ōkta – KenScale

One of the best meals I’ve ever had in my life was at the original Atera when it was then helmed by chef Matthew Lightner. I haven’t heard much of Chef Lightner’s whereabouts since he left the restaurant for California until a couple of years ago when I heard of a new restaurant in Oregon’s Willamette Valley wine country that he will lead. As my wife Jun and I were planning a trip to Oregon in July (our first visit to Willamette Valley since 2019), I wanted to make sure that we visit ōkta (inside the Tributary Hotel in McMinnville) to re-live the magical moment that I had encountered at Atera 1.0. Not surprisingly, the micro-seasonal tasting menu from ōkta sourcing ingredients from its own farm and beyond in the Pacific Northwest was one of the best meals we’ve had this year.

Asparagus Wrapped in Cabbage, Fermented Truffle Sauce

Uni with Watermelon Radish, Miso Crackers

Caramelized Faro Waffle with Caramelized Onion

The elaborate snacks that greeted us in succession already made me realize that chef Lightner is still in his A-game, whether it’s an asparagus wrapped in cabbage (along with fermented truffle sauce), sea urchin with watermelon radish with a side of miso crackers, nettle leaf dumpling with fava bean or (my favorite) the caramelized faro waffle with caramelized onion. Each of these snacks was impactful in its own way and showed the kitchen’s deep understanding of ingredients. The plating of the dishes – from the snacks to the desserts all the way – was as expected from my memory at Atera beautiful across the board, reflecting the aesthetics of Pacific Northwest in a very polished manner without being pretentious. I’m not always a beets person but if I always had the dish like the golden beets from the kitchen, I would become the most devoted fan of the vegetable. The texture of the golden beets was perhaps the most memorable I’d experienced anywhere at a restaurant, and it demonstrated the level of mastery ōkta has in vegetables.

Golden Beets, Yogurt Based Dipping Sauce

Sturgeon Caviar, Collard Greens, Kohlrabi Custard

I’ve had a fair share of caviars at fine dining restaurants, but this was the first time I’ve seen it come together with collard greens (and kohlrabi custard), to create (to my great surprise) a remarkable effect of flavor and texture between these ingredients. Jun was a big fan of Dungeness crab with marigold oil, while I thought the black cod with steamed spinach and chrysanthemum broth was as good as any you would see at a top Japanese restaurant. Charred kohlrabi with chives and black truffle sauce was also a worthy highlight from the menu. One dish that Jun and I slightly disagreed on was the wagyu beef with shallots (with black carrots inside). The wagyu came with crusted coffee which I thought was quite novel and introduced new dimension to the beef, while Jun thought the coffee’s flavor somewhat undermined an otherwise perfectly cooked beef. For the desserts, my favorite was the amazake (sweet Japanese porridge) ice cream that worked beautifully with strawberry sorbet and strawberries. You probably wouldn’t typically expect to see a turnover at a fine dining restaurant, and therefore would be pleasantly surprised to see ōkta come up with its own playful take with strawberry and rhubarb jam.

Black Cod, Steamed Spinach, Chrysanthemum Broth

Charred Kohlrabi, Chives, Black Truffle Sauce

Considering the profile and accolade since the restaurant’s opening, getting a reservation at ōkta was surprisingly easy, and the dining room on our visit early Thursday evening was not filled until halfway through our meal when a large group of ladies in cocktail dresses showed up, seemingly more interested in catching up with their friends in what I think was a celebratory occasion than appreciating the amazing food coming from the kitchen. Perhaps it was just an off day at ōkta but I would’ve thought a restaurant of this caliber would’ve been a constantly packed West Coast dining destination similar to places like SingleThread in California. One benefit of us having a dining room almost by ourselves for a while was that chef Lightner graciously came by to greet and take a photo with us. The austere dining room with minimalist décor and vibe and facing an open kitchen was another plus to our experience at ōkta. If you are into wines like Jun and I are (after all, our primary mission in our trip this summer was to check out close to a dozen wineries in Willamette Valley, and we didn’t even bother stopping by downtown Portland at all!), ōkta would be a fantastic place to check out all the awesome Oregon wines from the cellar downstairs. When we asked for a bottle of Oregon pinot noir to pair with our meal, the wine and beverage director Ron Acierto (who seems to know pretty much every wine producer in Willamette Valley) came back with three bottles for us to choose from. After we were led down to the cellar for petit fours and a final dessert wine, I chatted with Ron more and picked his brain on wineries that we were planning to visit the following days. The cellar regularly hosts wineries from around the valley for special tasting events, too. This summer’s Oregon trip was fantastic for all the terrific wines we had tasted against the backdrop of tranquil and beautiful Willamette Valley, and I have a strong feeling that we will be back again in the next 2-3 years and ōkta will be the first restaurant we choose to visit again.