From Columns to Aquariums, LeChon's Sprawling Interior Design Revealed

This ain't your momma's South American food, says LeChon

by Mattie John Bamman@ravenoustravelr Aug 11, 2015, 2:23pm PDTVia LeChon Drops Flame-Kissed Menu of Argentinian and Chilean Delights [EPDX], Harness the Flames at South American LeChon When It Opens in August [EPDX], and LeChon [Official Site] | Photography by Dina Avila

Opening in Downtown on Thursday, August 13, LeChon, which describes itself as "not just another South American restaurant," rolled out its menu yesterday, and today, the restaurant let Eater photograph the interior. You can see that LeChon retained the ancient columns of the historic Smith Block Building on Naito Parkway, and it also added two massive aquariums [Editor's note: We tried to get our Editorial Products Team to add some psychedelic jellyfish, but they were too busy eating psychedelic jellyfish]. No word from LeChon yet as to whether the aquariums will be filled with fish in time for tomorrow's opening.

Perhaps the most perturbing aspect of the design is the outdoor grill area, which is not directly connected to the inside dining room. Currently, waiters and runners must carry freshly grilled dishes through the open air to diners—a situation that winter rains would clearly wash out. Since LeChon says that 90% of its menu will be cooked on open-air grills, this is something to watch.

Portland-based Shannon Ponciano of Ponciano Interior Design oversaw the restaurant's design. You can see how the renderings compare with the results by visiting our previous LeChon coverage.

For the full article and gallery of images from EaterPDX click here.