Monday, July 13, 2009

Quick Bites PDX: Cora y Huichol Taqueria; Chinese Delicacy

CORA Y HUICHOL TAQUERIA
So I hadn't eaten all morning Sunday, was going to the 12:30 showing of Public Enemies (LOVED IT!...Michael Mann did a fabulous job with this. Beautiful movie, great acting) and had about 10 minutes to solve the blood sugar problem. Not being a member of fast food nation, that left out Mc's or the King. Which I assume is why the God of all things delicious and convenient invented taco trucks. It helped that the Cora y Huichol truck was right around the corner from the theater on SE 82nd and Holgate. It also helped that their al pastor is maybe the best I've had in the city. Tangy, tender, with just enough chili spice, these tacos for $1.25 per were spot on. I also tried the carnitas, which were pretty run of the mill. The Huichol salsas were also delicious with plenty of pop in both the rojo and verde versions. The tortillas made on premises weren't too slouchy. Not Lindo Michoacan perfection, but better than average. Beats the hell out of spending $35, or whatever they fuck you for, for a soda and popcorn at the show, don't ya think?
*** *** *** *** ***
CHINESE DELICACY
I was still digesting Public Enemies a few hours later and was in no mood for shopping, so suggested to my lovely bride we check out Chinese Delicacy which is just on the east end of Felony Flats south of 82nd and Foster. w was up for it and had wanted to try it. We were both hoping for that most elusive of food finds here in Portland: decent Chinese. Yummy Yummy had been a recent success so we thought we'd push our luck. Walking in and seeing all Asians is always a good thing. That may seem like racial profiling, but it's usually true. Also racial profiling: their setting a fork down for me but not for w because they thought maybe her gwai lo hubby couldn't handle the sticks. Just so you know, they had another think comin'!! A tiny box of a place, brightly lit (of course), with a remarkably limited menu for a Chinese joint. "Remarkably limited" in this case being only about 50 choices. We ordered three plates, the Chinese Delicacy bean curd; salt and pepper shrimp; and kung pao chicken. Here's the photo montage with commentary......
Chinese Delicacy bean curd, which was the best thing we had. The tofu was cooked just right, medium-firm, a flavorful sauce coating the curd and mushrooms, and underneath some super fresh micro greens of some sort. Although I'm guessing they don't call them "micro greens".
Kung Pao Peanuts....oh, I mean chicken. All I can say is they must have gotten a helluva deal on peanuts and had run out of bell peppers or any other vegetative matter for this. Plus with everything sitting in an incredibly bland sauce, this dish, which is one of w's Chinese food yardsticks, got a big pass from both of us.
Salt and Pepper Shrimp, which inexplicably seemed to lack both salt and pepper, or any other flavor. First I tried to eat the onions with it to try to get my tastebuds interested. Then I resorted to sriracha sauce. It helped, but not enough. Another pass. In fact the whole meal did nothing to make us want to return. Back to Yummy Yummy it is........

Chinese Delicacy on Urbanspoon

2 comments:

Poncho Wearer said...

good thing you posts these reviews. at the beginning of the review i was thinking... a new place yay! at the end of the review i was thinking... phew, good thing he tells it how it is.

bb said...

Just trying to save others from my fate Poncho. Or share the love as the case may be!