David K.
Yelp
Swiss Hibiscus has its origins far from Portland, all the way in Hawaii, where Chef Martin Wyss opened Swiss Inn on Oahu. Now this family operation has migrated to Portland, and Swiss Hibiscus continues to serve homestyle Swiss and European dishes with love. After ordering at the counter, we were started off with two airy bread rolls, along with the famous Martin's Swiss Dressing (both the original and the spicy version). Each of the entrees came with an appetizer to start, and we got the cabbage salad (made with Martin's dressing of course); and a thick, warm Swiss barley soup with meat and vegetables.
And then came the entrees! The most "Swiss" dish, according to our server, was the Emince Zurichoise, which was thinly sliced pork loin sautéed in a decadent, umami mushroom cream sauce. The Szegedin Goulash was a flavorful, spicy dish of pork shoulder simmered with paprika, onions, and sauerkraut, and finished with a touch of cream. With the entrees, we also got sides of sautéed spätzli (egg noodles) and rösti (a round potato hashbrown), which both paired nicely with the saucy meat dishes. Overall, the food here was just average in terms of quality and flavor, though the service was amazingly friendly and charming, and eating here was getting a taste of old, classic hospitality.