LeChon

“**★★★★★** Honestly, **LeChon is the best restaurant I've been to in the U.S. so far.** This was my second visit, and it completely lived up to my memory. The food is easily at **fine dining quality**, yet the prices are incredibly reasonable. It's one of those rare places where you feel you're getting far more than what you paid for. We didn't make a reservation this time and waited less than an hour for a table, which was well worth it. The biggest strength of LeChon is the food itself. They don't rely on gimmicks or trendy presentation—the quality speaks for itself. I genuinely believe you could order almost anything on the menu and leave happy. We ordered five dishes: **• Ceviche Mixto** – Crispy octopus, squid, and shrimp served with mango, avocado, and a vibrant Peruvian-style leche de tigre with Mexican green chilies. Refreshing, bright, and beautifully balanced. Excellent, although surprisingly not even my favorite dish of the night. **• Pan-Seared Scallops** – A must-order every time we visit. The perfectly seared scallops are served over a rich, creamy cheese sauce that's incredibly smooth and flavorful. You can order either two or four scallops, and I highly recommend them. **• Foraged Mushrooms** – Roasted mushrooms served with caramelized onion purée, Parmesan, and topped with buttery brioche. This dish was unexpectedly delicious and one of the highlights of the meal. **• Lomo Saltado** – Perfectly cooked beef tenderloin with peppers, cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and coconut rice. The beef was tender and juicy, and the whole dish was both beautifully presented and packed with flavor. Another standout. **• Pastel de Choclo** – A comforting corn pie served in a small bowl, with a generous layer of seasoned ground beef underneath a sweet corn topping. If I had to skip one dish next time, it would probably be this one—not because it wasn't good, but simply because the other dishes were even more memorable. By the end, we were so full that we had to give up on dessert. We'll definitely save room next time. The atmosphere is lively and a little crowded, which honestly just reflects how popular this restaurant is. One feature I absolutely loved was the **two large saltwater aquariums** inside the dining room. Sitting next to them made the experience even more enjoyable. I spent the evening watching the colorful coral and tropical fish. There was one particularly large surgeonfish that stayed in the same corner almost the entire time. I was told it likes to watch the guests. I waved at it, and it actually turned over slightly and looked back at me from different angles—it was unexpectedly adorable and became one of the most memorable parts of the evening. Service was excellent throughout. Every dish was introduced with enthusiasm, the staff explained the ingredients clearly, and they were always attentive about refilling our water without being intrusive. **LeChon is an easy 5/5 for me.** If you're visiting Portland, this restaurant absolutely deserves a spot on your itinerary. I can't recommend it highly enough.”

“Having done a decent amount of traveling in South America, my boyfriend and I wanted to dine here so we could celebrate his birthday while enjoying some of our favorite peruvian dishes. Lechon did not disappoint! The staff here are very kind and made sure our first experience here was enjoyable. Because it's tapas-style, they recommend ordering around 2 dishes per person, which ended up being perfect for us. The jicama salad was SOO yummy and we loved their take on the coconut rice with the lomo saltado. It's surprising that there are no anticuchos on the menu, but maybe in the future? 👀 Overall it was a lovely dining experience for us.”

“I was very impressed with the quality of food here. This is easily a 3 star in my eyes. We had several tapas such as Shrimp & brisket empanas, grilled octopus, bone marrow, chorizo potato rice and chicken bites. We also had some yummy mixed drinks. It was absolutely amazing and the restaurant was so beautiful. It was a tad more expensive than my normal dinner meals, but here it was so worth it. This place is definitely a place for a special occasion.”

“They did have a separate vegan and vegetarian menu, with vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options, clearly marked. The plates were shareable so we were able to order multiple things. We tried Piquillo empanadas (one plate had 2, they were delicious, I highly recommended). And we had mushroom baocita, vermicelli dumplings. Both good, small portion size. Staff was very kind and polite. Pretty place, upscale fancy restaurant.”

“The 3 of us ordered 6 dishes as it’s similar to tapas. The squid ink pasta and grilled octopus were well done. The pistachio mousse was exceptional to me as it has tangy guava sauce to lighten the creaminess. The steal was just ok. We had high expectations with the mushroom and elote but they were very disappointing.”