We went here a couple of weeks ago based off a reccomendation and glad we did. Unique spot, with a twist- cajun Asian fusion! They had gluten free items to eat, which is always a plus for me, and the cocktail I had was outstanding. It was the cucumber infused tequila one... wow! I ordered grits (oh my I could eat these all day!!) Pork belly skewers, and rice noodle salad. All to die for. My partner had the pork butt, which looked and was similar in taste to vietnamese pork bun. Service was friendly. I had made reservations but it wasn't needed, as the dinner crowd hadn't yet arrived. We love eating in Portland and this is definitely a great place to try.
Lucas Ryan Zarlengo
Food is amazing here. Brunch is a must do. No wonder Eater recommends!
Lucas Zarlengo
Brunch is AMAZING! Great flavors. The bread pudding French toast had to have been the best ever. And the blackened catfish was perfectly prepared and made for a nice hash.
Mark
Brunch is amazing! Get the French toast, with a brilliant brûlée too, and the hash!
Franny C.
Unsuspectingly great place for brunch!! We were walking around on a Sunday around 11 looking for a place to have brunch but didn't want to wait two hours. Stumbled across this place and were intrigued by the menu so decided to give it a shot! Cajun meets Asian fusion is how I'd describe Tapalaya. Lot of variety on the menu!! I started with a coffee- two options were local Portland brew or Cafe Du Monde (New Orleans style). Our waitress recommended the New Orleans style for if you're adding cream and sugar; Portland type for black coffee drinkers. I like just a little side of coffee with my cream and sugar (not really but it's more than real coffee drinkers like) so went with the New Orleans. It's definitely different- has a bitter aftertaste to it and can't say I'd order it again. I ordered the fried oyster hash and wow. The oysters were battered enough to have a nice crunch but not so much that the oyster got lost in breading. The sauce was a basil emulsion with a fresh Asian flavor. The potatoes underneath could have been slightly more crispy but I'm more of a close-to-burnt type of gal. I'd definitely order that again!! Cutest of all- there was a man jamming on his guitar and singing in the corner of the joint and it was perfect. He played generally instrumental easy Sunday morning songs and would sing along every once in a while. I loved him!!
Heesie Poo
Delicious vegan jambalaya and probably the best cornbread muffin I've ever had. Tasty braised greens, to boot.
Erica Hunsberger
Most amazing brunch that no one seems to know about! This place was completely empty Saturday morning and I can't figure out why.
Deb Perry
Amazing food, great service and fun atmosphere. The live music is a great bonus too. We were lucky enough to go on a crawfish boil night! They were huge and so yummy!!
Christina C.
When I walked in I was looking for a traditional breakfast. They have a lot of foreign ingredients/options that made it hard to navigate the menu. I went with a side of eggs, bacon and a green onion/cheddar biscuit. Eggs and bacon were fine but let me tell you about that biscuit!! It's hands down the best I've EVER had. I smothered some of their honey butter on it and wow it blew me out of the water! I really wish their menu was easier to navigate/understand which is why I'm only giving 4 stars. Over all I had a great experience!
Kim G.
Oh, no, another NE staple scheduled to close! Tapalay, a favorit neighborhood restaurant known for delicious Cajun food with a bit of Vietnamese infusion, is scheduled to shut its doors December, 2019. If you haven't been there yet, now is the time to go! And for those like me who have been there many times, I will need to get my fill. If your going for dinner, I highly recommend going with friends and ordering several dishes for everyone to try. The grilled pork belly skewers are cooked perfectly, tender and so much flavor. Gumbo is well seasoned and delicious. The buttermilk fried chicken is always a good choice; well seasoned crispy crust with moist tender chicken inside. Served with super creamy and buttery grits and a cornbread muffin. If I'm there alone, this is what I order! Save room for the beignets! Comes with a small pitcher of maple bourbon sauce. Get them!! Happy Hour is also wonderful with signature Cosmos for $7, and of course, their fried chicken. They even have live music a few nights. Check out their website for details and go before this opportunity passes you by!
Definitely one of the BEST overall dining experiencs Ive had in PDX.
Kim Eisele
The service was exceptional, as was the food. The menu was unique, yet the fusion was exquisite. Well done!
Shawna L.
This restaurant was such an amazing find! Every dish we ordered was perfect, the staff was amazing, and they had the best sazerac outside of New Orleans. Plus we stumbled upon this diamond in a rough on a Tuesday when they do live jazz music. The music just set the tone for the spectacular food and service. We will come back to this restaurant every time we visit Portland. An absolute must try for everyone. Also, everything was reasonably priced.
Mike L.
1st Live music on a Tuesday. Great prices and the food is legit AF. Also kid friendly which is a thing in this area. They have crawfish most of the year. I had the wings and the cream spinach gratin 100% worth it.
Jackie S.
Tapalaya is a great restaurant in a nice quiet area of Portland. The restaurant has lots of seating both inside and outside and a full bar. The service was fine, but slow for a non busy time. My boyfriend and I shared gumbo, fried chicken and beignets. The gumbo was amazing and had a great smoky flavor. It was definitely my favorite dish. The chicken was good and came with grits and cornbread. The beignets were also good and the syrup with them was super tasty! It's a little pricy for what you get but really good! The Vietnamese cajun fusion really worked and I'm excited to come back and try different dishes!
We went here a couple of weeks ago based off a reccomendation and glad we did. Unique spot, with a twist- cajun Asian fusion! They had gluten free items to eat, which is always a plus for me, and the cocktail I had was outstanding. It was the cucumber infused tequila one... wow! I ordered grits (oh my I could eat these all day!!) Pork belly skewers, and rice noodle salad. All to die for. My partner had the pork butt, which looked and was similar in taste to vietnamese pork bun. Service was friendly. I had made reservations but it wasn't needed, as the dinner crowd hadn't yet arrived. We love eating in Portland and this is definitely a great place to try.
Food is amazing here. Brunch is a must do. No wonder Eater recommends!
Brunch is AMAZING! Great flavors. The bread pudding French toast had to have been the best ever. And the blackened catfish was perfectly prepared and made for a nice hash.
Brunch is amazing! Get the French toast, with a brilliant brûlée too, and the hash!
Unsuspectingly great place for brunch!! We were walking around on a Sunday around 11 looking for a place to have brunch but didn't want to wait two hours. Stumbled across this place and were intrigued by the menu so decided to give it a shot! Cajun meets Asian fusion is how I'd describe Tapalaya. Lot of variety on the menu!! I started with a coffee- two options were local Portland brew or Cafe Du Monde (New Orleans style). Our waitress recommended the New Orleans style for if you're adding cream and sugar; Portland type for black coffee drinkers. I like just a little side of coffee with my cream and sugar (not really but it's more than real coffee drinkers like) so went with the New Orleans. It's definitely different- has a bitter aftertaste to it and can't say I'd order it again. I ordered the fried oyster hash and wow. The oysters were battered enough to have a nice crunch but not so much that the oyster got lost in breading. The sauce was a basil emulsion with a fresh Asian flavor. The potatoes underneath could have been slightly more crispy but I'm more of a close-to-burnt type of gal. I'd definitely order that again!! Cutest of all- there was a man jamming on his guitar and singing in the corner of the joint and it was perfect. He played generally instrumental easy Sunday morning songs and would sing along every once in a while. I loved him!!
Delicious vegan jambalaya and probably the best cornbread muffin I've ever had. Tasty braised greens, to boot.
Most amazing brunch that no one seems to know about! This place was completely empty Saturday morning and I can't figure out why.
Amazing food, great service and fun atmosphere. The live music is a great bonus too. We were lucky enough to go on a crawfish boil night! They were huge and so yummy!!
When I walked in I was looking for a traditional breakfast. They have a lot of foreign ingredients/options that made it hard to navigate the menu. I went with a side of eggs, bacon and a green onion/cheddar biscuit. Eggs and bacon were fine but let me tell you about that biscuit!! It's hands down the best I've EVER had. I smothered some of their honey butter on it and wow it blew me out of the water! I really wish their menu was easier to navigate/understand which is why I'm only giving 4 stars. Over all I had a great experience!
Oh, no, another NE staple scheduled to close! Tapalay, a favorit neighborhood restaurant known for delicious Cajun food with a bit of Vietnamese infusion, is scheduled to shut its doors December, 2019. If you haven't been there yet, now is the time to go! And for those like me who have been there many times, I will need to get my fill. If your going for dinner, I highly recommend going with friends and ordering several dishes for everyone to try. The grilled pork belly skewers are cooked perfectly, tender and so much flavor. Gumbo is well seasoned and delicious. The buttermilk fried chicken is always a good choice; well seasoned crispy crust with moist tender chicken inside. Served with super creamy and buttery grits and a cornbread muffin. If I'm there alone, this is what I order! Save room for the beignets! Comes with a small pitcher of maple bourbon sauce. Get them!! Happy Hour is also wonderful with signature Cosmos for $7, and of course, their fried chicken. They even have live music a few nights. Check out their website for details and go before this opportunity passes you by!
Restaurantji Recommends
Definitely one of the BEST overall dining experiencs Ive had in PDX.
The service was exceptional, as was the food. The menu was unique, yet the fusion was exquisite. Well done!
This restaurant was such an amazing find! Every dish we ordered was perfect, the staff was amazing, and they had the best sazerac outside of New Orleans. Plus we stumbled upon this diamond in a rough on a Tuesday when they do live jazz music. The music just set the tone for the spectacular food and service. We will come back to this restaurant every time we visit Portland. An absolute must try for everyone. Also, everything was reasonably priced.
1st Live music on a Tuesday. Great prices and the food is legit AF. Also kid friendly which is a thing in this area. They have crawfish most of the year. I had the wings and the cream spinach gratin 100% worth it.
Tapalaya is a great restaurant in a nice quiet area of Portland. The restaurant has lots of seating both inside and outside and a full bar. The service was fine, but slow for a non busy time. My boyfriend and I shared gumbo, fried chicken and beignets. The gumbo was amazing and had a great smoky flavor. It was definitely my favorite dish. The chicken was good and came with grits and cornbread. The beignets were also good and the syrup with them was super tasty! It's a little pricy for what you get but really good! The Vietnamese cajun fusion really worked and I'm excited to come back and try different dishes!