din din

My husband and I and two of our friends were invited to a new years dinner, and having heard so much about Din Din, we were really excited.
We arrived promptly at 8:30, to find almost a full house of equally excited guests. I noticed that half of the room had a wine glass in their hand, but there was no one in sight to serve. The guests started pouring their own glasses of wine and wondering where the staff was, as it was now nearing 9.
There was a woman running around the kitchen like a chicken with it’s head cut off and we weren’t quite sure if it was the owner, the chef or the server, as she appeared to be the only one there. My husband and his friend went to the bar to get a glass of wine from this girl, and when they came back, they informed us that the dinner was cancelled. Thinking this was some joke, we stood there in disbelief, until we saw the girl going around the room breaking the news to people. The story was apparently that the entire staff got their times wrong (which is stupefying because it’s New Years Eve) and cancelled at the last minute. She offered free champagne to everyone, and the entire room was actually pretty cool about it, I think because we were all in disbelief. Then things got weird.
My friend and I went to the bar to get the scoop (and more champagne) as we actually felt sorry for this girl having to take responsibility. She started opening up every bottle of champagne in the fridge, and upon talking to her and watching her trying to steady the bottle over our glasses, it became clear she was DRUNK. She told us she couldn’t talk about the details, but it was a scheduling conflict and also a sensitive/​emotional issue. Then she dimmed the lights, cranked the Beach Boys, and mimicked a drunk conductor while the rest of the room was calling every restaurant in Portland seeing if there were spaces for all these hungry people.
We decided it was time to leave, but not after a little poke around the kitchen. There were pans on the floor and burnt food on the skillets.
As we were grabbing our coats, the server was aggressively pounding on and kicking in the supply room door. She was screaming the owners name, and other guests had informed us that the owner was there the whole time, as she locked herself in the dark supply room (and another Unilocal reviewer also had the same experience). As we were running across the street to our car, we noticed all the lights were now being turned off in an attempt to get people out of there.
Very strange experience, but again, the crowd seemed very cool and I hope they all found a great place to ring in 2016 (we did!)

Most importantly, if you receive an invitation or an email from a friend about eating at din din, you should never ever go. Din din is the most mysterious of supper clubs, in that they rarely get around to serving supper because I think the owner might be an agoraphobic lunatic that rarely leaves the broom closet. Or maybe Courtney is a cartoonish temperamental French chef that freaks out and refuses to cook unless conditions are just right, and apparently having a full house on New Year’s Eve, isn’t one of them. One thing about Courtney is that she isn’t great at hiring staff. The lone curly-​headed drunk lady she left in charge was having a difficult time explaining or making sense of the evening and the horrendous turn it was taking. I would drink too if Courtney were my boss, hiding in a broom closet, like a sad shut-​in or a mad franchy chef leaving me to explain to a room full of fancily dressed revelers that they didn’t have to go home but they couldn’t stay there.
Yeah, some days we’re all Courtney hiding in the broom closet, but last night, amidst the pounding and kicking and passionate abuse of the broom closet door followed by angsty curly-​headed cries of, «Court! Let me in! Court!» the Queen reigned supreme among the bathroom supplies at the din din supper club, and in a way it was awesome. But mostly it was awful and awkward and you should never ever EVER go to the din din supper club for any reason.

I went to a dinner/​supper club event with some friends, thinking that it would be fun to try something new. We were greeted very graciously at the door, and promptly served drinks. Things kind of went in to a death spin after that. The service just stopped. I am not sure about this, but there were reports that the «owner/​chef» had locked herself in the broom closet with the light off.
Whether that is accurate or not, GUESTS aka people who paid $ 25 to be there and be served dinner, proceeded to prepare food for everyone.
As we left, my friends hilariously said, it should be renamed «Din Didn’t»

Ambiance– excellent
Food– excellent
Service– inexperienced. Staff didn’t know prix fixe menu, as in, missed whole courses. We got a wine pairing… and they forgot, so we got 2 out of 3. Brunch pork loin was supposed to come with egg. She said «it does?», um yes– that’s what the menu says.
But the zinger was 2:40 minutes for brunch. I brought my mom and three small children! I could barely sit still. We finally let our kids play on electronic devices and the toddler fell asleep. Also, NO high chairs. Don’t bring your kids here.
Overall, great potential. The food really was spectacular, but the service killed it… and I’m still hungry.

2 and half hours for brunch. And we actually had to take our dessert because we had somewhere else to be…3 hours after our reservation!
Had to ask for water twice.
Had to ask for coffee twice.
They ran out of the Pork Loin (they knew the number of reservations so not sure why) and gave us chicken instead that was supposed to come with a duck egg. However, when we asked about said egg we were told it, «Was a typo.» Huh?
$ 38 later for each and I left with my tiny, tiny, tiny sliver of dessert and still hungry.
The food was good, sometimes great. But get it together people.

Amazing! Courtney knows what she is doing. She creates thoughtful delicious fare that is memorable delicious and not overdone. You are mad not to try this place!

Well, let me start by saying that I was surprising disappointed by Din Din. I had heard and read so many good things about this supper club that I thought they really would be a solid choice. This place has taught me the lesson to try the place before I invite friends to dine with us — I ended our night apologizing to my friends that I had brought with us for dinner.
The night started off fine — love the space — very rustic and a wonderfully appointed dining room. The wine was plentiful and generally well chosen Pinot noir and sparkling wine — this was one of the positives of our meal.
The staff was quiet, and seemed to keep their interactions with the guests to a minimum. They did provide nice and succinct explanations of the different courses.
The major problem with our dining experience was the food. The courses were extremely small and confusing. We were constantly waiting for something of substance, and left still waiting. The initial courses were were finger food and less than a bite. The pastis of chicken on endive was actually three bites but lacked seasoning. The chicken a blanc and salmon salad was probably the best course, but again less than two bites. I expected the chicken confit to be one of the larger courses, but they substituted a butter poached chicken — literally 3 very small bites of chicken. I understand that the idea is to produce a fine dining experience, but the food was really not that spectacular.
We all ended up going for burgers and desserts after dinner — we left the place starving.
Food: ²⁸⁄₄₀
Atmosphere/​ambience/​décor: ¹⁹⁄₂₀ — primarily because the bathroom is a journey to get too.
Service/​staff: ¹⁶⁄₂₀ — like the manager making the rounds and checkin in
Value: ¹²⁄₂₀
Total: ⁷⁵⁄₁₀₀

Very disappointing, I’m wondering what all the fuss is about?

Had a phenomenal meal here — great cocktails and delicious appetizers with a crowd of about 18 and then sat down to a great meal of lamb. Dessert was an amazing chocolate tarte with a crime fraiche ice cream. Other diners were a friendly and interesting bunch of foodies… chef and small team did a great job. Nice space too!

Our most recent experience with Din Din left enough of an impression for our rating to go from a 5 to a 3. It wasn’t bad per se, but it wasn’t what we expected based on our first time there a few months ago.
In a nutshell:
— Overall, the meal was not as inspired as our first time there. The dishes were definitely tasty but only one of them left us saying «wow» (mussel pesto starter).
— The service was so so. The server did not seem very knowledgeable about the food or wine being served. She did not interact with us other than to drop the food off. She also skipped over describing a few of the dishes and wines.
— The chef didn’t come over to say thanks for coming or talk with us about the ingredients or meal. She did last time, which is a nice personal touch, especially for a start-​up restaurant. Talking with the chef is something we enjoy in general.
— The «theme» of the dinner (games) was also not very inspired/​inspiring compared with last time’s «mini» Din Din, which involved mini menus, magnifying glasses, and neat table/​wall décor.
— There was no coffee service at the end. Last time there was, and this time it wasn’t even offered for an additional amount. It’s nice to have just to wake up a bit after a bunch of wine/​cocktails.
It seems to us that Din Din has pared down a lot since our last time there. There were only 2 people on staff, one cooking and one serving, when last time there were at least 3 or 4. This might have affected the server’s ability to do more than just deliver and take away plates of food. There was not as much generosity with food and drink, either. Last time there were 3 or 4 hors d’oeuvres, and this time there was one (albeit it was tasty).
If you set expectations the first time around for an amazing experience, you have to continue to live up to that experience, especially if your prices stay the same. For a $ 85 + gratuity menu, we have lots of other amazing options around town (Holdfast, Coquine, etc.) Unfortunately Din Din will no longer be on our list of places to consider. If it’s still around in 6 months, we’ll definitely give it another shot.

Din Din has lunch and brunch items weekdays.
I had a lunch of chicken salad and a cup of soup in the $$, not the $$$$, range, and it was well worth it.
The chicken salad had a light dressing, without vinegar, or over salted, which is a temptation. The main flavor note was tarragon. The chicken was jerked, not knife cut, a nice detail. Tasty, and of highest quality.
I like vegetables. But I view turnips with a suspicious eye. Nonetheless, I took a chance on a cream of turnip soup. Great flavor! And it was garnished with a nettle pesto, a local wild food, another ingredient I had never tried, and now know I like!
Salad, soup, $ 9 plus tip and among the highest quality lunches in Portland in the light French style. They have a very small beer, wine, espresso and non-​alcoholic drink selection.
I appreciate when a chef can flavor the food primarily by a variety of ingredients, rather than intense sauces, salt and the like. Din Din does, and does well, and I have been a critic of one restaurant that tries the same and does not do so well.
The day menu is extremely limited by the small kitchen of a startup small business. They are not set up for a lot of substitutions or dietary limitations. If that is you, strongly suggest you contact them in advance.
The Din Din space is modern with a set of country French-​referenced chairs. If you have a special event space in mind they hold 50 seated and about 65 standing, mingling. The tables are family style. You can see the entire kitchen from one end of the space.
Parking in the neighborhood is free, but a 2 hour zone before changing spots before 7PM.
Din Din is a great lunch and brunch spot weekdays midday hours, and a perfect quiet, elegant spot, with quality food, but low key atmosphere for a business meetup or romantic liaison. Get into Din Din now now before it’s overrun!

Like a few other reviewers, I attended the Meal of Mediocrity that featured Jacobson salts. Francene (who’s rejected courses I consumed out of sheer hunger) covered the menu exactly.
I don’t eat out at high end venues very often. This was a huge splurge for me. I delivered newspapers in the rain every night for a week to save up enough money for this meal. I left wanting to cry, that I lured my friend into this fiasco and that I’d blown my eating plan by consuming a mountain of bread out of boredom.
The entrée was shockingly inedible dried out chicken leather. I’VE never even made chicken that bad.
Our server, Dana, was a delight and the bright light of the evening. though the drink pairings were small and far between. She eventually took pity on our end of the table and hooked us up with our own little wine stash. Totally professional, not patronizing or sycophantic… just precious. The place is lovely and communal tables are always fun; we made new friends.
Did you ever read Man’s Search for Meaning? That sharing bread crust part? That actually happened.
Go to Din Din for an eating experience and leave with an existential awakening for the low, low price of $ 85.00 plus tip.

Dinner last night at Din Din’s, a supper club, was interesting. It was billed as an 8 course meal, paired with salts and beverages; come at 7:30 for drinks — dinner would start at 8:30. I think they were to ambitious; and it failed to deliver. The crowd was mostly hipsters, some mentioning that they had a baby sitter until 10:30 when the first course barely made an appearance by 9. Naturally, one of the pass around appetizers was a foie gras. No thanks.
local foie gras torchon & Jacobsen flake salt on pain d’épices with candied kumquat
baby radishes with butter, Jacobsen flake salt, brioche
roast cauliflower with smoked chile salt & crisp steelhead skin on yeasted cracker
The other two items were tasty morsels.
Hunks of rustic bread were piled high, and butter was plentiful. Flaky salt options were presented in oyster shells. Delicious; but let’s see some food, guys! It was a dangerous option given the slow start. They apoligized that they had lingered a bit too long, as there were 4 additional diners who were a no show. Then it finally began rolling out.
The first «dinner» course —
steelhead with bergamot oil & lemon salt
sunchoke with walnut oil & smoked chile salt
lamb with quail egg & Pinot Noir salt
The steelhead was supposedly «smoked» — but really — is was pretty much too «raw» for my tastes. The sunchoke –yummy, but I think the serving size of one teaspoon is disappointing — the lamb was sliced paper thin, and not cooked in any fashion. I think it could be looked at as a wet piece of red ledger paper that they had spent WAY too much time artfully arranging in the kitchen, which was in full view, we while hungrily anticipated the delivery. I asked Kitty if she wanted my «lamb» paper.
The second course —
sole wrapped with mushroom walnut duxelle on chard with beurre Dolin blanc & Pinot Gris salt offered great possibilities. It held so much promise. The actual delivery was a bit of the disappointment.
Then
coconut jasmine & sunflower tea sorbet with lemon salt. I believe we were advancing to tablespoon sized servings. Maybe they were taking pity on us as the night advanced.
the third course —
lemon salt roasted chicken legs, beet cassis agrodolce & butter poached potatoes with Jacobsen flake salt — was slightly cold, and rubbery. And by now, I’m pretty sure the couple with the babysitter was in trouble.
Next —
a tasting with Jacobsen flake salt, Hama Hama blue pool oysters & Netarts Bay salt water. Seriously, they went around and poured salt water into wine goblets. Okay, I get the association; but all that took WAY TO LONG. And really, what is anybody going to do with their goblet of salty sea water.
Finally — I my favorite course arrived
white balsamic-​dressed greens & Jacobsen flake salt and, much later, and rather a lonely little dish with
fresh goat cheese & lemon salt with Myrto figs. OH WHERE WERE THOSE HUNKS OF RUSTIC BREAD when you need them.
And finally. The dessert.
cardamom orange blossom île flottant & Stumptown salt. It was — hmm — odd. I offered my to my date.

Din Din for Valentine’s Day Dinner 2014! A fantastic evening — communal tables and we met some really cool people! The courses were FANTASTIC and the wine pairings were good and very generous:)!! The only ding:) on Din Din was that the dinner was 4 hours and 45 minutes. That is not a typo. At 3 ½ hours, it just became funny — we were numb! Reso was at 7:30pm and we walked out at 12:15am. Din Din wins my personal best for longest dinner sitting of all time. HUZZAH DIN DIN!!!

There are very few times I have finished a meal and just had to share a review. I was BAH-​LOWN away. early morning sunday, my in-​laws visiting, we thought maybe screendoor? we risked it. even at 830 there was a massive line. ok plan B to the Unilocal app i go. got it; din din. I am so glad for that line.
We walk in, immediatly greated with soft sumptious creamy butter filled aroma, gently coaxing your senses to wake up and be alert, this is serious business.
This is a feast for the eyes. When I say every detail? I mean every detail. The art installation to the antique cabinet they keep the flatware in, everything has been thought through for a complete experience. This doesnt feel like a restaurant, it feels like a little farm cottage youve come to visit, and ohai heres the most incredible food.
i think the reason im so excited about this experience is because its the best way to show someone the difference between eating and dining.
in total we probably were there 2 hours. we ordered pretty much everything on the menu.
im still in a glutenous euphoric haze, so if this description becomes too tangentle, please excuse my little musing.
so, without further delay lets get to the food.
first course– artisanal cheese de jour with brandied figs. cheese =always good. cant go wrong with a cheese plate in my mind. the figs were syrupy sweet, paired with an oaky goat cheese and mounds of fresh kens bread and creamy room temp butter.
radishes dusted with salt. sweet, spicey, crunchy tender little veggie treats. simple is best sometimes. highly reccomended as a nice palate cleanser, cause man is the richness coming.
second course–
toast soaked in honey and spices, creamy rich goat cheese, shaved ham. if theres more than one of you theres going to be problems sharing, this was absolutely my favorite. the texture and saltiness from the ham and that rich smoothness of the cheese, and the holy moly whats with the awesomeness of the bread, makes this my first pick.
main courses–
duck egg with foie gras omlette — made me see a little bit of heaven, and my friends its built with bricks of butter. so rich. so so rich youd think it was the queen of england.
chicken salad with poached egg — have you ever poached an egg? no. cause its really hard to do well. and now you really dont have to cause i’m telling you where to get the most perfect poached egg. youre welcome. the shreded chicken was moist and well seasoned. very enjoyable.
rabbit flaps omlette with casis and dark chocolate sauce — or as i called it happy easter! this my darling foodies is like, deathrow last meal type of a dish. it is all the things and more. there was a anisy lingering after-​taste on the rabbit, an omlette julia childs would have orgasmed over and endives careful drizzled with a emulsified vinegrette. the dish is a work of art.
last course — marmalade tart with crème fraise– even good marlmalade can be bitter, with strange bits of rind that arent plesant. needless to say, iam not a huge fan. but maybe its cause ive never had candied orange rind with apricots in a sturdy butter tart? cause if this is what marmalade is? im totally into it.
almond pound cake with candied kumquats– the cake was crumbly and on a drier side but really just the right touch to a spectacular meal.
so some things to consider:
dont rush your experience, go when you want to visit and catch up with some friends. order lots of stuff. it comes out at a leisurely eating pace. They are small plates but man i am blown out full.
this style of food and eating is not for everyone. you will not find big plates of gut busting heaps of gravy and potatos at $ 8. the menu is small and well thought out. dont be typical be a super eater! this is possibly the most impressed ive been with a portland dining experience. the surroundings, the service which by the way, outstanding. our server really gave that feeling of «you hungry? let me feed you sit down». the whole time realy i felt like i was in a home or like a bed and breakfast and having hospitality, a geniune surprise.
why are you still reading? you should be there right now. GO!

So far I’ve been here only for lunch (which they call fee fee, which maybe has something to do with pixies?) because it’s within walking distance of my work. But I’d like to come back here for dinner!
The fee fee menu (as of this writing, served 7:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday) is divided into two sections, both served all day: the breakfast-​slanted «Good Morning!» (e.g. poached eggs, crispy potatoes – prepared in French styles) and a lunch-​slanted «Good Day!» (e.g. sandwiches, salads, soups). Plus daily soups and lunch specials. Nearly all (or possible all) dishes are under $ 10.
din din’s lunch offerings strike me as a gentle Portland spin on classic continental European (primarily French influences), executed perfectly. Lentils du Puy with endive were themselves executed flawlessly, but little mountains of Bleu d’Auvergne elevated the dish to something sublime. Ham and Camembert baguette was unimpeachable – comforting with just enough funk. Lamb neck ragu was wonderfully rich and flavorful. Pan d’epices (like a soft gingerbread) with goat cheese, ham, and honey is a perfect combination of sweet (honey), spiced (ginger), rich (cheese), and savory (ham).
There is no better lunch in the area, and I’d happily cross I-​84 in pouring rain every day just to eat here. Celebrating simple but perfect food at din din is the perfect mid-​day respite.

Thank God for my amazing Brother for taking us here. Truly, one of my favorite dining experiences in quite some time. Words like superlative, mind blowing, orgasmic, bacchanal, extraordinary, did I say superlative? Yeah, Din Din does it right, with amazing themed dinners (we went for their Mini dinner) with plenty of food and whoa, plenty of drink. Various cocktails, beer, wines, spirits, Jesus everything!!! The food from start to finish was amazing, they began with little tiny tempured cucumbers and squash with some sort of delicious aioli. When we arrived they gave us all little baby lemoncello cocktails that were amazing. The hostess and server were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, just as people, let alone as restaurant servers. When you arrive they actually talk to you as though you’re human like they are, as opposed to the typical robotic «perfect servers» at fancy restaurants. They even spoke with our group before the meal began to ask if there were any allergies, vegetarians, or vegans in our group. They even created an alternate menu for my vegetarian/​pescecatarian wife. All the courses were excellent, but the standouts were the soups, the rabbit, and the pork towards the end. The drink pairings throughout were all excellent, but I opted to drink from their small but amazing beer list.
Plainly put, the only place in Portland that I’ve eaten at that’s as good is Beast. Last I checked it’s a bit impossible to get in there. If that’s the case head over to Din Din. You’ll get equally amazing food with even better service. This is such an amazing place. When I return to Portland I will be coming back here.

What a great spot for everything from coffee, lunch, dinner and brunch. They have a friendly staff and a great vibe in their space. The food is always fresh and leaves you wanting more!

Maryam is correct… This place will be packed and on everyone’s lips, very soon! Try them now, while it’s easy to get in… Solid, basic lunch menu, with killer lunch specials written on the window (in perfect bistro style). My rabbit and egg, herb petal raviolo was outstanding. The sauce was so deliciously distracting, it took away my ability to notice anything happening around me!

This place is sure to be one of those places with a long wait out the door — check it out before the crowds come!
I was looking for a place where we could go for a nice celebratory brunch on short notice, and came upon din din. We were able to get a table for 6 with no problem, which if you know brunch is portland, is nearly impossible.
Not only was it easy to coordinate, but the space was beautiful, the service was perfect, and the food/​drinks/​coffee were all amazing. I had the branzino which was incredible, some friends had the lamb crepinette and all raved about it, we all loved the pain d’epice, we all loved the grapefruit and smoked salt cocktail. .. essentially it was a hit.
I will definitely be back.