Ki'ikibáa, Portland
3244 NE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97220
Ki'ikibáa is hidden on a small corner in Portland. It’s a very unassuming location and it is very easy to miss, even if you are looking for it. It’s biggest giveaway are the massive pictures of the great looking food on the windows. This is Portand’s best restaurant of 2023, so let’s get into it.
A Glimpse into Friendship Kitchen
As soon as I walked into Ki'ikibáa, it felt familiar. The small tables and booths, the smell of the Yucatan cuisine, the hustle and bustle. It all felt like I was back home in San Diego. This reminded me of the small taco shops I would frequent, in every good way I can think of. There is a small waiting area for you to stand in line to order food or while you wait for your food to go. Keep in mind that this place is incredibly busy once they received their award and food will take some time to arrive.
The Food
Admittedly, this was the first Yucatan style food I have had. While it was familiar in tastes, it had its differences than the Baja Mexican food I am so familiar with.
Panuchos: These were the star of the show. They are corn tortillas, made fresh, that once cooked on a flat top have a little hole poked into them. They are then filled with a black bean puree and grilled with a touch of oil. They are topped with your choice of meat. I went 3 panuchos, one pork, one beef, and one chicken. Admittedly, the beef was the best one. The char on the beef was very nice with a smokey flavor to it. It was tender, juicy and gave me a firm reminder of why I love this style of food. The pork and chicken were also good, but get the beef. Don’t forget to top it with the house salsa’s sitting at the table! 8.5/10
Pozole Verde: Pozole is, to me, a comfort dish. How some people think of chicken noodle soup, I think of pozole. It is warm, mildly spicy, filled to the brim and stuffed with goodies. Pozole’s trademark is the hominy in the soup. Everything else is secondary. Without hominy, it’s just soup. This pozole verde had a good amount of very tender chicken, tons of hominy, some onion and a few extras on the side. You want to make sure to add the tortilla chips they give you. It makes a huge difference. 8/10
House Nachos: The nachos were the special of the day. My wife and I are big fans of nachos. All the nachos, all the time. Unfortunately, these Nachos were a little off the mark. Not enough cheese was one miss and that really makes the nachos in my opinion. The meat was great as it was the same meat as the tacos and the toppings were good as well. Just a bit more cheese and it would have been much better. 7.5/10
The Price
Everything we had with tip came out to about $50. Not the cheapest place, but we did order quite a bit of food.
Your Turn to Decide
All in all, I would recommend you try this place if you are in the area or are passing by. Just keep in mind they are SUPER busy all the time now, so you might have to wait. If you want some great tacos or a burrito, you can find it here.
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