Skip to main content
[PUNCH OUT] Of all Micah Camden's casual middle-tier joints—Little Big Burger, Blue Star Donuts, Son of a Biscuit—we most love this 31-stool noodle house on the southern end of the Union Way boutique alley. Start with the okonomiyaki tater tots ($6), served fajita-style in a sizzling skillet with creamy Kewpie mayonnaise sauce and bonito flakes that crinkle in front of you. The noodles in the ramen bowls come from Sun Noodle Company, which pulls the wheat for top-flight restaurants such as New York's Momofuku. My favorite was a rich coconut-intense white curry with strips of fibrous inari sweet tofu. The "really spicy miso" is as spicy as advertised—important because Boxer doesn't offer sauces to spike its bowls—with pasty miso broth and a gooey sous-vide egg, a few snips of green onion and sliced pork belly. This isn't an izakaya—it's too bright, even if it were open late—but a well-selected slate of sakes and Camden's usual compliment of tall boys help you slurp down the noodles. MARTIN CIZMAR
Through the magic of modern technology, you can now pay by credit card, saving the average customer $3 in ATM fees. Please, thank your server.
The Directory: Our 100 Favorite Restaurants in Portland
By Neighborhood: Southeast | North/Northeast | Westside | Suburbs
2014 Restaurant of the Year: Kachka
Top Five: Old Salt, Ataula, American Local, Expatriate
Counter Service Picks: Latin | Asian | Italian | Sandwiches | Burgers
Wine Bars | Beer Lists | Veg-Friendly | Gluten-free | Elsewhere in Oregon
WWeek 2015