Roe, an Exotic Speak Easy Seafood Restaurant in Portland, OR

Overview

Roe, an Exotic Speak Easy Seafood Restaurant in Portland, OR – October 18, 2019

Roe, unfortunately, fell victim to COVID-19 and is now permanently closed.

Roe, an exotic seafood-themed restaurant in downtown Portland, is tucked away along Morgan’s Alley in the Historic Morgan building.

When you walk into the Morgan building off Broadway and make your way through the small corridor of shops, you come to a staircase that leads up to a mezzanine level in the very back. At the top of the stairs is a door with an inconspicuous sign that reads ROE. As you open the door and step inside, you enter another world.

Atmosphere / Ambiance

As you step in, you are greeted by a small, dimly lit room with chairs and couches lining the outer walls. In the middle of the room sits a serving table decorated with candles and personalized cards of expected guests for the evening. The cards provide a note saying, “Welcome to Roe, please wait, and someone will be with you shortly.” Behind a black curtain, the Host for the evening appears and greets you with a warm welcome and excellent aperitif. From there, your journey begins as you enter through the curtain into the restaurant’s main dining area.

Once inside the restaurant, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The dining area is small, beautifully decorated, and features approximately ten tables and an open-air kitchen.

Roe dining room and open kitchen
Inside Roe — the open kitchen
Roe dining room
The dining room

The Food

We chose the 7-course dinner, and it did not disappoint. Each course offered us visually appealing and delicious servings of goodness from start to finish. The fish dishes were terrific, and the chocolate dessert was simply marvelous.

Roe seven-course dinner menu
The menu for the evening

Below are the featured Chef selections for our Seven-course dinner:

  • Hamachi Crudo with Concord Grape and Walnut Pecan Crunch.
  • Capital Oyster with Dashi Foam and Japanese Scallion.
  • Brandade Fritter (Potato and Salted Cod) with Confit Egg Yolk and Caviar.
  • Ahi, White Soy Ponzu, Seaweed, Sesame, Toasted White Crispy Rice.
  • Geoduck with Matsutake, Kohlrabi, Sudachi.
  • Columbia River Sturgeon, Cured, Smoked, and Grilled with Maple Miso Glaze and Roasted Butternut Squash.
  • Kauai Blue Prawn, Mussel Vinaigrette, Heirloom Corn, Oregon Truffles, Américaine Sauce.
  • Hibiscus Tea Foam Palate Cleanser.
  • Skilfish with Basque Chili Confit, Brown Butter Velouté, Eggplant, and Carrot.
  • Winesap Apple with Cider Sabayon, Caramel, and Hazelnut Linzer Cookie with Cardamon and Cinnamon.
  • Dark Chocolate Mousse with Black Sesame, White Sesame Tuile, Bay Leaf Ice Cream, and Chocolate Leaf.
  • White Chocolate Peach Macarons.
Ahi course at Roe
Ahi with white soy ponzu, seaweed and crispy rice
Geoduck course at Roe
Geoduck with matsutake, kohlrabi and sudachi
Columbia River sturgeon at Roe
Columbia River sturgeon with maple miso glaze and roasted butternut squash
Kauai blue prawn course at Roe
Kauai blue prawns with Oregon truffles
Hibiscus tea foam palate cleanser at Roe
The hibiscus tea foam palate cleanser
Skilfish course at Roe
Skilfish with brown butter velouté
Winesap apple dessert at Roe
Winesap apple with cider sabayon and hazelnut linzer cookie
Dark chocolate mousse at Roe
Dark chocolate mousse with bay leaf ice cream
White chocolate peach macarons at Roe
White chocolate peach macarons to close

The Service

Attention to detail immediately comes to mind. The staff were spot on and genuinely knowledgeable about the dishes. We chose the wine pairing option to accompany our meal, and Michael, the sommelier, did not disappoint with the selections.

Candied Mushroom white wine bottle at Roe
Candied Mushroom 2018 white, from the pairing
Royal Tokaji late harvest wine bottle at Roe
2016 Royal Tokaji late harvest, from the pairing

Location

(Permanently closed)
515 SW Broadway Suite 100
Portland, OR 97205

Hours
(Permanently closed)
Wednesday – Saturday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm
Sunday – Tuesday: Fishing

Contact: (503) 232-1566

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoePDX/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/roepdx/

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