Biwa

Kori P. 

on Insider Pages

14 years ago

great place Incredible restaurant, great pickled foods. AMAZING soups and noodles. Try lots of different things. 

Susan M. 

on Insider Pages

15 years ago

Great Japanese Bar food Great Japanese bar food in a pretty cool space. We rarely have to wait (though we head out pretty early) and enjoy sitting at the bar, pacing ourselves to get the many interesting and delicious small plates. Really interesting drinks, too. 

MJBMTL 

on Citysearch

15 years ago

really fun dinner – I ate at Biwa for the first time on Saturday night. The service was excellent and the food was interesting (in a good way). I was really impressed with the drink list and everything we ordered was delicious. It is also a really fun casual atmosphere with a cool kitchen bar. Good job Biwa! 

gin r. 

on Insider Pages

15 years ago

Biwa is Modern & Japanese Modern, dark atmosphere, Japanese fare. Everything we ordered was delicious! Not really that kid friendly, better for a date or out with friends. Will definitely go back for more! 

EatsLeaves 

on Citysearch

15 years ago

I want hiyyakko now – Biwa has food that, frankly, I would eat every damn day of my life. For example: Hiyyakko: Cold Ota (Portland Local!) Tofu with Bonito Flake Homemade Kimchi: Need I say more. Deepfried Homemade Kimchi: Even Better? Hell yes. Chicken Karaage: Melts in your Mouth. Chicken fat never tasted so good. Miso Scallop: Perfectly Grilled Beef Tartar w/Quail Egg: Order 2 of 'em Onigiri with Umeboshi Plum: The best I have ever had in any Japanese establishment. (Sorry, Seattle) Their wine and sake and shochu selecti... read more

localfoodiefoo 

on Citysearch

15 years ago

nice atmosphere, good food but I left hungry – I really liked the atmosphere and thought the menu had a diverse array of appetizing choices. I found the waitstaff to be very friendly and attentive even though the restaurant was about 3/4 full. I tried the cold soba noodles with green tea and shrimp appetizer as my meal. It was simple and refreshing but a little bland. The portions are way too small - for example the lamb kabob at $4 was about a half a cup of meat. The asparagus appetizer is like six pieces of aparagus for $8... read more

Foodie79 

on Citysearch

16 years ago

What exactly did I pay for? Poor service and mediocre food. – This was probably the worst dining experience I've had in Portland. biwa seemed great at first - cozy and trendy, relatively busy, etc; however, the service was abhorrent. We were a group of 14 who called ahead to make reservations. Granted, they were busy when we arrived, but biwa is so small that it only holds about 10-12 tables total. We were not approached by a server for at least 15 minutes and after ordering drinks, we waited for those drinks for another 20 ... read more

Rayman 

on Citysearch

16 years ago

Japanese Food? What? This is insulting to Japanese people. – Me and my wife went there about few months ago to try this location because we heard a raving review. Just like many, I(I am Japanese, and I KNOW Japanese food) was really excited to try this "ramen" that everyone was going nuts for. First we went inside, and the restaurant was really hip, and the design was very modern. I was impressed with that, but that was it. Service like everyone say, is just awfully slow. However they were friendly so no complaints. After al... read more

adrienne s. 

on Insider Pages

16 years ago

More than sushi This a great little restaurant located below the street. I like to sit at the bar which overlooks the open kitchen. After 9pm there is a cheaper bar menu. This a great place for a date or just a solo bite to eat. I love to go with multiple people so we can order a variety of dishes to sample. They change some items on their menu (seasonal). Can't wait to eat here again!