One of the Best Restaurants in the Country is a Tiny New Portland, Maine Eatery

Oun Lido's made Esquire's 2024 list of the best new restaurants in America.

Oun Lido's opened nearly six months ago, and has already gotten the attention of, well, everyone! It's a mix of Cambodian and Cantonese flavors in an unassuming place on Market Street in Portland's Old Port.

What makes Portland, Maine's Oun Lido's one of the best in the country?

In short, it's the food! Esquire said of Oun Lido's,

Using Maine’s rightfully lauded ingredients, cooking in a space that’s still in the process of being built out, and tapping into hazy, precious memories of childhood, Bones turns out plates that brilliantly synthesize Cambodian and Cantonese flavors. It tastes like home, no matter where home is or what language one uses to describe it.

The chef of Portland's hottest new restaurant is humbled

'Bones' is the chef and owner Bounahcree Kim (he prefers to be called Bones) and this is just the beginning for Bones. He told WMTW about the honor,

It's overwhelming. I definitely did not expect that, especially for how long it's taken us to get to opened up. It’s just the beginning. So, we're going to try to get the bar open a little bit, more of a special dinner menu going on in the near future, we'll get more baked goods. We're working on that this week.

READ MORE: 25 of the Best and Most Popular Chinese Restaurants in Maine

Bones is only 33 years old and got his start as a dishwasher at Portland's long-gone Pepperclub where he was a breakfast cook. His food is inspired by his childhood growing up in Portland and I cannot wait to see how many 'lists' his new place makes!