Han Oak Reviews

The title says it all. If you want to venture out of the comforts of home food and try something new, Han Oak is the place for you. Make a reservation, since the line is long, but if you walk in the wait is worth the food.

Went here for a business dinner and it ended uo being an unforgettable dinner. One of the best things about a set menu is that it might make you eat something you typically wouldn’t order. Everything had amazing taste/flavor and the staff were very friendly. Would easily go back if I lived in Oregon.

Alright, this place is legit! First of all, the fact that you have to look for the door to get in is intriguing enough! Oh, and there is handmade pottery that the chef's wife has made for you to eat off of, I could go on! Chef Peter Cho curates an awesome menu and I recommend that you order from each section. Start with the kimchi and dumplings, then the fried chicken then the chicken noodle soup. Honestly, order all of it! This is how on point this chef has taken Korean food and elevated it to the next level. The atmosphere is lively, the staff is super helpful and friendly, and you can't help but look up into the kitchen and watch chef Cho create!

Honestly, I had very high expectations and was a little sceptic if HanOak would be really outstanding. What should I say, they convinced me. We did the chef’s tasting menu and all dishes were just great. No matter if meat or veggies, the menu is thought out, balanced, unbelievable flavorful, colorful, delicious (I‘m running out of adjectives, I‘m not a native English;)) The service was very comforting, and very well informed about the menu. I’m not allowed to judge if it is true Korean, however, it was the best dinner experience I ever had. Still overwhelmed :)

This small gem of a restaurant has a courtyard for summer seating and an indoor space with family-style tables and benches for the rest of the year. The ambiance is rustic, but the food is top shelf! Great noodles and wonderful flavors. It's a small, simple menu, but everything was delicious.

Someone in our group suggested this restaurant and it was the best food we ate while in Portland for a week. Exceptional creative food. We came here with a group of people and we ordered several plates. Everything was wonderful. The location was hard to find, but well worth searching for.

We love Korean food and came with a completely open mind, expecting great food at Han Oak. Having seen it on several "best of" Portland lists we tried quite a few dishes but were left completely underwhelmed. The Steamed egg (anchovy miso broth) was completely tasteless and had no yolk inside! The broth literally tasted like cooking water, no anchovy or miso flavor. The fried chicken was salty. The octopus waffle had me searching for the octopus or any octopus flavor...really too bad. The service was friendly, the atmosphere and ambience nice. I would say give it a try, maybe we just caught them at a bad moment.

We had a prix fix dinner which was priced at $45 per person on the weekends. The reservations had to be made a month in advance. After dining here I don't know what the hype is about. The first course was banchan with kimchee and vegetables, these were the highlight of the meal. The second course was the hand cut noodles in chicken broth. The noodles were doughy in texture. The overall taste was fine but nothing out of the ordinary. The main courses were a smoked pork belly and hanger steak. I did not like either of the choices and wished that there was one with either fish or chicken. But I did taste both; they were very low on seasonings and were very bland. The pork was served with rice papers and daikon. Beef was served with a red cabbage slaw and salad greens to wrap the meat. I requested the host whether there was something else that I could order. The host was very kind and accommodating. The chef made a special rice with chicken and kimchee. It was good. The dessert was a wine granita served with soaked strawberries. For some reason they had served green unripe strawberries on it too. Don't know what was the purpose of serving raw inedible raw berries? We couldn't eat them. When a restaurant charges $45 pp each course is expected to be well thought out. I didn't like the combination of the flavours. The overall taste of the food lacked layering of flavours. I have had better Korean food for much cheaper in Portland. Sometimes I wonder what the critics rave about. Definitely an over hyped restaurant. For a $100 meal including drinks it is not worth the money.

We went to Han Oak on a cold, rainy Sunday evening during Dumpling Week in Portland. I can't say too much about the dumplings.....they were terrific. We ordered all three choices: pork and chive, pork and kimchi, and braised oxtail. They were very tender and served in light, but flavorful, sauces. We also ordered the korean fried chicken, which was spicy and excellent, and the budae jjigae noodles, with spam, hot dog, and tofu. I was surprised, but the jjigae was outstanding, even though I am not a spam fan.The menu during Dumpling Week was limited, but I would definitely go back to try their full menu. The restaurant sits back from the street and is not well marked. It was difficult to find, especially on a rainy night. The tables are communal, but comfortable. The service was excellent.

I think this is our new favorite restaurant. Each course was amazing. I loved the casual family feel as well. Great place.

Unfortunately they closed due to the coronavirus after the dinner service. Please, please let them re-open soon. This is a destination restaurant. Plan your trip to Portland around it -- you'll never forget it.

This restaurant was amazing. The vibe is pretty eclectic -- cool but casual and super friendly. We got the tasting menu -- a steal at $55 per person. Cocktails were good and pretty creative. We literally loved everything that came on the tasting menu. Kimchi plate, brussels sprouts, dumplings, pork belly, noodles -- flavors were on point all the way through. Truly delicious food at super reasonable prices for what you get. We want to go again before heading home.

Everybody else has pretty much covered it: curiously fun location tucked away behind an orange door, excellent, upbeat, helpful staff, innovative cocktails, and bottomless appetizers. A table of three we all did the tasting menu (which at $59/each is an excellent price for Portland). The appetizers were a great start presenting a wide variety of flavors and textures; however, that's where the good news ends. The chicken wings were just that, panko fried chicken wings. Perfectly serviceable, but perfectly unremarkable. The steamed pork belly was just that, steamed fatty meat with some greenery and wrappers to make into little rolls that were awkward to eat. The short rib stew was a bland melange of fatty beef with rice-based tubules reminiscent of gnocchi but flavorless. The "Korean BBQ ramen" to finish was a mildly spiced bowl of fatty broth with noodles. We departed feeling if this represented Korean home cooking, it at the very least needed more spice(s). It wasn't a bad experience, but neither was it a notable entre to a style of Korean cooking.

An eclectic menu with interesting mixing of ingredients. The waiters seem to be trained to repeat the same things about how astonishing some of their dishes are. And yes, some are very good and inventive, but not all. For example their pastrami salad bathing in beef broth was exquisite, but their main dishes like octopus noodles were very basic despite the hype. Most dishes are pricey considering the small portions. But I would recommend it for the eclectic and different experience. Overall it is a good casual place to eat on shared bench tables by more than one group. The restaurant entrance is hidden and white discrete among houses.

We had a group of 30 or so with the place to ourselves. Preset menu was a fun twist to traditional Korean food items. They accommodated my vegetarian needs and presentations were small but delicious (loved the upside down bibimbap). Good pace of food delivery (tapas style) to the tables with a variety of local wines, 3 different Korean beers (Kloud, OB, other) and a soju cocktail that my colleagues fully enjoyed. Family style dining in a cozy and bohemian setting. Service was attentive and friendly with the owners mixing and conversing with our group. Expensive, yes, but the evening and experience was worth it overall.

Don’t look for a sign ... pay attention to the address. Small plates for sharing. The Onomiyaki on a waffle and the Pork Bo Ssam was excellent. The Freshman and Bellyrub drinks hit the spot. The group loved the food.

Family dinner, we must have ordered everything on the menu. All dishes were solid in taste and presentation, I wouldn’t say outstanding but certainly very good. Service friendly and attentive. Do not wear heels in case you get a table outside which has gravel, it almost ruined my brand new pair of black heels.

It lives up to the hype. Very creative dishes, great ambiance and whoever is on aux is killing it. Along with salt and straw it’s a Portland must.

If you have never tried Korean food, this place is a must. Nestled in the Hollywood district, this place lives up to it's hype. If it's your first time eating Korean, definitely go with the "set" menu. 11 delicious dishes. The wait staff is superb and does an excellent job explaining the dishes. I HIGHLY recommend Han Oak.

Four of us went and did the fix price chef's menu which includes nearly the entire menu. It is pricey- about $60 per person, but it includes the best of the best. The appetizers are bottomless. had them bring us more and more kimchi and the smashed potatoes. wow. bring more. The meat dishes have no comparison-- Pork Belly and Short Ribs were cooked and seasoned to perfection. wish they were all you could eat, but actually we were pretty full. I really liked the onomiyaki savory waffle, poached octopus, ginger, cabbage, bonito as I am all seafood all the time... Dessert was included and was pretty novel. Carmel corn is involved. Come hungry, do the fixed price, eat alot and enjoy. Full bar. they do have a small parking lot in front. THE ENTRANCE IS A BIT HARD TO FIND as it is in from the street. but find the lovely gem.

I love Korean food that is why we came here to celebrate my birthday. We all paid for a Korean BBQ which included fresh meats and kimchi sides, loved the pork and the Chive Dumplings in a delicious Black Vinegar sauce.

Two friends invited my wife and me to join them for happy hour at Han Oak, a charming Korean eatery at the back of a parking lot, tucked away among several buildings. We loved the place. The four of us shared the "banchan" small plates, featuring kimchi, smashed cucumbers, blistered beans and cherry tomatoes, and a cheesy corn salad with shishito peppers. Next, we ordered Korean fried chicken wings, veggie dumplings, and pork and chive dumplings. Feeling a bit gluttonous, we ordered yet more of the pork dumplings. You can't beat these wings and the dumplings are outstanding! So, Han Oak's food is fairly described as fabulous and service spot on - the wait staff is there when you need them and elsewhere when you don't. By the way, the cocktails were delicious, a perfect complement to the meal. We highly recommend Han Oak. A word of caution: the place is popular, so make reservations.

Great vibe and ambiance with service to match. Reasonably priced but we found the food to be average and not as spectacular as we expected after seeing recent magazine articles raving about this place. Since we didn’t have any of the cocktails, we might not be the right target audience.

Try to find the door but when you do go through it and have a magical experience! The dumplings, chicken wings, and noodle bowls are AMAZING! Best secret in Portland!

We were a party of four and opted to do the chef selection option. I would recommend this every time! They gave us more food than we could eat, were very attentive & described each dish in detail. I honestly felt as if i was sitting in someone's living room or on their patio... it was very homey and welcoming. The cocktails were delicious and this dining experince was the best I had in Portland, and probably one of my top ten ever! I recommend the dumplings, their soups were delicious and they served some sort of terrine with an egg on top.... to die for!

This little tucked away gem offers great food, a wonderful ambiance and attentive staff. I was shocked to see that less than 30 people have reviewed this restaurant. This Korean-themed eatery was on my "must visit while in Portland list." We showed up before the restaurant opened for dinner and were the first people to grab a table. The setting is unique and fun. Several communal tables are located indoors adjacent to the open kitchen and bar but the majority are located on a connecting lawn enclosed within a tall privacy fence. No physical door separates the indoor and outdoor seating; it is just one large flowing space. Multiple standing heaters were located on the lawn in case the weather got chilly. The restaurant filled up quickly, so I would suggest nabbing reservations if you have a large party or definitively want to eat here.....which you do! The food is meant to be shared. The menu changes frequently but on the evening that we ventured there, we shared the blistered green beans, hangar steak ssam served the authentic Korean style (samm bap) with leaves of perilla and chrysanthemum, the Korean fried chicken (must have dish) and the kimchi dumplings which were amazing. Kind of like a dim sum variation but with a kimchi and pork filling. Interesting cocktails are also offered. I really enjoyed the Korean Goodbye and Twisted Roots cocktails. We were too full to partake of the dessert.....maybe next time. Cant wait to go back and eat my way through the menu, and because the menu is always changing, you can just plan on returning often. Sad that I live so far away......

Our first dining experience was in December 2016. However, we have returned twice since! The menu is simple and a great value. It's a pre-fixe dinner at $35 with option to purchase snacks a la carte and drinks, of course. We prefer dining at the bar near the open kitchen where Peter, owner, or other cooking staff cut the noodles for the amazing "snack" kalgooksu (hand-cut noodles, egg drop chicken broth, scallion & soy chili sauce), definitely one of my faves. The place is located on the NE of Portland between two other restaurants but it's a mystery to find. "At the back of a small parking lot between Pie Spot and 24th and Meatballs is an orange double door — if we're open, push, it's unlocked!" Our first trip we were confused but took a chance, similar to Alice in Wonderland, on the orange door. :-) The door leads to a beautiful courtyard that I can imagine how festive in warmer months but there is a second door to open to the restaurant. The host, staff greet you with smiles. It's communal style seating and bar seats near open kitchen inside, what I believe to be, a former garage. There is a staff, and also family members who run the restaurant whether it be hosting, bussing, cooking, smiling, or looking after Peter's adorable son, Elliot. As you can see via website photos, the restaurant is friendly, bright, and welcoming -- it's like entering a dinner party with friends. Which makes sense since the owner and family actually live there. Ha! My drink menu favorites are the Tiger Mom and anything sparkling. What keeps me coming back is the Fried Cauliflower (spicy gochujang & tamarind glaze, bread & butter daiko). I crave this, like constantly. It's literally crack. Just sayin... Pork belly, hangar steak and sweet and sour potatoes are AMAZING!! My sweetheart raves about the blood cake with duck fried egg, but I'm not there yet. (I'm such a wuss!) So that just about sums it up. Great food, atmosphere, and fantastic service. If you have the time, try to find an opportunity to introduce yourself to Peter, his wife Sun, and other staff. They REALLY appreciate it. AND, as I write this, I just found out that Han Oak has been nominated as semifinalist for James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant! Well deserved. Bittersweet (may be tough to get resos now), but WELL DESERVED.

Sat at the counter for dinner, great service from the bartender. Most of the items were really well prepared and full flavored...Kim Chi only dish that seemed uninspired....wings great,..charred Brussels surprisingly really tasty....compressed butternut awesome...noodle soup well done...interesting cocktails really well executed

Super Tasty dishes. Super friendly staff, a true family establishment who take pride in what they do. I would love to see an expanded menu and a large location. They certainly will be successful in their endeavors.

With its unique and quirky atmosphere, we really wanted to like Han Oak. We knew the fixed-plate, fusion style Korean barbeque would be different than the traditional Korean food we were used to but it just was plain poor to average quality at best. The spicy kimchi was really good as well as the accompanying veggies. However, the short ribs and pork belly were grisly and tasteless with no spiciness or additional condiments on the side to spice them up. The rice was sparse. To top it off, the couple sitting at the same bench as we were at received exactly the same amount of food as the three of us (not that we were really wanting more of the same mind you)! The per person charge was definitely not commensurate with the quality and in this case, the quantity. The best part sadly, was the Occidental Pils they carry in cans. Great concept...poor execution!

Loved this restaurant - we went on a Monday night with no reservations and were able to get a table right away. The atmosphere is really wonderful, it’s in a rehabbed garage with communal tables and a bar overlooking the kitchen. Pork & chive dumplings were great. Hand pulled pasta also quite good. Highly recommend!

A little hard to find, set back and tucked between two other restaurants, we were greeted by the chef/owner Peter Cho stacking wood in the front yard fire pit! Such a relaxed friendly atmosphere,we ate at communal tables. Every dish was so flavorful and carefully executed.

Pro: Food is tasty Nice atmosphere Looks to be family run? Con: The menu is not expansive, in fact the foods served here are generally very common, and inexpensive in Korea. They are served here at a premium. (Although they are very tasty, if you are Korean, you may not want to bother. That is to say, if your expectation is that you will find something new, you won't. My summary is that the restaurant has done a good job marketing to the locals, i.e. Portlanders. They are serving comfort foods at gourmet prices. It is possible that the James Beard Foundation also isn't terribly familiar with Korean Cuisine.

We went on a Friday, the pre-fixe menu night, with optional snacks. The concept and the quirkiness were great, no problems there. I would rate the pork belly as excellent, and the smoked short-ribs as very good, the Banchan was good, the Bibim Naengmyun... not good at all, the wine and beer selections were pretty awful, and the food came ridiculously fast: seven dishes in under thirty minutes, and it wasn't just us, everyone around us was given the same treatment. Why would anyone charge $45 pre-fixe (most of the food is made well in advance) and then force-feed it to their customers? Really odd.

This is just an amazing dining experience. The food is handcrafted, more than delicious and one of my favorite places to eat in Portland. They make you feel like you are one of the family. Whatever you do, if you live here GO, if you are from out of town GO! JUST GO.

Was really looking forward to HO after reading an article in Food and Wine. Nice space w outdoor seating Restaurant is home to the chef and family as well So ambience is about a 9 to 10 Service , nice guy took care of us. Service is rapid fire and that's a bad thing Drinks came fast we got a tequila cucumber based cocktail. That was easily the best thing we had all evening We came on a Saturday and a price fix menu is your only option and you are encouraged to select other a la carte items to enhance the prix fix We ended up at 75pp. And we're done in an hour. No pacing what so ever The food is run of the mill and most of it was unsatisfying. I'm certain you could go to any half decent Korean restaurant and pay less than 1/2. The chef was in house but never came by to check on our table or those around us. But we did see him talking w family and friends No doubt a talented guy so that made our meal that much more disappointing. He cooked at the Spotted Pig in NYC so you know he's good.Great place. Also his kids very cute kind of run around the place playing with toys . So kinda cute , but not really when your out for an expensive dinner. So we started w roasted sweet corn w cheese , very good. Then some Kim chi bean sprouts and radish good but run of the mill We ordered dumplings a la carte, again good but nothing special. Shishito peppers , small average presentation. Didn't feel like natures bounty on that plate Then came a cold noodle dish in broth w brisket. Brisket was chewy fatty flavorless and was clearly supposed to be a highlight It was not next was a lettuce wrap w pork This was very tasty but fatty The last Main was a tiny flour wrap about 2 inches square w roasted pork and veggie to add. This was really bland and tasteless We left an hour after we started and 150/couple poorer , and headed to Salt and Straw for ice cream So many fun cool places within 100 yards we'd never come back. I rarely write a negative review but we felt like we were ripped off .... so if you decide to go and read this , it's not my fault. We also went to Bollywood and Jakes while in town- both were great.

I absolutely loved their food. We had the chefs plate, so we were able to sample almost everything on the menu. The staff was very friendly and gracious. We had reservations for 7pm and they were running a little behind with seating, so they comped our first drinks

Wow, what an incredible night. Mattie was our waitress and she was a complete super star!!! We were not sure we were going to get in because we did not have reservations, so we got there when it opened and got in. When we ordered drinks, I asked if they had any "sour beers" Mattie said they did not biut she wanted me to try one of the sparkling drinks "It's funky" she said. I am now a fan of j.l denois Cuvee Clissique Brut. Mattie expertly guided us through the menu, we started with the Korean Fried Romanesco Cauliflower, Amazing!! then we had an order of the Chive dumplings, Outstanding. Finally we shared the Korean Hot Chicken, this dish will be in my top 5 for a long time! No room for desert, guess we will have to come back :)

I have enjoyed several delicious dinners at Han Oak and joined the restaurant space for two special collaborative pop-ups as well - all of which have been fantastic. My father is Korean-Japanese and my aunt owns a Korean small plates style restaurant in Kyoto so I am thrilled that chef Chef Peter Cho and his team chose to open their exceptional Korean inspired pop-up in Portland offering an unpretentious, unique dining experience that encompasses truly artful cooking and tasty cocktails with fantastic Korean flavors, spices and fresh ingredients. The unmarked large door offers a fun speakeasy feel while the intimate interior of the restaurant has a perfect balance of swankiness combined with the warmth of a family-run ambience (you often see Peter Cho's adorable son exploring the restaurant with his grandfather in tow). There is communal and chef's counter seating and the outdoor courtyard offers fun additional seating in the warmer months which they have now tented for additional cozy, heated space in the colder months. The service is always wonderful, the pricing is very reasonable and the menu changes often so it is always an adventure. My guests and I have honestly never been disappointed and always leave with full bellies. Han Oak takes reservations via their website for the Friday and Saturday only dinners (weekly sample menus are on their website) which feature three-four courses that include several small plates such as Korean fried cauliflower, daikon kimchi, pork and chive dumplings, hand cut noodles in egg drop broth, koji marinaded pork belly or smoked hanger steak lettuce wraps. They now also offer a few a la carte dishes that can be added to the set menu too. The restaurant recently added a Sunday and Monday night dumpling and noodle house menu that I look forward to, as well.

Sublime food in an unexpected and comfortable space. You really can’t go wrong, this restaurant lives up to its considerable acclaim.

Came here due to its recent ranking in Esquire as one of the top new restaurants in America, left wondering if it’s not one of the top on the planet. We did the chef’s tasting menu and were glad we did. The combination of flavors and textures equaled anything we had ever eaten. Look forward to our next visit.

Great food, prepared with innovation, creating a symphony of flavors. My taste buds were cheering all the way home. My cocktail was also memorable !

We were treated to this meal by our daughter. Always fun to try new styles of food. Had a late reservation so limited our selections but what we shared was wonderful. Everyone talks about the tasting menu but so we may have to go back with a bigger appetite. I can't remember all the names of the dishes unfortunately but one of the buns and a noodle dish was fantastic. You really have to know where it is located and be somewhat adventuresome to try this place. Seating is family style so you could be sharing the table with strangers. It is also tapas style so sharing is encouraged but it does add up.