Ración

Will not return! Food was good. Service was shitty. Snotty servers acted like they were doing us a favor by being there.
My boyfriend and I went in because it looked cool from the outside. The restaurant was almost empty with only two separate parties sitting inside. We were dressed just as (if not nicer) than the people that were there already! So it wasn’t a class thing.
Sat us right next to the entrance, we asked if we could sit at the other end of he bar. The guy said there were «reservations coming in soon“so he reluctantly asked the chef for permission, he sat us, then he blatantly looked at his wrist watch in front of us and walked away. Ok…, we ignore the rude asshole. We’re looking at the interesting menu and ask a different Asian female server about a few items… She acted like she was annoyed and had no idea about what she was talking about.
The chef noticed I was talking to my bf about the shitty service and was super nice and started to talk about the menu and cocktail items and all that good stuff and was just plain NICE!!! That’s all we wanted. Needless to say we still tipped the minimum 20% But we won’t go back.

Five star food, but I wish I could give TEN STARS for service.
I’ve been to Ración twice now, both under less than ideal circumstances. The first time, I was just dog tired and didn’t want to walk anymore that day. So seeing as how I was staying at The Indigo, I went downstairs with my husband to eat at Ración. It was near closing time and I expected to be not treated so well bc we were just squeaking in. Boy, was I surprised by the food and the service. We requested the little counter along the window. The server gave us the perfect balance of attention and privacy. The food was done with care, as though we were the first table of the night.
The second time we went to Ración, it was right after a failed and unpleasant experience at Grüner. I basically was half full and really just needed to have something unimpeachable to avert my now brewing gastronomic and emotional crisis. Again, it was near closing time but this time Hubby was already 4.2 sheets to the wind and he chose the counter at the kitchen to sit this time. First, the waitress and waiter handled Hubby’s questions and comments with aplomb. Second, omg, the food. I don’t like rhubarb and have eaten it upwards of 20 times in my life so it’s not like I never gave rhubarb a chance, but the way that Ración made rhubarb made me want to lick the bowl.
I can’t wait to go back!

This is a place that serve food that is small bites with big tastes. Being able to sit in an open kitchen and watch Chef Anthony Cafiero work to serve us the best food possible is such a treat.
We had stopped by because of the Portland Dining month, but we not only ordered from the Portland Dining Month menu we also order couple of extra plates. Each and every one of the plates were cooked and served to perfection. I could not ask for more.
I will not say this is traditional Spanish Tapas, but I like the style and the food.
The portions of each plate is truly small, but you do not visit a restaurant here to walk out feeling like a fat pig. You visit this restaurant to enjoy the food and the taste of the food. I believe that if anyone ever get a chance to make the reservation and try the restaurants you will leave this restaurant satisfied but not full.

My wife and I had dinner here and it was a very unique experience. This is an experience in flavors and textures not a big portion meal. We had 4 plates between the two of us and had room to get ice cream later. The Beet Salad was unique and the Beef Cheek very very tender. Staff is amazingly attentive and welcoming. The artistry of the plates is half of the fun. See the pictures posted.
The atmosphere is cozy for a bar setting and somewhat dressy. Go when you not starving and want to try tastes and textures that are unique and modern.
Recommend, Enjoy

[Big taste, Small Plates]
If you’re looking for some of the best tasting food in the city, look no further. However, there’s always a catch. I’m a self-​proclaimed hungry man and after a $ 60 meal, I was still hungry.
We stumbled on this place after an unsuccessful attempt at Tasty and Alder. The restaurant itself has seating for 40 with the majority of them being at the bar or around a large communal table.
After perusing the menu, I decided on 4 different dishes: Spanish octopus, waygu steak, albacore tuna, and chinook salmon. Each one was very very tasty but my favorite had to be the steak. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned with pesto and onions. Not that each dish had the same volume as 3 McDonalds chicken nuggets.
Service here was fantastic. They were very friendly and knowlegable about the food. They insisted on presenting each dish with a 45 second description — I felt like a judge on iron chef. They were very accomodating even letting us stay in the restaurant well after closing.
Racion is a chic little eatery with fantastic tasting food. If the portion sizes were bigger, it’d be a 5-​star for me.

With the impending closure of my current company, Portland Dining Month was welcome in March from June this year as a chance for me to explore on my limited budget restaurants I have always wanted to try. Let me say that Racion was a dining experience. Take Top Chef and all that fun gastro science, add a tasting menu where the staff explains to you every gluttonous bit of food and poly science that went to create it.
First the décor, minimalistic open communal place and u-​bar around the kitchen with bamboo and teraneums.
Second, we started with the potato soup which first they displayed an explained the herbs and parsnips in the bottom of the bowl, next pouring over it a luscious not heavy, but savory potato soup. The second dish was a sous vied egg on couscous, by far my friends stated this was their favorite dish. Next the sous vied and then seared waygu. Boiling meat in a bag of water at precise temperature and duration, evenly spreads the medium-​rare texture of tenderness, sear it before serving and its perfection.
We went for the chocolate ganache dessert too served visually on a slate plate with pumpkin ice cream. Heaven!