A live-fire restaurant in Portland, Oregon, offering Haitian cuisine with Pacific Northwest ingredients, led by James Beard Award-winning Chef Gregory Gourdet.
Award-winning chef launching a new venture in New York.
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Last updated: 8/1/2026, 5:07:53 AM
Key Information
Kann is a celebrated live-fire restaurant in Portland, Oregon, helmed by James Beard Award-winning Chef Gregory Gourdet. It offers a unique culinary experience by blending traditional Haitian cuisine with the bounty of Pacific Northwest seasonal ingredients. The restaurant is known for its vibrant, modern ambiance and exceptional cocktail program.
Customer Perception
Customers consistently praise Kann for its spectacular food quality, unique Haitian flavors, and inventive cocktails, including excellent non-alcoholic options. The service is frequently described as excellent, knowledgeable, and attentive. While the ambiance is generally considered beautiful, warm, and modern, some reviews note that the dining room can be overwhelmingly loud. Reservations are highly recommended, often weeks in advance, due to its popularity as one of America's top restaurants.
Additional Details
Kann offers nationwide shipping of some of its signature dishes through Goldbelly. The menu is seasonal, reflecting the availability of local ingredients. An automatic gratuity is applied for parties of 5 or more.
Kann is open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. Given its popularity and status as a 'Top 50' restaurant, booking reservations weeks in advance is essential, especially for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.
Wife and I went to Kann last night for first time. It was our first time trying Haitian cuisine and were we both pleased by the food quality/quantity and service there. Our awesome server Chris recommended to us that we order 5-6 savory dishes. Below is what we went with:
Appetizers: Akra, Griyo Twice cooked pork
Sides: Rice/Beans, Peanut Creamed Greens
Entrees: Cauliflower, Bbq Ribs
Drinks: Souf Twopik, Kowosol (we don’t drink alcohol)
Dessert: Baked Haiti
First off we enjoyed all dishes we had. Wife and I have opposite food preferences (she heavily favors Asian food where I heavily favor Cajun and Latin food) but if I were to call out what we both thought was exceptional, would be the Akra, the Cauliflower, and the Kowosol.
Wife generally thought drinks and appetizers were the highlight, whereas I thought drinks and mains were the highlight. We ordered rice and beans to ensure we would be full. It turned out we didn’t even need to order them (we were stuffed lol). The cool thing about the greens and baked Haiti was that those two dishes were totally new to us. However Kann was able to take those new dishes and give us a delicious introduction.
Wife is Thai and I have tried spicy food competitions.The spice level of the Cauliflower is 7/10 for people who like spicy food. The portions of the sides and entrees (if pork/beef/chicken) here are pretty decent. I would say do your homework before coming here and don’t sleep on exploring new dishes here.
Was excited to finally snag a reservation to this restaurant! My first ever time trying Haitian Food and I can say I was not disappointed! I have to say my favorite dish would have to be the griyo twice cooked pork, which was delicious and packed with flavor. The ambience was amazing and so were the mocktails. Bill can definitely add up especially with the automatic gratuity for parties of 5 and more. Really loud in here so definitely more of a group setting because it can be kind of hard to hear. Glad to have experienced one of the top 50 restaurants in North America.
5
Amazing place. Everything from the food to the service was excellent. It was really crowded when I went so it was a little hard to hear the server. When each of the dishes came out the server explained in detail about what it was and where it was sourced. They also came to explain the menu at the beginning and the specialties. My favorite was the Akra, I also really enjoyed the griyo. For dessert, I got the shaved soursop ice. The combination was excellent, especially the cream that it came with. I thinks the flavors of all the dishes I tried were amazing and I will be coming here again in the future.
3
★★★½
As one of America’s Top 50 restaurants, Kann often requires reservations weeks in advance, so I was excited that we managed to get a table just a few days ahead.
We actually drove several hours through the mountains from the Olympic forest in the rain just to make this dinner. Unfortunately, traffic made us about 15 minutes late, but the staff were accommodating and still seated us.
After the meal, my overall impression was: it’s a decent restaurant, but I personally don’t quite understand the “Top 50 in America” level of hype.
The menu is seasonal, so dishes change regularly.
Highlights:
* Asparagus Salad – One of my two favorite dishes of the night. The Haitian Epis seasoning and roasted peppers gave it a fresh, vibrant flavor with a gentle, lingering heat. Light, refreshing, and beautifully balanced.
* Twice Cooked Pork (Griyo) – Tender, flavorful pork served with crispy fried plantains, avocado, and pickled vegetables. The combination of textures and flavors worked really well.
* Cauliflower – Another standout and apparently the restaurant’s signature dish. Roasted cauliflower served with a coconut cream sauce. The spice builds gradually instead of hitting you all at once, creating a warm, lingering heat that complements the creamy sauce perfectly. Surprisingly memorable.
Less impressive:
* Smoked Beef Rib – The most expensive dish we ordered (around $120). The beef is smoked for 12 hours and was certainly well prepared, but it didn’t quite live up to the price. It was slightly dry in parts and, while enjoyable, not particularly memorable. The roasted mushrooms on the side were excellent, though.
* DIRI AK SOS PWA – Rice served with a bean sauce, inspired by the chef’s childhood comfort food. I appreciate the story behind it, but the flavors were fairly simple and didn’t stand out.
The restaurant itself is beautiful—warm, modern, and inviting. Service was excellent throughout the evening. Every dish was thoughtfully introduced, and the staff were knowledgeable, friendly, and attentive.
My only real complaint is the noise level. The dining room was buzzing with energy, but it crossed the line from lively to overwhelmingly loud.
Overall, I’m glad we came. Kann offers a unique perspective on Haitian-inspired cuisine, and several dishes were genuinely excellent. While I personally wouldn’t rank it among the very best meals I’ve had in the U.S., it’s still a worthwhile dining experience, especially if you’re interested in trying something different.
If Google allowed half stars, I’d probably give this place 3.5/5.
5
Places like Kann are hard to find. Excellent atmosphere and service, the food is spectacular. There are many choices for vegetarians with just the right portions. Being a group we were able to sample a wide variety: the brioches, akra (yumm!) and plantain salad; cauliflower, beans & rice, legim and peanut greens.. finally topped with toasted meringue with fruit glaze, it was a sensory and culinary top-of-the-world experience. The cocktails were varied and great tasting.
The brightly lit cheerfully bubbly place set the expectations rightvm away for the very pleasant experience that followed. Shout out to our server Naomi who was amazing. One of the nicest restaurants in Portland.
Remember to book days in advance. :)