Kita Steak & Ribs

Trying to find another spot in Beaverton to visit while in the Portland area, we decided on Kita Steak & Ribs.  Located in a new residential development on SW Tualatin Valley Highway, the place features traditional Southern Vietnamese eats along with steak & ribs (like their name implies).  The place sports welcoming decor with a modern twist which also translates to the entire menu including cocktails.  We were excited to try the place out since it has received some local acclaim.

Right off the bat, we were served with one of the best dishes of the meal - Vietnamese Nuoc Mam Chicken Wings.  These were plump and gigantic with perfectly rendered skin.  They were super crispy and devoid of the dreaded flabby chicken skin.  Sweet and briny, the caramelized glaze was intoxicatingly delicious.  As for the chicken meat itself, we found it to be juicy and beautifully brined.  One of the best wings we've had in awhile!

We went for their Pho Kita Special as well.  This consisted of rare beef, brisket and meatballs.  As much as the broth was clean and had good natural sweetness and some aromatics, the rice noodles fell apart on contact (hence we used a spoon to lift the noodles instead of chopsticks).  Strangely, they weren't mushy per se, there was still somewhat of a chew to them.  It's just they didn't stay in noodle form.  The good news was that the meats were plentiful and tender.  Loved they also included saw leaf herb to the mix of bean spouts, Thai basil, lime and peppers.

The dish we were most looking forward to was the 28-day dry-aged 12oz Kita's Fusion Angus Ribeye.  This is what started it all where Chef Chinh started marinating his steaks at home and serving it to guests.  Now with a B&M restaurant, we can all enjoy these steaks as well.  Oh and did we ever enjoy it!  It was cooked to our specifications and was well-rested.  Hence, the meat was juicy and super tender.  It had been charred well, so that the caramelization was evident and the smokiness added depth.  Best of all, the marinade created a briny and aromatic flavor to every bite.  Hits of lemongrass and fish sauce were at the forefront.  One of the better steaks I've had lately (and I just went to Ringside too!).

Since their name also includes ribs, we got the Half-rack of Pork Ribs to truly represent their menu.  Using gigantic side ribs, this half-rack was thick and meaty.  I can only imagine how big a full-rack would be!  Meat was fall-off-the-bone tender while still maintaining a certain meatiness.  These BBQ ribs were coated with chef's special sauce that was tangy, sweet and plenty garlickly and gingery.  Nice fusion of Western and Asian flavors here.

Both mains came with a side and we subbed the mashed potatoes with Fries and Cucumber Salad.  Really generous with the metal bowl of shoestring fries.  They could also be had as thicker steak fries as well.  As for the ones we ordered, they were crispy and had some McD's vibes to them.  Nothing wrong with that!  As for the salad, the shaved cucumber were crunchy with a nice marinade that was tangy, sweet, aromatic and slightly spicy.  Really refreshing.

Onto dessert, we tried the Mango Strawberry Tiramisu which was only okay for us.  They did recommend the olive oil cake and maybe we should've went with that instead.  The Tiramisu was creamy and a bit fruity, but no particular flavor stood out.  Furthermore, the ladyfingers were a touch dry.  Now on the other hand, the rest of the meal was fantastic (maybe except for the Pho) and I highly recommend you come for the ribeye steak if you are ever in Beaverton.

The Good:

- The wings!

- That ribeye steak

- Nice people

The Bad:

- Pho noodles were fragile