Expatriate

Dinner at Expatriate was one of my all time favorites on a recent trip to Portland. We made an impromptu visit one evening after it was recommended to us by a friend. We started off dinner with James Beard’s Onion and Butter Sandwich. We couldn’t leave without trying this novelty — They were simple butter sandwiches that were actually curiously delicious. We also had the Hot & Sour Indian Spiced Fries, which were really well seasoned and served with sumac ranch and curry ketchup. My favorite of the evening was the Burmese Coconut Noodles, a coconut curry soup base with fried duck confit, a ramen egg, and tamarind, absolutely delicious. I would come back for this dish again and again, such a unique combination of texture and flavor.

Food was absolutely delicious but I had to ask about my drink twice after ordering it because they kept forgetting about it. The space is very nice but they tried optimizing space crowding it with way too many tables so you basically share the table with other people because they are all so close. Finding parking is a pain around there even during the week. Not their fault of course but just be aware.

Wow! Some of the best cocktails we’ve had. The bartender was a “mixologist” so to speak, and each spritz and flourish really added to the depth of flavor. The setting here is mysterious and intimate. Everyone is speaks in kind of hushed tones. There’s also a DJ spinning actual records. Great for a date or small friend group, or a solo drink.

Pangolin ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - kind of a sweet, lemony, refreshing drink - imagine orange juice with lemonade with whiskey, but lighter and balanced well Hot and sour Indian spiced fries ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - they're battered and delicious - every single sauce was perfect in it's own way - kind of curry tasting American standard ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ - really good burger - juicy - imagine a fancy and fresh white castle burger - comes with 2 burgers Burmese coconut noodle ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - reminds me of Khao Soi but a deeper flavor - so good!!! - would reorder this, but would be hard to eat a lot of it, would have to share with someone - like it's a super rich taste to have a lot of as your only meal Tea leaf salad ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - super garlicky and peanuty - loved the crunch

This had been on our restaurant hit list for a while. We first tried visiting over the winter holidays, but given its small space and not taking reservations, we were unable to get in that time. With that background knowledge, we planned ahead and showed up right before the doors were opening at 5 pm. We took a seat at the bar and took in the cozy ambiance, and speak easy esque vibes. The menu doesn't have numerous options, but it's got enough to try a few different things. We went with the famous nachos and the burgers. The nachos were unique and beautiful to look at. The burgers were a glorified McDs quarter pounder but with a higher price tag. The drinks were pretty good as well but expensive for what you were getting. We enjoyed our time but might have had too high of expectations. Overall, it was a good experience, but it was a high price tag for what you're getting.

Absolutely fantastic place. Great atmosphere. And the food is top notch. Come here and get the butter sandwich. It sounds a little bizarre but such a wonderful flavor. The burgers were divine. Just a crazy amount of flavor in everything we had. Bold food for bold people. Drinks were nothing short of stunning. This is one of the top spots in Portland for a reason and it doesn't disappoint. Can't wait to come back!

Great atmosphere, delicious drinks and yummy food! Drinks were fun and all the food we got were made so well. The fried chicken sandwich is one of the best I've ever had; the chicken was so moist and had a great crunch on the outside. The tea leaf salad is crunch on crunch on crunch and yet different types of crunch from the cabbage to other things I'm not able to name. The taste of the tea leaf salad is so unique, you need to try it to understand how yummy it is. The nachos were delicious as well with fried wonton skins instead of tortilla chips. Service was great and I loved how they made my drink. I asked for non-alcoholic and she asked how I like to lean with citrus, fruity, and other descriptors. I chose citrus and let it be a surprise. I was delighted with my drink! Highly recommend coming here for a fun night out!