When I saw the announcement, I knew I had to pony up the cash: Janis Martin of Tanuki was going to take over the kitchen at Kenny and Zuke’s for a Sunday Dinner, and they were going to provide her with a goat.

If you haven’t experienced what Martin does at her humble Nob Hill izakaya, then you are missing out on some of the best and most interesting food in Portland. She has slowly cultivated a cultish following of regulars who crave nothing more than the wonderful salty morsels that come out of her kitchen.

The ex-Chicagoan spent time in some of the most storied kitchens in the windy city and supposedly relocated to Portland to help launch Sel Gris. Though she didn’t wind up working in Sel Gris’ kitchen for whatever reason, their loss is certainly our gain. When Tanuki is open, Martin is serving up ingenious creations that perplex and please the palate. Hers is adventurous food for adventurous eaters and drinkers.

And the secret is that she does it all with a couple of hot plates and a griddle.

So when you hear that Janis Martin is going to be let loose in the cavernous kitchen of Kenny and Zuke’s, it’s best if you just pick up the phone, dial the number, and give the nice lady on the other end all the information she needs. It will be worth it.

When Kitty and I arrived at Kenny and Zuke’s on Sunday night, I was surprised that there were even a few empty seats. But it was no matter, we had the pleasure of joining a lovely couple from Seattle (more on them later) and a lovely local couple who were members of the Eating and Drinking Society of Oregon.

The couple from Seattle had brought with them a wonderful bottle of Sake to share (thank you!), and pair with dinner. The bottle had been recommended to them by Martin specifically for this evening. They confessed to being Tanuki fans and told me that they made it a point to make the drive from Seattle to Portland to eat there a couple times per month.

We talked for a bit about Portland food, of which they were very knowledgeable. They seemed happy to report that in their foodie hearts and minds, Portland was certainly a better food town that Seattle: more adventurous, more affordable, and less snooty. Tanuki was just one of the many places they lauded, but it remained their favorite.

As the small talk went on, the courses began to arrive at our table. It started simply with tender edamame and quickly progressed to bowls of kimchee. There were two types of kimchee and both were delectable. This is amazing comfort food. I’d curl up with a bowlful of the funky fermented cabbage any day.

Next on the list was a jellyfish salad. Kitty and I had just had the pleasure of eating jellyfish salad the night before at (a soon to be reviewed restaurant). We’d both enjoyed the curious texture with its odd rubbery crunch. But while the previous nights jellyfish salad had been all spice and garlic, Martin’s was softer, almost summery in flavor with a much less aggressive crunch.

The pigs foot soup followed. I’d almost classify it more as a stew with its mushrooms, scallops, gelatin, marrow, and pig knuckle. All the constituent flavors remained quite separate and alive in the broth, making the dish a wonderland of texture and flavor, warm and dynamic.

Two Korean dishes came. One was a savory pancake filled with savory mysteries and topped with a killer aioli; the other was dduk boki, comprised of soft cylindrical rice cakes, a luscious deep red sauce, and steamed mussels. The dish nearly brought a member of the Seattle couple to tears—she was from South Korea and this was food that whispered into her heart.

But the coup de grace was the duo of meat dishes that finished the meal. The braised pork belly simply melted on the tongue and the goat was perfectly tender, with a smoke that lingered on my palate until well into the evening.

We were all reluctant to leave the table once the dinner was finished, and we lingered hoping for just a bit more. It wasn’t because we were hungry—in fact it’s doubtful any of us could have eaten another bite—it was because we were in love with Martin and her food.

For those who attended, I believe this will be a dinner that stays lodged in their memory for some time. At least until Martin gets a bigger kitchen. But until then, I know I am content to sit in tiny Tanuki just waiting to see what she’ll come up with next.