Fantastic Fermenter
Fermented foods and (some) beverages can do wonders for your gut, and if you’ve been watching the progress of medical research these days, there’s a considerable body of evidence that directly ties the health of your gut to your expected lifespan and life quality. Manifesting this notion to a very appetizing end is Fermenter, the local and eclipsing offshoot of once popular vegan establishment Farm Spirit.
Eating for enjoyment and real health collide at Fermenter. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers
Growing directly out of the space Farm Spirit occupied on S.E. 16th and Belmont and featuring the same beautifully-experimental chef, Aaron Adams, the shift from Farm Spirit to Fermenter began with just four counter stools and lunch take-out in July of 2020. Occupying a tiny sliver of the larger restaurant and with a genuinely experimental thread running through, a collision of taste and health occurred, making Fermenter instantly addictive and smart. Still vegan and embracing on-site fermentation of all kinds of food and beverages such as kombucha, wine, and saki, Fermenter snowballed, and the decision was made to put all efforts into it.
Took the Plunge
I’m not a “vegan guy,” and I admit I’ve not dined on much vegan food. I like red meat, fish, and poultry, and a good, juicy burger or a well-cooked piece of steelhead. In fact, these are things I can and do dream about. So when my partner wanted to go to Fermenter for dinner the other night, a night where I was really (and I mean EXTREMELY) hungry, I was a tad bit worried. All veggies? How will that satisfy me today? My partner has always surprised me with fantastic restaurant choices, so I took the gamble and allowed my super-hungry self to try something completely new. I was not disappointed.
Dinner started with Grilled Vegetables with Mojo Verde. A recommendation of our server, this amazing fermented salad featured Grilled Delicata, Radicchio Luisa, and Purple Majesty potatoes dressed in kombucha vinegar and olive oil. Served with Mojo Verde Canario and fermented jalapeno, this was a stunning beginning.
The Fermenter Burger at Fermenter. I’m going back. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers
Of course, before the salad came, we had ordered three different dishes, one of which was a hamburger. I was still craving a hamburger because I had suggested that as an initial thought for dinner that eve. Game to try Fermenter, I was excited to see more than one hamburger on the menu and gave the Fermenter Burger a whirl. When the burger arrived, I was overjoyed on-site. It looked terrific, and the taste matched the look. Composed of a smoked onion glazed millet and lentil tempeh patty on a Dos Hermanos bun with miso sauce, lettuce, ketchup, pickles, tomato, and onion, this burger was tasty. I honestly could not have picked out this hamburger from Fermenter as “not being real” against a lineup of other “real” burgers; other than to say, post-eating, that it was better in some fundamental ways. I didn’t feel the gut bomb one might with a beef, bacon, and cheeseburger, yet I was crazy satisfied. And the taste, I’m going to be getting more of those.
The Cultured Kefir Cream Board. Zesty, crunchy, well-seasoned. A nice side dish indeed. Image Courtesy: Dan Meyers
Last but not least was the Cultured Kefir Cream Board. Consisting of cultured cashew kefir cream, fried shallots, lemon, herbs, and kombucha honey with baguette, I loved both the taste and the textures. The crunchy shallots were wonderful atop the thick layer of cheese, and the seasoning was on point.
Of course, Fermenter states well what they do best on their website:
“From beer and wine to bread and kombucha, all of our favorite foods are fermented and cultured. Think where we’d be without fermentation! No Kimchi? No Cheese? No Wine or Sake? No thank you. We specialize in fermentation from a fully plant-based perspective. We make tempeh, koji, kombucha, cheeses, and more all by hand utilizing only the best local vegetables, legumes, and grains.”
Fermenter also has a great tagline, “Welcome to your Friendly Neighborhood Beneficial Bacteria Emporium.” The probiotics in fermented foods set up your gut for improved digestion and provide several dramatic health benefits, most of which are largely unseen in other non-fermented options. Benefits include anti-oxidant, anti-microbial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, and anti-sclerotic effects. This article from The Cleveland Clinic dives further into the health benefits of fermented food. Yet getting past health, the truly amazing tastes available at Fermenter make it worthy of a visit alone.
Details
Fermenter website
Fermenter Values
Fermenter Dine-in Menus
Fermenter Location: 1403 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214