Every now and again, Meredith and I don’t mind having a meal that doesn’t involve bringing along the camera and thinking about every dish in regards to a blog post. Special occasion meals typically fall into this category, so when we tried The Honey Paw for the first time around my birthday, we did so without Map & Menu in mind… but ended up enjoying our meal so much that we spent the next couple of weeks thinking about a return trip with camera in tow to share it with you.

When it was announced that the trio behind perennial Portland favorites, Eventide and Hugo’s, would be adding a third establishment to their portfolio, there was quite a bit of buzz around town that The Honey Paw, a “non-denominational noodle bar”, would be a welcome new addition to one of Portland’s tastiest blocks, and after our first two meals there, we couldn’t agree more. Sharing more than just a kitchen, the restaurant pays the same attention to style, detail, and presentation that its sister restaurants are known for. The space is filled with natural light, warm honey-golden tones, and beautiful wooden accents like the large maple island and walnut Industry West stools. Similar to Eventide, the communal bars and table encourage social meals of friendly conversation with other patrons, while music pipes through the vinyl HiFi system.

As for that shared kitchen, we’ve yet to try a bite at The Honey Paw that hasn’t left us craving our next. The creative flavor combinations of dishes like the octopus poke with watermelon and cucumber are delightful, and plates and bowls of charred pork shoulder and wok fried rice noodles are savory and comforting enough that we hope they never leave the menu. On our first visit, the dolsot bibimbap, in which dry-aged beef was served over a heated stone bowl of rice that continues to fry and become crunchier long after the dish arrives, was one of those meals that will remain fresh in my memory for a very long time. In fact, the same could be said about both of our meals at The Honey Paw, and we’re certainly looking forward to adding more dishes to those memories on future trips.

All photos by Meredith Perdue for Map & Menu.