Skip to main contentThe sleek, hard-edged, inky space Vivid occupies, now in its fourth restaurant incarnation, has always put food in a subordinate position. And much as Portland restaurateur Andrew Sugar's new venture might wish otherwise, an attempt at pomo hipness predominates over any serious feeding of the customers, who would be better off with a stiff drink.
If there's a design metaphor for these proceedings, it's the appearance of a row of huge curved mirrors jutting out from a concrete wall. Some might say these funhouse reflections denote a spirit of festivity; think further and they suggest distortion. Alas, in this harsh, pinpoint-spotlighted atmosphere--not very good for the complexion--what is lacking is culinary vision and soul. There's a menu with no center, no rhyme, and no reason other than to grab onto a collection of ingredients that seem to be of the moment.
The presentations are quite pretty, and the look of almost everything on the plate promising. But not much delivers beyond appearances. One of the starters, a galette of caramelized onions ($7), has a doughy crust while the onions are a bit on the greasy side. Beggar's purse ($8) is a whimsical item that ought to be feather-light and small enough to be popped into the mouth in one go, but Vivid's versions are crisp, the duck somewhat dry, and the entire pouch lacking in that magical Ming Dynasty elegance and explosion of scintillating flavors. Somewhat more exciting, the sherry-marinated prawns ($11) come drenched in a torrid tomato broth, its zestiness easily overpowering the prawns; a cheesy polenta cake stands up to the sauce, but the delicate seafood cannot hold its own. At the other end of the spectrum, a tartare of salmon ($10) is totally insipid; it would seem difficult to ruin salmon, but the presence of what seemed like guacamole turned the fish to mush. Among the appetizers, the only really interesting item I tasted was the pumpkin-and-chèvre crêpes ($8)--two stubby little wraps filled with diced mushrooms and sprinkled with pumpkin seeds that gave the crêpes a smoky, Mexican fragrance.
Vivid has a tendency to lose restraint, as if more were really more. Thus, on one entree plate you'll find a slab of ahi wrapped in prosciutto and surrounded by roasted potatoes; a small salad of frisée laden with a sugary, buttery dressing; and a chutney of tomatoes. So much concern is devoted to filling up the plate that insufficient attention is paid to necessary details: The fish is barely warm.
A free-range chicken ($19) smoked over applewood is greasy and utterly bland.
But there's always a glimmer of hope. A fine tenderloin of pork ($17) arrives both thinly sliced and in a substantial piece, nicely undercooked and full of flavor from cider-brining. Since the restaurant's bread comes from the superb Ken's Artisan Bakery, I decided to make little pork sandwiches; they turned out to be the most rewarding single taste over my several visits. But pleasures don't linger here. A filet of porcini-scented Alaskan halibut ($21) was overcooked, and my partner and I searched like culinary bloodhounds for the porcini scent: We thought we may have detected a wild-mushroom aroma in the dusting on the rim of the plate, but it would have taken Hans Blix's instruments to be sure.
The desserts have no special interest. For regressors, there's a chocolate pudding cake ($7) that's molten and gooey, but mostly they are banal, conceivably more inviting in the description ("puff pastry layered with condensed caramel, rum sautéed bananas, accented with orange coriander and vanilla lime sauces"), if you thrill to such a pileup. A suggestion: The coffee drinks are a better bet, especially one with Vermeer (a Dutch chocolate liqueur), Frangelico and Kahlua.
Vivid is not without ambitions. The kitchen has a bright sense of aesthetics, yet there's not much heart to this cooking. Greater quality control needs to be exercised, but something more fundamental is lacking. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the menu. It's hard to believe that someone is cooking these dishes because he or she really loves to do them. Until that occurs, Vivid's food will look like that at dozens of other restaurants. And if I were going to drop well over $100 for dinner with an average bottle of wine, I can think of many other places in Portland where I'd rather spend the money.
Vivid
1338 NW Hoyt St., 222-0742
Dinner daily 5-10 pm. Credit cards accepted. Children never seen. Expensive.
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Picks: Sherry-marinated prawns, pork tenderloin.
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Nice touch: A pretty cylindrical aquarium.
WWeek 2015