After spending a sun-drenched day adventuring the the pristine natural wonders in Mt Hood Territory I arrived back at The Juniper Hotel just in time for a quick refresh before running out the door for dinner. Just a short stroll up Burnside and I was zooming up an elevator to enjoy a fine feast at Noble Rot.
The restaurant is perched atop an award winning, environmentally forward, Leed-Platinum building. The chef here focusses on locally-sourced seasonal offerings which allow the menu to evolve daily. The Rot also has an impressive 3000 sq ft roof top garden which supplies most of the vegetables and herbs during the long, warm summer months. I was offered a quick tour at sunset, impressed to learn that both the garden and restaurant have their own aquifer, which not only provides an 8000-year-old water source, but is also pure and tasty to boot!
Guests can opt to drink at the Rot via popular wine flights, a 300+ bottle list or from 40 wines offered by the glass. I was seated on the patio and as wind gathered gust through my hair I chose to keep things simple, opting to sip through a Son of the Serpent cocktail creation featuring siete leguas blanco, aperol, grapefruit and lime. As I quenched my thirst and waited for my grub to arrive I couldn’t help but feel romanced by the restaurants south and west walls, which act as windows offering a unique vista and likely one of the finest views of Portland.
I opted to indulge in a subdued dining experience that evening, ordering just three dishes off the menu. I started by messing up my fingers with crispy Pork Belly Ssam followed by the winner of the evening, a plate of perfectly crispy Fried Chicken accompanied by a compressed watermelon and cucumber salad, padrona and serrano salsa. In an attempt to leave light on my loafers I whisked a few whispers of cloud-like Angel Food Cake into my mouth. A delightful summer-fresh sweet which paired nicely with aromatic lavender, tart lemon curd, mint and plump blueberry.
The Feast:
Son of the Serpent
siete leguas blanco, aperol, grapefruit, lime
Pork Belly Ssam
Fried Chicken
compressed watermelon, cucumber salad, padrona, serrano salsa
Angel Food Cake
lavender, lemon curd, mint, blueberry
