Williams’ Rockstar Thai Barbecue Bar Eem Is Now Serving Lunch

North Williams hotspot Eem has brought its tropical party vibes into the daylight. The Thai barbecue bar started serving lunch August 1, complete with shrimp and rice porridge, fried chicken, and cocktails.

From the culinary dream team of Earl Ninsom (Langbaan), Matt Vicedomini (Matt’s BBQ), and Eric Nelson (Shipwreck), Eem has bathed in Instagram limelight since it opened earlier this year, still garnering massive lines most evenings. Now, dedicated diners can get started even earlier: The restaurant will serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, sticking to a truncated menu less focused on the barbecue side of things — likely because the smoker is still busy in the early hours of the day.

Lots of dinner favorites reappear on the lunch menu with new, optional twists: The chopped barbecue fried rice and fried chicken can now come with a crispy-fried egg, the field greens salad can get a hearty boost with chopped-up green curry sausage and puffed rice, and the late-night cheeseburger gets some textural contrast with the added crispy romano beans. Still, a few newbies appear on the menu; the most noteworthy is likely the Thai shrimp and “grits,” which is actually a rice porridge with shredded ginger, a soft-boiled egg, and large, gently charred shrimp.

The bar will be in action during the day, as well, though Nelson is still gauging the interest in day-drinking before he expands the menu. For now, the menu has three cocktails, including the popular mezcal slushie Jesus & Tequila and the rum-and-coffee drink Drugs. Of course, the menu also includes a number of non-alcoholic options, including three of its “clear-headed” mixed drinks, guava and mango juice, and iced coffee from Southeast Portland micro-roastery Cave Painter. Take a look at the opening menu below:

• Eem [Official]
• Eem [Instagram]
• Previous Eem coverage [EPDX]