This Beaverton location of the popular chain specializes in Mongolian-style hot pot, in which groups dunk slices of lamb, rib-eye, and wagyu beef into pots of broth. It’s best to get the restaurant’s split broth pot, with a bone marrow broth fragrant with alliums and cardamom as well as a Sichuan-spiced broth. It’s a fun, interactive option and shockingly inexpensive, with most meats clocking in under $15 per eight-ounce serving; the restaurant also offers an all-you-can-eat option.

Scoring a reservation at Langbaan is a special occasion in itself; they can be hard to nab, released monthly. However, those who can get a spot at the tasting counter within Northwest Portland’s Phuket Cafe will be rewarded with some of the city’s most inventive Thai food. Meals begin with crispy rice cups filled with Hokkaido scallops and betel leaves packed with citrus-dotted shrimp; from there, any given meal may involve halibut in fermented fish curry, Snake River Farms wagyu with tea-smoked oysters, and more. Star sommelier Dana Frank handles the restaurant’s wine pairings, so natural wine nerds will be particularly pleased.

When the celebration calls for Champagne, caviar, and pâté en croûte, those in the know book a table at St. Jack, the Northwest Portland restaurant dripping with French eleganza. Start with a few treats off the raw bar, whether it’s a creamy scallop crudo with spruce tips or plump poached shrimp with vadouvan aioli; follow with a slice of meticulously constructed foie gras tart or a triumphant-looking mushroom vol-au-vent, or go for something classic, like the city’s finest steak frites. For something even more luxe, book the restaurant for a private event.

It is obvious that this Pearl District pan-Asian restaurant was specifically designed for special occasions. The artificial cherry tree at its center shades tables of fashionably dressed diners snacking on smoked wagyu nigiri and caviar. Begin with the smoked Pineapple Express cocktail, served under a bell jar, plus an assortment of sushi — the restaurant offers options for most types of sushi eaters, including elaborate maki, flashy rolls with shaved truffle or uni, and elegantly simple nigiri. Afterward, go for the restaurant’s steak tartare, with a subtle truffle aioli and milk toast points, followed by the potato-chip-crispy-skinned Peking duck. Finally, dessert here is non-negotiable; the restaurant’s pastry program is one of its highlights, from the mega-rich dark chocolate cake to the mound of icy strawberry bingsu.

The leather and wood touches of this downtown Portland restaurant evoke stylish steakhouse vibes, but the actual menu lands at some intersection between the Pacific Northwest, Texas, and Mexico. For pomp and circumstance, Bullard Tavern does offer show-stopping seafood towers; however, when it comes to starters, it’s hard to beat the restaurant’s nacho carpaccio, topping thinly sliced wagyu with crumbles of cotija and chipotle crema. The main event should be the restaurant’s beef rib, a hulking smoked Painted Hills number served with tortillas, guac, salsa verde, and pickled jalapeños.

With its old-fashioned Soviet decor in a bright and modern space, Kachka is still one of the most fun places to celebrate with oh, so much vodka. To kick off a rowdy night, order a vodka flight, several plates of Russian dumplings like pelmeni and vareniki, and the Ruskie Zakuski Experience, which will cover your table with small plates of cured fish, tartares, and more. Mains like whole grilled trout and rabbit in a clay pot are worthy punctuation to any meal here.

Of Portland’s dozens of top-notch food cart pods, Hawthorne’s Cartopia is one of the city’s longest standing and most party-friendly. The pod’s fire pits, string lights, tents, and lengthy picnic tables make it a favorite for get-togethers and birthday meetups, and the pod’s eclectic collection of carts, serving everything from pad thai to tacos, make it a smart option for a group of picky eaters. Visitors can order booze from the burger cart Bottle Rocket.

It always feels like a party within Han Oak, the cool Kerns restaurant hidden behind a seafoam green door — some days, kids might be playing with toys in the restaurant’s courtyard; on others, chef Peter Cho may be snapping open beer cans with a dish rag. The meals here are meant to be communal and convivial, shifting seasonally: Currently, Han Oak is in its DIY hot pot era, in which guests gently cook thin slices of dry-aged beef, petals of coppa, and Oregon-grown mushrooms in a bubbling broth, but last summer, the restaurant switched its service to something more Korean-barbecue-esque, specializing in tableside grilled meats. However the meal looks at Han Oak, it’s sure to feel special, without feeling pretentious.

Going out for Ethiopian food often feels like a special occasion, groups gathering around to rip at a sheet of tangy and spongy injera. While the city is home to a number of strong Ethiopian restaurants, Abyssinian Kitchen often feels like a strong option for special occasions, with a stacked cocktail menu, cups of cinnamon-and-clove-scented black tea, and a lovely dining room. It’d be a mistake to miss the Beyaynetu, an assortment of subtly spiced alichas and stews, followed by Abyssinian Kitchen’s kitfo or kilwa begge.

A blend of a hip tapas bar and a cozy cocktail bar, Alberta Street’s Urdaneta evokes the vibe of a festive pintxo spot in San Sebastian. Pick a bottle from its eyebrow-raising wine list; if you’re feeling especially jolly, you can even opt for a vermouth flight. Start with a selection of small bites like foie flan or Dungeness crab ensalada rusa, in addition to standards like croquetas and jamon iberico. Meals should finish with a slice of Basque cheesecake, if available. It’s probably best to keep your group smaller and more intimate in this tiny Basque restaurant.

For some, a celebration dinner means covering the table in food, tangles of arms scooping and grabbing and yanking at the spread in front of them. This Hollywood neighborhood Indonesian restaurant’s “rice table” is specifically designed for those people, a flurry of snacks, grilled meats, curries, and braises served with the restaurant’s tasty clove-scented rice. If the dinner in question happens to fall on a Sunday or Monday, diners can also reserve the restaurant’s elaborate Singaporean chile crab, available as an add-on to the rice table or as a meal in itself.

Rose City Park’s old-school steakhouse is still the place to be for some straight-out-of-the-1960s realness. Sitting in lipstick-red booths, visitors sip on dry martinis awaiting a parade of prawn cocktails, creamed spinach, wedge salads, and — of course — thick slabs of prime rib. Pop by the lounge before or afterward for live music and a Manhattan.

Korean barbecue has always been a fun, interactive dining experience and is one of the best ways to eat lots of juicy, tasty meat on a budget. At K-Town Korean BBQ, the interior is a bit like going to an Asian dance club, with lots of blue and purple neon lights, smoke and haze from the barbecue grills, and K-pop blasting on the stereo. Bring a group of friends, order glasses of soju and Korean beer, and pick your meats — a la carte or all-you-can-eat. Just be sure to get there early, especially on the weekend; K-Town does not accept reservations.