Remember us?
We're still here. More or less. We both have maintained too-busy lives with wives and kids and what-not. We continue to eat a lot; we just haven't sat down to write as much. Sorry.
So what if we hardly write anything anymore? There's still food to eat, and there will still be occasions to write about it.
Here are a few thoughts on a few places.
Where to Get Brunch and/or Portland's Best Fried Chicken: Screen Door. Great Bloody Mary's, most of the time. The chicken is Portland's best, in a family establishment, until someone proves me wrong.
Other quality brunches: Delta Cafe; Tin Shed; Jam; Toast; anything else named after a breakfast item
Where to Get Thai Food: Sweet Basil. Solid menu, seasonal items, plenty of flavor, and take out portions are generous. My biggest knock is that the spice level you choose doesn't necessarily determine what you get.
Other quality Thai: Chai Thai; Pok Pok (though I don't really consider this Thai, you'd stop reading if it didn't get mentioned); Tom Yum
Best Dinner for People Who Like to Drink Beer: Tabor Tavern. Portland has lots of beer, and lots of places to eat food with it. Most of Portland's more major local breweries have a brick-and-mortar restaurant presence, and many of these are quite fine. Tabor Tavern has a number of taps with a number of higher-end micros, and augments that with a very solid menu. Try the fish and chips if you want a tavern food staple with a twist.
Other quality food/beer hybrids: Burnside Brewery is the only one that really merits getting their name on the list. If you're trying to pick between the ubiquitous McMenamins restaurants, go to the Black Rabbit in Troutdale (for a slightly better kitchen and the campus surrounding it) or the Blue Moon because that puts you close to the rest of the action on a weekend or evening.
Best "Chinese" Food: The best Chinese places are a bit non-traditional. In Portland, Lucky Strike gets the nod. Although if you want more typical Chinese-ish cuisine with something special, go to Thien Hong and get the pepper salted squid. In fact, just get 4 orders of that and eat it until your gut bursts.
Other quality Chinese: Wong's King (also good for a dim sum brunch); The Hunan.
By the way, every single place I've listed is one where kids can be, but none of them are kid magnets. So they strike a nice balance.
Send us your food thoughts. We'd love to be relevant again.
Showing posts with label Asian Cuisine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Asian Cuisine. Show all posts
11.06.2009
Lucky Strike
There’s a down-side to writing about take-out.
It isn’t a complete reflection of the restaurant from which you’ve purchased the meal, and eating in your own home creates a loss.
Ambience, flavor, heat; these are all things that are robbed from the meal when you aren’t having it fresh and quick at the restaurant.
That said, sometimes take-out is a necessity. For a restaurant blog, the preference is to discuss dine-in. But when you’re at a place like Lucky Strike, that’s easier said than done.
Lucky Strike (12306 SE Powell) serves very good Asian cuisine. This much I knew before going there, as it was given a rave review in a recent issue of Portland Monthly.
A brief digression. “Best of” lists are great and all, but we prefer to figure out what’s best by personal experience, and we’re most likely to check out a place based upon word of mouth. There are times when we’ll go check out the hot new thing, whether its because a publication says so or it is just part of the local zeitgeist (for instance, The Original is high on my list of places I need to get to, based solely on buzz), but word-of-mouth is a better way to go.
Anyhow, my wife saw Lucky Strike in Portland Monthly and was pleased to see a restaurant near our home that was highly-touted. Thus, she demanded it tonight.
Having never gone there before, we drove over expecting to slide in for a nice dinner. We drove by out front to find cars all around the small building and people stacked up against the glass of the door. We pulled behind and I walked in to see if there was a take-out menu available (my suggestion of finding another place to go and dine in having been rebuffed). I found the inside to be tightly packed, with about 7 tables and 2 bar-type seats near the cash register. The biggest thing in the restaurant was the TV, which was playing the Blazers game. All of the seats were full, and no fewer than 6 people were standing in the cramped space available near the door, anxiously awaiting a seat.
I was given one of the plastic table menus and was permitted to take it out to the car for consultatation. I reviewed it with my wife, and we selected a nice array of items: the pineapple fried rice ($8), cold sesame noodles ($5), mano tofu ($9), Guiness pork ribs ($9), and “beans and beans” ($7). I called the number at the bottom of the menu and placed a take-out order. “Forty-five minutes,” I was told.
Frankly, I was a bit taken aback. A phone-in order to Sweet Basil takes 10 minutes. Very few places, frankly, take more than 30. However, this was an important experiment, so I agreed.
After running some errands and taking the wife and kids back home, I returned about 45 minutes later. The place was still quite busy. I checked in with the guy at the counter, who checked and told me that he was sorry to say that it would be another 15 minutes. This wasn’t pleasing, but I went along with it.
I went outside to wait. Twittered a bit, e-mailed a reader who was soliciting food advice, Twittered a bit more, texted my wife regarding my status, checked on the Blazer game through the window. Finally, 15 minutes had gone by and I headed back in.
The guy went back to check on my food. He (wisely, perhaps) decided to just attend to other things. If he’d told me I’d be waiting another 15 minutes, I may have just left. He didn’t, so I stood awkwardly amidst the small space, waiting and watching the Blazers.
So, about an hour and fifteen minutes after ordering, and about half an hour after coming to get my food, it was finally given to me. The guy was apologetic, but not as apologetic as I was thinking he should be (with that wait, comping me something would’ve been a good play), I paid and tipped (more than I probably should have) and off I went.
When I got home, I cracked open everything and took in the variety of odors. The Guiness ribs had a sweet odor with the unmistakeable earthy/chocolately Guiness undertones. The sesame noodles had a vinegar-and-sesame smell. The mano tofu was pungent and spicy, and a bit nutty. The pineapple fried rice smelled exactly as you’d expect. The beans and beans was green beans and hot red peppers, and smelled accordingly. I dished up a plate (used the steamed rice as a base for the tofu, which had a plentiful amount of sauce)and then it was time to dine.
I have to say, the food is good. The pineapple fried rice was supposed to be sweet, but the pineapple used was obviously canned and not impressive; that said, the package was pretty decent, and as I'd ordered it as a non-offensive item for my four year-old, I wasn't expecting much. The sesame noodles were much better than I’d thought they would be, and merited seconds immediately. The tofu was very, very spicy, sending me into a fit of hiccups followed by sneezing. Despite how that may sound, it was awesome. The ribs were less-than-expected; they seemed to taste a bit cardboard-y, which may have been a result of the Guiness or may have had something to do with being boxed; either way, I’d like to try them in the restaurant to give them a fair shake. All together, the food was quite good, but not as good as you could get at Thien Hong, which is a blog favorite.
I came away feeling a bit cheated; being so highly touted may have set me up for a disappointment, so I’ll try not to be unfair about it. And, again, a review suffers if you're eating take-out, so read my comments accordingly.
Lucky Strike: if you’re looking for a place to eat out, this probably isn’t it. If you’re looking for better-than-average take-out, call well in advance and then consider calling again to let them know you’re coming. The inconvenience factor is high, but the food almost makes up for it.
It isn’t a complete reflection of the restaurant from which you’ve purchased the meal, and eating in your own home creates a loss.
Ambience, flavor, heat; these are all things that are robbed from the meal when you aren’t having it fresh and quick at the restaurant.
That said, sometimes take-out is a necessity. For a restaurant blog, the preference is to discuss dine-in. But when you’re at a place like Lucky Strike, that’s easier said than done.
Lucky Strike (12306 SE Powell) serves very good Asian cuisine. This much I knew before going there, as it was given a rave review in a recent issue of Portland Monthly.
A brief digression. “Best of” lists are great and all, but we prefer to figure out what’s best by personal experience, and we’re most likely to check out a place based upon word of mouth. There are times when we’ll go check out the hot new thing, whether its because a publication says so or it is just part of the local zeitgeist (for instance, The Original is high on my list of places I need to get to, based solely on buzz), but word-of-mouth is a better way to go.
Anyhow, my wife saw Lucky Strike in Portland Monthly and was pleased to see a restaurant near our home that was highly-touted. Thus, she demanded it tonight.
Having never gone there before, we drove over expecting to slide in for a nice dinner. We drove by out front to find cars all around the small building and people stacked up against the glass of the door. We pulled behind and I walked in to see if there was a take-out menu available (my suggestion of finding another place to go and dine in having been rebuffed). I found the inside to be tightly packed, with about 7 tables and 2 bar-type seats near the cash register. The biggest thing in the restaurant was the TV, which was playing the Blazers game. All of the seats were full, and no fewer than 6 people were standing in the cramped space available near the door, anxiously awaiting a seat.
I was given one of the plastic table menus and was permitted to take it out to the car for consultatation. I reviewed it with my wife, and we selected a nice array of items: the pineapple fried rice ($8), cold sesame noodles ($5), mano tofu ($9), Guiness pork ribs ($9), and “beans and beans” ($7). I called the number at the bottom of the menu and placed a take-out order. “Forty-five minutes,” I was told.
Frankly, I was a bit taken aback. A phone-in order to Sweet Basil takes 10 minutes. Very few places, frankly, take more than 30. However, this was an important experiment, so I agreed.
After running some errands and taking the wife and kids back home, I returned about 45 minutes later. The place was still quite busy. I checked in with the guy at the counter, who checked and told me that he was sorry to say that it would be another 15 minutes. This wasn’t pleasing, but I went along with it.
I went outside to wait. Twittered a bit, e-mailed a reader who was soliciting food advice, Twittered a bit more, texted my wife regarding my status, checked on the Blazer game through the window. Finally, 15 minutes had gone by and I headed back in.
The guy went back to check on my food. He (wisely, perhaps) decided to just attend to other things. If he’d told me I’d be waiting another 15 minutes, I may have just left. He didn’t, so I stood awkwardly amidst the small space, waiting and watching the Blazers.
So, about an hour and fifteen minutes after ordering, and about half an hour after coming to get my food, it was finally given to me. The guy was apologetic, but not as apologetic as I was thinking he should be (with that wait, comping me something would’ve been a good play), I paid and tipped (more than I probably should have) and off I went.
When I got home, I cracked open everything and took in the variety of odors. The Guiness ribs had a sweet odor with the unmistakeable earthy/chocolately Guiness undertones. The sesame noodles had a vinegar-and-sesame smell. The mano tofu was pungent and spicy, and a bit nutty. The pineapple fried rice smelled exactly as you’d expect. The beans and beans was green beans and hot red peppers, and smelled accordingly. I dished up a plate (used the steamed rice as a base for the tofu, which had a plentiful amount of sauce)and then it was time to dine.
I have to say, the food is good. The pineapple fried rice was supposed to be sweet, but the pineapple used was obviously canned and not impressive; that said, the package was pretty decent, and as I'd ordered it as a non-offensive item for my four year-old, I wasn't expecting much. The sesame noodles were much better than I’d thought they would be, and merited seconds immediately. The tofu was very, very spicy, sending me into a fit of hiccups followed by sneezing. Despite how that may sound, it was awesome. The ribs were less-than-expected; they seemed to taste a bit cardboard-y, which may have been a result of the Guiness or may have had something to do with being boxed; either way, I’d like to try them in the restaurant to give them a fair shake. All together, the food was quite good, but not as good as you could get at Thien Hong, which is a blog favorite.
I came away feeling a bit cheated; being so highly touted may have set me up for a disappointment, so I’ll try not to be unfair about it. And, again, a review suffers if you're eating take-out, so read my comments accordingly.
Lucky Strike: if you’re looking for a place to eat out, this probably isn’t it. If you’re looking for better-than-average take-out, call well in advance and then consider calling again to let them know you’re coming. The inconvenience factor is high, but the food almost makes up for it.
3.24.2009
Dragonfish
So I've been to a slew of restaurants lately and need to catch up.
First up, Dragonfish, where I managed to cajole my co-workers into going for lunch recently.
It was a shock, really. My co-workers have a few old stand-bys - PF Changs (meh), Typhoon! (meh), Henry's (meh). Don't get me wrong, any of these places is good from time-to-time. But hearing these blurted out every time we're discussing lunch out of the office gets old.
One of the girls has been pushing for Dragonfish for some time, based upon how much she enjoys the happy hours there. We certainly weren't going for drinks, and I wasn't sure how sushi would go over, but I pulled the trigger when the chance came nonetheless.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. Located at 909 SW Park (at the corner of Park and Taylor, kitty-corner from the Fox Tower), the space is light and open and very pleasing. Two of the walls are essentially windows to the street. The back of the restaurant leads into a hotel lobby. The decor is very spare and clean and nice; it doesn't draw your attention away from the food, which is good, because the food deserves your attention.
For lunch, the menu is uncomplicated. You are able to order typical sushi fare if you want, or you can stick to the menu which is well-honed to highlight what the restaurant does well. Being momentarily in charge since the boss was running late, I ordered some appetizers for the table (this was on the company, after all). The edamame was fine, which edamame generally always is. We also ordered salad rolls (quite similar to the Fresh Wrapped at Sweet Basil, but entirely vegetarian), ginger chicken potstickers, and the chicken satays. I don't know that salad rolls can be done wrong. The potstickers were among the better ones I've had in the last year or so. The satays were kabobs of small chicken pieces and were neither excellent or bad.
For my own lunch, I ordered the Rock-n-Roll sushi platter, which contains some California Roll, some tempura roll, and some chef's special roll. I think it was a spicy tuna. For $11, the serving was not overly generous but not skimpy, with 4 pieces of each roll offered.
Everyone at the table enjoyed what they had, whether it was a bento box or assorted nigiri, all of which were available. I was pleased myself.
To be sure, Dragonfish isn't the best sushi in town. But if you're downtown looking for a cool place to sit and eat good food, it ought to be on your list.
First up, Dragonfish, where I managed to cajole my co-workers into going for lunch recently.
It was a shock, really. My co-workers have a few old stand-bys - PF Changs (meh), Typhoon! (meh), Henry's (meh). Don't get me wrong, any of these places is good from time-to-time. But hearing these blurted out every time we're discussing lunch out of the office gets old.
One of the girls has been pushing for Dragonfish for some time, based upon how much she enjoys the happy hours there. We certainly weren't going for drinks, and I wasn't sure how sushi would go over, but I pulled the trigger when the chance came nonetheless.
The restaurant itself is beautiful. Located at 909 SW Park (at the corner of Park and Taylor, kitty-corner from the Fox Tower), the space is light and open and very pleasing. Two of the walls are essentially windows to the street. The back of the restaurant leads into a hotel lobby. The decor is very spare and clean and nice; it doesn't draw your attention away from the food, which is good, because the food deserves your attention.
For lunch, the menu is uncomplicated. You are able to order typical sushi fare if you want, or you can stick to the menu which is well-honed to highlight what the restaurant does well. Being momentarily in charge since the boss was running late, I ordered some appetizers for the table (this was on the company, after all). The edamame was fine, which edamame generally always is. We also ordered salad rolls (quite similar to the Fresh Wrapped at Sweet Basil, but entirely vegetarian), ginger chicken potstickers, and the chicken satays. I don't know that salad rolls can be done wrong. The potstickers were among the better ones I've had in the last year or so. The satays were kabobs of small chicken pieces and were neither excellent or bad.For my own lunch, I ordered the Rock-n-Roll sushi platter, which contains some California Roll, some tempura roll, and some chef's special roll. I think it was a spicy tuna. For $11, the serving was not overly generous but not skimpy, with 4 pieces of each roll offered.
Everyone at the table enjoyed what they had, whether it was a bento box or assorted nigiri, all of which were available. I was pleased myself.
To be sure, Dragonfish isn't the best sushi in town. But if you're downtown looking for a cool place to sit and eat good food, it ought to be on your list.
10.27.2008
Chinese Village
Chinese Village is located at 520 SE 82nd Avenue. It's another one of my childhood haunts. I don't get to eat there very much anymore, as none of my friends like it. My wife isn't a big fan as well. But, a couple of weeks ago, I went to dinner with my parents and my grandpa. I love Chinese Village, but you probably won't. It's very American-Chinese. Most everything is deep fried. There's nothing authentic about it.
We eat the very same dishes every time we go; Sweet and Sour Pork, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pork Fried Rice, Deep Fried Shrimp, extra white rice and lots of Chinese yellow mustard. This time, I talked my parents into ordering the garlic green beans...nice change.
The place is stuck in the '50s. The latest owners did finally add doors between the restaurant and the lounge, which helps to cut down on the second-hand smoke. There's a fish tank (which my daughter loved). For what it was, I enjoyed it.
We eat the very same dishes every time we go; Sweet and Sour Pork, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pork Fried Rice, Deep Fried Shrimp, extra white rice and lots of Chinese yellow mustard. This time, I talked my parents into ordering the garlic green beans...nice change.
The place is stuck in the '50s. The latest owners did finally add doors between the restaurant and the lounge, which helps to cut down on the second-hand smoke. There's a fish tank (which my daughter loved). For what it was, I enjoyed it.
12.09.2007
Sunsai
For a belated birthday dinner, two of my pals took me out to Sunsai, located at 539 NW 21st Avenue this past Tuesday. I can't say that I am that discriminating when it comes to sushi, as I have only been to about five or six different places in Portland. But I will say that I did quite enjoy my meal.
I let my pals do most of the ordering, but I did have some say in a couple of the items. One item that just had to be tried was a sushi roll that included jalapenos...truly east meets west. I appreciated the spice that the jalapenos brought to the roll.
I also picked out some yellow tail tuna and some salmon sashimi. The fish came out draped across shredded daikon. Quite fresh, quite firm, quite delicious...if you are not afraid of fish in the raw.
The restaurant was clean. The service was punctual. All in all, a very nice experience. Price? Good sushi will always run you a few dollars. Come ready to spend.
I let my pals do most of the ordering, but I did have some say in a couple of the items. One item that just had to be tried was a sushi roll that included jalapenos...truly east meets west. I appreciated the spice that the jalapenos brought to the roll.
I also picked out some yellow tail tuna and some salmon sashimi. The fish came out draped across shredded daikon. Quite fresh, quite firm, quite delicious...if you are not afraid of fish in the raw.
The restaurant was clean. The service was punctual. All in all, a very nice experience. Price? Good sushi will always run you a few dollars. Come ready to spend.
7.26.2007
Typhoon!
So yesterday was like the perfect storm for free food. Our regional manager was in town, two people from our office are moving on to new jobs (including GastroBoy) which meant a goodbye lunch, and someone reminded me that Typhoon! had a downtown location. As the office social chair, I set lunch up.
Typhoon! is a Portland-based regional Thai food chain. The locations used to each have special menus, which appears to no longer be the case. The set-up in all of them is up-scale, with elegant interior decoration that is generally minimalist in order to allow the food to be the spotlight. Presentation is important here, but not as important as taste.
Typhoon! is well-known for the tea selection. The menu is vast in that regard, and I usually find it intimidating. Since yesterday was warm, I opted for Pellegrino.
Our group of nine people split a couple of "Nibble Platters" for appetizers. Given the number of people sharing, I fought my natural urge to grab one-of-each from them and instead limited myself to a chicken skewer, a half a spring roll, and a small nibble that I simply can't describe. I was later given a shrimp wonton that otherwise would've gone to waste. All were very, very good.
For lunch I ordered the General's Noodles. I usually opt for Pad Thai, but decided to branch out into something new. The General's Noodles are a thinner rice noodle (similar to angel hair pasta) served with shrimp and chicken, topped with a combination of crushed red pepper, crushed peanuts, lime, and garlic (along with some spices I couldn't pinpoint) and a wonton on the side. I think I would've been happier with the Pad Thai, but with the crushed peanuts, my lunch was close enough in spirit to be satisfying. It wasn't particularly filling, though.
Everyone at the table was very happy with their selections, and they covered a wide range of the menu, so from that I'd say this is a safe place to take anyone with the assurance that they'll enjoy the food. I never saw the bill, but I'd imagine from the menu that the nine of us cost about $150. Not horrible, given the nibble platters.
Typhoon! is excellent, though I prefer Sweet Basil when it comes to Thai, and there are other places I've yet to try. The food is not disappointing, there are several locations (including downtown, NW Portland, Gresham, and Beaverton) and the prices are quite reasonable given the quality of the cuisine.
Typhoon! is a Portland-based regional Thai food chain. The locations used to each have special menus, which appears to no longer be the case. The set-up in all of them is up-scale, with elegant interior decoration that is generally minimalist in order to allow the food to be the spotlight. Presentation is important here, but not as important as taste.
Typhoon! is well-known for the tea selection. The menu is vast in that regard, and I usually find it intimidating. Since yesterday was warm, I opted for Pellegrino.
Our group of nine people split a couple of "Nibble Platters" for appetizers. Given the number of people sharing, I fought my natural urge to grab one-of-each from them and instead limited myself to a chicken skewer, a half a spring roll, and a small nibble that I simply can't describe. I was later given a shrimp wonton that otherwise would've gone to waste. All were very, very good.
For lunch I ordered the General's Noodles. I usually opt for Pad Thai, but decided to branch out into something new. The General's Noodles are a thinner rice noodle (similar to angel hair pasta) served with shrimp and chicken, topped with a combination of crushed red pepper, crushed peanuts, lime, and garlic (along with some spices I couldn't pinpoint) and a wonton on the side. I think I would've been happier with the Pad Thai, but with the crushed peanuts, my lunch was close enough in spirit to be satisfying. It wasn't particularly filling, though.
Everyone at the table was very happy with their selections, and they covered a wide range of the menu, so from that I'd say this is a safe place to take anyone with the assurance that they'll enjoy the food. I never saw the bill, but I'd imagine from the menu that the nine of us cost about $150. Not horrible, given the nibble platters.
Typhoon! is excellent, though I prefer Sweet Basil when it comes to Thai, and there are other places I've yet to try. The food is not disappointing, there are several locations (including downtown, NW Portland, Gresham, and Beaverton) and the prices are quite reasonable given the quality of the cuisine.
Lotus Express
I'm nearing the end of my quest to taste all that the Pioneer Place Food Court has to offer. Tuesday, I stopped by Lotus Express. $5.20 bought me a plate of noodles and Mongolian Beef. It tasted OK. They do sell a lot of food. Lots of choices. The problem is that it's Chinese food made for the American palate. I guess we like things sticky and sweet. So, if you want something sticky and sweet for $5.20, by all means stop on in. If you don't want the noodles, don't worry, you can have fried rice instead.
7.09.2007
Thien Hong
To start this article, let me reveal my ignorance to you.
I love Thien Hong. It's a great place. Perhaps their greatest dish is their pepper-salted squid.
That said, I found myself discussing last night's dinner with JLowe today, and I had to ask him a question. Is Thien Hong a Chinese food place?
"No," he said. "It's Vietnamese." I'd struggled with the same thought last night, as I was realizing the variety of noodle soup, Pho-like dishes on their menu.
"But," I said, "their menu has so much of the typical Chinese stuff on it. General Tso's Chicken, Kung Pao stuff, Sweet and Sour stuff, fried rice..." I was at a loss. "Perhaps I should just call it 'Asian.'"
JLowe advised that would be insensitive, and that it would be preferable to research the issue.
So, I Googled "Thien Hong," and based on what I'm seeing, it's sort of a fusion of Chinese and Vietnamese. And, thus, it gets categorized here as "Asian Cuisine" despite JLowe's wise counsel.
That out of the way...
Last night, my other brother-in-law was in town, and so my wife and daugther and I joined her mother and him at Thien Hong because he wanted "Chinese food." Really, if you want quality Chinese food in Portland (whether "Chinese" or Chinese), there are only two places on my radar -- Thien Hong and Hunan. So, even though I wasn't really thinking that Chinese was optimal, given the heat of the day and the usual heaviness of Asian cuisine, I decided that life would be okay.
Thien Hong is a nice, clean, open-air sort of place in NE Portland on Sandy Boulevard, near 73rd. When I say "open-air," that's in contrast to, say, Pix, where the sides of the restaurant are garage-door-like walls that roll up. Thien Hong is open-air in the sense that the room is well-lit (there are skylights all over) and there just seems to be a lot of space. I like that. I hate feeling cramped.
You can really go a couple of ways at Thien Hong. Most of the time, we go for a more traditional Chinese-type dinner. The dishes are all conducive to typical family-style Chinese eating, and a normal entree splits well among as many as 6 people.
Or you can go for the Pho. The bowls are generally large enough to serve at least two comfortably.
You can mix the two, but I don't see that done much. Perhaps it should be done more...
Either way, the meal will generally start with the salt and pepper squid. The stuff really is sensational, and is Thien Hong's signature piece. Our table was between the kitchen and most of the rest of the restaurant, so we were able to bear witness to the popularity of the squid, as we saw no less than 7 plates full being run past our booth to other diners (not counting ours) and dinner hour hadn't hit yet (we were there at 5, since my bro-in-law had to hit the road to home shortly after). I don't know what I love the most about the squid. The plate comes heaping with crunchy leg-parts, which I love, and also chewy-squishy torso parts, which are also very good but are normally what will appeal to more of the people at your table (last night, for instance, I got all the legs to myself as noone else relished the idea of chewing up tentacles as much as me). The chewy bits tend to be more flavorful, but nowhere in the whole plate is there a disappointing bite. Ever. I've never regretted an order of their squid.
We each chose an entree to contribute to the potluck. My wife chose her favorite, the asparagus in black bean sauce, which is always quite good, if a little boring (no meat in the dish). My brother-in-law chose the beef and broccoli, which was boring and, frankly, entirely forgettable. My mother-in-law chose the House Special fried rice, which had shrimp, beef, and chicken mixed into it. Very tasty, though I only actually saw one shrimp on the platter. Plenty of beef and chicken, though, so it wasn't like it was a rip-off or anything. I went with the good ol' General.
The service was prompt, about a 5 minute wait for our order to be taken, and another 7-10 minutes for it to be brought out. Absolutely top-knotch. All of the wait-staff is friendly, and they're generally quite attentive, even when the place is really hopping.
I didn't get to see the final bill, but the prices are not extravagant, the portions are always plentiful, and I've never walked away feeling ripped-off, so I'm sure it was reasonable. And all of us (except my daughter, who's only 21 months and thus has difficulty focussing on eating at restaurants) left full and happy. Too full, in fact, because I spent the rest of the night with that just-ate-Chinese bloated feeling that I always promise myself I won't get next time, and then never fail to get next time.
I think it's safe to say that Thien Hong is my favorite Chinese food place in town, even if they are a Chinese-Vietnamese food place. If you go, make sure to order the squid. Failure is not an option.
I love Thien Hong. It's a great place. Perhaps their greatest dish is their pepper-salted squid.
That said, I found myself discussing last night's dinner with JLowe today, and I had to ask him a question. Is Thien Hong a Chinese food place?
"No," he said. "It's Vietnamese." I'd struggled with the same thought last night, as I was realizing the variety of noodle soup, Pho-like dishes on their menu.
"But," I said, "their menu has so much of the typical Chinese stuff on it. General Tso's Chicken, Kung Pao stuff, Sweet and Sour stuff, fried rice..." I was at a loss. "Perhaps I should just call it 'Asian.'"
JLowe advised that would be insensitive, and that it would be preferable to research the issue.
So, I Googled "Thien Hong," and based on what I'm seeing, it's sort of a fusion of Chinese and Vietnamese. And, thus, it gets categorized here as "Asian Cuisine" despite JLowe's wise counsel.
That out of the way...
Last night, my other brother-in-law was in town, and so my wife and daugther and I joined her mother and him at Thien Hong because he wanted "Chinese food." Really, if you want quality Chinese food in Portland (whether "Chinese" or Chinese), there are only two places on my radar -- Thien Hong and Hunan. So, even though I wasn't really thinking that Chinese was optimal, given the heat of the day and the usual heaviness of Asian cuisine, I decided that life would be okay.
Thien Hong is a nice, clean, open-air sort of place in NE Portland on Sandy Boulevard, near 73rd. When I say "open-air," that's in contrast to, say, Pix, where the sides of the restaurant are garage-door-like walls that roll up. Thien Hong is open-air in the sense that the room is well-lit (there are skylights all over) and there just seems to be a lot of space. I like that. I hate feeling cramped.
You can really go a couple of ways at Thien Hong. Most of the time, we go for a more traditional Chinese-type dinner. The dishes are all conducive to typical family-style Chinese eating, and a normal entree splits well among as many as 6 people.
Or you can go for the Pho. The bowls are generally large enough to serve at least two comfortably.
You can mix the two, but I don't see that done much. Perhaps it should be done more...
Either way, the meal will generally start with the salt and pepper squid. The stuff really is sensational, and is Thien Hong's signature piece. Our table was between the kitchen and most of the rest of the restaurant, so we were able to bear witness to the popularity of the squid, as we saw no less than 7 plates full being run past our booth to other diners (not counting ours) and dinner hour hadn't hit yet (we were there at 5, since my bro-in-law had to hit the road to home shortly after). I don't know what I love the most about the squid. The plate comes heaping with crunchy leg-parts, which I love, and also chewy-squishy torso parts, which are also very good but are normally what will appeal to more of the people at your table (last night, for instance, I got all the legs to myself as noone else relished the idea of chewing up tentacles as much as me). The chewy bits tend to be more flavorful, but nowhere in the whole plate is there a disappointing bite. Ever. I've never regretted an order of their squid.
We each chose an entree to contribute to the potluck. My wife chose her favorite, the asparagus in black bean sauce, which is always quite good, if a little boring (no meat in the dish). My brother-in-law chose the beef and broccoli, which was boring and, frankly, entirely forgettable. My mother-in-law chose the House Special fried rice, which had shrimp, beef, and chicken mixed into it. Very tasty, though I only actually saw one shrimp on the platter. Plenty of beef and chicken, though, so it wasn't like it was a rip-off or anything. I went with the good ol' General.
The service was prompt, about a 5 minute wait for our order to be taken, and another 7-10 minutes for it to be brought out. Absolutely top-knotch. All of the wait-staff is friendly, and they're generally quite attentive, even when the place is really hopping.
I didn't get to see the final bill, but the prices are not extravagant, the portions are always plentiful, and I've never walked away feeling ripped-off, so I'm sure it was reasonable. And all of us (except my daughter, who's only 21 months and thus has difficulty focussing on eating at restaurants) left full and happy. Too full, in fact, because I spent the rest of the night with that just-ate-Chinese bloated feeling that I always promise myself I won't get next time, and then never fail to get next time.
I think it's safe to say that Thien Hong is my favorite Chinese food place in town, even if they are a Chinese-Vietnamese food place. If you go, make sure to order the squid. Failure is not an option.
6.20.2007
Suki Hana
Stopped by Suki Hana in the Pioneer Place Food Court yesterday for lunch. I'm not a big fan of Bento, but I am dedicated to this blog. So, I spent about ten minutes trying to decide what to have. There were three people working the counter, and they were more than willing to offer me a sample of whatever I pleased.
I settled on the Pineapple Chicken. Why? It's not deep-fried like a couple of the other choices and it's got pineapple. Although I love hot, spicy, fiery food, I also love the pineapple. Makes me think of Hawaii.
As I rarely ever get a drink with my meal, the price for lunch was $5.25. The plate was quite full (to the point where I was unable to complete the meal). Overall, tasty. What I especially liked was that the side of vegetables (cabbage, broccoli and peppers) was still crispy. That's a big plus in my book. Over-cooked vegetables are nasty. So, I was pleased.
I settled on the Pineapple Chicken. Why? It's not deep-fried like a couple of the other choices and it's got pineapple. Although I love hot, spicy, fiery food, I also love the pineapple. Makes me think of Hawaii.
As I rarely ever get a drink with my meal, the price for lunch was $5.25. The plate was quite full (to the point where I was unable to complete the meal). Overall, tasty. What I especially liked was that the side of vegetables (cabbage, broccoli and peppers) was still crispy. That's a big plus in my book. Over-cooked vegetables are nasty. So, I was pleased.
Taste of Bali
Interesting day. My brother-in-law is in town, and my wife had the day off, so we had devised a plan on Tuesday for me to go out to lunch with them (and my daughter) today. Then we had dinner with my father-in-law, who invited himself out to lunch as well (to his credit, he offered to pay), but since they all went to the zoo today before lunch, and none of them wanted lunch near my office, I got screwed.
GastroBoy had already left to try out QDoba, a new chain burrito place, so I needed to figure out a plan. I walked down Broadway, intent on hitting Taco Del Mar, when I saw a restaurant I've often thought about trying without ever actually succeeding. Taste of Bali, on Broadway just north of Salmon.
I opted for the number 8, the Satay Ayam Malaysia. It's essentially a grilled chicken skewer on steamed rice, with a spicy peanut sauce. It costs $5.95. I had two spring rolls with it, as a side ($2.50) and a Diet Coke.
The people at Taste of Bali are very nice. In terms of the in-restaurant experience, that's about all I can say. Through the doors into the recesses of the kitchen area you can see huge stacks of dirty dishes piled high, with no apparent emphasis placed on trying to appear interested in cleaning anything. The place feels dingy. I would've taken a picture, but there wasn't a way to do so without getting pinched.
The food took about 15 minutes to prepare, and there was really not much going on in the place (I didn't get there until around 12:45). I did get through a goodly portion of Willamette Week while I waited, but that's not necessarily what I'm looking for in take-out. To be fair, there's a sign that warns that grilled foods can take 7-10 minutes to cook, but the wait got to be a bit ridiculous.
Once I got my food, I headed back to the office to enjoy. I recalled after my first skewer that I should grab a pic.
The serving was large, and I shouldn't have eaten it all, but I was hungry from biking into work and missing breakfast, and I was watching Judge Mathis in our conference room. The sauce was good, but there wasn't much of it. The rice was, well, rice. You really can't mess that up. The chicken was moist and well-prepared.
But given the money I spent, I felt let-down. The food took too long, came from a scruffy-looking place, and seemed to be a bit skimpy on the flavorful part that I bought it for.
Taste of Bali serves adequate food, but if I had to pick between them and Subway, I think 9 times out of 10 I'd go with the latter. Which isn't an absolute slap in the face (I didn't say McDonalds or -- shudder -- Sbarro after all) but it's close.
GastroBoy had already left to try out QDoba, a new chain burrito place, so I needed to figure out a plan. I walked down Broadway, intent on hitting Taco Del Mar, when I saw a restaurant I've often thought about trying without ever actually succeeding. Taste of Bali, on Broadway just north of Salmon.
I opted for the number 8, the Satay Ayam Malaysia. It's essentially a grilled chicken skewer on steamed rice, with a spicy peanut sauce. It costs $5.95. I had two spring rolls with it, as a side ($2.50) and a Diet Coke.
The people at Taste of Bali are very nice. In terms of the in-restaurant experience, that's about all I can say. Through the doors into the recesses of the kitchen area you can see huge stacks of dirty dishes piled high, with no apparent emphasis placed on trying to appear interested in cleaning anything. The place feels dingy. I would've taken a picture, but there wasn't a way to do so without getting pinched.
The food took about 15 minutes to prepare, and there was really not much going on in the place (I didn't get there until around 12:45). I did get through a goodly portion of Willamette Week while I waited, but that's not necessarily what I'm looking for in take-out. To be fair, there's a sign that warns that grilled foods can take 7-10 minutes to cook, but the wait got to be a bit ridiculous.
Once I got my food, I headed back to the office to enjoy. I recalled after my first skewer that I should grab a pic.
The serving was large, and I shouldn't have eaten it all, but I was hungry from biking into work and missing breakfast, and I was watching Judge Mathis in our conference room. The sauce was good, but there wasn't much of it. The rice was, well, rice. You really can't mess that up. The chicken was moist and well-prepared.
But given the money I spent, I felt let-down. The food took too long, came from a scruffy-looking place, and seemed to be a bit skimpy on the flavorful part that I bought it for.
Taste of Bali serves adequate food, but if I had to pick between them and Subway, I think 9 times out of 10 I'd go with the latter. Which isn't an absolute slap in the face (I didn't say McDonalds or -- shudder -- Sbarro after all) but it's close.
5.16.2007
Happy Bowl
You're in a hurry, you have $5 in cash, and you want something tasty. Whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do?
If you're like me, you'll run down to Happy Bowl, at 5th and Salmon.
I love Happy Bowl. Not necessarily because the food's so yummy. It's marginal. But the value is excellent, and it's just so easy.
On any given day, you can go in at lunch hour and walk out 5 minutes later. I always get the beef teriyaki, shown here:
What do I like about it? First, it's enough for two lunches. Between the beef and the rice, it's pretty filling. The beef is sometimes a little suspect, in terms of little bits of fat or what-not, but generally it's a good value.
The service is always super-friendly, and the place has some devoted regulars. A couple of tips:
If you're like me, you'll run down to Happy Bowl, at 5th and Salmon.
I love Happy Bowl. Not necessarily because the food's so yummy. It's marginal. But the value is excellent, and it's just so easy.
On any given day, you can go in at lunch hour and walk out 5 minutes later. I always get the beef teriyaki, shown here:
What do I like about it? First, it's enough for two lunches. Between the beef and the rice, it's pretty filling. The beef is sometimes a little suspect, in terms of little bits of fat or what-not, but generally it's a good value.
The service is always super-friendly, and the place has some devoted regulars. A couple of tips:
- Cash only. There's an ATM there, but I would guess the fees are hideous.
- Use the condiments. If you take the bowl as-is, you'll find it boring. I usually load up on extra teriyaki sauce and then cover a portion with the Red Rooster/Sriracha sauce to mix in.
- You can eat it all in one sitting, but you'll feel bloated after. It really does make a nice two-lunch, cheap option if you have a fridge at work.
Happy Bowl is one of the first places on my list for cheap convenience in downtown Portland. Don't go if you're seeking an enlightening food experience, but go if you need a quick, inexpensive, filling lunch.
4.26.2007
PF Chang's
So, yesterday was Administrative Assistant's Day or something like that. We overlords at the office failed to plan for it, and so at the last minute El Jefe put out an e-mail saying that we'd be celebrating today (in lieu of bringing in kids for that special day), provided that we could all agree on a place to eat.
Normally, I love these announcements. I used to work in the public sector, so "free food" meant cookies and bad coffee at a public meeting. I moved to my new employer last fall, and since have had some very nice lunches. And when it's time to have another, I usually jump to the challenge of organizing it, because then I can usually weasle us into someplace new that I'd like to eat for free.
But, in recognition of the fact that the day is for support staff and not the supported, I put out an e-mail asking for suggestions. The first one was Sungari, which we haven't gone to yet, so I was secretly pleased at the initial wave of favorable replies. Then someone threw out PF Chang's. Been there, done that, and not impressed. Someone else threw out Henry's, another place we've been to, and then, somehow, the next 30 minutes turned into an e-mail taunting session aimed at hurting Gastro Boy's feelings (because he works with me) and putting down the PF Chang's contingent (largely, I must confess, out of my chagrin towards Vancouverites, as one had hopped squarely onto the Chang's Bus). I also tried to steer people toward The Hunan, which is one of my top two or three destination Asian joints, but I'd burned my capital in my bid to put down the PF Chang's offensive.
Eventually I created a voting system wherein staff members' votes would count double those of we, the oppressive overlords, and demanded that people weigh in. Pleasantly, Sungari won, with PF Chang's a close second and Henry's a distant third. Hunan wasn't even on the list. Gastro Boy made sure to note along the way that "PF Chang's is Asian like The Olive Garden is Italian," which qualified as the best one-liner I heard yesterday. Either that's saying alot for him, or it's a sad testament to my life.
I attempted the Sungari reservation, only to find out that they couldn't accomodate a group of our size on such short notice. So I grudgingly called PFC, and then loathingly accepted their cheerful and unflinching invitation to seat our full group at our desired time. Curses.
And so, today, we went to PF Chang's. PF Chang's, for those who haven't been there, is an upscale pseudo-Chinese-food franchise which is pretty big among the hipster set. As Gastro Boy was mumbling this morning, as we discussed our lunch sentiments, the young, rich and attractive that make places like these successful don't necessarily realize the difference between good and bad food. Or, more succinctly put (in what I suspect will be the best one liner I hear today), "places like that are good for only one thing: having a couple of cocktails and a Poo Poo Platter before you go a-whoring around downtown."
The restaurant is clean, dimly lit, roomy, and almost sterile in the sense that it lacks any real character whatsoever.
The food is generally solidly okay, never really impressive, and the portions never seem to align with the prices.
All that said, I really enjoyed it today.
We started out with some appetizers for our group: Crab Won-Tons, Salt-and-Pepper Calamari, and Spring Rolls. These were all non-spectacular. We followed up with soup, Won-Ton (which wasn't good at all) and Hot-and-Sour (which was overly thick, seemed fake, and asn't all that impressive in either hotness or sourness).
For lunch, I diverged from the normal Kung Pao tendency I tend to display and instead had "Tam's Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp." It's described on the menu thusly: "A unique gnocchi-like noodle stir-fried with sliced beef, shrimp and chili peppers in a subtle abalone sauce."
It looked like this:
(Well, there are a couple of Kung Pao Shrimp there that I stole from a co-worker).
The round, flat bits are the noodles. Altogether, it was very tasty. Spicy throughout, with nicely-cooked beef that was soft-but-not-limp and shrimp that were just plain yummy. And it was surprisingly filling; half of it made it back to the office for lunch tomorrow.
I sampled a couple of other people's dishes, and they were average-to-above-average. Better than some "authentic" Chinese places in town, but not as good as you can get at a non-franchised actual local Chinese joint.
The service was very good today. Normally it's adequate, but I was pretty happy with our waiter today.
For 11 people, with included gratuity, the meal came out to about $215. Not bad, but not terrific.
So, I expected to go to PF Chang's and be underwhelmed. I walked out with a full stomach born of good food. The company may have been a part of it (I have to say that sort of thing, I suppose), but the food absolutely did not disappoint.
Normally, I love these announcements. I used to work in the public sector, so "free food" meant cookies and bad coffee at a public meeting. I moved to my new employer last fall, and since have had some very nice lunches. And when it's time to have another, I usually jump to the challenge of organizing it, because then I can usually weasle us into someplace new that I'd like to eat for free.
But, in recognition of the fact that the day is for support staff and not the supported, I put out an e-mail asking for suggestions. The first one was Sungari, which we haven't gone to yet, so I was secretly pleased at the initial wave of favorable replies. Then someone threw out PF Chang's. Been there, done that, and not impressed. Someone else threw out Henry's, another place we've been to, and then, somehow, the next 30 minutes turned into an e-mail taunting session aimed at hurting Gastro Boy's feelings (because he works with me) and putting down the PF Chang's contingent (largely, I must confess, out of my chagrin towards Vancouverites, as one had hopped squarely onto the Chang's Bus). I also tried to steer people toward The Hunan, which is one of my top two or three destination Asian joints, but I'd burned my capital in my bid to put down the PF Chang's offensive.
Eventually I created a voting system wherein staff members' votes would count double those of we, the oppressive overlords, and demanded that people weigh in. Pleasantly, Sungari won, with PF Chang's a close second and Henry's a distant third. Hunan wasn't even on the list. Gastro Boy made sure to note along the way that "PF Chang's is Asian like The Olive Garden is Italian," which qualified as the best one-liner I heard yesterday. Either that's saying alot for him, or it's a sad testament to my life.
I attempted the Sungari reservation, only to find out that they couldn't accomodate a group of our size on such short notice. So I grudgingly called PFC, and then loathingly accepted their cheerful and unflinching invitation to seat our full group at our desired time. Curses.
And so, today, we went to PF Chang's. PF Chang's, for those who haven't been there, is an upscale pseudo-Chinese-food franchise which is pretty big among the hipster set. As Gastro Boy was mumbling this morning, as we discussed our lunch sentiments, the young, rich and attractive that make places like these successful don't necessarily realize the difference between good and bad food. Or, more succinctly put (in what I suspect will be the best one liner I hear today), "places like that are good for only one thing: having a couple of cocktails and a Poo Poo Platter before you go a-whoring around downtown."
The restaurant is clean, dimly lit, roomy, and almost sterile in the sense that it lacks any real character whatsoever.
The food is generally solidly okay, never really impressive, and the portions never seem to align with the prices.
All that said, I really enjoyed it today.
We started out with some appetizers for our group: Crab Won-Tons, Salt-and-Pepper Calamari, and Spring Rolls. These were all non-spectacular. We followed up with soup, Won-Ton (which wasn't good at all) and Hot-and-Sour (which was overly thick, seemed fake, and asn't all that impressive in either hotness or sourness).
For lunch, I diverged from the normal Kung Pao tendency I tend to display and instead had "Tam's Noodles with Savory Beef and Shrimp." It's described on the menu thusly: "A unique gnocchi-like noodle stir-fried with sliced beef, shrimp and chili peppers in a subtle abalone sauce."
It looked like this:
(Well, there are a couple of Kung Pao Shrimp there that I stole from a co-worker).
The round, flat bits are the noodles. Altogether, it was very tasty. Spicy throughout, with nicely-cooked beef that was soft-but-not-limp and shrimp that were just plain yummy. And it was surprisingly filling; half of it made it back to the office for lunch tomorrow.
I sampled a couple of other people's dishes, and they were average-to-above-average. Better than some "authentic" Chinese places in town, but not as good as you can get at a non-franchised actual local Chinese joint.
The service was very good today. Normally it's adequate, but I was pretty happy with our waiter today.
For 11 people, with included gratuity, the meal came out to about $215. Not bad, but not terrific.
So, I expected to go to PF Chang's and be underwhelmed. I walked out with a full stomach born of good food. The company may have been a part of it (I have to say that sort of thing, I suppose), but the food absolutely did not disappoint.
4.13.2007
Tom Yum Thai Cuisine
In my opinion, there are three or four kinds of Asian food places. Actually, this probably works for all sorts of food, but it rang especially true in my mind for Asian food places while I was pondering the issue.
Anyway, the four types are:
Anyway, the four types are:
- Destination - This is a place you plan on going, seek out, recommend highly, take friends to, etc.
- Old Stand-by - This is a place you know will be good but you only go there in a pinch.
- Guilty Pleasure - This place looks horrible, and the food is horrible, but you love it. But no one must ever know.
- Buyer Beware - You wouldn't touch this place with a ten-foot pole, and when you see people coming out of it you wonder how long 'til they're at the ER getting their stomach pumped.
Tonight, after picking my daughter up from daycare and realizing I was on my own for dinner, I opted to swing by a place that firmly belongs in Category #2, Tom Yum Thai Cuisine. Located at 44th and Woodstock, this place is set back in a mini-mini-mall sort of arrangement.
I've been there about 5 times, since I live nearby, and usually I order some sort of Pad-something and some salad rolls. Tonight, I phoned in on my way and ordered the Chicken Pad Thai, medium-spicy. "Okay, ten minutes, goodbye."
Eight minutes later, I was there, waiting in line (the place is always busy, a sure sign of goodness) and my food was already waiting.
Now, as I type, I'm eating it. Delicious. I often get mild, but I decided I wanted some kick tonight, and I got it. The chicken is lean and plentiful, and the chunks aren't hard to find. Plenty of peanut, nice load of noodles, and a good mix of vegetables on the side that can be mixed in.
I don't claim to be a Thai food expert by any means, but let me say this: if you're in SE Portland and jonesing for some quick Thai, you could do far worse than Tom Yum.
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