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    Soen

    5.0 (14 reviews)
    Open 10:30 am - 3:00 pm

    Soen Photos

    SOEN ATMOSPHERE

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    Fall Kakigori
    Miki M.

    This Japanese cafe is tucked away inside the cozy and kitschy Courier Coffee and it's adorable! There's only a small handful of tables so it led to a relaxing atmosphere. We ordered a couple of drinks from the coffee side and some food and shaved ice from Soen. We ordered a Tuna Mayo Norimaki and the autumn seasonal Kakigori (shaved ice). They are known for simple but authentic Japanese food and that really comes through in their flavors. The norimaki was yummy, the wasabi oil in it tasted fresh and paired well with the tuna inside. But the highlight of the meal was the Kakigori. The pumpkin and sweet potato purees on top had a natural sweetness to it. I love how finely shaved the ice was, the texture of the ice with the purees and toppings were such a great pairing. Highly, highly recommend!

    Ume-taku Norimaki + Buckwheat Tea
    Dana S.

    Soen/Courier Coffee is a small Japanese café. It's one café and one counter for ordering, so there is no functional distinction between Soen and Courier Coffee, I think the coffee menu and small baked goods selection is from Courier Coffee and the rest (norimaki, kakigori, and tea) is Soen. Kakigori is available seasonally - I was lucky that I visited during the last week of kakigori for the year. It's a pretty small space, a few tables tables inside and a few outside on the sidewalk. There's not much room for standing, but the staff will bring your food to your table so you don't have to stand around waiting after you order. The staff members were very nice! I got there 45 minutes before closing. They were out of most of the norimaki but had one ume-taku norimaki left, so that was what I ordered, along with an apple cinnamon kakigori and buckwheat tea. I really enjoyed the norimaki even though it wasn't my first choice. The pickled plum and radish gave it a big pop of flavour and the inari added some nice sweetness. Perfect interplay of sweet, savoury, and vegetal flavours. The kakigori looked huge but since kakigori is mostly ice it wasn't heavy or hard to finish. The apple cinnamon flavour came with a creamy sweet potato sauce, a shot of hojicha, and of course baked apples. It was a really interesting and unique combination of flavours. Very good. The tea was a nice warming accompaniment to my meal. I think for the high quality the prices were fair.

    Mary E.

    Im extremely happy I was able to visit Soen on my trip last week, it almost didn't happen. I've been seeing photos of the kakigori's for some time now and knew it was something I needed to try. Parking was a bit of a challenge but after a few tries we finally found a spot. The coffee shop itself is somewhat on the smaller side inside but there are a few tables outside. I wish I would have gotten there earlier because most of the food had sold out by then. I arrived an hour before closing so it makes sense. Next time though! I was lucky enough though to finally get the Kakigori. And wow wow wow. Yes.... So delicious so worth it. So many different flavors that pair so well with another. And a beautiful presentation. The girl I who makes them is truly talented. I also ordered a mocha latte and loved that they used good quality chocolate, not like other places that use syrupy sugary stuff. Overall I had a great experience and will be back next year.

    Matcha strawberry kakigori
    Cynthia L.

    Small kakigori counter that shares its space with courier coffee. Close to powells bookstore but tucked away on the corner such that it is still quiet/peaceful. They do sell savory nori rolls as well if you're looking for some food items aside from sweets. Limited tables and seating, but very friendly service. Coffee and baked goods from courier coffee also pair well and a good hit.

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    Charlie T.

    This place has some really good shaved ice! It's a small counter located in Courier Coffee. They also have small snacks to eat. We got the Hojicha Kokuto Kinaco shaved ice, and it was pretty good. I liked the hojicha flavor and the combo with sweet adzuki beans. It's a pleasant dessert that's not too heavy. It's definitely worth a try.

    Scott N.

    Awesome. All around awesome, especially on a hot day. Easy to get to and very friendly people too

    Tuna roll, tamagotchi roll. We already ate half of each!

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    1 year ago

    A really fun place to grab quality unique Japanese treats made from scratch. I enjoyed chatting with the owner who is very sweet.

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    MUSE Cheesecakes - Mini cheesecake

    MUSE Cheesecakes

    5.0(11 reviews)
    1.5 miBuckman, Belmont, Southeast Portland

    This place was amazing. Unfortunately, they close this location recently…read more .............................

    After drooling over their Instagram, I knew I had to go. To my dismay I arrived at something that…read moredidn't look like it was a cafe or even opened. I wasn't even sure I was at the right place, thought they were still transitioning from one location to another. Until someone who shared the kitchen popped out. I was told that I should order online and come by for pick up, and was strongly urged to do so because these cheesecakes were really good. When I saw that they were doing a contactless store front, I knew I had to go. This was my opportunity to try it. I texted the owner to ask if the flavor I had my eye on was available. I was halfway there before the owner responded that they had one slice of pandan cheesecake left. There are multiple forms of payment with a card reader, and various apps to pay with online which made this a breeze. The owner Kiana, even popped to introduce herself which I thought was so nice! The flavors here aren't your typical strawberry, chocolate, peanut butter cheesecakes, even though she does offer some variation of them. There's pandan, ube, lemongrass, ginger mango, passionfruit, matcha, guava, pineapple raspberry, and I heard she even cooks up something with the pickle brine from the other business that operates in that kitchen. I thought this would be one of those situations where the food won't look like the picture. The pictures are obviously styled, they look stunning. Nope! The food looked just like what was on Instagram. I am a long time lover of cheesecake, dare I say it's my favorite of the cakes. The condensed milk ube mirror glaze was a lot thicker than I thought it would be and held its form. It wasn't runny and goopy. Loved that it wasn't a sticky mess. The crust was very very thick, I've always wanted more crust on other cheesecakes. On the description, it says it's "jasmine scented almond shortbread cookie crust" slightly saltier than most crusts I've had, but still very enjoyable. I've only had the traditional graham cracker crust and I'm afraid this almond shortbread crust has ruined all other cheesecake crusts for me. I have been disappointed at a lot of places using pandan, because the flavor just wasn't there, not Muse cheesecakes though. Pandan was present indeed. I would have loved if it was a little stronger, but I think that would have overpowered the cheesecake. Each component of the cheesecake are so different and complex on its own. They come together in delicious harmony to make this beautiful slice. I grew up with a lot of Vietnamese food and pandan has a very special place in my stomach.. heart! I've never seen jasmine used outside of tea and condensed milk outside of Vietnamese iced coffee. Kiana definitely has a way with these ingredients and she's a cheesecake goddess! I really can't wait to try the calamansi, Ube, and whatever else is getting cooked up in this delicious kitchen.

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    Hawthorne Asylum - Nice that the full bar is finally open!

    Hawthorne Asylum

    4.5(196 reviews)
    1.4 miCentral Eastside, Buckman, Southeast Portland
    $$

    I have been looking for a food cart place like this and now I have found it. There is a welcoming…read moreatmosphere throughout the venue. Plenty of places to sit for solo diners to large-ish groups. Much of the seating is covered, and heated when the weather calls for it, and everything is kept clean. But people likely come here for the food, and this place doesn't dissapoint. There is a huge variety, from waffles, to Thai, to Sushi, Fish & chips, Mexican and so much more. There is even a bar in the back. I have to give a shout out to Smaaken Waffle Sandwiches. My partner had the chicken and waffle sandwich, and they were pretty happy about it. I had the Kid size PB & Bananas with honey, and OMG it was nummy. I took home half because it was a large serving. The waffles were perfect: crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. If you enjoy food cart dining, (or just haven't found a place you like), I encourage you to try this elevated cart dining experience. *I would caution people with mobility issues to not use the entrance at the corner, and use one of the other entrances instead.

    Very cool concept around here in Portland. Basically an area for all food vendors. Shared public…read moretables (covered). Clean the mess after yourself. It features diverse, global cuisine such as Lebanese, Mexican, Korean, Thai and more. I couldn't decide what to have. I circled it 3 times. So many options. It's vibrant and friendly vibes. Many vendors have phone texts option to alert you the food is ready. I enjoyed a lot. I could see myself go back to try more things.

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    Sweet and Salty PDX - Mini Pop Tarts

    Sweet and Salty PDX

    4.5(18 reviews)
    1.1 miIndustrial District, Buckman, Central Eastside, Southeast Portland

    This place is dangerous - you've been warned…read more TOFFEE The butter toffee is dynamite. I'll be sharing bags of this to my besties over the holiday season. It tastes like it was made with love so I'll be sharing the bag. PEANUT BRITTLE I'm obsessed with the peanut brittle, but it does have corn syrup in it, so small doses for me. It's crunchy, salty, and sweet. It's everything. But, I don't think my friends will eat it unless I take it out of the bag. I'd rather not share than to deceive. I do appreciate that the ingredients are on the bag though and have no buyers remorse. COOKIES I really like their cookies and appreciate the complementary cookie I received. My favorite is the white chocolate nutter butter. Also the 2oz chocolate chip; it was buttery, crispy and chewy in all the right places. I'm not a big chocolate fan but I like chocolate. This was perfect for me, but awakened my inner Cookie Monster. I love that they have 4oz and 2oz cookies. 2oz is a solid choice for me but the kids enjoy bigger cookies. Bottom line: I think you're gonna like this place if you haven't been here already.

    This sweet treat spot was the cutest bakery in town!!! When we visited we got to spin the wheel and…read morewe even won some really cool hats that we could customize - the owner was so awesome they shared some history with us and even let us take an extra after seeing how much we liked them. That was the nicest thing that's happened to us!! The cookies were also phenomenal!! I got a cupcake and I have been craving another ever since I will absolutely be stopping by again & definitely reccomend others to stop by for a sweet treat!

    Photos
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    Soen - japanese - Updated May 2026

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