PASAR — Restaurant in Portland

As a homesick Southeast Asian, I was excited to try this place out and get some comfort from familiar flavors. The space was beautiful and the staff were friendly. The menu’s offerings were hopeful enough—the mere mention of popiah made my wife and I squeal a little. She ordered an iced teh, I got a hot milo, and we shared a popiah, the sate, and the babi goreng.

The milo, while tasting great, was tiny. Child-sized. It was so egregiously lil I finished it in maybe four gulps. The teh was served in the same tiny mug, hot instead of iced, like my wife ordered. The server maintained that they did not serve their teh iced, even though the option was listed on the menu. The tea tasted ok, though barely steeped long enough and with way too much condensed/carnation milk.

The popiah was the first to come out. Why would you offer the promise of popiah—a relatively thick roll of steamed vegetables, crushed peanuts, crispy bits, and sweet dark sauce folded in a soft crepe-like wrap—if you’re just going to serve a single, sad, deep-fried pipsqueak of a spring roll? It tasted like something you’d find at Costco. This failed promise of popiah was truly disappointing. The sate came next. To be fair, I’ve never had a proper sate/satay this side of the Pacific. They’s always too thick and steak-y—never fatty or juicy enough. Pasar’s sate suffers from the same problem and, while tender and flavorful, the three skewers were served under a thick slather of some rendang-ish sauce. Why it wasn’t accompanied by what might’ve been its saving grace, a sweet and chunky peanut sauce, is beyond me. The fried pork belly was served last. Again, a meager serving, but it was probably the best tasting of all the dishes we ordered. Except it was served on a single leaf of lettuce, and wasn’t accompanied by some jasmine rice like I’d blindly assumed. Possibly sacrilege.

The best part of the meal and the only thing that lived up to expectations were the Kopiko coffee sweets we got with the bill—the same ones I used to get at my school’s minimart.

I really wanted to like this place! Now I’m not sure when I’ll be able to...

Los Angeles has its taco trucks. Seattle has its seafood temples. But Portland has some of the best Indonesian food scenes in America, and it’s places like Pasar that make it happen.

Indonesian food is still criminally underrepresented in most American cities, but here, we have Nasi Goreng Tek Tek, smoky and rich with the deep umami of sweet soy sauce, eggs, and crispy shallots. We have Sate Padang, with a sauce so complex you could sit with a spoon and try to decode its secrets. We have Risol Sayur, bite-sized perfection that recalls the colonial Dutch-Indonesian connection in the best way possible—deep-fried, golden, oozing with béchamel.

The Lemper Ayam is everything you want in a rice bite—sticky, fragrant, and deeply satisfying. Krupuk Udang arrives crisp and airy, the ultimate snack. And for drinks? A refreshing Limeade and a nostalgic Teh Botol, Indonesia’s answer to a perfect sweetened tea.

How did Portland, of all places, become the city with an exuberant, thriving Indonesian restaurant scene while LA and Seattle lag behind? It’s a mystery, but one we’re grateful for.

If you haven’t been yet, you’re...

Yeehaw!

I revisited Pasar, an authentic Indonesian restaurant, eager to savor its unique flavors again. On my previous visit, I delighted in the Longtong Cap Gomeh—a rich, creamy coconut curry broth adorned with tempe and vegetables, which left a lasting impression.

This time, I opted for a dish featuring creamy shrimp gravy sauce generously poured over noodles, tofu, and bean sprouts. What sets this dish apart is the accompanying onion tapioca cracker and emping, adding a delightful crunch to the ensemble.

Pasar truly embodies the essence of Indonesian cuisine, reminiscent of dining in Indonesia itself. To complement the flavors, I enjoyed fresh black iced tea there, which is ideal for cooling off on hot days.

For dessert, I indulged in Putu Ayu, a Pandan sponge cake, and Talam Ubi, a sweet potato cake—both delightful choices to conclude a satisfying meal.

I highly recommend Pasar for a memorable dining experience with family and friends, where you can truly enjoy authentic Indonesian food in a...