Riffle NW

I cook a lot.  I only say that because I don't know anybody else who cooks as much as I do.  As a result, I get really tired of my own food.  I try to cook as many new things as possible but I run out of ideas and I certainly get tired of chicken, beef, and pork.  I was excited to FINALLY get a date night for the first time in a while and definitely wanted seafood.  Somehow, trying all that is new and delicious in Portland is not so much a priority for Dumpling Man anymore.  Yeah, sadface.

Tuna Pallard green goddess dressing
Our decision to come to Riffle was somewhat of a last minute decision so we didn't have reservations and had to be seated at the counter.  It actually turned out nice because we were up close and personal with the kitchen.  Maybe the chefs felt sorry for us being the lonesome couple at the counter while everyone else got a table so they gave us free food!  It wasn't even like we were waiting for a long time.    Anyways, the tuna was just seared on one side and served very simply with a lightly dressed salad.  It was a nice starter and two thumbs up for being free!

Grilled Pacific Shrimp braised pork belly
This was probably the best dish of the night, a little surf and turf.

The pork belly was sooo tender and not incredibly fatty.  It was well seasoned and flavorful.

I love shrimp, and this one made me really happy!

The salad was another simple preparation that complemented the proteins nicely.

Sea Urchin & Quail Egg Shot
People really loved this one on Yelp and it was pretty tasty but not the best sea urchin I've eaten.  It was a shot of the ocean rounded out by a luscious egg yolk.

Shaved Brussels Salad
I think I was expecting cooked brussel sprouts.  Raw brussels can be kinda tough to eat because they're not the softest raw veggie even when shaved.  The dressing was also very light so it just felt like we were eating a pile of raw brussels.  Dumpling Man was not a fan.

RNW Crab Roll house brioche, mixed greens
I don't know why, but I thought this was going to be like a sushi roll.  I guess I was in the wrong mindset.  After Dumpling Man set me straight, I started getting excited.  The crab was fresh no doubt and not too creamy, but the use of dill tasted all wrong.  The brioche was actually the best part, warm, soft, buttery and lightly toasted.  The side salad was totally whatever.

Seared Scallops romesco, young onions
The scallops were pretty gigantic so I was worried they wouldn't taste delicate and sweet.  They were still good but could have used some extra caramelization.  I'm not quite sure why scallops and romesco sauce always go together, but it's not my most favorite thing.  Overall, I still liked the dish.

Riffle was good but it wasn't great.  I feel like there's a lot of potential here, as there is at Ox, but something just fell short.  I think the crab roll can be reworked but maybe it's just my and Dumpling Man's preference to not eat crab with dill.  There's certainly lots of other things on the menu to try and since this place is walking distance from our apartment, I'm sure we'll be back for another date night here when I get tired of pork, chicken, and beef again.


Riffle NW
333 NW 13th Ave
Portland, OR 97209