Departure

In town on business, shout out to SolarWorld. Love the view you get. There is a restaurant that has awesome seating. Hit this place if your from out of town. They also have a bar which must be awesome at night. Drinks were great, I have a few glasses of Deep Canyon wine and the sushi our guest order was pretty awesome. Service was really good.
They have a happy hour cause it got super busy right at 4. Great job all around.

Loved everything that we had here and highly recommend it to anyone that considers themselves a foodie.
The wife and I came here to start off our anniversary trip. As we had never been here before we took an item from just about every portion of the menu.
We started with the smoked salmon rolls. The depth of flavor was extraordinarily. The veggies were a bit forward at the start, but as they melted away the smoked salmon came into the picture and dominated the tastebuds. The wife liked to dip in the soy, but I enjoyed either no sauce or the miso mustard they served with it.
We heard the wings were a staple so had an order of those too. So crisp on the outside, lightly glazed in the sweet chili, cilantro sauce. Inside they were hot, tender and fell off the bone. Great flavors and texture. I could eat myself to death with those.
We also got the crab and garlic fried rice. It wasn’t your normal fried rice either. Again, there were lots of attention to laying flavor and treating the crab with the respect it deserves. It is so easy to over cook crab and yet in fried rice dish it remained moist and flavorful.
The meal finished off with the spicy coconut broth and it may have been my favorite dish of the night. It was 100 degrees outside and this got my inner temp up to 120! I couldn’t stop! The mussels were cooked well and took on the flavor of the broth in a good way, the scallops were perfect also and my god I cannot remember the last time cod had melted in my mouth like that. If you are a huge fan of seafood, tom kha gai and laksa then do not miss out on this dish.
The staff was wonderful, attentive and friendly and the views were amazing. Definitely check this place out.

Atmosphere– All I can say is… What?!? The restaurant has great views and overlooks the city, which provided for a spectacular view. However, the actual restaurant had this Virgin Air purple/​pink backlighting vibe. The tables and ambiance were futuristic modern, which gave off a sterile, uncomfortable feeling.
The food, on the other hand, was out of this world good. If you are vegan/​gf, there is a separate menu. We got the tempeh (best tempeh I’ve ever had), a sweet potato tempura roll, and a vegan bibimbap. The sweet potato tempura roll was ridiculous. How can sweet potato taste so good? It didn’t make sense!
If you want more about the vegan options:
This is not my website but it has awesome pictures and is making me want to return just remembering how good the food was.

Great ambiance and décor. The staff were really friendly and the food was great. We tried a lot of small plates from prawns, shaken steak, pan fried noodles and few sushi rolls. We also had a really yummy desert. Definitely recommend.

Loved this place. It’s definitely something very different from most bars. I would describe this bar as very LAVISH. The bar is very trendy with its jazzy music, purple lighting, and white couches. The restaurant area and the bar inside it gets extremely busy, it took me a really long time to get the bartenders attention. I think they were so busy that they forgot to check my ID. Also, they didn’t know how to make that many drinks which was disappointing. The drinks are extremely pricey; I ordered 2 drinks thinking it would be in the $ 15 range but they surprised me with the $ 25. If you go out to the rooftop bar, the line for the bar is much shorter and faster. The view is breath taking at the night time which might make up for how pricey their drinks are. They have a very calm and good vibe going on at the rooftop bar.

We planned on eating elsewhere but I looked up at the sky, and saw a few people hanging on a rooftop, do I had to check it out typed in «rooftop restaurant» and the only thing that came up in the area was Departure. And I’m so glad I looked up at the sky. Headed up to the 15^th floor very chic night club feel, then you stop by the indoor dining area articulated so damn well. Sweet bar area.
We ordered various items we started with the soju cocktails from the happy hour menu! You can skip they were alright. The food, we ordered the Harami skirt steak this may have been my favorite and its skewer style and my mouth is watering all over again. Amazing. Ordered the spring rolls, They were pretty good. We also ordered the starters beef and it was flavorful. We even licked the greens off the plate. Mint was a yummy addition. The Poke is a must have and the wasabi on the rice crisps is a must have! Just the poke is too heavy to be scooped up so think wisely before. The roll was tummy I don’t like eel so I removed it. Feels like we ordered more we were a party of 3 and shared every plate comfortably. Well satisfied!
If you still have a sweet tooth after all that the brownie with banana pudding, do not skip it! Seriously though.
And well the best for last, the view is breath taking. So while enjoying your great food with great company (hopefully) just take a breath in and enjoy the awesome view!

Love love Loved Departure! I had reservations for a water front restaurant but decided last minute to check the menu at Departure. I got off work around 4:30 on a Friday and I was able to make reservations for 6:15, spoke to Nate who was absolutely accommodating and very entertaining, I told him I was bringing some family from out of town and I wanted to give them an Amazing Portland Experience… well sure enough from the moment we walked in, We were blown away by the Stellar Customer Service, the Hostesses were Spectacular! They definitely carried themselves well and were dressed to the Nines, I met Nate and Immediately got seating outside Roof Top, we noticed that the corner table was open a we were able to move without any trouble, my party and I felt So VIP!
Oh My Goodness… That View Tho, and Yes I hash tagged that, now getting to the Food. Two words! DEPARTURE WINGS on point! We ordered as if it was a buffet and ate like Kings! Kudos to the Chef, and as it was we ordered two items from the Special Menu! Yummy! Not a crumb was left, and Not only did we leave with an Amazing experience, but full bellies were also achieved.
Great Food, Awesome Service, Amazing View, topped it off with glass of Kirin Ichiban and I was Golden!
Thank you Departure… best believe I’ll be coming back!

We came across Departure after our obsession with Top Chef and learned that Gregory from the Boston season runs this restaurant. This was high on our list when we moved to Portland and if you are a fan of Gregory like we are chances are you will see him. Just don’t be gun shy like we are: he was at the hostess’ table when we arrived and rather than saying we wanted him to win Top Chef and ask for a shameless photo with him we pretended like we didn’t see him and just talked to the hostess… fail. Some other tips about the check in process: reservations are definitely recommended here, but note that reservations do NOT apply to the outside patio (which has killer views) as this is more of an open seating setup. Also, you should request a table by the windows and specifically avoid the booths that are on the entrance side of the bar. The three times we sat in the actual restaurant we had great experiences, but the one time we sat at a booth we could not hear each other as there was a loud bachelorette party (on a Sunday…) taking shots at the bar area — it definitely turned down the class factor.
The food here is amazing (not surprisingly). It’s tapas style broken down by category (eg dim sum, sushi, Chef Gregory’s recommendations etc). Personal favorites include the crispy pork belly, shumai (get two orders!) and the bbq pork buns. If you want to get full you’ll need to order quite a few items, so even though the prices look very reasonable the bill adds up quickly, but we have found every item worth except for the bibimbap (we like a little heat, but this was overbearingly spicy). All desserts here are different and amazing.
The drinks are all really tasty, but the price is definitely among the higher options in town ($ 12-​$ 15) — the indochine is particularly good (pear vodka, lemon and prosecco among other ingredients).
Bottom line: great upscale restaurant for special occasions with amazing food and drink options and a classy atmosphere as long as you’re seated away from the bar area.

We made a point to visit this restaurant when we were recently in Portland, because we were impressed by Greg on Top Chef. I have to say that we were both pretty disappointed by the experience. We arrived a bit early for our reservation, so we caught the tail end of Happy Hour. We ordered off the HH menu, choosing Departure Wings, Crispy Pork Belly, and a beef dish I cannot recall.
The best choice was the pork belly, mainly because the cherries were a nice, sweet compliment to the rich pork. Everything else was pedestrian; not bad, but not at all special. The portions are miniscule for what you’re paying. The décor is sterile, modern, lots of white all around. Service was good, but what comes out of the kitchen is just «meh».

Cute restaurant with a great selection of drinks.
Make sure to make reservations. Even though we had, they weren’t quite ready for us when we arrived, so we head over to the roof top bar for a drink. The rooftop bar is nice — but the line for drinks was absurd. Order your drinks inside instead!
The food was pretty good — the BF and I shared
— The Roasted Pacific cod — good flavor, and super tender
— The Crab Sausage and XO fried rice — I love XO sauce, so this was delicious. However, $ 19 is a little steep for any kind of fried rice.
Overall the meal was good — but pricey for what we got! Just come for drinks and get dinner somewhere else!

Wow. Was this a semi– expensive choice? Yes. Was it worth it? YES.
My sister and I went here on a trip to Portland and this was one of the only options in the city area with a view. It is an Asian inspired restaurant and the décor was very modern. Make sure you request a seat by one of the windows to get a fantastic view of the Portland skyline and surrounding mountains.
The food is served in small plates so we split 4: spicy tuna roll, edamame, bibibam bop rice bowl, and dumplings. The dumplings were my favorite. They were sweet and saucy and perfect. Mm! For dessert we went with a fruit tarte.
The waitress was very helpful in matching wine choices to what we were ordering and giving suggestions on what to pick.
I believe the meal ran us about $ 100 (not including tip) which really is not bad once at all! I will definitely be going back when I return to Portland.
Make sure you request a seat by one of the windows to get a fantastic view of the Portland skyline and surrounding mountains.

Departure is that place where you’ll find good bites at high prices and small bites in a beautiful venue that I think kind of departs from what the food represents. But omg! Why didn’t I ask to take a picture with Chef Gourdet?!
FOOD QUALITY:
There’s nothing but bold, intense, and strong flavors here that lean towards the sour, savory, and spicy notes. Starting with the seasonal asparagus salad, you’re given a plate of perfectly cooked asparagus with a salad that is dressed with an extremely intense tamarind & spiced (chili) dressing. On its own, the asparagus salad is refreshing, vibrant, and crisp while the dressing is extreme, but together the flavors melt together perfectly: it’s a constant exchange between deep sourness and crisp sweetness with caramelized notes and a spicy kick in the back of your throat.
Kimchee Fried Rice was next, and honestly I had to actively throw away the concept of what kimchi fried rice should taste like. The dish focused more in highlighting the tangy and spicy notes despite having buttery pork belly infused into the dish. Although the rice is cooked perfectly, the intensity of the flavors from the other ingredients makes the subtle earthy sweetness flavors of the rice become a faint afterthought. For what it is and not what it’s supposed to be, it is really good — I just still crave for a fried egg on top.
The yuzu chicken skewer highlights citrus notes, and is cooked so that the meat is tender with moisture– I think i would have preferred having dark meat though.
SERVICE:
Was on point for me, at least for when I went during Happy Hour. The waitress was kind and attentive; she conversed a little about the food, recommended drinks to go along with the food, made certain that I always had water to drink, and asked if I enjoyed the dishes.
ENVIRONMENT:
The dining hall and view is absolutely wonderful; you can’t really go wrong with a clean, modern, and sleek dining area with a view of the city outside. While dining is very comfortable, the entrance and bathrooms are. very strange. It’s dark lit with bright, colored neon lights as accents as to make it feel «futuristic». It’s kind of like going to Fry’s electronics with the alien theme; the theme and the actual contents don’t match in that regard.
Overall, it’s solid food but it’s a little pricey; I felt like I was paying for the sum of the experience rather than just the food itself. That said, I had an overall enjoyable experience and I felt like I wanted to come back to try out more food. So if you like bold, acidic & spicy flavors, this would be worth checking out especially if you enjoy the view of the city.

It’s expensive, parking sucks and there’s a lot of people. It’s also so damn good. We ordered a little bit of everything and it was all amazing. Even the water tasted better than most other places.
Not an everyday kind of place for me, totally the perfect place for all those times you want a great meal and to show someone a great time.
Best dish imo, bibimbap and honestly Edamame.

This place is very different from the rest of Portland. The staff here was extremely helpful, very accommodating and really engaging. The food was great (but we didn’t eat much) and the drinks were amazing.
The place was very well designed too– check out the wallpaper. The bathrooms are cool too– a dark red light floods the entire room, feels evil.
I believe this is one of the very rare rooftop bars– great to chill at, great for dates.
If you’re used to the big city life like NY or LA, then this place definitely feels like home.

Actually had a pretty good time here. Swanky for sure! But happened to come here during happy hour, Friday 3 – 6. The prices are decent at the time and the view is beautiful. First place I went from la and found out, no sales tax!
So for two, we got coffee and cider. As for food, we got the pork belly Kim chi fried rice, the Kuni roll, and the wings.
The Portland cider was good and dry. The coffee is from stumptown, roasted well here, tasted buttery to perfection.
The pork belly kimchi fried rice was pretty good and i believe was 11 For Happy Hour And Enough For Just one. The wings here were good and easy to eat yet really dry and needs a liquid based sauce, the kuni, was delicious, expensive and not on the happy hour but so totally worth it.
Overall, Total $ 50 for two and a perfect place to chill and enjoy the view. Would love to bring out of towners here next time for drinks! It’s a perfect place to see Portland from up top. By the way located in the nines hotel, just go up to the 15^th floor and it’s like you just entered a new realm!

The food and drinks definitely match the view here! My husband and I are on a 2 week road trip and are spending 3 nights here in Portland. We are huge Top Chef fans, so we have followed and lived Gregory’s success. We knew we had to stop here but had no idea what to expect.
The ambience is really modern and unusual for Portland with an incredible view. The drinks were wonderfully fresh and substantial. Everything we ate was great. Edamame, Avocado Crab Sushi, Spring Rolls, Steamed Buns, Steak Yakitori and Garlic Fried Rice. I don’t understand why this place doesn’t have a higher rating. Service was in point too

AMBIANCE: modern, clean, bright environment
LOCATION: on top of the nines in Pdx. Great location in the middle of downtown. Can’t do anything better. Come up during the day or night and you’ll get amazing views of Portland. Beautiful.
SERVICE: everyone is in uniform and well groomed. Quick service and helpful
FOOD: happy hour is delicious, good portions for fare prices. Asian fusion, I’ve had everything on the happy hour menu and no complaints at all
PRICING: pricey, but it’s service, location, and scenery makes it worth it. Happy hour is great prices

Departure is one of my favorite rooftop lounges. It’s actually the best rooftop restaurant that I’ve been to!
People here don’t have to get super dressy; casual and just relaxed vibes all around. The bar is fully stocked, there’s a great amount of local wines on the list, great foods to choose from, excellent service, a beautiful view of Portland, etc. it doesn’t get better than this!
I ordered their kimchi pork belly fried rice which tasted amazing. I wish there was more pork belly flavor and more pieces but the dish itself is great. Their crispy pork belly is also a popular dish. It’s sweet from the cherry and their secret glaze. It’s skin has a nice crisp to it too! The pork just melts like butter once eaten.
Overall great service from Allison; she kept making sure I was doing ok and that I was well taken care of. She is the best!

Love their rooftop bar during the summer time, overlooking Pioneer Square. It’s a nice place to go if you feel like dressing up and making an occasion out of the night.
The food lacks consistency. I only get a select few things on the menu and sometimes I love it and other times I don’t. I don’t eat a lot so it’s not too bad on prices. If you can really eat, I don’t recommend eating here unless you feel like racking up a hefty bill.
For that, I must recommend coming more for the dessert. The dessert menu changes every so often, offering a new array of unique and inventive desserts. This never fails to impress me.

Reasonably priced, great atmosphere– why not go???
Prompt, polite, knowledgable of the menu staff. Food is pretty good, has some character to it.
Would recommend

I’m an avid fan of top chef and had always wanted to come here after watching season 12. So I took a random day trip to Portland with my girlfriend to eat everything as well as have dinner here. We came around 6 for dinner after shopping and enjoying the no sales tax :)
We ordered 6 dishes as well as dessert. Dishes come out as soon as they’re ready instead of in a order the kitchen thinks is best. I didn’t mind though, just wanted to eat!
We had the pork belly, kampachi sashimi, departure wings, tuna poke bowl, bbq pork buns, bibimbahp, and frozen lemon curd dessert.
The pork belly was surprisingly good. I’ve eaten a lot of pork belly, and this was some of the best. Presented in nice, bite sized cubes, they were very enjoyable.
The sashimi was beautifully presented and very elegant. But they were fairly spicy! So beware of that.
The wings were nice, presented and prepared well, but I wish they were a little more flavorful.
Tuna bowl was pretty standard, but enjoyable.
The pork buns were great! Would definitely recommend them.
The bibimbahp could’ve fooled any Korean. But having said that, wasn’t really that special and I feel using wagyu beef is uncalled for. And for $ 19, this dish is unnecessarily expensive.
The dessert we enjoyed very much. Loved how there were so many flavors and textures. Definitely a treat.
Overall, we really enjoyed our experience. Our waitress was very kind and fairly attentive as well.

Solid Asian food in a really slick environment overlooking Downtown Portland, when we went they had a fixed menu (restaurant week) that was very filling with good variety. Service was excellent as well. If the weathers nice make sure you have a drink outside.

Maybe I am getting carried away with all of the stars but I have to say the service was impeccable and the view is killer. Located on the top floor of the Nines hotel in downtown Portland, we enjoyed a few different dishes beneath the full moon. Though there were many people dining, our conversation wasn’t difficult at all to enjoy!
We started with a crispy cod and edamame. The cod was delicious, the edamame was typical. We had two susi rolls, the shrimp and caviar and then shitake. The shitake roll by far was the better bet. Very flavorful. We have consumed a lot of sushi in our day and this was a truly unique roll. Skip the shrimp and caviar roll. It is twice the price and not very flavorful. We also enjoyed a grilled tempe with steamed bun.
The beet salad was so divine. There are dehydrated apples both crisp and chewy that accent the dish beautifully. This beet salad is one of the best I have ever tasted. We ended our meal with a slice of the carrot spice cake. All vegan and gluten free with crisp parsnip and carrot sorbet. Worth making the trip up just for this dessert alone.

It is a lovely atmosphere and being probably the only native Oregonian left, it was divine having dinner in what was once the furniture department of Meier and Frank. The whole building is an amazing renovation, the hotel is lovely, and we all know Macy*s is a bore.
Departure has a lovely view and the customers were extremely hysterical in the sense of how they stared at my friends and I probably because we weren’t dressed like everyone else: utter bores they were! The chef has been on some television reality show, which I could give a flying fuck about. Could the guy cook?
The sushi was sub par, the delectable little coconut noodle soup dish was delicious and flavorful. The stand out was the pork belly. The prices for the tapas style servings could have been a bit bigger for the price.
I can’t give this place 5 for food, 3 at the most. 2 for the snotty waitress having to do what she gets paid for. 5 for the host who was very friendly. With a mild overhaul in staff and a bit more creativity this place could be better.

Ordered a couple «popular» dishes: poke, brussel sprouts, and pork belly. There was nothing special with the poke and sprouts. The pork belly was solid.
It wasn’t that busy, but service was pretty slow.
I can see this place being fun for some happy hour drinks, but I’d say there are plenty of other places to eat in PDX for the price.

It’s possible that I’ve just gotten too old to be overly impressed with Departure. The odd layout and the «futuristic» décor don’t excite me. I’m not quite sure how/​why all the young kids decided this was their destination, but it’s a hip club later in the evening. I do think it’s a great destination for happy hour, but I can think of some better options for dinner (including Urban Farmer a few floors down). I’ve been here twice now, and both times, wondered how many drunk hipsters get lost in this restaurant? Some day I’m going to come in as an observer just to find out.
The food we had was very good, but nothing that was really memorable. I have no complaints, but feel Departure is over-​hyped. Of course, if you’re staying in the hotel, there’s no reason not to give it a shot. I think you’ll enjoy your meal. I’ll be back for happy hours in the future.

Went here last nice with the wife. First time for both of us. We were pleasantly surprised by the ambiance and that that they asked us for our allergies ahead of time (my wife has a fairly common allergy and mine is common at Asian restaurants, so it’s nice they have that in mind ahead of time.
We started with the drinks which were fine but not spectacular. I had the Tiger’s Eye and she had the Bonsai. Her’s tasted like a Lemon Drop and mine was just slightly sweeter whiskey. Like I said, fine, but by far not the highlight of the night.
We started with the garlic fried rice which was really good (glad the brought forks with it, since it is impossible to eat with chopsticks. I tried which resulted in me wearing some of it.)
I’m not terribly good at described flavor in food, but the pork belly was the best dish of the night, not close. Just the right amount of sweet and fattiness, was very, very good and would be content eating only that, to be honest.
My wife had a role of sushi, which I couldn’t have due to allergies, but the roll disappeared quick enough, so I’ll assume it was good ;)
I had the BBQ short rib buns which were very good as well. The bread in the bun was actually the best part.
In closing we were both grateful for the experience and will probably come back again on occasion for date nights.

We came here for New Years Eve and throughly enjoyed the menu set up for the special night. A five course dinner, the standouts for me were the pork belly, and the chili lobster which came with the most amazing steamed buns. Ugh, I could’ve just eaten a basket of those buns and the pork belly and called it a night.
The other standouts were the desserts and a tuna sashimi with black truffle dish. Overall, we had a fantastic and memorable dinner. A really great last meal of 2015.
However, there was just a few downsides to the whole experience. One, and this is minor but good to note for those of you who have kids, is that this restaurant and the hotel don’t have any changing tables, difficult if you have a young child with you. The bathroom doesn’t even have a counter if you wanted to try to change a child in the bathroom. Second, while we were getting ready to leave and on a high note from the meal, the host came to ask us to leave because the next party was there. I definitely understand that the tables need to turn and that especially on a busy night like new years there are several back to back reservations but it does always sour an experience, especially a great experience (that you’re paying top $$$$ for when the host is booting you out.) It also would be one thing if we were sitting and lingering, but we had actually just had our last course brought out to us and were just finishing it up. So much more a timing issue on the restaurants part rather than us sitting there too long.
But, overall, we had a fabulous night and thoroughly enjoyed the restaurant. The most disappointing part of the night however had to do with my sister’s nut allergies. Note that we REALLY did enjoy the restaurant but I share this just because it’s truly concerning for anybody who has allergies. My sister and I both carry epi pens although luckily my sister, who had the allergic reaction, did not have to use hers that night. When we ordered we informed our waitress of the allergy. She assured us right away that there weren’t any nuts on the menu that night because «the kitchen knows how many people have nut allergies» so that we didn’t have to worry. (Although, admittedly, this made us a little worried already because, while none of us ordered the dish, there was a Panaeng Curry on the menu that clearly stated it had peanuts in it.)
We carried on and enjoyed our whole meal until the dessert, which was also delicious mind you, a trio of a chocolate cake, some sort of citrus sorbet and a variety of fruits and taro in coconut milk. After just taking a few bites of the coconut milk dessert my sister started getting an allergic reaction (itching in her throat and mouth). When she asked the waitress again if there were any nuts in the dessert she brought the waitress assured us again that there weren’t any nuts in the dish. She came back a few minutes later to let us now that there were macadamia nuts in the sorbet type dessert but luckily despite her reassurance we had spotted those so my sister hadn’t touched that.
We had to rush off our table as I mentioned above, but we did make sure to mention the incident to a manager on the way out and she told us that there WERE in fact nuts on the menu and that she was going to address it with the waitress. But if we told the waitress the kitchen would have been alerted so even if she was incorrect that the kitchen would not have put any nuts in my sister’s dishes.
My sister was not feeling well but manageable when we left the restaurant and by the time we got home, she spent the next few hours into the new year vomiting and lying sick on the floor of our bathroom. While sometimes it cannot be helped, I hope that there would be care taken to avoid these types of situations, especially because we had specifically stated her special diet. It was a definite downer to what started as a great night, especially given that we spent over $ 800.
A wonderful restaurant, but beware if you have dietary restrictions and allergies.

I’m going to catch some heat for this, but the best dinner I’ve had in Portland to date took place just after Christmas at Departure.
I know what you’re saying: Kyle, you’ve only lived in Portland three months, you are a fool; Kyle, you clearly haven’t visited any authentically Portland restaurants; Kyle, you must be a style-​over-​substance kind of guy; Kyle, have you even been to SE?!
Well, ladies and gents, I’m right there with you. I went in with low expectations, due to the ritzy and pretentious reputation I’ve heard touted by some. I come originally from the Second City, the City of Big Shoulders, Chicago, so I’m not a fan of glitz and glam. I avoid bottle service and fancy restaurants like the plague. I have no patience for the «see and be seen» restaurant scene that can be found in every city these days.
Now that that’s out there, let’s get down to brass tacks – I was treated to an 8 course meal by my boss at Departure and it knocked my socks off. The menu was:
Poke
Wings
Squash and Carrot Salad
Smoked Duck Entrée
Chili Green Beans
Duck Fat Fried Rice
Wagyu Beef Skewers
Dessert
Every dish (minus dessert) blew all of us at the table away, included one noted Departure hater. It was so good that my wife and I walked home taking turns ranking the menu from top to bottom… and it was tough. I can’t remember the last time we talked so much about a dinner and now I’m dying to go back. Since it won’t be on my boss’s dime, we’ll probably try to check out the happy hour next time :)
Alright Portland… have at me!

First Impressions… are everything…
Restsurant and Lounge are Fabulouso!
The VIEW of Portland is Breathtaking.
Service is Wonderfully Outstanding.
Vegan menu and selection is all Delectably Delicious. My first time going Vegan and what a Fine place to start. Im so spoiled now. my new foodie motto. «When food exploring go to the best and bring your Vegan experienced foodie friend (Shauna G is mine tonight) to make grrrreat choices… I must admit our server; Elle was exceptional and extremely knowledgeable! Snaps for her!
Snaps for all the restaurant foodie reasons… Ambiance is top drawer or top floor for this place, Décor is gorgeous, Thumbs up to the A&D team, I really like the spacing between tables, Service is Stellar and Food is a definite palate pleaser.
Snaps and thumbs up to Departure… a departure indeed from the standard food faire at the ground level.

Trendy and modern Asian fusion with a great view. The food comes out in waves so expect to be sipping on your drink with nothing to munch on and then struggling to figure out what to eat next when all your dishes arrive together.
Get the:
Big Eye Tuna Poke (17) — Definitely exceeded expectations. My boyfriend isn’t big on poke but he raved about this dish!
Octopus w/​Chinese Sausage (18) — Very interesting pairing of the soft octopus with the chewy chinese sausage.
Bibimbap (18) — Huge portions. This baby will definitely fill you up. If you can’t handle heat well, I would recommend starting off lighter with the gochujang.
Brussel Sprouts (12) — Gotta have some greens! Light, flavorful, and a perfect balance to the heavier items we ordered.
Skip:
BBQ Shortrib Buns (9) — The sauce ruined it for me unfortunately. The barbecue sauce was straight up American, not Korean. It tasted like American BBQ in a bao. I would’ve been fine with this fusion had they not misrepresented this as a Korean dish.
Highly recommend for after work drinks, GNO, or a date.

The only pretentious place we found in Portland!
This place thought a lot about itself and the chef… there was some TV connection. I’d rather have good food than be on TV. Seems like this guy can’t do both.
Small tapas style food that was completely not memorable served with a bit of attitude. Expensive for Portland but still cheap by most standards.
Meh, I’ll pass.

Upscale Asian fusion food with a beautiful view. Located on top of the Nines Hotel. I recommend sitting in the outside patio for your meal because you get a nice view of the city. There is also an outside lounge bar as well on the other side. There are lots of neat little spots you are able to chill. Service is friendly and gets the job done. Food may take a while to come out though, and taunts you when you smell the good food from a neighbor table.
Sat out in the patio and it was super dark. One of the heater torch thing wasn’t working so it was a little chilly as well for the beginning of October. Another thing is it is really expensive here for the little portions you get with it. But the food tastes amazing.
Drinks are pricey as well but they are unique and tasty. My favorite is the Running Wakamomo. I compare it to a mojito but it is more citrus-​y. The Crazy 88 was disgusting, with the spiced vodka. Luckily we were able to send it back and get a replacement for it. Xerxes’ garden is pretty good and more of an herbal type of alcohol. Definitely is an acquired taste.
Dim sum is pricey like the shu mai is $ 9 for three average pieces. I really enjoyed the BBQ short rib buns. The steamed bun was the best part because of the warm and softness of it. The cole slaw complemented the shortribs and sauce well. $ 9 for two buns.
Peaces+Cream Cashew Cheesecake $ 9. This had an abundance of flavors. It was a nice sweet treat for dessert. The sorbet was cool and sauces was unique. The cheesecake was light and not the thick kind. It was really small but decadent.
The Departure Banana Split $ 9 is like a deconstructed banana split. I felt like it had too much batter and too sweet for my taste. Not something I would get again.
Overall, I hear that its a place to go for the view and some drinks. They do got some good food items, you just got to pay the price for them. Make sure to order something you will like. But to focus on the food, it is definitely unique and different that will test your taste buds and feel good in your belly.

Finally got the chance to try Departure after drooling over photos of their food on Instagram for a couple of years. I would see posts of vegan sushi with nutritional yeast with shiso and I was dying to try it along with their other vegan options. Really appreciate that they have a separate vegan menu.
Departure is on the top floor of a hotel called the Nines and it kind of gives off a Vegas vibe with gorgeous views and nice ambiance. When my friend and I arrived we felt like we were underdressed but then quickly realized that it was just the younger ones that were overdressed.
Here is what we ordered:
— Greens & seeds roll — avocado, cucumber, herbs, pumpkin seed, sesame — this is the roll with the nutritional yeast on top. I enjoyed the flavor and different textures.
— Sweet potato tempura roll — spinach, ginger, spicy miso — delicious!
— BBQ tempeh buns — Korean barbecue sauce, steamed buns, spicy slaw — really enjoyed this; however, the tempeh was a bit salty.
— Golden curry — sweet and sour mango, spicy cashew — this was a sweet curry and we ordered rice to go with it. It tasted good but we wondered if it was supposed to be like a soup because there was hardly any veggies or substance in it but it was too rich to be soup.
— Brussels sprouts — chili, lime, mint — this was one of my favorites. The leaves were pulled off the sprout and it reminded me of a warm salad.
— Departure banana split — banana tempura, cherry compote, miso butterscotch, peanut brittle ice cream — this was amazing! I absolutely loved this dessert!
If you looking for trendy spot with awesome views and good Asian fusion food this is the place for you.

Came here for a friends birthday with about 8 ppl.
Seated right away once we checked in for our reservation at 9.00 pm.
We ordered so many things– I remember the smoked salmon sushi roll, avocado roll, curry noodles, chicken kabobs, sashimi, fried rice, and tons of drinks.
Our waitress was on point and had our orders coming in quickly.
Everything tastes delicious, as always. Never had a compliant.
Our bill was about $ 1000 and we enjoyed every drop of it.
Departure will always be a favorite place of mine for food and drinks– love the amazing atmosphere and service here.
And shoutout to Kayla for being an amazing hostess!

Departure is a cool place on several different levels. There is an outside bar area that ramps up during happy hour. Great place to view the city while enjoying a cocktail. Great for groups, work friends, and just to hang out and enjoy the day.
There is also a main dining room and an outdoor dining room. If you want to eat in the dining room, I would make a reservation during peak hours. Otherwise it may be faster to get a seat on the outside seating area. I ate on the roof with a friend. It was a great view. The food was good too. We had a lot of different plates. Overall the food was just okay. I would go to this restaurant for the views and experience first. Some of the food choices were delicious and the rest was just okay.
Good List
— Ishiyaki Steak
— Smoked Duck Curry
— Scallops
— Brussels Sprouts
Okay List
— Departure Wings
— Crispy Squid
— Chili Prawns
Meh… List
— Crispy Pork Belly

Estuve en Portland por trabajo y visitando la ciudad llegamos a Departure.
El lugar esta en el downtown y ubicado en la terraza de un edificio, una vista increíble y una onda genial.
Cocina Japones y una linda barra es lo que ofrece el lugar, la comida es genial picamos de todo BBQ Shortrib Buns, Sashimi, Roll de salmón y lo mejor fue el Korean Rice Noodles, increíble muy picante y con un sabor genial.
El lugar me encanto, es caro en relación a otros lugares pero no tiene precios imposibles.

So I will start by saying I was really excited to try this restaurant because I watched Top Chef Boston Season 12. Chef Gregory was a contestant on the show and he was the runner up, and his food looked amaze balls on the show. I knew if I ever came to Portland I had to stop by his restaurant. I’m so happy did. The location of the restaurant was amazing. It’s at the top of The Nines Hotel over looking downtown Portland. It was awesome! The food was also very good and looked as good as Chef Greg’s food on Top Chef. I also liked the fact that this restaurant is tapa style. It’s so cute and fits the location perfectly. My husband and I had a wonderful date night.
We started with drinks and chatted a bit before we started with food. Over the course of the entire dinner we shared the following foods: Chicken & Shrimp Egg Rolls, Sushi, Brussel Sprouts, Short Ribs with a Bun, Curry Duck, & Dungeness Crab Fried Rice. Everything was amazing ! I have no complaints. I truly enjoyed myself, the food, and had a great time! I would definitely suggest anybody to come here and I would definitely come back if I was ever in Portland again.
P. S. I was tickled pink to take a pic with Chef Gregory. I mean how cool is it to watch a very competitive show, he comes in 2^nd place, he’s a great chef, and then meet him in real life AT HIS RESTAURANT! TOTALLY AWESOME DUDE!

Absolutely believe that this place exceeds ones expectations. I booked this place because of the view and read some reviews that the food wasn’t going to be phenomenal. However, I was totally proved wrong.
Let’s start of the gorgeous ambiance at the venue. Open windows with full glass panes and just beautiful spacious décor all around. You definitely felt like you were in LA or NYC. Now on to dinner…
Started off with Kampachi Sashimi– THIS dish was very subtle but had a delicious warmth of flavors. The savory white ponzue sauce with a dash of heat from the green chili just made your taste buds go cray. The crispy taro was my favorite. It was a nice balance to the spicy and soft yellowtail.
Departure Wings– As everyone says, the wings were so mouth-​watering and tender. The sauce was perfect. Not too slimy and not too spicy.
Bibimbap– This bibimbap was on fire in an awesome way! So many good little nuggets in here.
Brussel Sprouts– Yummy baked goodies!
Great restaurant, delicious food and service was top notch!

Happy spot!
Classic dishes with a twist? Check!!! Amazing décor? Check! Stunning view? Triple check that! Ahh! The end!
Be it happy hour or dinner, this place has going on. Sunny days are popular here for a reason! Grab some sparkling Pinot, grab those outdoor couches, tasty bites -’ that’s a good evening there!
Love chef Gregory’s take on Asian fusion! Grilled meats are perfection! Not a big fan of the crispy squid but I love everything else! Kimchi fried rice? Spot on! Cocktails? Yes!
And the place is always filled with well heeled young crowd! Good for mingling or people watching! Even met some really cool peeps here. Can’t believe it took a little while to write this but hey, better late than never right? Guess you can say I’m a fan!

During our stay at the Nines hotel, we made it upstairs to experience Departure twice. This swanky spot is rested atop the hotel with a clear view of downtown Portland.
The first time was for inebriated, happy hour fun. Granted the speciality drinks leaned towards the sweet side, they did make us our usual libations the way we enjoyed them. Extra kudos for their kimchi fried rice which is delish!
Our second visit was for a dressier dinner for the 7 of us ladies. We rocked our teeny tops, tight jeans and stilletos like nobody’s business. We were told that despite a lot of ladies being dolled up when dining there, they were able to easily sense California. Now whether that was good or bad remains to be seen.
The menu is very reminiscent of fancy fusion fare that one would get in Vegas or LA. High prices, teeny portions. And maybe, given our barely breathable attire, that was the wise way to go.
They have a large enough menu to cater to varying tastes and sensitivities. Particularly, I tried the short rib buns, wings, more kimchi fried rice, pork belly, miso cod and ishiyake steak. The dishes were, for the most part, just okay. They weren’t great nor were they terrible, though I will admit the 3 orders of miso cod we had were overcooked and not buttery as expected.
The steak was fine, cooked to a nice medium rare but a bit on the tough side.
Overall, we had a pleasant evening, factored moreso by the company and the booze versus our palates.