PDX Quick Bites: Ping; Koi Fusion; + coffee, carts, bars, and Taboada's, oh my!!

Some quick thoughts/observations from eating around town.....
After a recent lunch at Ping with my friend's Denise and her man K I asked on a twitter post if anyone else was as underwhelmed with Andy Ricker's Ping as I am? This place opened with great hype, riding the PDX Asian street food wave created by his much better Pok Pok. Both times I have been to Ping I am always kind of "meh". Okay, so where are all these amazingly creative, vibrant flavors? From what I hear about Thai street food, you can have fireworks going off in your mouth. Ping is like a sparkler that gives you a minor thrill, then fizzles. It seems it has been dumbed down for local consumption. Some things I like: the octopus skewer (below right) was nicely al dente with the requisite fire. The meat stuffing in the pork bao (pic at top) was very flavorful, but the bun surround was too chewy (and not a good deal at $4 each). The other things were....nice...but seemed to lack spark. And finally, I have to join the chorus that goes "what the hell is up with the skewers HAVING to be ordered by the 2 each?" If I'm by myself, maybe I only want one skewer so I can try more things. Would the orbit of the Ping kitchen really come to a screeching halt if they had to put out...gasp...one skewer?!? And I have to say, the few small bits of over-cooked lamb on that skewer for $6 (oh, wait, I meant $3 each as they are listed on the menu, but you have to order 2...*#@!%^) were not a terribly good deal...or a just plain terrible deal. The greater mystery is how can Pok Pok be so good, and this place not so much? Answers, anyone??

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So, with being less than satisfied with the Ping lunch, Denise and I (sadly K had to go back to work) wandered a couple blocks down to Burnside and 4th, where the roving Koi Fusion Korean taco cart was parked for the day. In the food media world it seems you can't throw a tortilla without hitting an article about Korean taco carts. It started with the Kogi carts that are the hottest thing in L.A. dining. Koi owner Bo Kwon, inspired by a visit to Kogi decided to give us a Portland version. The Koi marinated meats are delicious. Fresh made corn tortillas, creative Asian style topping, and tender, very flavorful Bulgogi tacos and my favorite, the Korean Short Rib tacos are fantastic at $2 each (hello Ping? $2 each, and I can order ONE if I want). Both marinated in what their website calls "Mama Kwon’s secret sauce" they were spicy, savory, and sweet....and delicious! We also tried the spicy Bulgogi pork taco, which could have used a lot more seasoning. I can't wait to go back and try the two beef tacos again, as well as the Seoul Sliders, which are tacos with "Bulgogi BBQ beef, shredded napa cabbage, griddled onions, crisp bean sprouts and spicy mayo". You can find out where to get your Koi on by checking their twitter feed, and it is totally worth the chase!

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TASTY BITS: A double shot of good news for those who like to get their caffeine high going. I was hanging outside the Spella Caffé coffee cart downtown, swilling another of owner Andrea Spella's perfect double espressos, when I found out he is opening a store at SW 5th and Alder that he hopes to have going by Dec. 1st. Great coffee without the raindrops falling on my head? I am so in!.....The other coffee shot is the news flash that Billy Wilson, owner of Barista coffee in the "Pearl", dropped on twitter yesterday that he has just signed a lease for a space on NE Alberta. Billy is a fanatic about sourcing high quality organic coffee from small boutique roasters around the U.S., and his drinks, as you'd expect from a champion barista, are top notch.

Add Pok Pok: It was written up in our local fishwrap that Pok Pok/Whiskey Soda Lounge owner Andy Ricker is opening a bar just kitty corner from his always rocking spot on SE Division, so us poor bastards who wait outside in all kinds of weather can have a warm, dry place inside to get some alcohol fueled warmth and a few tasty bar snacks. The new space will become Whiskey Soda Lounge and Pok Pok across the street will be just that.
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Just opened in my Sellwood 'hood (and conveniently just across the street from the wine shack) is a new food cart called Bruce Lee Kitchen. I've checked out their phat thai and red curry, both around $5 and $6, and was really impressed. The phat thai isn't quite a classic style, being somewhat spicier than your normal version, but it was bursting with fresh flavor. And I was even more smitten with cart owner Liza's red curry (pic at left), which was a deep, rich, lightly creamy and pungently flavored blast of palate pleasure. Great values, and an excellent compliment to the goodness always coming out of the Garden State cart which sits right next to BLK. My life continues to receive many tasty blessings!
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Portland Monthly blogger Mike Thelin mentioned in his post Monday that Navarre's John Taboada is opening another space just down from Navarre on 22nd and E. Burnside he is going to call Luce (pron. loo-chay). It's a two room spot, one of which will house a large commercial kitchen, the other a spot Taboada hopes to turn into a dining room event space seating up to 60 people (a la Beast?). Taboada, whose Navarre was named "Restaurant of the Year" by The Oregonian last year, cagily says he should be open "Soon".

PDX Quick Bites: The Deck is divine; + Tabor Food Cart and Bro Dogs

THE DECK
How did I not know about The Deck? Not that thing outside my backdoor, but that place on Portland's backdoor, a hideaway on the Columbia River off Marine Drive that is a throwback to all that is outdoors and thirst inducing. A place where the cocktails are strong, the food is, well, okay, and the beers are cold. It is a place where the hangout factor is huge, and the mellow vibe will instantly take hold. It's like a mini-vacation in the city. If it is sunny out and you're not here watching the sailboats slide by on the Columbia, then you are clearly in the wrong place in your life.

w and I picked the gloriousness that was last Sunday to ride our bikes out (an effort I use as rationalization for any consumption), rolling out NE 33rd Avenue and crossing at McCuddy's Marina, where floating among the various pleasure craft is the real pleasure to be had at The Deck. Cold beer in hand, easing the leg burning pain of the ride, I ordered their special of a fried halibut sandwich (right), and w had the tuna melt. I won't go too much into the food, because that is not the point here. The food is merely filler to soak up whatever alcoholic indulgence you might be getting into. Suffice to say they were both good, and the fries were a bit above average. Sitting on the deck, just chilling (in the metaphorical sense) and basking in the late
summer sun I was LOVING it. However, the love is short lived, because here's the rub: The Deck is only open from April through the end of September (this year through Oct. 3rd). Meaning you have exactly the next ten days to experience this piece of PDX heaven before, Brigadoon-like, it slips away for the next six months!

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TABOR FOOD CART
You more than likely have heard tales about the glory that is the Tabor Food Cart Schnitzelwich, the breaded and fried über-sandwich that cart owners Karel and Monika Vitek have been using to deliciously clog PDX arteries for the past few years. If you haven't yet been so informed, click here for my first experience. I found myself downtown last Monday in need of sustenance and was a block away from Tabor, so I walked over with every intention of getting my schnitzelwich on. That is until I saw the Szekely (pron. "seh-kee") Goulash (pictured above) on special. Pork, paprika, cream, kraut, dumpling, and of course the most important ingredient "more". How could I not. And once again Karel and Monika did not disappoint. Right on par with their rarely seen chicken paprikash this was rich, intensely flavored, the bread-like dumplings perfect for sopping up the sauce. At $6.50 this was filling in the way I would imagine all eastern Euro food should be, giving strength for the afternoon of tractor driving that would usually follow a hearty lunch in the Czech countryside. That is what follows lunch in the Czech countryside, isn't it??
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BRO-DOGS
I also had the opportunity to sniff out Bro Dogs down in the same cart utopia where Tabor is located. Bro Dogs is keeping Portland "Brolicious" with their array of offerings powered by Sabrett kosher dogs. When I was there I went straight for the unvarnished Classic Bro Dog, which was actually quite good, a plain Sabrette dog wrapped up in a flat bread roll that snugly keeps the hot dog tucked inside and the condiments off of your clothes. At $4 I wouldn't call it a screaming deal, maybe even a little overpriced, but the quality is all there. Worth a try, but at that price I'll head over to Sheridan Fruit where I still feel their grilled dog reigns supreme.

PDX Quick Bites: the Po' House; Nong's Khao man Gai; and this 'n that

The Po' House
I wasn't quite sure what to make of The Po' House (@thepohouse on twitter) cart on SE 44th and Hawthorne. I hadn't really checked out their menu, even though it is just a few blocks from our house. Then w told me Saturday she had just had some crazy shrimp etouffée there for lunch, so when the opportunity came to stop by during a bike ride Sunday, I was in (that's w looking all cute while she buys my lunch...which only makes her more attractive...in her nutcase bike helmet). A New Orleans style cart, we ordered their shrimp etouffée ($6, and a steal) and a red snapper po' boy (also a great deal at $6), with a side of cheese grits (very nice, spicy flavor but a smidge too runny). Um, I just have to say that etouffée they are making was absolutely fucking incredible! Made from a dark, remarkably intense roux, this had oodles of buttery and a depth of flavor I would happily drown my taste buds in. Ridiculously cheap, this is as good as I have ever had, New Orleans experiences included, with plump shrimp adding their own rich texture...wow! The snapper po' boy was also spicy and delicious, with lightly crusted fresh snapper filet tucked with veggies in a crusty roll. Put this on your to-stop-by list soon and prepare to be impressed! The also make a damn fine lemonade to wash it down, but order a small or medium for next to nothing, or share a large, which comes in a quart-sized tub.
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Nong's Khao Man Gai
Chicken and rice. If you asked me to go to lunch and said that's what we'd be having with no further explanation, I would probably find an excuse to bail. After Monday, if you asked me go with you to Nong's Khao Man Gai food cart on the SW 10th and Alder cart pod for chicken and rice, I would be there before you finished asking. So how does something so simple become so good? I have no idea, but this was absolutely astonishing. Plain, yet moist and succulent, poached chicken on an ethereally scented jasmine rice. I'm almost speechless trying to describe how good it is, especially when you dip it into cart owner Nong Poonsukwattana's dipping sauce made with fresh ginger, garlic, sugar, fermented soy beans and chili. Chicken and rice is all she does. Apparently in Thailand it's tradition if you have a food cart you do one thing...and in Nong's case do it fantastically well. I washed mine down with a bottle of Palm Juice, which was slightly sweet, tasting like a blend of vanilla and coconut. Next time I'll bring a cup of ice, a slice of lime, and a flask of rum and make a killer cocktail! For $6 Nong's chicken & rice reminds how freakishly well we eat off of our PDX carts. For further info, click here for the Oregonian article on Nong's.
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Was sorry, but not surprised to hear the news about Caprial's closing their doors on Portland Food and Drink. Business I know had been way off. What I didn't know, but was detailed in this story in The Oregonian, was the bankruptcy filed by owners Caprial and John Pence in 2006 that they couldn't recover from. Interesting backstory from the O.
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Sweet story (click here), "Ode to a Greek Diner", by very talented Portland writer Nancy Rommelmann on Niki's, a Greek café on the corner of SE Morrison where it runs onto the bridge. Details the reality of I'm sure so many old school cafés around the country. Check out her story on zesterdaily.com, a very worthy food writing site.
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Also Oregonian related, today online Karen Brook's has a short article about the two carts moving to the new cart pod on N. Mississippi and Skidmore called the Mississippi Marketplace. We walked by the other day and they did a remarkable job renovating the building on the corner that will house a beer joint, with the food carts surrounding it in the parking lot. The first two sign ups are the highly regarded Sugar Cube and Nuevo Mexico carts. Click here for Brook's story.
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Not to overstate what everyone knows, but we had another round of pizza perfection at Apizza Scholls last night. We always fall for the half margarita and half sausage, and I have to stop myself from finishing my half of the pie....and w's! Their crust knows no peer in Portland, blistered with black spots, crispy from outside edge to the center. Plus their caesar salad is one of the best in town. My wine tip: slurp down glasses (or bottles) of the 2006 Casamatta Sangiovese (and not to shamelessly pimp myself, but it is available at VINO if you need it), a perfect fit with their version of pizza heaven. Better news is that Apizza is now tossing their pies 7 days a week, which hopefully will relieve some of the pressure, although it was rocking as usual last night. If you think I'm not grateful their front door is just three blocks from mine, you'd best think again. It makes signing up and going home for a pre-dinner libation to avoid waiting in the restaurant all too convenient!

Quick Bites PDX: Garden State; Asian Station; Ziba's Pitas; Malay Satay Hut; Lindo Michoacan

This is the "Things I like to eat in Portland" edition of E.D.T.: Quick hits of some edible delights you should be indulging in...

GARDEN STATE FOOD CART
There was a collective wail of anguish heard in Sellwood when, several weeks ago, Garden State dictator Kevin Sandri decided to discontinue his pork-a-licious Porchetta Sandwich. If you are among those who have been pining ever since, salvation is at hand starting today. The porchetta is back, and based on my sample today it is better than ever. Kevin, who seemingly never seems to run out of ways to raise the bar of how good cart food can be (he does make the best meatball hero in town), has taken the art of braising a pork shoulder in a toaster oven to new heights. Starting with a locally raised, organic pork shoulder and applying various seasonings, then finishing it with a 14 hour braise, he has produced a moist, super tender sandwich filling that will be dripping delightfully down your chin with every swoon inducing bite. This is meat love at its finest!
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ASIAN STATION CAFE
As I'm sure I have made obvious, the thing that is missing in Portland is truly good, authentic Chinese food. Ever since our trip last fall where we ate our way through Shanghai and Hong Kong, I have been appalled upon my return to realize how truly mediocre the Chinese food scene is here in Portland. A glimmer of hope appeared recently at Yummy Yummy, where they seem to truly get it. But the thing I miss most are those steamed delights called Xiao Long Bao, aka Shanghai soup dumplings. We had incredible, and unbelievably cheap ones in Shanghai, and got a nice bao-fix when were in Vancouver, B.C. recently. I had heard there was a cart downtown, Asian Station, who were producing some pretty respectable bao, so the other week, with hopes high, I checked them out. I was told by the girl manning the cart their XLB are made by a friend of the cart owners. I placed my order for 8 bao, not too badly priced at $7 with rice (must...forget...Shanghai). They came out looking pretty good. I dipped it in their too-vinegary-not-gingery enough sauce (memo to the cart owner: buy some wider little plastic sauce containers since the bao are wider than to the ones you are using now), bit a hole to suck out the soup, and....and...where was the soup?? Usually you have to watch out for squirting soup. This bao was soupless. Maybe they forgot the bouillon cube. I don't know. The others had soup, but one out of eight was not a good percentage. In any event the verdict is good texture on the wrappers, the meat filling was tender and flavorful, the broth a little thinly flavored but still pretty good (I really want to like these). I'll definitely be back to try again, hoping for the best.
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ZIBA'S PITAS
Assuming you haven't had your Bosnian food fix lately (because frankly who has?) then I strongly suggest you get down to Ziba's Pitas at the food cart pod on SW Alder between 9th and 10th, where former Bosnian accountant Ziba Ljucevic is lovingly preparing these delicious stuffed pitas. Not really stuffed, like in the gyros or falafel way, not even pita bread like that. Her dough is thinly rolled out, then the fillings are layered on the dough and baked. I had 1/2 a spinach and 1/2 a beef pita, with a side of cucumber and sour cream salad and the national condiment of eastern Europe, Ajvar, a roasted red pepper spread that kicks ketchup to the curb, all for around 5 or 6 bucks for a large serving (or maybe it was the eight XLB's I had just consumed!). Ziba herself may be the sweetest person manning any cart in town. I really can't wait to explore more of her offerings.
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Malay Satay Hut
Three words: Mango Tofu Salad! At MSH in the Fubonn Plaza on SE 82nd between division and Powell I could eat plates of this. Their fried fish and noodle offerings are pretty damn good, too, but that salad rocks!








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LINDO MICHOACAN TACO TRUCK
Lindo Michoacan produces hands down the best tortillas in town. What goes on top of them (not to ignore the meaty delights that go into the tortas and burritos) is about as good as it gets in taco truck land here in Portland, but those tortillas...holy shit, they are so perfect! Hechas a mano daily on the premises at SE 34th and Division, they are just the right thickness and texture, light but not too, with actual corn flavor coming through. In the photo they are the double layered mattress for a blanket of savory, drool-worthy barbacoa. For $1.50 each are a steal! Plus they have a nicely laid out, heated outdoor seating area...other cart owners take note.

Quick Bites PDX: Caffé Mingo; Poompui; del INTI

CAFFE MINGO
You know how certain places just have that comfortable feel for you? You know it's really right when even if you haven't been there for a year or more, the moment you walk in the door, you know nothing has changed. Caffé Mingo on NW 21st is like that for me. A place I went to regularly for years, lately it has fallen off the radar, as my Portland dining habits have taken a shift to the eastside from the west. w and I hit Mingo a couple of weeks ago, and if anything "hit" was the operative word. From our apps of the Mingo Salad and the Shrimp Skewers (pictured left in crappy photo taken with my iPhone) to their pastas (the Mingo classic penne al sugo for w, the orecchiete with sausage and greens for me) and through to the iconic Mingo dessert of Panna Cotta (right) , everything was spot on. Service and comfort zone included! Maybe it's the fact that I still see some of the same faces working there that I always have, and the food, especially the sugo, has the same warmth and flavor that it had years ago, but I have to only have respect for Mingo's consistency. Time to readjust my radar!

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POOMPUI
A year or so ago I wrote a post that I had seen the future of Thai food in Portland, and it was at Mai Thai on SE Belmont. I still love that place, but last Monday on the strong advice of my friend about PDX cart town JoshuaC, I checked out the Poompui cart on the north park blocks. If Mai Thai was the future of dine-in Thai joints, the Poompui is the present for cheap, incredibly fresh Thai take out. I've only had one thing, the Pad Kee Mao, and already I can't wait to get back. I've read plenty on various blogs and twitter feeds about Poompui, and the cool brothers who are running it. Apparently it's all true. First off, this is the cheeriest, brightly painted cart in town. It feels good just to bask in its neon colored glow. Then there was my dish of rice noodles, perfectly cooked and seasoned with fresh veggies and chicken, a bit of heat and spice coming through on each bite. These guys know their stuff, and for the stupidly cheap five bucks I spent on my lunch, I'm guessing you won't find a better plate of Thai food in town.

The menu at Poompui. Click photo to enlarge and induce salivation!

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del INTI
w and I are big fans of the Peruvian restaurant Andina on NW 13th and Glisan. We'd both read about the recently opened del INTI over on NE Alberta, and how they were serving some interesting takes on classic Peruvian dishes. So last Saturday evening we drove over, hoping to find an alternative to the drive through NW. We grabbed a table on their shaded patio, which is a great outdoor dining spot. Our somewhat over-gracious waiter (I can't believe I'm saying that "he's too helpful", but it kind of weirded me out, which says more about me than him I'm sure) brought us menus, and I had their delicious gin-ginger cocktail, which I have to say was very refreshing. But the rest of dinner, while good, was unremarkably so. Our apps of Chicharron Mixto, while fried correctly, was somewhat skimpy for $10. The Piqueo (skewer) of chicken with tamarind sauce was pretty to look at (in picture), but bland with an over-sweet sauce. w had the Hangar Steak Saltado, which seemed to be stir fried chunks of steak drenched in soy sauce. Not good. I had the Braised Lamb Shoulder with a cilantro-based canary bean stew. The herb/spice flavor of this was good, the lamb tender, but so salty that by the end your mouth is numb. Which was fine because the food wasn't all that. The upshot is that all this was not cheap. Verdict: go to Andina where for the same money you can eat much fresher, interesting Peruvian.

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one year ago today @ E.D.T.: eating spring with Asparagus, Meyer Lemon, and Pancetta Pasta

Portland food bites: 2 more reasons to love it here!

I don't know if I'm just easy or need to be more discerning, but I seem to have no problem finding new edibles that totally grab my attention and have me anticipating, almost salivating, at my next opportunity to indulge. Two of my newest obsessions here in Portland.....

Beef Brisket Slider. Do I even need to say anything more? Okay, how about Pulled Pork Slider? Now that I have your attention, I would suggest you jump in your cars (Monday-Friday 11-2 or so only) and drive over to SE 13th Avenue and Lexington and grab a couple of these $3 marvels from The Chuck Wagon cart, conveniently located right across the street from VINO. Chuck does some kick ass barbecue, and both his shredded beef brisket and pulled pork are awesome. Perfectly tender meat, sauce with a just right bite, a very credible slaw, all stuffed between a classic white bread bun. Can you say addictive? Plus he also does a "bowl" where you can get the meat over rice. But the little "sliders", which he initially did so he could have a kid size portion, are substantial enough for any hungry adult. This is the best $3 sandwich in town, period!
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Then you have the deliciously named Pretzel Bread from Little T American Baker. Let's see...Pretzels: good. Bread: good. Pretzel bread: freakish! I stopped by Little T, which recently opened on SE 26th and Division, on my way to work a week ago. I needed a snack, and the guy at counter was all over the pretzel bread. He said he has them almost every day. That was all I needed to hear. One bite and I couldn't wait to tell w. They are about 8 or 9 inches long, look like mini-baguettes, have a lighter texture than traditional pretzels, but taste just like the best pretzel you've ever had, with a perfect sprinkle of rock salt on top. Like I wasn't already worshiping at the altar of starch...Amen brother!!