Kirari West Portland — Restaurant in Portland

Stopped in on a whim and loved it! My wife is allergic to the entire top 9 list, and the first thing we saw was the "gluten free" sign on the ceiling outside their front door. They also have menus right there at the entrance so you can browse without needing to go more than a step inside the open doorway. Not only is that actually really nice, but the items are covered in easy to scan allergy icons so you can quickly browse for the safest foods and decide if you want to stay, which we very much did after only a few moments of reading.

My wife was stunned that she could eat nearly everything on the menu with little to no adjustments. We placed an order and got a table by a giant, open window surrounded by potted flowers. The staff were very friendly, and the place was cozy and relaxing, and the breeze was soothing.

They call out your name when your drinks are ready, just like most cafes, and they bring your food to your table when it's done. I got a plain unsweetened iced tea and my wife got an iced sparkling kombucha that she said was very refreshing. When the food arrived it was immaculately and professionally presented on the plate. Not a requirement by any stretch, but nice.

The salad my wife chose was amazing! A chicken salad with strawberries and a vinaigrette that was "basically a fruit smoothie". She gave me a taste and it was delightful! When she was done she joked about how tempted she was to lick the plate. Most importantly, for the first time in... I don't even know how long... she was able to enjoy a nice meal out and walk away without being in any pain. I can't express enough appreciation for that alone.

I got a grilled turkey sandwich with a small clam chowder on the side (their soup of the day) and wow! My wife commented that everything was gluten free, so I was eating gluten free bread. I couldn't tell! I'm not gluten free like she is so I didn't check. The sandwich was perfectly grilled with flavors that blended wonderfully! Plus, the crust wasn't tooth shattering, and the thing was hot all the way through. That detail seems like a low bar, but apparently not from my experience. The chowder was an actual creamy soup with a rich and savory flavor, and not gritty or gloopy in any way.

We grabbed business cards for their sister restaurants and bookmarked them on Maps for future visits. It was a...

When I read that there was a new gluten-free bakery in town, I was so excited to try it! We arrived and the person working at the counter was very welcoming and was kind enough to offer suggestions. She let me try a sample of two of the three loaf varieties that they offer. When I inquired if they offered a nutty/seedy bread, she said "unfortunately, no, but the one you weren't able to sample would be the closest option." I was so hoping that it would be the dense bread that my tastebuds crave, but it was reminiscent of Franz white bread in taste and texture. It gets the job done, but I wouldn't buy it again. Certainly not at $14.50 a loaf.

On the other hand, their pastries were tasty, particularly their almond brioche and cinnamon brioche. They were good, but I would love to see a pastry with less sugar, or perhaps one that was naturally sweetened with honey or coconut sugar.

We also tried 2 of their smoothies. They were decent, but I'll likely just drink water if I make my way over there again in the future. They do not serve coffee, which was disappointing and caught me by complete surprise.

If I could offer a few suggestions, it would be to consider adding a nutty/seedy bread and also a lightly sweetened banana or pumpkin bread. Most gluten-free pasteries have wayyyy too much sugar for my taste, and it can get nauseating. I've had my fill of Franz type bread and would love to see healthier options with more depth. Also, please consider adding coffee to your menu!

I hope this review helps folks while researching gluten-free bakeries. The struggle is real. It's still incredibly difficult to find healthier alternatives when you're in the mood to indulge, and I'm hopeful that they will consider my words of advice. If not, I'm afraid I won't go out of my way to make it back. Regardless, I'm thankful for another gluten-free option...

Warning for folks with allergies - be careful and triple check what you order. I came here with a friend this weekend. The menu didn’t match the menu board above. The avo toast said it was soy free on the menu but on the board said it came with vegan cheese. I have a soy allergy and asked if there was soy. The cashier had no clue. The owner came over and said they could do it without vegan cheese and also said not to put on the margarine because that had soy too. No clue why it was listed as soy free with 2 soy ingredients. The cashier repeated it back wrong and I reconfirmed I had a soy allergy and to omit the vegan cheese and spread. When my food came a few minutes after my friends, the cheese looked identical. I asked if it was regular or vegan cheese and the server didn’t know. He said he would check but then went into the back and forgot about me. I flagged the owner who said it was indeed vegan. Despite telling them I was allergic multiple times. He said he would remake it with regular cheese. It took forever, and came out finally - with no cheese at all. The owner did apologize, but honestly, they need to be more careful. At an allergy-specific establishment, I was really surprised that they almost soy-poisoned me and didn’t seem to think it was a big deal. The bread was tasty and the location on 23rd was ideal, but I’m too scared to return. If you have any allergies, just make sure you check with everyone there that it was...