’s a consistent five star experience.

I think it would be remiss to begin with anything other than food. Kann features a diverse menu with dishes that are dairy and gluten free. Being a Haitian wood fire grill, the food from top to bottom is standout. The salad from the starters is always a strong option, currently the restaurant is serving a spring salad featuring pea and asparagus topped greens with a Greek Goddess dressing. The cauliflower is an incredible dish as well, although it does have a spice level. I have dined here with individuals who are spice averse, there is more than enough on the menu to satisfy this accommodation. But certainly work with your server when deciding on dishes for the evening.

All dishes are family sharing from starters to the hearth. Wildly flavorful dishes like the fried okra and griyo have me continuing to make return trips. It’s also worth mentioning the unbelievable cuts of steak, chicken, pork and seafood that are locally sourced from Olympia Provisions. One should not be afraid to order the scallops or steak if the table is trying to really enjoy the evening. And don’t forget to order dessert, even when that seems impossible. They are too good to ignore. Rest east, it’s nearly impossible to make a mistake when ordering from Chef Gourdet’s menu.

Second, the staff at Kann are second to none when compared to anywhere. It’s very much an overly comfortable atmosphere compared to the typical fine dining restaurant. It is a relaxed dress code that encourages the diner’s comfort. The space really harkens that bustling family dinner energy. I’ve been fortunate to make a number of visits to this spot, from beginning to end, it’s always above and beyond from a service perspective. Wonderful and warm front of house staff from the hosts, wait staff to management.

It also is very apparent when in the space how much attention to detail is given by all. It’s a truly exciting to watch the kitchen staff create these one of a kind, delicious plates and work as a unit within their kitchen. If one is lucky and Chef Gourdet is present, they will likely find him carefully expo-ing and placing the final touches on every dish leaving the kitchen with the most meticulous care. This is not something that I’ve seen to be typical of a James Beard winning chef. But here he is, still working the final place on the line at his restaurant. One evening, at the end of the night, I caught Chef scrubbing all of the receipt ticket printing machines behind the counter. That may not seem like anything but it’s indicative of much more. A story that illustrates his unrelenting drive, will to be great and involvement on all parts of the operation. Huge shoutout to Chef Gourdet and his contributions to Portland dining. If you appreciate dining or striving for greatness, Kann must be added to your dining list.

Finally, the ambience is an essential part of the experience. Looking across the dining room, you see how happy and contented ppl are as they dine with family, friends and companions. People connecting, laughing and loving over great food, in this truly beautiful space. Whether you are a visitor or resident of Portland, Kann is truly a night out that must not be missed! In my estimate, it is the paramount representative for dining in Portland. Don’t miss it!

Tip: If you are unable to book with Kann, please grab a table at Sousòl, the sister cocktail bar of Kann. It very much gives off that Brooklyn speakeasy vibe with the dark but colorful interior, unique wallpaper and very comfortable space. Excellent place to enjoy some bites and the incredible beverage program that features a comprehensive, well curated list of cocktails and...

kann is in an industrial area of SE Portland. I knew exactly where I was going, it was light out, & I felt perfectly safe. There was lots of foot traffic in & out of the restaurant, & the newer bar, sousòl, below it. I was greeted the moment I walked in by the Assistant General Manager. She was so lovely & genuine. She showed me to my (very tall) stool at the Chef's Counter & checked back in on me a couple of times throughout the meal. I felt so welcomed! I had a 5:45 reservation, & I could feel the energy of the place amping up as my meal progressed. Yes, it is loud, but it honestly didn't bother me. It was a happy kind of loud. I was immediately struck by the smiles throughout the open kitchen. These people clearly love what they do, & it brightens every aspect of the meal. Every staff member was friendly, attentive (but not too much), & seemed personally invested in my experience. I couldn't stop smiling. The "no-proof" drink list is so exciting! I decided on the Grenadia. Y'all, it was so good. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the vanilla, but it all worked so well together. They offered both flat and sparkling water & kept my water full throughout the meal. They also offer beer, wine, & "full-proof" cocktails. I went all out for the appetizer. It was more expensive than my protein, & it was absolutely worth it. You ladel the Asparagus & Spring Onion Soup over the cold garnishes, & it is a stunning dish. Every bite is a combination of different layers of flavors & textures. I could have had just this for my meal, & been perfectly satisfied. It was difficult not to finish the whole thing, but I knew there was much more to come. As if it couldn't get better than that, I watched Chef Gourdet personally finish the plating directly in front of me before the dish was delivered 🤯 His genuine smile is infectious as he makes running a busy, open kitchen look effortless. It was so much fun to watch. Everything is served "family style" & a la carte. It's definitely ideal for sharing, but I managed solo just fine. I had to have the Octopus. It's grilled (as are most of the dishes) on an open flame in the kitchen. I don't know what kind of ventilation system they put in, but if not for looking directly at it, you'd never know it was there. The char on this was immensely enjoyable, & while somewhat spicy, the flavors were so complex and lovely. I am not exaggerating when I say I cut the octopus with a butter knife. The most tender octopus I've ever eaten. The Cauliflower with jerk & sour coconut cream is a combination of spicy & sweet that I have never experienced before. The jerk was too spicy for me (just for me, Haitian food should be spicy), but it was worth it. The sour coconut cream is fermented for 3 days, & I would happily drink a glass of it. The Pikliz, spicy pickled cabbage, was too spicy for me as well. I suspected that would be the case, but I had to at least try. In the lull between dinner & dessert, Chef Gourdet walked over to ask how my meal was. I thought it was so lovely that he knew exactly what I had ordered. He was SO gracious when I asked for a photo, I felt like such an awkward fan-girl. Totally worth it. This dessert is worthy of its own restaurant. Just this one dish, & I'd go there often. At this point, I will remind you that the entire restaurant is both gluten & dairy free. Their Pastry Chef is a genius. The Mango Mozayik's tuiles crunch & snap as you break through to the creamy centers. The coconut-lime sherbet is tart & fresh. Everything about it was perfect. This was a magical experience from beginning to end. Watching the kitchen smoothly & happily creating art out of food & then placing it in front of me was exciting & emotional. I was honestly on the verge of tears throughout the meal. It was beautiful, & I couldn't have asked for anything more from...

To say I am highly disappointed would be an understatement. I think I can speak to the fact that everyone who snags a reservation at kann is ecstatic. James beard nomination? Chef Gregory from top chef? The expectations for an exquisite meal are high. So being one of the lucky ones to get a seat at the table sets the expectation at that bar.

Unfortunately for our group, that expectation was far from met. I’m not going to sit here and say the food wasn’t good, it was delicious. However we were lucky (actually UNLUCKY) enough to find a 6+ inch hair in one of our first dishes of the night.

When we flagged (and SHOWED) this to the server, he was obviously appalled. He immediately grabbed the dish, apologized, and rushed it to the back, letting us know it would be removed from our check and replaced with an acceptable version of the dish. This was a fine accommodation, which we were happy to accept. And had the night ended on this note, we would have gladly accepted the comp and moved on.

However here’s where I think the structure (or maybe lack there of) of service of kann comes into play and hinders the experience for its well paying guests.

At the end of the night, we weren’t given the check by our server who had been periodically checking in throughout the night. The one who had seen the hair in the food with his own eyes. Instead we were met by the server (or host?) who had been manning the door. Who had apparently not been filled in about our prior experience.

When we went to check the bill to make sure what we ordered was what was listed, we noticed that while we had a manager comp for the initial appetizer order, we were actually charged a second time for the one that they had brought to the table to replace the initial plate with the hair. To me, this is unacceptable. From our perspective, our server brought us the second plate in an attempt to make it right, not in an attempt to get us to purchase an improperly made dish. Had we known we would have been charged a second time, we would have politely declined the dish. As someone who has worked extensively in service (and still works in a service role) it is customary that when a restaurant makes a mistake, the restaurant fixes that mistake. And the customer is not the one that suffers due to a restaurant’s negligence.

When we brought this up to the woman who brought us our check, we were met with pushback. Statements like “this isn’t our typical practice” and sentiments that insinuated their mistake was on us to accept. Again, coming from a restaurant of this status and caliber, this is highly unacceptable.

I am sad that as a patron who was willing and excited to pay (an exorbitant amount if I’m being frank) for not just food, but an experience, that the experience was completely altered due to the pushback to resolve the mistake on kann’s end and the lack of communication amongst its own waitstaff.

Our attempt to flag and resolve the fact that we were being charged for a mistake (made by kann might I remind you!) resulted in a back and forth where I had to explain not once, but FOUR times the issue that had occurred. With a HAIR. In our $18 appetizer. And even with the redundant explanation, we were still met with an argument by that waitstaff that turned what should have been a nice evening amongst friends into a conversation about the short comings of a restaurant that touts its commitment to a certain level of service and a certain high caliber of food.

I don’t expect anything to come out of this review. To be honest I’ll be shocked if it does. But I hope that kann takes this to heart. That its staff connect with each other BEFORE arguing with patrons. And that the overall experience is improved in some way so that no one else has to argue back and forth with the staff about paying for a dish with a hair...