Biwa
215 SE 9th Ave Portland, OR 97214Phone: (503) 239.8830
Located in: Southeast Portland & near Northeast Portland - Visit Website
BarFly's Review of Biwa
A biwa is a “short-necked fretted lute” from Japan; this we expect, is some sort of noodle metaphor, but if so we don’t know how to complete it. Something about melody and swelling, maybe.
In any case, Biwa is Portland’s premier ramen/udon spot, housed in the old La Luna/Pine Street building that also has Autentica buried in it somewhere. Dining/drinking are casual, on those ubiquitous little square bar tables that seem to assume that you are dining sadly alone that night.
This ain’t college ramen, however; this is the real goddam deal, Chungking Express shit, with special guarded secret recipes, what old yakuza dudes slurp down as a last late-night meal before they get their brains splattered all over the menu by the mysterious lady stranger in the trenchcoat and sunglasses.
The secret to know is the improbably short late-night happy hour from 9 to 10. If you do it right, this could be a possible bridge in an entire night of happy hour crawling, from Valentine’s across the river (till 9), any number of 10pm-midnight restaurant happies, and Matchbox after midnight.
Why anyone would do this we don’t know, but we’re just saying: who the hell else has happy hour from 9 to 10? Well? You got an answer?
Handmade ramen and udon for $5 every night from 9PM until 10pm.
Hours:
Mon-Sat 5pm-close.
| Biwa's Happy Hours | |
|---|---|
| Monday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Tuesday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Wednesday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Thursday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Friday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Saturday | $3+ beers, $5 sake, $5+ cocktails, $1-4 food menu (counter only) 5-6:30pm $5 noodles 9-10pm $3+ beer, $5+ sake, $5+ cocktails, 9pm-Midnight |
| Sunday | Alas, no happy hour today. |
B-Side Tavern, Base Camp Brewing Company, Beaker & Flask, Doug Fir Lounge, East End, Galaxy, Hungry Tiger Too, Kir Wine Bar, Lovecraft, Mirakutei, Noble Rot, Rontoms, Rum Club, Slow Bar, Union Jack's
no beer/sake specials past 11 fri&sat and not past 10 all other days. they've pledged to send barfly an updated schedule with corrections.
