PORTLAND, Ore. — Alpenrausch in Southeast Portland and Pasar in Northeast Portland have been named in Bon Appétit's 20 Best New Restaurants of 2024 list, which features many new and rising restaurants across the country.
Alpenrausch was opened in 2023 by the founders of Olympia Provisions in Southeast Portland, and it's been recognized for its European influences ranging from the cuisine to the décor. It's all inspired by mountain life in the Alps: "Alpenrausch" represents the "exhilaration of the mountains and the pleasure of their new life," according to the restaurant's website.
The founders spent years apprenticing and working in the Alps to master the art of charcuterie and cooking, serving traditional staple meals like their golden pork schnitzel which "cradles spears of fresh asparagus" (per Bon Appétit restaurant editor Elazar Sontag), and whole trout grilled until smoke and bathed in beurre blanc.
Pascar is known for bringing Indonesian market meals to the Rose City, and its eclectic and vibrant unique dining experience celebrating Southeast Asian cuisine. Feny, the owner of Pascar, molds most of the menu after her experiences at the morning market back in Indonesia. That includes cap go meh, a Chinese Indonesian soup filled with small rice cakes made from steaming uncooked rice in banana leaves. And there's putu ayu, which is Feny's favorite pandan coconut cake. Pascar opened in 2023.
These two Portland eateries weren't the only Pacific Northwest restaurants to make the list, as Seattle's Sophon was also selected among the 20 other restaurants.
If you're looking to check out the award-winning restaurants, best to make a reservation — especially for Alpenrausch. Reservations aren't necessary for Pascar.
