First Look: Flock Food Hall in Portland (Photos)

Earlier today I was able to attend a media preview of the Flock Food Hall, located on the ground floor of the Ritz-Carlton hotel at SW Alder and 9th Avenue. There are eight vendors there offering a variety of cuisines, from Korean fried chicken, to birrieria, to pastries. Plenty of seating, too. Many thanks to Genesis Burton of the Qué Chilero Group, who invited me in connection to her client Pan Roast.

Broad Interior Shots of Flock Food Hall

I got there on the earlier side and was able to wander around and take some photos. My first impression is that it is very colorful and spacious in there. The sound system was on and I wondered if because of all the exposed concrete and metal it would make it difficult to have a conversation. Happily, I was proven wrong, as I had a number of conversations at my table and were very easy to hear.

The Vendors

There are eight vendors at Flock:

• bb.q chicken: Korean Fried Chicken (check out The Korean Mama’s trip to their Beaverton location).
• Queen Mama’s Kitchen: Mediterranean and Middle Eastern food from a Saudi Arabian lens.
• Pan Roast: Seafood, including the titular pan roast.
• ZabPinto Thai: Southern Thai food.
• Birrieria La Plaza: Birria and Mexican food.
• HK Bistro: Cantonese dim sum (they also run HK Cafe and Excellent Cuisine).
• Prime Taphouse: Craft beer and Asian-influenced chicken wings.
• Tous les Jours: Pastries, cakes, sandwiches, coffee, and tea.

Flock Food Hall Interior Design

The vendor stalls are all lined up on the west side of the interior, with various combinations of seating on the east side. Over where Prime Taphouse is there are a handful of bar seats, and then regular tables and chairs.

Past those vertical slats is the entrance to Tous Les Jours, which also has a second entrance from the street. Here are their gorgeous offerings:

Most of the tables are two-tops that can be pushed together for larger groups, but there are some larger tables that seat six (see below). The chairs are made from a combination of wood and metal, and there is bench seating in the front. There’s a big “pod” of seats in the back, another in the middle, and another in the front.

There are lots of murals by local muralist Alex Chiu, who has painted various combinations of flowers, birds, and butterflies on the walls.

Bathrooms are nice, and are all-gender single stalls.

How Flock Food Hall Came To Be

I had a chance to sit down with Stevan Fang, one of the owners of the Flock Food Hall. He and his partners Daniel Lee and Jae Kim have been planning and working on it for about four years—so that’s back in 2021, at the height of the COVID pandemic. The concept started out as a desire to create a gathering space that emphasized community; I know at that point in the pandemic there was a real yearning for the connection that was natural in the “before times,” but had eluded us during COVID.

As the project progressed, the physical manifestation changed and evolved, and today we have this sweet space where people can come and hang out, have something delicious to eat and drink, and hitch a ride on the upward trajectory Portland’s downtown is on.

Steven told me that diversity was really important in their vendor options. They pursued some, and other found them. Authenticity is also important, and all vendors I believe are BIPOC-owned.

Aside From the Vendors, What Else?

Steven told me about a few programs they are putting together. One is a wine program to help show off local wineries, including smaller producers. “There are plenty of small producers making excellent wine that could use more attention,” said Steven. A big wine fridge is going to be installed in the front dining area to feature local winemaker’s products.

On that topic of wine, they are looking at putting together some winemaker dinners, too.

They are also doing something called “Dim Sum and Win Some,” with HK Bistro and collabs with the other vendors (think HK Bistro’s shiu mai sitting in a pool of Pan Roast’s clam chowder). Collect cards associated with different dishes, and when you have a full pack, you can win prizes.

“Next and Vine” is another program they are developing. The front seating area will transform from something that is normally very casual to a sit down meal with a set menu. It will be different every month, highlighting a different vendor each month. They will create special menu items for diners to enjoy.

Pan Roast

As I mentioned earlier, I was invited to this media event by Genesis, the PR rep for Pan Roast. She was able to get me some time to chat with Ryan Moy, the founder of Pan Roast (you may also know him from Rollin’ Fresh). I had met him earlier this month at a restaurant industry networking event, so it was a nice reunion of sorts.

I had to ask him what pan roast is. Turns out it’s the name of a dish—I did not know that—found in oyster bars in places like Vegas, Reno (where he grew up), and Southern California. With its clam broth, white wine, and plenty of seafood, this bisque is decadent and delicious.

He said he couldn’t find it anywhere in Portland and he craved it, so he decided to make it himself. Along with pan roast, he also serves a clam chowder in a bread bowls, which I tried (NB: this dish was comped, but thoughts are my own).

It had been ages since I’d eaten soup in a bread bowl; and I have also been getting over a bout of food poisoning from last week, so I wasn’t ready for something as rich as pan roast. The clam chowder was simple and the bread bowl aspect added to the comfort food feel.

His clam chowder, which he said is “the best in Portland,” was very creamy, with soft floury potato chunks, nice bits of clams, and some minced chives on top. I liked the noticeable level of cracked pepper in it, the depth of flavor, and how it was light despite it being a thick soup. It had good balance.

The bread bowl, which is baked and prepared by Portland French Bakery, was pleasantly sour. It’s really a great combination and certainly a satisfying meal.

Ryan also told me one of the things they are planning on offering is seared ahi tuna—served on its own or in a fish-and-chips combination.

You’ll see him working at this Flock location; his other cart remains at the Oak Tree Station in Camas.

Flock Food Hall opens to the public on Sunday, February 2 at 1pm. There will be a VIP preview and ribbon cutting at noon with city officials. Also at 1pm there will be a lion dance to celebrate Lunar New Year.

Normal hours for Flock Food Hall are Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 10pm; Friday and Saturday 8am to midnight.

Big thanks to Flock, Steven, Ryan, and Genesis for this chance to experience it before it opens to the general public.

Flock Food Hall [opening February 2, 2025]
917 SW Alder Street, Portland
Flock Food Hall website | Instagram