The Top Five Places to Eat in Portland This Week

1. Yonder

4636 NE 42nd Ave., Suite A, 503-444-7947, yonderpdx.com.

In the conversion of her immensely popular (and hard-to-get-into) pop-up Mae into a permanent location, Maya Lovelace's down-home Southern cooking loses a bit of its personal touch, but none of its flavor. You'll find Mae's greatest hits on the menu, including Lovelace's world-beating fried chicken—only now, you'll have a more difficult decision to make when ordering. Do you get the classic buttermilk brined version or the new, hot, Nashville-style kind? Screw it—
order both.

Read the full review: With Yonder, Chef Maya Lovelace's Famed Down-Home Cooking Loses a Bit of Its Personal Touch, but None of Its Flavor.

2. Hawthorne Asylum

1080 SE Madison St.

Named after a 19th-century hospital for the mentally ill, Portland's newest food cart pod looks like what might happen if Tim Burton were commissioned to design a Portland-themed section of Disneyland. Highlights include the bulgogi and spicy pork tacos at Korean Twist, the sliced brisket sandwich at Bark City BBQ, and the sangria at Black Dagger—because every cart pod needs at least one a booze cart.

Read the full review: The 10 Best Menu Items at Hawthorne Asylum, Portland's Newest Food Cart Pod

3. Culture

2422 SE Hawthorne Blvd., 503- 477-8365.

O.G. One, official DJ of the Trail Blazers, has made his foray into the restaurant industry with this Mediterranean eatery and bar. Come for the tableside shawarma and awesome mural paying tribute to the godfathers of Portland hip-hop, stay for the DJ sets—or vice versa.

4. Top Burmese

833 NW 16th Ave., topburmese.com.

Given the profound popularity of the cuisine of its neighboring states, it's surprising that Burmese food has been a relative outlier until now. Top Burmese aims to change that. The nan gyi thoke, or chicken noodle salad ($8.50), is the best value and boldest flavor on the menu, with a heaping pile of warm rice noodles serving as the bed for hard-boiled egg, a chunky chicken curry sauce, fried garlic and a generous dusting of highly addictive tamarind powder.

Read the full review: Top Burmese Introduces Portland to the Flavors of Myanmar, and They'll Bring It Right out to Your Car

5. Little Bean

1241 NW Johnson St., littlebean.com.

If the point is just to prove that chickpea ice cream can be done, Little Bean is a success. The ice cream—or bean cream or ice bean or whatever—has a texture so thick and creamy, it could almost be mistaken for gelato. The cherry chai is sharply spiced. The blackberry basil tastes as if it could have come from your garden. The strong cold brew coffee is the most traditional offering, and the orange caramel, which tastes like a creamsicle, is the most likely to satisfy a severe sweet tooth.

Read the full review: Little Bean Proves Chickpea Ice Cream Isn't as Weird as It Sounds