kann

Top Chef celebrity Gregory Gourdet looked to his heritage (he was raised in New York City by parents who had immigrated from Haiti) in developing this beautifully designed restaurant that, thanks to a tidal wave of critical acclaim, is now one of the most sought-after reservations on the West Coast. Everything that comes out of Kann's kitchen bursts with flavor and color—think lightly seared butterfish with lemongrass, mint, and green-apple shaved ice, and cane syrup–glazed breast and leg of duck with pineapple and tamarind. Reservations are a must, and it's advisable to book at least a couple of months in advance.

Kann is by far the biggest Portland restaurant opening in the past couple of years. Maybe that has something to do with a former Top Chef contestant in the kitchen, or the fact that they smoke their own meats over a live fire. We think it’s because the Haitian-ish, family-style meal here always feels like a party—and one you’ll never want to leave.

At our 2022 Restaurant of the Year, star chef Gregory Gourdet has built his dream restaurant, a gold-accented fantasia of house plants, well-dressed diners and abstract art evoking a Caribbean sunset. Fizzy pink cocktails sail through the room as Gourdet and his team conjure a near-mythical vision of Haitian cuisine from behind the long chef’s counter, with dishes traditional and imagined charred to perfection on the kitchen’s roaring hearth. Here, taro root fritters, braised-then-fried griyo pork and soursop shave ice make a persuasive argument that Caribbean food deserves the same respect Portlanders give to Italian, Japanese or Thai.

If you’ve read this far down a new restaurant list, I’ll assume you’ve either already heard about Kann, the new wood-fired Haitian restaurant from “Top Chef” star Gregory Gourdet, or have spent the last few years living under a rock. Gourdet, who first announced plans to open a restaurant of his own in 2019, explores the flavors of Haiti, where his parents were born before moving to New York. The restaurant is gorgeous, with white walls, gold accents and open sightlines throughout the dining room and kitchen, where Gourdet can be spotted finishing plates of epis-rubbed chicken or smoked beef ribs with herbs and oil.

Kann is a gluten free and dairy free restaurant from Gregory Gourdet (of Top Chef fame) in Portland. We have now been three or four times (at the time of writing), and it’s generally the place we bring friends from out of town who are visiting for a special occasion (birthdays, mostly). They cleaned up in terms of 2022 awards, with places like Esquire and the Oregonian naming them the best new restaurant in the country / in Portland in 2022, and have since been all over national restaurant rankings (including in the New York Times).

Kann was named Portland restaurant of the year by Portland Monthly Magazine and The Oregonian, one of the 50 Best Restaurants in America by the New York Times and Best New Restaurant by Esquire Magazine. This Haitian and West African restaurant, owned by Gregory Gourdet, a James Beard Award Winner and a celebrity chef, has created a menu that is dairy and gluten-free. They use seasonal, local ingredients to create classic Haitian and West African dishes and have incredible desserts as well.

Perhaps the most anticipated Portland restaurant opening this year, Kann by celebrated chef Gregory Gourdet honors his Haitian roots in warm, design-driven space. And to make it even more personal, Gourdet made sure the staff was trained by Dr. Bertrhude Albert on Haiti’s history and culture. On the menu, you’ll discover staples like Akra (root vegetable fritters), Griyo (twice-cooked pork), and pineapple upside-down cake (Haiti’s most famous dessert) gussied up with modern flourishes.

Nowhere is the cooking more personal perhaps — and the reservations harder to get — than at Kann, from Top Chef finalist Gregory Gourdet. A live-fire Haitian restaurant, Kann opened in August and was promptly named Esquire’s Best New Restaurant in America. Gourdet is particularly proud of the Griyo, which is “the national dish of Haiti” and involves marinating local pork in epis, orange, lime, and habanero, before braising it tender and giving it a quick fry.

This in-demand eatery demands a little planning ahead due to popularity but it is more than worth it to score the perfect birthday dinner in Portland for Haitian-inspired cuisine. Kann’s works with local ingredients to recreate island-steeped flavors for dishes like glazed duck with pineapple and tamarind and Haitian coffee-rubbed rib-eye. Larger parties can be hard to accommodate in the limited space, so this may be a better option for smaller celebrations.

website | Instagram | neighborhood: Buckman, SE Portland ( get directions) | cuisine: Haitian | dinner only. I’m a big fan of Top Chef, so when I learned alum Gregory Gourdet was opening up a Haitian restaurant, I followed along and waiting for reservations to drop. This was smart in hindsight, as now reservations sell out in minutes…especially since they were named on NY Times most exciting restaurants list in 2022.

Kann is not only one of Portland's best restaurants, but it's also arguably the most challenging to get into, too. Top Chef alum and James Beard award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet didn't only bring Haitian food to Portland when he opened Kann; it seems he also brought a piece of his soul. The dishes are masterfully constructed, and we love that the cocktail menu features several innovative zero-proof cocktails.

Located in the Buckman neighborhood, Kann introduces Portland diners to the vibrant and flavorful world of Haitian cuisine. Under the guidance of an award-winning chef, the menu is a celebration of Haiti's culinary traditions, brought to life with modern flair. Dishes like warm plantain muffins, cornmeal porridge, and exquisitely smoked beef rib are prepared with a focus on authentic flavors and ingredients.

Kann brings a spectrum of tantalizing flavors from the African, Caribbean, and Southeast Asian diaspora!. The menu will feature an irresistible mix of traditional Haitian fare as well as dishes inspired by the cultures around it. Be ready to take your taste buds on an immersive cultural adventure – Kann promises to be Portland’s first Haitian-inspired dining destination not to miss!

It is a city that can be overwhelming white, so it is counterintuitive that it has great in its food. If you love Southeast Asian food you would be in the same city as the super-restauratuer Akkapong Earl Ninsom, and eating Southern fried Thai at Hat Yai or drinking something sunny and enlivening the bar at Eem. Everytime I even think cocktails and Thai BBQ I feel something inside!!

One of the most-anticipated restaurants not only in Portland but in the country until it opened in 2022, Kann, the first restaurant from James Beard nominee and two-time Top Chef finalist Gregory Gourdet, has been making headlines since its debut. Its menu, described as “Haitian meets Pacific Northwest,” has garnered rave reviews. Address: 548 SE Ash St, Portland, OR 97214

James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet fuses Haitian heritage with the bounty of the Pacific Northwest for dishes like crispy taro fritters and twice-cooked pork. The entire menu is gluten-free and dairy-free, with plenty of vegan options.

Gregory Gourdet, the chef at Haitian concept kann who won the best in the Northwest award, urged attendees to continue building diverse and women-led teams. He also called attention to food insecurity.

Chef Gregory Gourdet’s wood-fired Haitian restaurant Kann — one of the most sought-after reservations in town — debuted as Kann Winter Village, serving multicourse menus in outdoor yurts.

Show off your ability to plan ahead by snagging a hard-to-get reservation at Kann, aka America’s “Best New Restaurant” in 2023.