Wajan

Last updated
Wajan
Wajan logo.png
Wajan
Restaurant information
Owners
  • Feny Lim
  • Ross Grimes
ChefFeny Lim
Food type Indonesian
Location4611 East Burnside Street, Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, 97215, United States
Coordinates 45°31′24″N122°36′55″W / 45.5232°N 122.6153°W / 45.5232; -122.6153
Website wajanpdx.com

Wajan is an Indonesian restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. It operates on Burnside Street in the northeast Portland part of the North Tabor neighborhood. Chef Feny Lim and business partner Ross Grimes are co-owners. The duo opened the restaurant in 2019. Wajan has garnered a positive reception and was named one of the city's fifteen best restaurants by Fodor's in 2024.

Contents

Description

The Indonesian restaurant Wajan operates on Burnside Street in the northeast Portland part of the North Tabor neighborhood. [1] The interior has murals as well as woven mats on the ceiling. [2] One painting depicts the Jakarta Kota railway station. [3] Another mural depicts Javanese hand puppetry. One sign in the dining room has the text "Selamat Makan", which translates to "bon appétit" or "good eating". [4] The restaurant has a patio. [5] Eater Portland 's Brooke Jackson-Glidden has described Wajan as " a tour of Indonesia’s greatest hits, like gado gado and rendang". [6] The menu includes banana, coconut-rice, and corn fritters as well as dishes with stir-fried pork belly and potato. Wajan also serves curry stews and shaved ice. [2] The nasi campur has curried jackfruit with green beans, eggplant and hard-boiled egg, fried tempeh, and puffy rice cracker. [7] The teri kacang has garlic, palm sugar, peanuts, and shallots. [8] Willamette Week has said Wajan's menu "emphasizes multiple components on a single plate". [9]

History

Gado-gado at Wajan Gado gado - Wajan.jpg
Gado-gado at Wajan

Plans for Wajan were reported by Eater Portland in December 2018. [10] [11] The chef and co-owner [12] Feny Lim (or simply Feny) [5] [13] opened the restaurant in June 2019, in the space that previously housed Laurelhurst Cafe and Mike's Drive-In. [1] [3] She operates Wajan with her business partner Ross Grimes, who also manages the bar operations. [14]

A car crashed into the patio in 2022. Two people were arrested for the incident. [5] [15]

Pasar has been described as a "snack-focused Indonesian spin-off" of Wajan. [16] The two have also been described as "sister" establishments. [17]

Reception

Michael Russell included Wajan in The Oregonian 's August 2019 list of Portland's 40 "most notable new restaurants of the year (so far)". [18] Karen Brooks and other writers for Portland Monthly included the business in a 2019 list of seven restaurants "expanding Portland's food map". [19] Kay Kingsman included Wajan in a Fodor's list of the city's fifteen best restaurants in 2024. [20]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Russell, Michael (2025-06-06). "At Pasar, Indonesian snacks and pretty cakes are only half the story (review)". The Oregonian . Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  2. 1 2 Fodor's Inside Portland. Fodor's. 2020-04-07. ISBN   978-1-64097-251-3.
  3. 1 2 Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-06-12). "The New Indonesian Restaurant on East Burnside Is a Love Letter to the Country". Eater Portland . Vox Media . Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  4. ↑ "Two New Restaurants Are Making a Compelling Argument That Indonesian Cuisine Is Portland Dining's Next Big Thing". Willamette Week . 2019-07-24. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  5. 1 2 3 Wong, Janey (2022-08-26). "DoorDash Is Offering $20,000 Grants to Portland Restaurants". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  6. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2024-01-11). "Pasar Is Bringing Indonesian Market Meals to Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  7. ↑ Damewood, Andrea. "All Mixed Up: Gado Gado and Wajan Bring Indonesian Food to Portland". Portland Mercury . Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  8. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2020-02-13). "A Dish-By-Dish Guide to an Ideal Indonesian Feast at Wajan". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  9. ↑ "Indonesian Restaurant Pasar's Bite-Size Plates Fill More Than Diners' Stomachs". Willamette Week. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  10. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2018-12-19). "An Indonesian Restaurant Is Opening on East Burnside". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  11. ↑ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (2019-02-13). "Indonesian Fried Chicken Is Coming to East Burnside". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  12. ↑ Russell, Michael (2025-06-06). "At Pasar, Indonesian snacks and pretty cakes are only half the story (review)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  13. ↑ "Indonesian Restaurant Pasar's Bite-Size Plates Fill More Than Diners' Stomachs". Willamette Week. 2024-06-26. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  14. ↑ Wong, Janey (2023-01-17). "Pasar Will Bring Indonesian Snacking Culture to Northeast Portland". Eater Portland. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  15. ↑ "Despite a Car Crashing Into Their Patio, Beloved Indonesian Restaurant Wajan Is Open for Business". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  16. ↑ Russell, Michael (2024-09-09). "Portland snags two spots on Bon Appetit's list of America's best new restaurants". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  17. ↑ "Food Review: Pasar Is the Snack Sister of Beloved Portland Indonesian Restaurant Wajan". Portland Mercury. Retrieved 2025-09-23.
  18. ↑ Russell, Michael (2019-08-13). "Portland's 40 most notable new restaurants of the year (so far)". The Oregonian. Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  19. ↑ "Seven Spots Expanding Portland's Food Map". Portland Monthly . Retrieved 2025-09-24.
  20. ↑ Kingsman, Kay (2024-08-09). "The 15 Best Restaurants in Portland, Oregon". Fodor's . Retrieved 2025-09-24.
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