¡OBA!

Last week my boyfriend's first student got his pilot's license. To celebrate, his student treated us to dinner and drinks at ¡oBa! restaurant in the Pearl District. Woah-wee! Because I am a foodie, along with the other foodie's of this blog, I had to check out the menu beforehand to get an idea of what I was up against.

Looking at their website, ¡oBa! touts their food as "neuvo latino". What the heck is neuvo latino? Well, executive chef Scott Neuman describes it as:

"...cultures and cuisines of the Caribbean and Cuba, go through South and Central America, up through Mexico to my roots in the American Southwest, interpreting these foods so that they may be enjoyed by people in the Northwest."

New York Times named ¡oBa! the best restaurant to eat at while in Portland, and Willamette Week named it Restaurant of the Year. After eating there, I can see why. This is how the night went:

Eric and I arrived early to have a drink at the bar and take the edge off since I would essentially be having dinner with strangers. He ordered a Hefeweizen (his favorite) and I was eager to try one of their mixed drinks. The Prickly Pear Margarita and Passionfruit Mojito were recommended to me, but I was drawn to the Cucumber Mojito. It was the perfect balance of mint and cucumber, not too sweet and not too strong. I got to munch on the cucumber slices and get a buzz! Definitely a must for warm weather (if Portland ever gets it).

After we finished, Eric's student Bobby and his wife arrived and we were seated at a table in the main dining room. It was very dark in the restaurant, and the noise level was at medium - but a perfect ambiance for the theme and style of the place. We all hit it off right away, and Bobby brought a couple bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon that the waiter uncorked - and continued to keep our glasses full all night.

For appetizers, we ordered the Crispy Coconut Prawns and the vegetarian Queso Fundido. Both were delicious, although the Fundido made me the happiest and there was plenty to go around.

Being the vegetarian and quinoa-lover that I am, I ordered the Enchiladas de Calabaza: roasted butternut squash enchiladas with a creamy walnut sauce and black quinoa salad on the side. I almost orgasmed upon taking the first bite - the suttle flavor of the squash combined with the texture of the corn tortilla and the rich, creaminess of the sauce made for one flavor explosion in my mouth. I was in food heaven. The quinoa salad was the perfect compliment; it was slightly tart and oniony, had a crunchy texture and cleansed my palate after eating a bite of the enchilada. Perfect.

With the wine almost gone and a steady flow of happy conversation, dessert was the natural next step. Bobby and his wife shared the ¡oBa! Baked Argentina, which they had had before (they said the meringue was what did it for them). Eric and I ordered a Coconut Cake drenched in dulce de leche, topped with toasted coconut and a zesty lime sauce. Again, perfect combination of flavors and textures. Cake: super moist and creamy, coconut: crunchy and suttle, lime puree: tart!

What a dinner. Think of all the best foods you've eaten in your life and multiply that by a million! Six days later and we're still talking about it. I plan on going back very soon to try as many drinks on their menu as possible, as well as try their happy hour menu (4:00-6:30pm daily,late night happy hour: 9pm-close daily, all day Sunday).

In case you haven't yet been convinced, here are some more reasons to eat at ¡oBa!:
1. Great atmosphere both at the bar and in the restaurant that makes you comfortable; not pretentious at all.
2. There are several options available for vegetarians, vegans and celiacs - woohoo!
3. ¡oBa! has been recognized by the city of Portland for their effective recycling and composting programs.
4. Chef Neuman and associates use local, farm-fresh Northwest products to create their fare.
5. IT'S ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!