Thai Food Magic in Portland: Spilled Milk #130

A tour of Langbaan's spectacular tasting menu.

Recently I was in Portland, Ore., for the Ilani Food & Wine Festival. I had a blast. Superb fun was had by all. One night I cruised into town to dine at Langbaan, a very popular and well-known restaurant to the local cognoscenti that moved recently to its current location on NW 23rd Place.

The restaurant is famously a tasting-menu establishment open three days a week. At $125 per person, it’s about 50,000% undervalued. I love eating in restaurants like this. Sadly, most don’t know how to construct a real tasting menu, one that tells a story, that takes you on a journey, that explores a season, a style or another type of theme. Most are overpriced, which is a shame, because “tasting menu” shouldn’t be synonymous with the word “expensive.” I have had $25 tasting menus that curled my toes and $525 ones that left me feeling ripped off and empty inside.

Langbaan is a must if you love great food, in a superbly relaxed and casual fun restaurant where EVERYONE on the staff knows the food, the history, the beverage program and the day’s Wordle too. Each member of the team was kind and energetic, which made it a joy to dine there. And the food was remarkable. Reservations can be made online using Resy. Langbaan offers two seatings on Fridays and Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. and 8:45 p.m., and on Sundays at 5:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. Reservations are released in one-month blocks. Bookings become available at noon on the 15th for the entirety of the following month. And yes, wine pairings are available too.

Well, on to the food.