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1. Memoz Dessert Cafe
3494 N Williams Ave., 503-477-6030, memozcafe.com.
At this charmingly intimate build-your-own dessert spot, guests can customize their own confections by choosing from over 40 mix-ins, including mint chips, caramel bits, blue cheese, black pepper and sweet corn, and finish it off with a topping of baked Alaska, ganache or flat icing. Experimentation is encouraged.
Read the full review here: Memoz Dessert Cafe Invites Customers to Customize Their Own Desserts. So We Went in to Make Portland's Next Great Confection.
2. Hat Yai Belmont
605 SE Belmont St., 503-206-8156, hatyaipdx.com.
It took a bit longer than anticipated, but the Southeast Portland branch of the insta-classic Thai fried chicken spot is now open. But chef-owner Earl Ninsom isn't just copy-and-pasting the menu from the original location on Northeast Killingsworth. At his newer, roomier spot, you can order Southern Thailand delicacies you can't find at the flagship, including spicy mussels and curry with bamboo.
Related: Restaurant Guide 2018: Hat Yai.
3. 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.
4. Gado Gado
1801 NE César E. Chávez Blvd., gadogadopdx.com.
One of 2018's best pop-ups has put down roots in the Hollywood neighborhood, with a colorful décor to match the crowd-pleasing, anything-goes flair of former Han Oak chef Thomas Pisha-Duffly's Indonesian soul food. If you stopped in during Gado Gado's monthlong residence at Sammich in December, then you know what to expect—pan-Asian stoner food that's as richly multidimensional as it is satisfying.
Related: At His Gado Gado Pop-Up, a Han Oak Alum Serves Playful Pan-Asian Creations.
5. Anchor End Eurocafe & Bakery
4641 NE Fremont St., 503-288-5019, anchorend.co.
Pretzels and pierogis might not scan as a practical protein-based brunch, but Anchor End is out to change that. The pretzels are the star of the show, but itinerant brunchers will love the Seasquab, which features firm scrambled eggs, gooey white cheese and maple aioli on a pretzel roll that's been cooked in French toast batter and salted just right.
Read the full review: Anchor End Makes a Compelling Argument for Pretzels and Pierogis Being Portland's Best New Brunch.