Unfortunately, Pono Farm Soul Kitchen is now closed.
Pono Farm Soul Kitchen, in Hollywood district, serves Japanese influence comfort food in manageable portions. Our group of six ordered the Portland Dining Month “3 Courses for $29” dinner [Dining Month Menu]
My first course, Kakuni (braised pork belly) was flavorful and so tender, that I could break it up into pieces and eat with my chopsticks. Each small piece was deliciously satisfying infused with a sweet soy flavor. It was served with half a soft-boiled egg, and apple/miner’s lettuce salad:
The other appetizer selected was Tempura soft-shell crab, with shaved fennel salad, grapefruit, and orange vinaigrette. Ling says it was “nicely mixed flavors, crab was well cooked: tender under a crunchy not soggy crust, might have been nice to have the glaze as a dipping sauce rather than on the bottom of the bowl”:
My main course, pork chop, was a bit dry, and the “pea & foie gras sauce” failed to elevate it into a memorable dish. It was served with garlic mashed potatoes and pea shoots:
Note: others who ordered the Braised Black Cod served with bowl of steamed rice were much happier with their choice. The kumquat puree sauce was a great complement to the tender soy and sake braised cod:
The dessert: tropical fruits, pomegranate seeds, and yuzu cream over a sake jelly was another hit. It was not overly sweet. The six of us all enjoyed it. It was the only dessert option:
7:30pm on a Saturday night was quite busy, and the bar was backlogged. The drinks arrived after the food. Despite the backlog, we had excellent service. The noisy acoustics was not the best for conversation, but we all enjoyed the evening.