pleen's Profile
Authentic Chinese Food in PDX
Oooh....thanks for the tip! Lucky Strike is okay, but it doesn't quite satisfy the Sichuan food craving. Will try Taste of Sichuan soon and report back.
Incidentally, Five Spice is now my go-to Cantonese restaurant in town. Their clay pot & clay pot rice dishes are super awesome. They have a very limited dim sum menu, so that is not the place to go for a big blowout dim sum fest, but if you want a snack before your main meal arrives, try their fresh-made rice noodle (any variety) - it's delicious! Their soups are also tasty. I recently had their melon & pork soup and it was heaven - took my right back to Hong Kong!
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Lucky Strike
3862 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Looking for suggestions during my vacation to Portland.
PS - IMHO opinion, Voodoo doughnut is overrated. It's fun to visit, but I don't allow my out-of-town visitors to buy anything there. Instead, note that we have over half a dozen amazing bakeries. Try Nuvrei (ham & gruyere croissant & monkey bread), Lovejoy Bakers (The Lovejoy Deluxe & their Butterhorn), Pearl Bakery (cinnamon crown), Ken's Artisan Bakery, Bakery Bar, Baker & Spice, Little T Bakery....oh my! I love breakfast pastries in Portland!
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Ken's Artisan Bakery
338 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Pearl Bakery
102 NW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97209
Looking for suggestions during my vacation to Portland.
Toro Bravo and Tasty N Sons are owned by the same restaurateurs - they are different restaurant concepts, but you may want to go to one, not both, so that you can experience other great eats in town. I've taken every out-of-town visitor to Tasty N Sons and everyone loved it. Both Tasty N Sons and Pok Pok can have long waits...if you don't like to wait in the rain, I suggest going there early.
I second Mirakutei for sushi and ramen. I like Bamboo Sushi, but think the Mirakutei is a little better. I was not impressed with Masu.
Food carts are a must - but not all food carts are created equally. The largest cluster of food carts is downtown (10th and Alder)...but there aren't many places to sit and enjoy the delicious offerings. My favorite food cart pods are in the SE...Cartopia (Whiffies Fried Pies, the creperie, Pyro Pizza AND Potato Champions - all super-delish) and Good Food Here (Eurotrash, Namu, Sugar Cube and I hear Clack-a-Lack Chicken just moved there as well!)
Enjoy!
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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Potato Champion
SE 12th and Hawthorne, Portland, OR
Toro Bravo
120 NE Russell St Ste A, Portland, OR 97212
Pyro Pizza
SE Hawthorne Blvd SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Restaurant with a separate room for small event?
Great suggestions fellow Chowhounders! Thanks so much...I've got lots to go on here!
Chef Tasting Suggestions
Not exactly chef's tasting menu, as only one menu is offered per evening (substitutions politely declined), but have you thought about Beast? I believe it's $60 without wine pairings.
Apizza Scholls vs sizzle pie
FB, I tried Sizzle Pie's slices a few months ago and was underwhelmed. Do you think I should order an entire pie to get better results? Admittedly, I'm nuts about Apizza Scholls and I personally think it is the best pizza in town...but they don't sell slices there, so I always order a whole pie. I like Ken's, but neither Ken's or Nostrana comes close to Apizza Scholls in my book. Pizza preference is really very subjective! Another pie that I really enjoy (for $7!!!) is Pyro Pizza, a food cart on SE 12th and Hawthorne. Amazing what great pies they can turn out of a food cart!
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Nostrana
1401 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214
Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215
Pyro Pizza
SE Hawthorne Blvd SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Restaurant with a separate room for small event?
Hi PDX Chowhounders! I'm planning a small birthday party (10-12 people) and looking for a good restaurant with a separate dining room. We are a loud bunch and I would hate to impose our noise-making on other diners!
Thanks in advance!
Experimental food in Portland
I agree with you re: Aviary - I love that place! Unfortunately, their place was damaged by errant fireworks on Fourth of July. However, the food community has rallied together and there are various fundraising efforts to help Aviary "rise" like the phoenix. I went to a fantastic benefit dinner at Firehouse last night...Plate & Pitchfork also hosted something, I believe. Ping is lending their space on Monday nights to the Aviary chefs...for more info, contact Aviary: http://www.aviarypdx.com/
Fabulous Cantonese
Agree re: dimsum...I did a back-to-back Wong King's versus Ocean City comparison and found Ocean City to be a little more refined, less oily (it's all relative!), fresher ingredients.
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Ocean City Restaurant
3016 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
Experimental food in Portland
Castagna is the closest thing we've got, but frankly, I'm kind of glad that there is so much delicious, honest, well-prepared food that isn't disguised as something else. Just my own personal opinion, of course.
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Castagna
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Authentic Chinese Food in PDX
Just tried Five Spice this afternoon - pretty good! I would definitely go back and try different things. I only ordered a tofu dish and vegetables, so it is not the best measure of a cantonese place, but will head back over there for further exploration of the menu.
If anyone is craving an egg tart (dan tat), Gary's Bakery across the street is pretty decent, especially when the egg tarts have just come out of the oven and they are still warm. They also have Portuguese egg tarts there. Yum.
Also, tried Kenny's and I love the snap of the noodles there, but I don't think their dumplings (both won tons and shui gau) are as good as Chen's Good Taste in Old Chinatown.
Best Pizza in Portland
We are on the same page regarding pizza, nkeane. Had the good fortune to dine at Bianco twice in the past year and once at Uno Napolitano (sp?) before the chef packed up and moved to SF. Have yet to try Di Fara's in Brooklyn...heard that is really good too. But I digress.
Have you been to Pyro's Pizza? Damn good for $7!
Two Nights in Portland: Help Me Make a Decision...
The folks at Castagna are very quick to reassure that Matt Lightner's departure will have little impact on the quality of the food. Personally, I think it will be great for you to try Castagna, then head back to NYC to try Chef Lightner's new place.
I think Castagna and Beast are great choices for 1st & 2nd night. How about Pok Pok and Little Bird for lunch then?
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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Castagna
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Best Pizza in Portland
Right there with you re: Apizza Scholls & Dove Vivi, JillO! Apizza Scholls is, IMHO, hands down, the best pizza in town. Ken's and Nostrana don't hold a candle to Apizza Scholls.
Another delicious find is Pyro Pizza - AMAZING $7.00 pie out of a food cart, for god's sake! $8 if you want a generous topping of Otto's (local) pepperoni! (See pix below)
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Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215
Pyro Pizza
SE Hawthorne Blvd SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Ramen?
I second Mirakutei. I wasn't impressed with the ramen at Shigezo.
Has anyone been to Boke Bowl (pop up ramen) - if so, how does it compare to Mirakutei?
4 days in Portland = 20 dining options?
If you are planning on going to the food carts on Alder to try Nong's, I suggest sampling a few things from different carts. Nong's is great first choice...also try Ziba's Pitas...their spinach pies rock.
If you haven't been to any of Andy Ricker's restaurants, I suggest Pok Pok over Ping. I love them both, but Pok Pok is his signature restaurant.
Also, Beast is a fantastic experience, if you are willing to leave the city center.
If you are staying on the West side (downtown), there are some great bakeries for breakfast, such as:
- Lovejoy Bakers (try the Lovejoy Deluxe)
- Nuvrei (take out only, not a sit down restaurant)
- Pearl Bakery
Enjoy!
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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Best Biscuits & Gravy - Portland
Have tried Pine State & Bakery Bar - I humbly submit that Bakery Bar's biscuits and gravy are better than Pine State's. Bakery Bar's biscuits have a light mouth feel yet dense in flavor -- and the gravy is loaded (in a good way) with good quality sausage.
http://www.bakerybar.com/
2935 NE Glisan St. (Between 29th & 30th)
Tell me if I'm crazy.
Authentic Chinese Food in PDX
starshines, thanks for the tip! Kenny's has been on my list for a while, but I haven't made the time to get out there and try it - will do so soon! Haven't tried Hunan Pearl either...am curious to know more about the place as well!
Another stellar Asian place comes to mind: HA V&L. This Vietnamese place is SO good! They make two different types of soup noodles everyday and usually sell out by 10:30am on the weekends. It's a little more chill on weekdays - great spot for an early lunch. No MSG at all - their soup noodles remind me of South East Asia!
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Hunan Pearl Restaurants
15160 Bangy Rd, Lake Oswego, OR 97035
New Yorker coming to Portland
Please come back - there are so many other delicious places to try! glad you liked Pok Pok - it is one of my favorites as well.
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Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Turkish Food
We stopped by a Turkish food cart on SW 4th & Hall:
http://www.foodcartsportland.com/2010/11/11/sultans-kitchen/
The owner is Turkish and was also offering cooking classes! While you are there, take $4 and hand it to the owners of Dosirak in exchange for some of the most delicious gyoza (dumplings) I've ever had!
New Yorker coming to Portland
My husband and I were just talking about where we would take visitors who only had a few nights with us. Here is what we decided:
Day 1
Breakfast: Lovejoy Deluxe at Lovejoy Bakers (you can take a streetcar there)
Lunch: food carts @ 10th & Alder (a short walk from your hotel) - sample as many carts as you can - Ziba's Pitas, Nong's, wander around and take in the "global" dining scene!
Dinner: Castagna
Day 2
Breakfast: find the elusive NuVrei Bakers and have either their bacon biscuit or ham/gruyere croissant - OMG!
Lunch: Food carts @ SE Belmont & 43rd or N. Mississippi (to avoid disappointment, check times/dates before going - pods open during specific times)
Dinner: Pok Pok (I find there is a difference in the quality of food between lunch and dinner service -- the A-team is ON during dinner!)
Day 3
Breakfast/Brunch: Pho An Sandy or Ha & VL (Vietnamese Soup Noodle)
Dinner: Beast
Day 4
Breakfast at Pearl Bakery or Ken's Artisan Bread
Lunch at Gruner
Dinner at Laurelhurst Market
Substitutes:
If you are a pizza fan and want to sample the best of Portland, get in line @ Apizza Scholls, Ken's or Nostrana
There are also great cart pods - I second the one on Mississippi as well as the one on Belmont.
Our guests will leave 5 pounds heavier if we manage to do all of the above in 4-day visit!
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Nostrana
1401 SE Morrison St, Portland, OR 97214
Pok Pok
3226 SE Division St, Portland, OR
Apizza Scholls
4741 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97215
Laurelhurst Market
3155 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR 97232
Pho An Sandy
6236 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR 97213
Castagna
1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR 97214
Ziba's Pitas
SW Alder St SW 9th Ave, Portland, OR 97205
Where can I get preserved lemons?
Thanks - I found a jar at Whole Foods. Will start with that and learn to make my own too!
BBQ in Richmond!
Was just at Q - delicious as usual - but the owner of Q mentioned that Alamo is really good for Texas-style bbq - beef brisket...haven't had a chance to check it out yet, but sounds fantastic.
Q's corn pudding is addictive...pure joy!
HELP! Best fried chicken in Richmond, VA?
Thank you - that is where we ended up. It is a little too greasy and thick-crusted for my taste, but overall, our group enjoyed it.
HELP! Best fried chicken in Richmond, VA?
In Richmond for the weekend and have a HUGE craving for fried chicken. Is Lee's the best in town or is there some other non-chain place that I should consider for good ol fashioned Southern Fried Chicken?
Thanks for any input!
Renegade Canteen or Vincent's on Camelback?
Thanks for all the differing opinions - one of the reasons I love Chowhounds!
Where can I get preserved lemons?
Am making a tagine recipe that calls for preserved lemons - anyone know where I can find these?
Thanks in advance!
Renegade Canteen or Vincent's on Camelback?
Thanks so much for your input! We have resos at both and will cancel one of them soon....
Renegade Canteen or Vincent's on Camelback?
Out-of-towners looking for a great dining experience - something uniquely Phoenix. Renegade Cafe or Vincent's on Camelback? Or something else?
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Renegade Canteen
9343 E Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ 85260
