Janken: Everything Is Better Together (Review)

A little while back my friend Judith raved about the food she had at Janken, an upscale restaurant in the Pearl (corner of NW Everett and 13th). It opened in late 2022, with the aim to offer “exquisite Japanese-Korean fusion cuisine.” They also state, “We strive to build a space that encourages connection, conversation, and camaraderie, a place where every meal becomes a cherished memory.” This certainly was my experience the night I was there. The evening was a choice opportunity to connect with my good friend Judith, enjoy some new dishes, hang out in NW Portland, and have a memorable time together.

Disclaimer: This meal was comped but the opinions are my own.

I’m going to go ahead and talk about what we ate, slightly out of order from how the dishes were served. I’m also including Judith’s observations on a selection of these dishes.

But first, my impressions as I walked in. The host at the door was professional and friendly—as was the vibe from all the staff we encountered. As we moved through the room, it smelled lightly like wood smoke. We were seated in the middle of the dining room, under the large cherry tree, appearing to be in full bloom. (“Is it real?” I asked. “It must not be—it was in bloom when I was here, too!” Judith replied.) Regardless, it was beautiful and I loved sitting under it.

People around me were enjoying time with friends and family—and there were probably some business deals going on. There were a lot of smiles and lots of good energy in the room. Music was not overpowering. People looked put together while dressed comfortably. “Everything is better together” is one of Janken’s mottos. That night “everything” was made up of happy people, good food and drink, talented staff, and a sophisticated yet comfortable atmosphere in a version of Portland that feels on the upswing.

Cocktails and Mocktails

The first thing we ordered were cocktails. Of the nine on the menu, four could be made into mocktails. Price points were different between the drinks with and without alcohol: $18 to $24 with liquor, and $11 for mocktails. To start, I ordered the Pineapple Express mocktail; Judith ordered the Marugarīta cocktail (I ordered it as a mocktail later on). “It’s a little spicy,” they told Judith. We both agreed … it was not as spicy as expected, though it did have a little bit of a pleasant kick from the habanero pepper.

The Pineapple Express mocktail came out covered in a dome filled with smoke and our server lifted it up with panache. It was a very dramatic moment, and a lot of fun. I was surprised that the drink kept its smokiness throughout, and said smoky flavor was a good friend to the sweet and sour flavors from the pineapple; as they say, the sum was richer than its parts. The Marugarīta had rich strawberry flavor and the choice of habanero was a great match, as this pepper in particular has such nice fruity flavors wrapped up in its spice. Both looked fancy and beautiful.

Judith on the Marugarīta: I loved Janken’s take on the Margarita cocktail, made with fresh strawberry pure, lime juice and habanero. It wasn’t overly sweet and made your tastebuds do a little dance with each sip.

Fish and Rice

The first dish to come out was made up of two pieces of sake (salmon) nigiri. Each piece of lightly torched salmon belly was topped with fresh truffle shavings, announcing to me how special the meal was going to be. It turns out that it was my favorite bite of the night. I love sushi (shoutout to my GOL Sushi Club pals), I love salmon, and I love truffles. So, this really had my number. The fish was gorgeous to look at—sitting on that blue ceramic plate it was just the prettiest thing. The torching of the salmon added a little sweetness to it without taking away its clean fish flavors; the truffle added a special kind of nutty earthiness; the rice was neutral. Together they were an outstanding combination.

Judith: Embodying the concept of simple elegance, this dish packed a variety of flavors. The salmon was beautifully seared with a hint of sweetness while the truffle on top added a sprinkle of sophistication. YUM!

Not long after that they served us hamachi crispy rice: cuboids of rice with a caramelized crispy exterior were brushed with yuzu kosho (a yuzu-based condiment) and topped with hamachi, avocado, and microgreens. Now, who doesn’t love crispy rice? I certainly am a fan, whether it’s at the bottom of dolsot bibimbap, as tahdig, or in reheated fried rice that was on the stove a little too long.

The rice served as a stable base, and it was easy to pick up each piece off the plate and put it in your mouth, no chopsticks necessary. The buttery hamachi and avocado were a great pair. I liked biting through the rice’s crisp exterior, encountering the fish, soft avocado, the bright yuzu, then sinking into the warm rice within. Good textures, good tastes.

Judith: What a fun dish to eat! The crispy rice offered a stack of beautiful flavors and textures in one bite. From the crunchy rice cake base to the delicate yuzu kosho and avocado top, this was a great element of the first part of our meal.   

More Fish

After we ate that initial sake, they brought over kanpachi crudo in a shallow bowl-plate atop a layer of opal ice. I loved this presentation. The fish was accompanied by compressed watermelon chunks and what I believe were fried shallots, topped off with microgreens, all sitting in a bright nuoc cham vinaigrette. The raw fish was so fresh, and the nuttiness of the fried shallots along with the bits of sweet watermelon was very refreshing. I liked the shallots so much in this vinaigrette that I could imagine eating that all on its own.

Lobster Rolls—Usually Not My Favorite, However …

Yes, it’s true, I don’t really go for lobster rolls; I’m not a big fan of lobster to begin with. (Part of it is that growing up, we did not consume shellfish in my family, so I did not develop a taste for it.) I wish I did like it—along with a handful of other things, like prawns and shrimp. That said, I do try things I historically don’t care for from time to time to see if anything has changed with my palate (through this process over time I have developed a liking for bay shrimp, olives, and marzipan). Anyway, these lobster rolls were on the small side, and looked so beautiful, so I thought, why not?

Friends, they were really good! The buttery and slightly sweet milk bread bun was nicely toasted on the outside, complementing the lobster’s sweetness. The meat was combined with a creamy kimchi remoulade to make a semi-chunky texture. That’s chervil on top, too. It tasted like summer. I now better understand why my east coast friends love their Lobster Roll Summers™ and going forward will likely consume them when offered.

At this point, the room started to smell like toasted nuts. I liked it.

Bigger, Warmer Dishes

Three—larger and more substantial—dishes made it to our table at this point: wagyu gyoza, pork belly, and black cod.

I anticipated the wagyu gyoza to be filled with juicy beef and I was not disappointed. The five dumplings were nestled together, sitting in a shallow pool of chili ponzu sauce and topped with slices of Fresno chili and thin strands of scallion. Beefy but not gamey, visually enticing, steamed and parts of the exterior then pan fried, these were very satisfying. I ate three of the five.

The smoked pork belly was brought to us under a dome filled with smoke—as they used to say, how meta is that?!? I think the “dome of smoke” approach will never not thrill me—there is something about the way the wisps move around under glass and removing the dome elicits seemingly uncontrolled oohs and ahhs on my part.

Anyway, along with the pork belly pieces (prepared with a black garlic tare sauce) was charred pineapple, Japanese herbs, and a coconut vinaigrette. There was a healthy pile of finely-grated watermelon radish atop the pineapple and pork that had a kind of jewel-tone effect to it. Chef recommended that we eat all of the elements together. Good advice, as the flavors—the umami-rich pork belly, the sweet and acidic pineapple, and slightly crunchy radish—matched up really well.

(There is something about pork and pineapple that is as classic a match as, say, tomato and basil—al pastor comes to mind is another example of a pineapple-pork marriage. And on the morning I’m editing this article I saw a video of a guy roasting a whole peeled pineapple surrounded by a rack of pork ribs in his oven.)

The exterior of these pork belly pieces was crispy, and lightly caramelized. The interior was juicy with deep flavors, and there were no tough areas or gristle; my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Plus, that flower garnish was a very nice touch.

Probably my next favorite dish of the night was the miso black cod. Served on what I think was a portion of a banana leaf, the cod came with a side of roasted lemon, a pile of light and airy crispy fried leeks, and a side of a citrusy miso dipping sauce. The cod was perfectly cooked—no dryness (fish is tricky that way). It had a luxurious buttery texture, and it flaked apart with a fork beautifully. The miso sauce was a little thick (in order to cling to the fish), and had that great savory umami you get with miso. And those fried leeks … I could not stop eating them.

Judith: An Asian fusion classic, the miso black cod was one of my standouts at Janken. Each bite was deliciously savory and buttery, and while I loved the fish, the mountain of crispy leeks on top was even better! 

The Vegetable Dish

Charred broccolini was the final dish before dessert, and honestly it was my least favorite of the night. I tend to like my broccoli—and, frankly, all my brassicas when roasted—to be in the oven or on the pan for longer. This broccolini, with flavors of miso, a little spice and some sweetness, was a little tough for my taste. But, I know others who would love it with more crunch and firmness. By far I preferred the flower side to the stem side of this vegetable, as it was more tender. I would likely not order this in the future, but you might.

Dessert—Bingsu and Tiramisu

Two desserts were brought to our table—a bingsu and a matcha tiramisu.

The first time I encountered East Asian-style shave ice was in Flushing in 2012 at the Snowy (I may be remembering the name wrong) stall in the New World Mall. It was so good, with toppings and condensed milk over fluffy ice, lending itself to an almost-ice-cream feel. So I was pretty chuffed when they brought bingsu to the table.

A plate of light, snowy shave ice with a pink and white color scheme was topped with fresh strawberries, drizzled with sweetened condensed milk, and spiked with meringue pieces—both jagged flat pieces and very cute little “kiss” shaped ones. The whole thing was showered with cookie crumbs. It was a visual stunner (the return of the opal ice base was part of is beauty), a wonderfully chaotic mix of myriad shapes and textures. I loved eating this … so much so that I got an ice cream headache at one point. Totally worth it.

Judith: A dessert like no other, it had a lot going on. Between all the colors, flavors, textures, and shapes, it was an edible work of art. Consisting of Korean “snow” aka shave ice, condensed milk, fresh strawberries, and large pieces of meringue, it was as if Jackson Pollock himself put it on a plate just for you. Shave ice aficionados, this one’s for you! 

The matcha tiramisu was a perfect example of using an alternate to espresso in what is one of my absolute favorite desserts of all time. Like a traditional tiramisu, it had plenty of sweet, creamy mascarpone throughout and well-soaked ladyfingers. But matcha’s own kind of bitterness added both a freshness and a depth to the overall dessert, compared to its coffee-oriented relative. And it was quite a nice contrast to the sweeter bingsu. Our server said this tiramisu was his favorite on the menu. The presentation with the Janken name spelled out in matcha on top of the tiramisu was fun and served as the final punctuation of a memorable meal.

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We thanked our hosts and took a postprandial walk, traveling the streets of NW Portland. It was nice to see people out and about, walking their dogs, gathering for meals, hanging out at cafes, and enjoying the warm late spring weather in our fair city—still with ample light at 8pm. I heard a lot of laughter that evening, both at the restaurant and on the streets. It’s good to hear and see Portlanders acting freer after so many years under the malaise of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Many thanks to the Janken folks for having us for a meal, and for Judith for joining me. It was a real treat, and I look forward to eating there again.

Janken
250 NW 13th Avenue, Portland
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