Maine ingredients filtered through Bangkok, Saigon, and Rangoon — the noodle bar that proves Portland's ambition extends far beyond the lobster roll.
When Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley opened The Honey Paw in 2014, the intent was to occupy a middle register — between the raw bar brevity of Eventide next door and the formal tasting ambition of their fine dining room Hugo's around the corner. What emerged was something unexpectedly original: a pan-Asian noodle bar that makes its own noodles daily, runs them through a menu that spans Burmese, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese traditions, and anchors every dish in New England's finest seasonal ingredients. The result is both disciplined and reckless, in the best possible sense.
The menu changes frequently. Anchoring it at any given visit is the smoked lamb khao soi — house-made noodles in a Burmese coconut curry with fermented mustard greens, lime, and crispy shallots — which has become one of the canonical Portland dishes of the last decade. The lobster wontons with confit mushroom are the most direct expression of the kitchen's core philosophy: Maine's greatest ingredient, treated with a technique that has no precedent here. The crispy wings — fried chicken glazed in something aromatic and complex — arrive at every table at some point, because no one who sees them being carried past can resist. The honey soft serve finishes the meal with the same precision that opened it.
The room is communal and convivial: long shared tables, mismatched dishware, exposed brick, a sound level calibrated for conversation among groups rather than intimate confidences between couples. The crowd skews young and food-curious, local and visiting in equal proportion. The kitchen is entirely open. No reservations are taken, and the queue can extend onto the sidewalk on Friday and Saturday evenings — proof that Portland consistently lines up for things that are genuinely worth waiting for.
The Honey Paw represents what Portland does best: ambitious cooking in an unassuming container, priced for the city rather than for the visitor market, and consistent enough that locals eat here weekly without feeling like they are settling.
Everything about The Honey Paw is configured for groups. The communal tables encourage the kind of across-the-table dish-sharing that makes a team dinner feel genuinely social rather than merely sequential. Order everything in the middle and let the conversation find its own rhythm. The price point means a team of six can eat and drink exceptionally well without anyone doing arithmetic. The walk-in policy creates a gentle adventure — the wait at the bar becomes the first act of the evening, not an inconvenience. No meeting room in Portland has ever produced the same outcomes as a table at The Honey Paw with a round of house cocktails and a bowl of smoked lamb khao soi arriving simultaneously.
Address
78 Middle St, Portland, ME 04101
Neighbourhood
Old Port — Middle Street
Price Per Person
$35–$55 with cocktails and sharing
Cuisine
Pan-Asian Fusion, Handmade Noodles
Dress Code
Casual
Reservations
Walk-in only. Arrive by 5pm on weekends or expect a wait.
Hours
Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm
Phone
(207) 774-8538
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