Oregon Culinary Institute

Wonderful frisée salad and a good pasta. As usual this place is delightful. Wish the bread had been warm and the butter soft– only critique this time.

Seriously the sweetest gift I could give my mom while back in town was bringing her here for lunch. We aren’t the type that is used to a really high brow, prix fixe dining experience, but eating at OCI was like a little slice of that.
First of all, the price point is INCREDIBLE. Granted it’s students that are running the kitchen and doing table service, what they deliver would normally be twice as much in a conventional restaurant setting. For $ 9 ($ 18 at dinner) you get an appetizer, entrée, and dessert, most of which are made with locally sourced ingredients and are seasonally appropriate. For our meal, we got a fennel salad and winter squash & pecan salad, bouillabaisse and butternut squash tortellini with wild mushrooms, and chocolate dream torte and cheesecake. Not one thing was a disappointment.
Drinks cost extra, but like everything else, are a fraction of what you’d pay anywhere else. Coffee for $ 1, Steven Smith Tea for $ 1, beers for $ 2 – 3, amazing wines for $ 5 – 8 a glass, amazing. The atmosphere is lovely, especially the open kitchen and the students’ hospitality as well as their teachers’.
If I still lived in Portland I would dine at OCI like every other week. We even decided to buy a gift certificate for my dad for Christmas, since I wanted to share the amazing experience with him, too!

Arrive by noon and expect a wonderful lunch experience. Monday through Friday, beginning at noon, lunch is served by the culinary students that labored to prepare and deliver a memorable lunch.
Today I started with the Roasted Winter Squash Salad artfully presented with sprinkles of pomegranate, walnuts, on a bed of frisée and a light spritz of maple vinaigrette. That smoky, rich squash made this salad the best I’ve had in some time. In keeping with the winter squash theme, the entrée was a winter squash tortellini tossed with chèvre, wild mushrooms Swiss chard and a bit of brown butter. The Chianti I chose was the perfect accompaniment for the perfect lunch.
In case you are wondering, of course I had dessert, a fluffy, yet decadent NY cheesecake and it was so good I don’t feel a bit of guilt.
The students serving us were so sweet and professional. Great job guys! They serve dinner too, Monday to Friday beginning at 7pm. You can bet I’ll be back for lunch again and will definitely try out dinner service.
Don’t forget to tip well as all gratuities go toward awards for those hard working students.
2015 — Review #83

LOVE everything about OCI…
We hosted about a group of 40 people that night and EVERYONE had a great time and meal.
We are doing it again in a few months.
I can hardly wait. :)

Second visit was 4 star–
Again great service but food was off the mark. Soup and dessert were terrific… Halibut not as fresh or cooked as well, and the chicken dish had some «spit it out» bites that were pretty low quality. Not sure if it was the meat or the preparation, but would not recommend the chicken based on this visit. Still, as a $ 9 place staffed by students, I’ll come again.

All the courses were beautifully presented, very tasty, and served within a reasonable amount of time. The waitstaff was friendly, helpful and seemed well-​trained. Overall, an excellent value. We can’t wait to return!

Not only was the wait staff incredibly kind and attentive, but this is the best priced delicious meal you will find in Portland. At no point did it cross my mind that my meal was prepared by students. Highly recommended to everyone! I will certainly be frequenting them!

O — omg
C — christ almighty
I — i loved it
Yeah so that’s really all you need to know…
For the price you really will not find a better deal. Despite all staff being students, it was absolutely delicious food with fantastic service.
Yum! :)

You get a 4 course meal for $ 18, which you can check ahead of time what’s on the dinner menu online. An appetizer, a salad, a main entrée and a dessert. This is a great deal… however…the portion sizes were a little small and the food is prepared by students. So… bottom line, you get what you pay for.
Food:
I was pretty happy with my creamed corn soup, the salad was not bad either, my main entrée of salmon tasted good, but there just wasn’t enough of it for me to be satisfied, and my dessert of angel food cake was decent. Overall, the food wasn’t bad, I just didn’t think I got enough of it.
Ambiance:
It’s a almost classy, romantic feel to the décor, which is nice if you are on a date night or a classy girl’s night out. There are huge windows to look out at the street so you can people watch. There’s also an open kitchen, so you can peek over to see what the students are doing. I would say it’s on the average, quiet side for noise level.
Service:
Just like the food is by students, so is the service. I wouldn’t say the service is bad, but I’ve had better. It just seemed like it could have been a little more organized and efficient. Don’t get me wrong, everyone was VERY nice and courteous, but it just seemed a little scattered. Our waitress would come over and seem like she wanted to take our order (she had her pen and pad ready) but then excuse herself and walk away. Then she would come back later and take just our drink order. Then she would serve us water and leave. Then she would come back with our drinks. Then she would come back later to take our orders… you get the point…
Price:
Cheap! For a four course meal, $ 18 dollars is not bad! But considering the portion size, it might not be enough food… so take that into consideration.
Overall:
It was an interesting dining experience, but because Portland has so many other restaurant and options and I just wasn’t impressed with my visit, I don’t think I’ll come back. Unless something really interesting pops up on the menu, otherwise, I think this might be a one time experience for me. But I do give the students props and wish them the best of luck down their culinary careers! Yay! Keep practicing!

Such a wonderful experience! The staff was so accommodating of my 8 month old. High chair ready at the table and they even chopped up fruit for her!
But for the adults! The food was so amazing! I had the potato and cauliflower soup as a starter and it was so silky and smooth. A little salty but still very good. My main course was the lamb shoulder stew with artichoke hearts and polenta… One of the most delicious stews I have ever had!
Dessert was a chocolate tort with raspberry sauce. To. Die. For.
By far worth way more than the $ 9! Especially because they use local ingredients and make everything from scratch (obviously). Can’t wait to go back!

I had an amazing four course dinner here for $ 22 (the cost is $ 18 for parties of 4 and under). The halibut and chocolate torte were my favorite courses and delicious! The service was a tiny bit awkward, but the students were friendly. I would return for dinner or lunch in a heartbeat.

That place is amazing. My boyfriend and I just went for lunch and were very surprised by the menu that they offer for $ 9. We didn’t have a reservation but they still found a place for us (for lunch you need to be there at noon sharp btw or a little earlier) and even if everyone was very nice there was a chef (his name starts with a W, but I can’t remember what it was :/​) who came to us and asked for our names and if it was the first time we were there, and he basically made our visit way better.
The students do a great job preparing all that delicious food, we’re looking forward to go there for dinner one of these days :)

No idea how you could give this place a bad review.
Yes at times the service is uncomfortable and awkward but let’s be honest everyone has to start somewhere. Considering some of the students have never done this before I give them props.
The food has been absolutely amazing every time I have gone. I usually go to the lunch service which I guarantee you cannot beat anywhere in Portland. For $ 9 you get a three course meal that is sure to astonish anyone who gives it a shot. Drinks range from $ 1 – 7 depending on what you order.
But seriously the price is unbeatable considering the quality of the meal. Everything is fresh and homemade. You will not be disappointed.
Be sure to make a reservation ahead of time as they can get pretty busy and there is limited seating.

Are you kidding me? I don’t know why anyone would give this place a bad review — it’s a school. And apparently a fine one.
I went for lunch and ordered the forest salad as a starter, the halibut entrée and chocolate torte for dessert. There were several options to choose from for the starter, main and dessert. I overheard others talking about the other dishes and they all sound amazing. The salad was very pretty with edible flowers and a great vinaigrette, but the halibut was superb. It was cooked perfectly, alongside some asparagus and fingering potatoes. Definitely a seasonal dish and delish. Of course the chocolate torte was amazing as well. And $ 9 for a 3-​course meal is incredible. I couldn’t have purchased halibut for that!
I thought the students were great and everyone was so friendly and I will recommend this place to everyone I know. Can’t wait to try the other offerings for lunch, as well as visit for the 4-​course dinner!

There’s no better way to learn than by doing. That is, except if you can learn from actual feedback.
Service ranged from awkwardly funny to embarrassingly awful, but the unfortunate part is no one is watching to provide feedback. A server was asked a question about the wines which she fumbled a BS response to. Another server carded everyone at the table, including those were clearly well into their retirement years. I recognize none of them are in the school to become a waiter, but front of house is such a critical aspect of the food services industry to learn, even if you’re intent on being a chef or line cook.
All of the food was pretty good, however. I had a lentil and kale soup, a well dressed butter lettuce salad, and a beef dish. Desserts were okay.
Prices are excellent for what you get. Approximately $ 25 for a 4 course meal? I’ll take it.
There were no feedback cards provided so we could help the students improve. As someone who worked in the industry for 12 years, I would love to see these students grow and succeed.
I would gladly go back here again.

Being honest here.
Food is mediocre.
Atmosphere is mediocre. (a little too bright for dinner)
Service is. welll… its not your 4 star restaurant quality but I give the students props for trying their best. It can get a little awkward at times cause I can tell they are nervous but its actually quite charming. Nobody is a born rockstar. :p.
I had a good experience there and I would give it another shot if I had the chance.

I have been here a couple times and gave it a second chance because I was convinced the first horrific experience was a fluke. I was wrong. Food is utterly forgettable. The service from the students is understandably so-​so. What was unforgivable was the service from the managers. The manager was down right rude, told us they intentionally run out of food, and said he didn’t care how the food or service was. Seriously?
I am surprised by the number of positive reviews and my first reaction was that they were fake. In a city full of great food, don’t waste a meal here.

It was a wonderful dinner! I know they are still students, but I’d like to give 5stars!
The 4 course dinner were so tasty. Our server was not a professional, but he was a kind and a honest person, we enjoy it.
I ate Grilled pork with cauliflower purée, my husband ate Lamb shank with squash.
The pork was excellent!!! Soft and juicy… you should try it! I don’t even like cauliflower, but the purée was yummy… I thought it was mashed potatoes.
About the Lamb, actually I am not a big fan of Lamb, but it was yum-​! :D I could eat more than my husband. :P
Dessert, beautiful. I tried OCI chocolate torte, my husband had apple tart. Both were so yummy~! Even though we were already full, it was yummy. I would like to try to eat Crème Brulee next time!
I definitely recommend this restaurant to my friend, family (I already did!) and I would love to go there another time.
One thing… other people say same thing though, If you are in a hurry or really staving, you shouldn’t go there, because it is slow food, not fast food…
I think it was one of the best I had in Portland!

«How does it taste?»
Well, that’s a question I’ve asked myself often when walking by here, and a question our server literally asked at least 5 times. And the answer is: pretty damn good! When factoring in that the 3 course lunch is only $ 9, I would go so far as to say it’s the most complete lunch in town for the value.
As others have noted these are students that are learning on the job so that is something you need to accept in advance, in order for it not to get to you as it concerns the service. After awhile it actually becomes a bit cute. The staff made almost every little mistake you could think of (I made a reservation but they didn’t have us listed, we weren’t carded when ordering alcohol, they gave my entrée plate to my friend and her’s to me, they asked if I was done with my plate as I was literally still eating off of it, they tried to take my friend’s water glass before she was done with it, they grabbed our tab to take back before we paid, etc).
But, they always made sure to ask: «how does it taste?» Honestly I’m not complaining, in fact we smiled after each instance and it oddly became a part of the positive experience for us.
Make no mistake, there were no mistakes or oversights when it came to the food though. It’s practically criminal to pay this little for what we got. There was bread while we waited to order, 4 starter options to choose from (soup/​salad), 4 entrée options (I had the chicken thigh, which was far superior to what I make on my Foreman Grill) and for dessert a chocolate torte or cheesecake (see pics). Definitely as high quality a meal as any place that would charge 3 to 4 times as much.
The Culinary Institute is on Jefferson just a couple streets away from where it turns into the 26. It’s only open 1 hour for lunch and 2 for dinner. I feel it may be the best hidden secret in the area.

The only real decision is whether to apply a sliding scale when grading my meal. Do I judge them against other restaurants in the area as an equal? Or do I think that would be an apples to oranges comparison, since the meals served here are essentially practice for the Culinary Institute’s students?
Based on the earnestness of the students, the goal of the program and the price of the meal, I’m feeling generous. Restaurants strive for consistency in service, but here you are going to get more variation than usual. So for every diner having a fantastic meal, there are likely going to be those that fall below the line.
The experience is basically on par with visiting a new restaurant during their soft opening when they train their staff and work out the kinks. Only here, that is the norm with a rotating batch of chefs in training.
It was clear from the beginning, that this isn’t your average dining experience in Portland. There is one lunch seating at 12:00p and reservations are recommended. You are eagerly greeted by a student who shows you to your table and pours you water from a decanter. So they are learning front of house service too.
Lunch is a three-​course meal for $ 9 and you have a few options to choose from as your Starter, Entrée and Dessert. What a sweet deal! Dinner is served Monday-​Friday at 7pm. It is a four-​course prix-​fixe meal for $ 18.
I selected the Pan Roasted Prosciutto Wrapped Fig, Brick Oven Pizza with caramelized onion, roasted apple, pancetta and sage with gorgonzola cheese and the OCI Chocolate Dream Torte from the Late Summer Lunch Menu. Each dish was good, without every being great. The wrapped fig in particular was a bit of a disappointment. But, they were all trying so hard, I just wish I enjoyed my meal a bit more.
It is an open kitchen, so you hear the students receiving instruction and it is all quite interesting. There were no Gordon Ramsay-​style histrionics that day. But, there were many apologies in the form of, «Sorry for the delay» or «Your starter will be served after/​or at the same time as your Entrée», etc. My bill was incorrect, but fixed with a smile. Again, this is all practice for the students.
So, I think it is a good experience, as long as you approach it with an open mind and have a little bit of time. Since there are multiple courses and the time line is a bit fuzzy, based on how service is going that particular day, it isn’t a good choice for a quick meal.
I would definitely go back again, but unfortunately lunch is practically impossible since taking that amount of time during the week isn’t usually an option. The restaurant is also closed on the weekend.
The other thing to note is that the parking situation isn’t ideal. Goose Hollow can sometimes seem like the Bermuda Triangle to me and the restaurant is surrounded by 1-​hour parking. You need to venture a few blocks away to find a 2-​hour zone. Also, if you visit for lunch, it is next door to Lincoln High School, so you’ll get to see a flood of teens on the streets heading to Subway and Starbucks. Oh, the memories.