Tanuki - Portland, OR

CLOSED January 24, 2019 

The owner's seafood allergy and need for me time contributed to the closing.  

https://pdx.eater.com/2019/1/24/18196190/tanuki-closure

8029 SE Stark St, Montavilla

Established 2008

Visited November 6, 2014

If you're all of 92 years old bent over with Dowager's hump, you will be carded. House rules, no exceptions. The host must give it a perfunctory glance as she's unable read the print in the haunted house illumination.

Lacking bat radar, I stumbled around and found a seat at the bar. The bartender handed me an alcohol crinkled menu. Can't afford new menus. My old eyes hadn't adapted to the dark and struggled to read the print. It was easier to ask for a recommendation. She said the omakase which is what I had in mind anyway. I needed to establish price and settled on $20 with concern it would be too much.

Slider, Squid, Jellyfish,and a forth item. It's true that visual cues clue us on what we eat. With it being so dark, the food tasted less flavorful and textural or maybe the food was truly that. The squid was chewy. The best of the bunch probably was the slider. All items were interesting but nothing popped for my mouth.

A whole side of halibut fillet was brought out but not photographed. It was good but didn't enhance the experience.

I found it amusing the bartender was unable to read the label on the liquor bottle and had to use a flashlight.

Teres major and mushroom. The ingredients made for a potentially good dish but it was highly over salted with the teriyaki sauce or some other sodium based seasoning.

Over the top violent, ultra gory gallons of blood, ultra campy Japanese videos with gorgeous Japanese actresses play on the TV. Fascinating, funky, sad.

Tanuki is quintessential Portland weird. It's different with different food, not Japanese but Japanese themed. Some good, some fail. They should reconsider the dim illumination but it's probably a key component to the Tanuki mystique. From this, I won't ever go to restaurants where diners eat in total darkness.

Food: ★★★
Service: ★★1/2
Probability of making an out of the way return: 3%
Probability of returning if in the area: 20%

Bottom Line:  80% Real Deal.