We at That Portland Life finally had the chance to check out buzzy Korean street food spot Revelry to celebrate Jessica’s birthday. Immediately upon entering, I could see where the reputation for hipness comes from. Between the wall of retro boomboxes, the graffiti stlye art, and the exposed industrial beams, this place feels like a cool, underground locale that could be in any city in the world.
We started, of course with a round of cocktails, my favorite of which was called Dear Mama, a bright and well-balanced combination of gin, green chartreuse, celery bitters, and Thai basil. The savory herbal notes were perfectly complemented by just the right amount of citrus, and the bitterness of the chartreuse was offset by just a touch of sweet. Another surprising delight was the Somaek, a create- your-own concoction of Soju and Hite beer that I didn’t anticipate enjoying and then found myself happily ordering a second.
One of my favorite things about dining as a large party is that we got to order almost every single menu item, and share it all family-style. The Moo Shu pork dumplings were an immediate favorite, done Rockefeller style with a rich buttery sauce that I wanted to pour over every bite of food that I had in front of me. The scallop fried rice was delicious and impressive in the way that somehow the rice itself, perfectly seasoned and dotted with pan-crisped edges, was the star of the dish rather than the bay scallops as one might expect.
The fried chicken lives up to the hype even better than I had hoped, crunchy and saucy, spicy and sweet, and still so tender that no utensils are necessary. Don’t miss out on the Dan Dan noodles as well- amazing housemade noodles, with crispy spiced pork sausage and tender greens- a dish that many at our table were fighting for down to the very last scraps.
The name Reverly is certainly apropos, as I felt like the vibe was ideal for our raucous, boozy, celebration crowd. Maybe not the best place for a quiet date night or to take your great-uncle from Topeka, but an absolute delight for festivities with friends.
If you have anywhere you think we need to try, let us know in the comments!
