The Restaurant TikTok Star Keith Lee Says Is Portland's Best
Three cultures come together at Terra Mae, a Portland restaurant that specializes in Portuguese and Japanese fusion cuisine with a Pacific Northwest flair. It's a breezy-feeling restaurant with a modern-meets-nature kind of vibe, a combination that caught the interest of TikTok food critic Keith Lee on a recent tour through Portland, Oregon's food scene. On his tour, Lee and his family also had great things to say about Gado Gado, Kee's Loaded Kitchen, and a few other eateries in the city. But Terra Mae received the title of "the best restaurant in Portland" after Lee experienced the food.
Starting with a Japanese milk bread and duck fat butter appetizer, Lee tried four different dishes from the Terra Mae menu: wasabi salad, Mentaiko udon, Oregon-raised A5 wagyu (get up to speed on wagyu right here), and bluefin tuna sashimi he said was the best he's ever eaten. He rated the bluefin tuna a 10 and inquired about its origin — turns out that bluefin tuna was caught off the Oregon Coast by a local fisherman.
@keith_lee125 Terra Mae taste test 💕 would you try it ? 💕 #foodcritic
"I've been to Japan, I've been to Hawaii, I've been to places that specialize in sushi," Lee said in the TikTok video he filmed during his meal at Terra Mae. "I've never had a better piece of tuna in my entire life, not even close."
Terra Mae blends sleek Japanese style with rural Portuguese charm
At Terra Mae, you'll find dumplings and udon (that's a different kind of noodle than ramen), lamb spare ribs, flat iron steaks, and tempura — an iconic Portuguese and Japanese fusion food that dates to 1543, when a group of Portuguese sailors washed up on Tanegashima Island in Japan and a century of culinary mingling began. Out of it came the method of lightly battering foods known as tempura , the breaded pork dish tonkatsu, and plenty of seafood fusion foods and noodle dishes — many of which you can find on the menu at Terra Mae.
It's not just the food that transports you to the island of Tanegashima — though the fresh seafood and croquettes do have that quality — the restaurant itself has a breezy vibe. Spanning one wall is an island-inspired mural, greenery weaves its way around large hanging frames, and plenty of skylights provide a natural-feeling environment in the dining area. There's also a fully stocked sit-down bar with wine and sake selections (here's some advice if you're stuck on a drink order), as well as a list of madeira — Portuguese fortified wines.