Lilia Comedor
Pacific Northwest restaurant (US) · Pearl ·
Creative PNW-Mexican fusion dishes, tasting menus, seasonal ingredients
Creative PNW-Mexican fusion dishes, tasting menus, seasonal ingredients
"Chef Juan Gomez and pastry chef Sam Cameron have created a rare hyper-seasonal, high-end Mexican restaurant with memorable dishes like Pork Collar Carnitas Gringa confited in its own lard on a roti-like flatbread topped with quesillo, asparagus aguachile, pickled ramps, wood sorrel, and viola flowers, and Zucchini Tatemado with grilled panela and chermoula roja; almost every dish is festooned with edible flowers from Pratum Botanicals, and desserts—from Mango Nicuatole to a Concord Grape Peanut Butter Tart—are particular highlights. The snug new location sits along the Park Blocks with extra seating next door at sister mezcal bar Comala, where pared-down versions of Gomez’s dishes are available." - Hannah Wallace
"Having closed its South Waterfront location on June 8, the restaurant is set to relocate into the former De Noche space at 422 NW Eighth Avenue." - Dianne de Guzman
"At this intimate, window-lined, South Waterfront restaurant, chef Juan Gomez uses Pacific Northwestern ingredients to develop an inventive tasting menu using Mexican dishes as jumping-off points. Menus change often, but on any given visit, a meal may involve Columbia River sturgeon tucked into an enchilada Suiza with wild onion salsa verde, or tamales made with house-nixtamalized masa and spring pea salsa. If possible, nab a seat at the chef’s counter, where Gomez happily offers context as he cooks. Sister restaurants República and De Noche are also worth a visit in their own right."
"At this South Waterfront restaurant, chef Juan Gomez highlights Oregon produce, game, and seafood in intricate, creative moles, aguachiles, and masa creations. Past visits have involved ahi tuna in an electric serrano kiwi berry aguachile, butter-poached sunchoke with black garlic matsutake mole, and octopus tacos with salsa tatemada and pickled gooseberry; for dessert, expect anything from angular shards of blueberry meringue to huckleberry panna cotta with corn blondie crumble. Tastings are $$90 to $110 per person depending on the menu, with reservations available on OpenTable." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
"The city’s Mexican restaurant scene leans toward overstuffed burritos and birria, and Comedor Lilia is a nice change of pace. Why not uni and nasturtium leaves paired with heirloom beans? The ambitious restaurant from República & Co on the South Waterfront is the answer for upscale Mexican food that goes deep into the hyper-seasonal Pacific Northwest thing. The menu changes daily, so it’s unlikely you’ll ever eat the same thing twice. You might see Hakurei turnips in mole or a carrot tlacoyo, moodily plated with pipian negro, black truffle shavings, and a pop of orange carrot foam. We recommend letting chef Juan Gomez take the reins and opting for the $98 tasting menu at the counter, and invite your Californian friend who insists there isn’t good Mexican food in Portland." - krista garcia
