Bhuna Restaurant Reviews

First, I got my best old fashioned ever here, with a homemade garam masala syrup. Beautiful with rye! The food was beautiful. Sauces were superb. I loved the mint chutney and the vindaloo. Finally, the lamb rogan josh was great. Prices good with happy hour savings. I found a new happy hour stop. Great service, too.

Good ambience and authentic Kashmiri food. Being from that part of the world, I can vouch for the authenticity of the Kashmiri vegetarian food. Don’t miss to order Lotus root fries and Dum Aloo. The kohlrabi dish is also a must as it is a staple food item of kashmiris. The first and only Kashmiri restaurant in town.

tomato and eggplant, also mushroom naan both decent, but the chana masala was fragrant/excellent....

My 2nd visit and I started with a snack of Lotus Root Fries with spicy mint chutney. These were excellent, almost identical in texture and taste to shoestring fried potatoes. I then ordered the Chettinad Chicken which came with rice and yogurt. The dish tastes very good. I also ordered a side of Kohlrabi & Collards which tasted like good comfort food. The interior of Bhuna is very Spartan and does not have sitar music or Indian music playing in the background and instead you get classic rock which is nice. Setup is a lot like Grassa in the fact you pay for your whole meal up front including tip. This is very advantageous in case you have time concerns to make it to a sporting, entertainment, concert type of event and need to be timely. I wish the Gresham, Fairview, Troutdale area had an Indian restaurant like this. Currently there are none. However, there are 4 including Bhuna in less then a mile radius in this area of Portland. Popular location but difficult to travel to during peak traffic hours and finding parking is pure hell. I recommend you eat at Bhuna if you are in the area. The food is very good.

At the suggestion of a friend my wife and I visited for a Saturday lunch. We frequent Indian, Pakistani, Lebanese and Middle Eastern places often. Bhuna is slightly more upscale with a clean and modern look. The owner has done a good job with a simple but delicious menu. I took advantage of the $11 Bowl and Beer Happy Hour Special. I had chicken. I think it also comes in a vegetarian. You get the bowl plus an alcoholic or non-alcoholic drink. I had the mango lassi (a bit watery but refreshing). My wife had the lamb (not offered on the happy hour special). The lamb dish was really yummy but not on the Happy Hour menu. I wish it was (even if they added a few $ to the cost). We enjoyed this restaurant and will return. Unique flavors and a clean upscale setting. Give it a try.

Was curious about Kashmirian food but not sure this is a good representation. I had the pork vindaloo which was tasty but I'm not sure the bowl style really works for this type of food. The naan had some shredded carrots on it which tasted fine on its own but was a little strange on the bread. The bread was also very bready, not typical of naan. Others had the vegetarian bowls and everyone thought the food was rather average. The other complaint was that everything was a little too salty which I had read as complaints from other patrons. The service was good and they seem to try really hard and since I live in the neighborhood, I hope they succeed but w/ so many options around, not sure when or if we would be back.

This is a small place with a limited menu. Food was good, but portions were a little small. You pay when you order, but can keep the tab open.

We were a party of 4 that had the Chef's selection. To say it was exceptional is an understatement. The flavors, variety, uniqueness, decor, cocktails & hospitality were above & beyond. This is the kind of holy grail authentic regional cuisine that we are always hoping to find on our travels. Many Mahalos to the Chef!

Really yummy everything, make sure not to miss the lamb slider, mango chutney & vindaloo. We had the thali & had a great time. Good flavors, fun cocktails & good service. Highly recommended from a British guy whose missed a good curry since leaving the UK!

Fantastic food and service, great value for money. Consistently excellent! Highly recommend, best in Paisley and possibly Glasgow. Make sure you visit you won’t be disappointed

My vegetarian diet was well served by this Indian themed restaurant. The nicely spiced glass with my lassa was fun. The braised potato dish, the tomato and eggplants, went well with Palak Pannier. Order at counter, quickly served to nice tables. Clean and fresh appearing place to eat before 21st St. Cinema.

The food quality is very bad. We ordered dum aloo, palak paneer, cauliflower curry, naan for pickup. All the curries had same watery Masala liquid(yes it was masala water) . Dum aloo gravy is supposed to be rich but here it seems like diluted. We also ordered some mushroom Naan, which had some of the worst mushrooms I have ever tasted, and I couldn't finish it at all. I would not recommend this place.

Bhuna is a local gem of a restaurant in NW Portland - the flavors are always fresh, creative, and obviously delicious. The quality of ingredients is worth commenting on too - awesome veggie dishes, perfect fluffy naan, excellent bowls. Space is lovely too - comfortable for a casual lunch or dinner but always a special experience.

What a hidden gem this is! It just opened this year and advertises itself as serving Indian Soul Food. Run, don't walk, and get there before it's discovered by too many people. They make their own tonic for the gin and tonics, and it's amazing. The menu is small, which I love, because that usually means everything is wonderful. Great place for vegetarians, although I am not one and thoroughly enjoyed our meal!!! You order at the counter and they deliver the food to you, service was very quick. Choice of tables or counter seating and the place is roomy and inviting. Can't get over how wonderful the meal was. We ordered a bunch of small plates (my description, not theirs) and every one was GREAT! Fried lotus root and vegetable pakoras - very different from other Indian restaurants, Their oil must be very fresh, and at the exact right temperature for the fried dishes to be so crisp, light (and not a problem at all for my reflux issue)! The masoor dal was pleasantly spicy and the kohlrabi/collard dish was fun. We also had the paneer dish, and I would guess they're making their own paneer. On top of all this, the prices are very low, so you can order one of everything and have a great time sampling. Lots of fresh herbs are used and the raita is fabulous. It's spotlessly clean, always good to find. They call it Indian Soul Food, but I would call it gourmet Indian at soul food prices. Love, love this place!!!!

Great location in NW Portland. Went for a quick lunch with coworkers (work at Legacy Good Sam, this is walking distance) and almost no one else was there! This is a get your menu, seat yourself, order at the counter but food is brought to your table. I had pork vindaloo, another person had lamb a third had several appy's. We were all happy with the food (spiced perfectly), turn around from ordering to service was very quick. Atmosphere was hip/casual. Super nice counter guy. I will certainly come back here again, easy to get lunch and back to work in 30 min's or less. Looked like they had a good to-go business too. Give this place a try!

Physically stronger, but still recovering from a cold, I decided to make the pilgrimage out to Bhuna on NW 21st. They have moved into the old space of Dick's Kitchen. The restaurant is very bare bones, very spartan in appearance. The abstract pictures on the wall remind me of what my mind looked like during my nervous breakdown: confused but with conformity. The ordering process here works the same as it is at Grassa. You order you food and pay for it up front. They program the tip in it for you. You go sit down and after a very short wait the food appears. First item out was my appetizer which was the Chickpea Battered Calamari with tamarind sauce and what appeared to be pomegranate seeds. The appetizer was amazing, although a very small portion for such a high price. It was the best part of the whole meal though. Outstanding flavor and the sauce so delicious. I ordered the Naan and it was the weakest link of the meal. On top of the Naan was shredded carrots in a sauce which seemed out of place with the Naan. Very weird. The Naan itself was more like pizza crust than Naan. The chef needs to run up to Siri on 23rd and they can show him how to do a proper Naan. I felt like conjuring Dr. Bombay from Bewitched, "Doctor Bombay, Emergency, come right away!" I ordered the Kashmiri Lamb Rogan Josh and it was very tender and the sauce had a slow heat to it. The more you ate the hotter it became with the Kashmiri chili. It was very good. There was also Turmeric Basmati Rice with a beautiful yellow color and good taste and to cut the heat they put a side of yogurt. I had Kashmiri tea to drink. It is a very small portion and cost 4 dollars so I would go with just a soda the next time. Service, besides them bringing out the dishes, is pretty much self serve. You even have to get your own water. I was still impressed for the most part with the food, but they could do much better with the Naan and maybe reduce the price on the appetizer or increase the portion. I think this place can get much better. I would love to see them hire some waitresses. I have a couple of women in my mind from my health club, but I should just keep that in my mind. Fantasy is so much better than reality. I highly recommend Bhuna to eat at and I would order any item with the exception of the Naan. Excellent place to take a date, especially if you are time crunched to see a movie or something because you pay up front so nothing holds you back from leaving as soon as you are done eating and the service from Kitchen to Table is very fast.

I have little experience with this type of food, but was delighted with my meal. The space is clean and spacious. The staff is very friendly and helpful which made ordering fun and easy. Our food arrived very quickly. I had the Pork Vindalu (sp?) which was delicious. It was served with a yellow rice and a yogurt element. We added Nana and Calamari which we all agreed was some the best we've ever had. I would absolutely return for another meal here.

This place is fairly casual with counter ordering and self service on water etc. the space is spartan and for me a little cold in atmosphere but that seems to be the trend. The lamb rice bowl was very tasty and perfectly executed. The prices are high for the quantity of food, but that is also the way things are going with the newer spots in this neighborhood. People were very nice and expect I'll be back.

One of my daughters is gluten free and the other vegetarian. We were blown away by the chick pea calamari. Our lunches did not disappoint. We were more than full when we left. The gentleman who helped us was so friendly and inviting. We had a pleasant and relaxing lunch.

Portland is losing so many wonderful restaurants—don’t let this little gem be one of them! PEOPLE, PLEASE VISIT BHUNA! The food here is exceptional. I’m sitting here now with an explosion of flavors swirling in my mouth. And, I can actually differentiate specific flavors in different places. The fresh, blood spices permeate the overall sensation so elegantly. The meats, cheeses, and vegetables are cooked and seasoned to sublime perfection. It’s almost too difficult to put into words. You can taste the freshness and the absolute skill these people employ into every dish, every time. I cannot say enough. If you love creative, profoundly flavorful fresh Indian food, you won’t only be pleased, you may be shocked. I can sincerely say, I have never had any Indian food quite like this. It’s a joyful, incredible experience. We food lovers, and lovers of our amazing culinary city, must battle not only covid-caused-closings, but also the greed of building owners that are destroying our food scene, with impossible rent increases—especially in the NW culture scene. Help stop it. Eat out. Support this and other exceptional, worthy restaurants

This was an unexpected gem with delicious authentic Indian food. . The owner was phenomenal with a chef who knew how to cook great Indian food. We started with lotus fries and chickpea batter calamari which included the tentacles, delicious. We enjoyed Jack Fruit in a coconut sauce with tamarind and chili sauce served with basmati rice, just the right amount of spice. Also had a Kashmiri Palak Paneer spinach & Indian cheese simmered with turmeric also served with basmati rice ground fennel & Kashmiri spices which was delicious. The last dish we had was a Kashmiri Tomato & Eggplant Indian eggplant fried & stewed with tomatoes, Kashmiri spices & musiard oil and basmati rice also delicious.