My party of 5 (ages 21 to 57) were blown away by the food and service! This is a very special place - perfect for an impressive date night or a celebration. Our only constructive feedback is that our chef's choice nigiri plate arrived too early (about 5 minutes after we ordered it) and didn't contain the one special request that we requested. The black cod was ethereal, the vegetable dishes were outrageously delicious and the mushroom boa buns shouldn't be missed! Bravo!
Jesse
Had such a magical evening. Enjoyed better and more amazing food than I've ever had before, with the most beautiful and loving Miriam. Date nights are so rare and special. I'd highly recommend to anyone in the Portland area to try the restaurant Janken, over on 250 NW 13th Ave.
Theo
Outstanding restaurant with amazing food and a beautiful atmosphere. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared, and the presentation was just as impressive. Easily one of the best dining experiences around. Always a pleasure to go by.
Katy
Fantastic experience from start to finish. Service was impeccable, and the every dish we ordered was special. Will absolutely return.
Mary
Should be Michelin! Incredible service, food, pairings, ambiance, decor, music, plating. All part of the exceptional experience. Someone described it as a Portland meets Miami vibe. I'm a GenXer who took my GenZ son for a milestone birthday - both of left in awe!
Scott
Our 1st time. We thoroughly enjoyed not only the food but also the atmosphere. Our server advised well on how much to order. Will be back when we visit Portland again soon.
Kacy
Janken delivered an exceptional dining experience from start to finish. We went for a relaxed dinner date and everything hit just right — service, ambiance, and, most importantly, the food. I started with the White Juniper cocktail, which was beautifully balanced and refreshing, while my husband had the Down the Baiju, bold and complex in the best way. For food, the spicy yellowtail and hamachi crispy rice were standouts, fresh, flavorful, and perfectly executed. The kimchi fried rice had great depth and heat, and the grilled branzino was simply excellent: light, flaky, and cooked flawlessly. The service was attentive without being intrusive, and the atmosphere felt polished yet comfortable, ideal for a date night. Truly one of those meals where everything comes together seamlessly. We'll absolutely be back.
elizabeth
Drinks, food and service were excellent. The bone marrow was a favorite. We had the pineapple mezcal and expresso martini cocktails. I had a glass of sake with grilled scallops. My guest had perfectly cooked ribeye with a glass of wine. Steak tartare, crispy green beans and Brussels sprouts. Chocolate cake loaf for desert. It was a spurge evening gifted by family. Loved it and would go again.
Cynthia Saechao
We came to celebrate two birthdays and it was a great experience! The host was very attentive and he helped with recommendations as well as assisting with quantities so make sure we had enough to feed a party of 8 people. I liked the vibe they had with the plants, lighting and decor. Even their bathrooms were very clean. It was my first time there and I would definitely be back! Yes, it's very expensive but definitely worth the splurge for a good occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rachel Hinnen
I love this place. I found it named the Most Un-Portlandly Restaurant and completely agree in the best way possible. It is bringing a high end dining experience that the PNW really lacks. From the atmosphere, to the service, to the menu options and presentation. What I love most is they stay open late, and they don't hurry you out. You're not just paying for good food, you're paying for an entire experience. The layout, lighting and tree in the middle are so unique and well done. You feel much more like you're in New York, LA or Chicago. On top of it all, it isn't pretentious or snooty, it is high end but friendly and fun. The service is thoughtful and precise and the food is absolutely delicious. It's not just pretty. So many places will make gorgeous food that doesn't actually taste like much. But Jankens is as a delicious as it is pretty. The menu is creative without being over the top, and they nail all the different interesting flavors and combining them all together. I hope this restaurant continues to thrive.
If you’re an influencer looking for an instagrammable spot in Portland to have dinner, I guess this would be it.
The whole experience of dining here felt… performative. Like it was an attempt at a nice restaurant by someone who’s never enjoyed fine dining. It was reminiscent of going out with that one friend that could pay for your entire meal 20x over without batting an eye, but instead asks you to Venmo $3.52 for the bite of food they offered you. The food was rather mediocre, heavy handed on the aioli and mayonnaise, and the vegetables were all rather oily. The quality of the proteins were good. Sparkling and still water were an additional charge. The cocktails were fine; they were smooth, but not particularly flavorful.
What is the point of having a mandatory 20% service charge on everything? Just build it into your already overpriced menu items and say you don’t accept tips. Upon entering, all 4 people at the host stand just stared at us blankly; for that kind of flat service fee, I would at least expect them to take my coat or really even just greet me warmly.
The waiter we had was good, he asked about allergies and made sure we got all our dishes in a timely fashion.
Overall, I would not come here again. There’s an abundance of great restaurants in Portland, but this was not one of them.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Michael
We had the most lovely dinner, busy but not incredibly noisy. Drinks were ice cold, food was fabulous. Our sever James was wonderful, incredibly sweet and went above and beyond to make our anniversary special. Can't wait to go back!
Terry Allan
Excellent food. Great service. An extremely enjoyable experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maia
We arrived about 15 minutes early from our reservation time - I was a bit surprised they had us wait without explanation and there's nowhere to stand without being awkward/in the way. They even sat a couple that came in after us before us. I was surprised mainly because there was plenty of open tables... Once we were seated, service was very polite, friendly and attentive. I would suggest lowering the music a dash; it was hard to chat and hard to hear the waiter. We made the ordering mistake of getting two chef choice niragi which was delicious but available just as good for less elsewhere. We should have focused on only their speciality dishes - I'm sure our food experience would have been different. We plan to return (exactly on time of our reservation) and try again :)
Hector Martínez
The food was really good. Definitely will come back
My party of 5 (ages 21 to 57) were blown away by the food and service! This is a very special place - perfect for an impressive date night or a celebration. Our only constructive feedback is that our chef's choice nigiri plate arrived too early (about 5 minutes after we ordered it) and didn't contain the one special request that we requested. The black cod was ethereal, the vegetable dishes were outrageously delicious and the mushroom boa buns shouldn't be missed! Bravo!
Had such a magical evening. Enjoyed better and more amazing food than I've ever had before, with the most beautiful and loving Miriam. Date nights are so rare and special. I'd highly recommend to anyone in the Portland area to try the restaurant Janken, over on 250 NW 13th Ave.
Outstanding restaurant with amazing food and a beautiful atmosphere. Every dish was fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared, and the presentation was just as impressive. Easily one of the best dining experiences around. Always a pleasure to go by.
Fantastic experience from start to finish. Service was impeccable, and the every dish we ordered was special. Will absolutely return.
Should be Michelin! Incredible service, food, pairings, ambiance, decor, music, plating. All part of the exceptional experience. Someone described it as a Portland meets Miami vibe. I'm a GenXer who took my GenZ son for a milestone birthday - both of left in awe!
Our 1st time. We thoroughly enjoyed not only the food but also the atmosphere. Our server advised well on how much to order. Will be back when we visit Portland again soon.
Janken delivered an exceptional dining experience from start to finish. We went for a relaxed dinner date and everything hit just right — service, ambiance, and, most importantly, the food. I started with the White Juniper cocktail, which was beautifully balanced and refreshing, while my husband had the Down the Baiju, bold and complex in the best way. For food, the spicy yellowtail and hamachi crispy rice were standouts, fresh, flavorful, and perfectly executed. The kimchi fried rice had great depth and heat, and the grilled branzino was simply excellent: light, flaky, and cooked flawlessly. The service was attentive without being intrusive, and the atmosphere felt polished yet comfortable, ideal for a date night. Truly one of those meals where everything comes together seamlessly. We'll absolutely be back.
Drinks, food and service were excellent. The bone marrow was a favorite. We had the pineapple mezcal and expresso martini cocktails. I had a glass of sake with grilled scallops. My guest had perfectly cooked ribeye with a glass of wine. Steak tartare, crispy green beans and Brussels sprouts. Chocolate cake loaf for desert. It was a spurge evening gifted by family. Loved it and would go again.
We came to celebrate two birthdays and it was a great experience! The host was very attentive and he helped with recommendations as well as assisting with quantities so make sure we had enough to feed a party of 8 people. I liked the vibe they had with the plants, lighting and decor. Even their bathrooms were very clean. It was my first time there and I would definitely be back! Yes, it's very expensive but definitely worth the splurge for a good occasion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I love this place. I found it named the Most Un-Portlandly Restaurant and completely agree in the best way possible. It is bringing a high end dining experience that the PNW really lacks. From the atmosphere, to the service, to the menu options and presentation. What I love most is they stay open late, and they don't hurry you out. You're not just paying for good food, you're paying for an entire experience.
The layout, lighting and tree in the middle are so unique and well done. You feel much more like you're in New York, LA or Chicago. On top of it all, it isn't pretentious or snooty, it is high end but friendly and fun. The service is thoughtful and precise and the food is absolutely delicious.
It's not just pretty. So many places will make gorgeous food that doesn't actually taste like much. But Jankens is as a delicious as it is pretty. The menu is creative without being over the top, and they nail all the different interesting flavors and combining them all together.
I hope this restaurant continues to thrive.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
If you’re an influencer looking for an instagrammable spot in Portland to have dinner, I guess this would be it.
The whole experience of dining here felt… performative. Like it was an attempt at a nice restaurant by someone who’s never enjoyed fine dining. It was reminiscent of going out with that one friend that could pay for your entire meal 20x over without batting an eye, but instead asks you to Venmo $3.52 for the bite of food they offered you. The food was rather mediocre, heavy handed on the aioli and mayonnaise, and the vegetables were all rather oily. The quality of the proteins were good. Sparkling and still water were an additional charge. The cocktails were fine; they were smooth, but not particularly flavorful.
What is the point of having a mandatory 20% service charge on everything? Just build it into your already overpriced menu items and say you don’t accept tips. Upon entering, all 4 people at the host stand just stared at us blankly; for that kind of flat service fee, I would at least expect them to take my coat or really even just greet me warmly.
The waiter we had was good, he asked about allergies and made sure we got all our dishes in a timely fashion.
Overall, I would not come here again. There’s an abundance of great restaurants in Portland, but this was not one of them.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
We had the most lovely dinner, busy but not incredibly noisy. Drinks were ice cold, food was fabulous. Our sever James was wonderful, incredibly sweet and went above and beyond to make our anniversary special. Can't wait to go back!
Excellent food. Great service. An extremely enjoyable experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We arrived about 15 minutes early from our reservation time - I was a bit surprised they had us wait without explanation and there's nowhere to stand without being awkward/in the way. They even sat a couple that came in after us before us. I was surprised mainly because there was plenty of open tables... Once we were seated, service was very polite, friendly and attentive. I would suggest lowering the music a dash; it was hard to chat and hard to hear the waiter. We made the ordering mistake of getting two chef choice niragi which was delicious but available just as good for less elsewhere. We should have focused on only their speciality dishes - I'm sure our food experience would have been different. We plan to return (exactly on time of our reservation) and try again :)
The food was really good. Definitely will come back
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