Introduction
For my birthday I decided to indulge in a special dinner for Kay I at the esteemed Longbaan, one of the two 2024 James Beard Best Restaurant Northwest award-winning restaurants here in Portland (having already eaten at the other, Kann). I had been looking forward to trying Longbaan for over a year, drawn by its reputation and the promise of exceptional Thai cuisine.
We arrived punctually for our reservation. It seems they prefer to seat guests for their tasting menu simultaneously, so I took a seat at their outdoor counter bar while Kay took a brief stroll. Approximately fifteen minutes later, we were shown to our table, allowing us a moment to appreciate the restaurant's ambiance, the meticulous setup of their mise en place, and their impressive charcoal grill.
After a quick look around to take in the setting, we settled into our seats, and the tasting menus for the evening were presented.
The Tasting Menu
In addition to the tasting menu, they offered a specials menu featuring an oyster appetizer with a mignonette, which I ordered for Kay (as many readers know, I'm not particularly fond of seafood with a strong oceanic flavor). Reviewing the online menu, I had hoped there would be enough other dishes to appeal to my palate… unfortunately, I was mistaken.
Rather than detailing each dish with my usual gastronomic descriptions, this review will be somewhat concise. A series of small courses were served:
Miang Som - Shrimp, Valencia Orange, peanut, coconut, betel leaf
Kua Kling Pu - Dungeness crab, kohlrabi, yuba
Kanom Jeen Sao Nam - Cordyceps, pineapple, dried shrimp, coconut broth
Laab Pla Muek - Cuttlefish, mushroom, bulgur, sugar snap pea, tofu
Tum Tang - Kanpachi, cucumber, green strawberry, cherry tomato
Regrettably, the majority of these dishes were not to my liking. The flavor combinations often felt disjointed, and many dishes leaned heavily towards excessive acidity. The notable exception was the Kanom Krok, featuring delicate Hokkaido scallops, creamy coconut, and fragrant Thai herbs, all served in a delightful crispy rice cup. The combination of the scallop's silkiness with the satisfying crunch of the rice, the richness of the coconut cream, and the bright herbal notes created a truly memorable bite. Sadly, this was the only enjoyable dish on the entire menu for me.
Furthermore, as the pictures illustrate, the "tasting menu" was indeed that – a single bite of each item. Adding to the frustration, there were considerable delays of 15 to 20 minutes between each course. We had been seated for a full hour and a half before a sudden arrival of multiple dishes appeared:
Geng Kua Hoy - Mussels, broccolini, young jackfruit, krachai
Sang Wah Goong - Shrimp relish, banana blossoms, ginger, greens
Plaa Neung See-ew - Halibut, baby corn, shimeji mushrooms, fresno
Khao Leum Phua - Purple Jasmine rice
Kay enjoyed the mussels, while I mixed the broth with the rice and mushrooms. By this point, we had been at the restaurant for nearly two hours, it was around 9:30 PM, and our hunger simply prompted us to eat.
The Sweets
For the final courses, we were presented with two desserts:
Baa Binn - Palm rice mochi, pandan, rhubarb, lime leaf
Ka-nom Gluay - Banana, coffee, jackfruit, honeycomb candy, sesame
Having mentioned earlier in the evening that it was my birthday, the staff thoughtfully included a small candle with the Ka-nom Gluay. In all honesty, the candle proved to be the highlight of this portion of the meal.
The Verdict
As soon as the final dessert was served, I promptly requested the bill. It was well past 10 PM by the time we left the restaurant, and I left with a firm resolution not to return. However, I do have a corporate event scheduled there soon that will require a return visit, and I sincerely hope my next experience is significantly better. While I have no doubt that James Beard awards are given to deserving establishments, my initial visit to Longbaan, a place I had long anticipated trying, simply did not meet expectations.
If you have dined at Longbaan and had a different experience, I would genuinely appreciate hearing about it. I remain optimistic that our visit was an anomaly and that future experiences will be much more positive.