Vege Thai

Venue: Vege Thai
Location visited: 3272 SE Hawthorne, Portland OR 97214
Website: http://vegethai.com/
To Visit? It's more than just your greens :]




I know the blog hasn't been very vegetarian friendly, because face it, I love food too much to limit myself to anything, and it just so that there are more carnivorous venues out there.  However, upon deciding what to have for lunch one day, my co-worker suggested VeGE Thai. It's a a smaller restaurant, simple front with a handful of tables, occupied by patrons eating away, lips smacking.


All of the dishes here are pretty much vegan if not vegetarian. There are no fish sauce, oyster sauce, or shrimp paste. All the Asians are probably cringing about now, but really, their sauces are amazing! Did I mention they were also MSG free, and their dishes all come high in protein, choice of brown or white rice, and spice level to your liking? Yay for options! 







Of course, while I was snapping away at pictures, my co-worker had already ripped off the wrapping on his chopsticks and getting anxious to chow down.  I was able to try his yakisoba noodles made from wheat flour, and stir fried with soy chicken, soy shrimp, and assorted veggies. Though the sauce on this dish was light and aromatic, the soy shrimp could have used a slightly more chewy texture since it seemed to just break apart within the first two chews. My dish, on the other hand,  was the Choo Chee fish. With a name like that, if it wasn't fun and delicious, it wouldn't have done food names justice! The name and the dish delivered. The curry sauce was creamy and seasoned with your taste buds in mind, and the tofu fish was a great consistency, comparable to original pescean form. The bell peppers were cooked just to softness, and the bamboo shoots mixed in with the basil leaves added wonderful texture while soaking up the sauce. *excuse me while I wipe off some drool*


In my attempt to eat more healthy (including but not limited to: healthier but tasty ingredients, expanding cuisine variety, and drinking more water...), I've decided lots of small meals in my day is best to keep metabolism going, and if one of the meals happen to be from Vege Thai, well then, I should get bonus health points.

North 45 Pub

Venue: North 45 Pub
Location visited: 517 NW 21st Avenue (at Glisan ), Portland, OR 97209
Website: http://www.north45pub.com
To Visit? Beer & Mussel grubbers

             Mussel lovers rejoice! Tucked away among the bars and cafes along the quaint streets of Portland's Alphabet District, lies a pub named after its position on the 45th parallel. North 45 Pub offers some typical bar dishes such as sliders, and calamari, and some not so typical ninja wings ( jumbo sized wings w/ ginger soy dip). Their full bar is impressive ranging from beer to wine from across the world. However, your taste buds will be missing out if left deprived of the mussel dishes that this pub specializes in. The Roasted Garlic and Saffron is the most basic as it gets, cooked in ingredients such as white wine, butter, and of course garlic (the Crispy Pancetta and Roasted Shallots are another good choice).  Each dish is paired with its own seasoned frites and a suggested beer.

        The portions are well sized and packed with flavor. Condiments are available, but they are absolutely unneeded. They also have an enclosed outdoor patio, strung with little lights, making for a relaxed environment for enjoyment with friends, food, and drinks.  The rotating Belgian Beers are highly recommended, and  my personal favorite refreshing drink there is the Sake Pear, which  has actual fresh pear within the drink that is not overwhelmed by the sake taste or smell...could be dangerous :) (It is such a popular alternative drink that on one occasion, the staff told me there was a slight delay as they had run out of pears, and were buying more at that moment!). The sport friendly pub dons jerseys along its walls, and content consumers around their tables. Weekend nights are more packed, but if you're not big with crowds, definitely come during the week for a more quiet get together.

Mojo Crepes

Venue: Mojo Crepes

Location visited: 8409 SE Division Street, Suite A

Portland, OR 97266

Website: http://www.mojocrepes.com

To Visit? Treat yourself.

                          Summer is here! This means that  studies are finally only taking up half of my life.  It also means more time for food adventures :) Beloved followers would recognize in an instant that the above crepe holding character is actually Mojo, been said to be the scientifically gigantasized monkey (tail not pictured), who introduced a wonderful Japanese street vendor style of crepes to our green town of Portland.  Here at Mojo Crepes, one can relax, talk, play a few round of board games, run into friends, and snap a picture for the fan wall. You can do this all while enjoying a tasty dessert crepe made to your liking. Beginners can choose from the pre-made menu basics such as the Mojo (strawberries, bannana, and nutella), Sweet Lemon (lemon, sugar, butter), or Tokyo Sundae (sweet red bean paste, mangos, and matcha sauce). These delicious desserts can be ordered with ice cream, and then wrapped up in hand rolled cones, topped with a pocky stick. Adventurous eaters may mix match their own combos or try other combos frequently innovated by the folks who run the place and their loyal fans.  Just want something chill for the weather? Try the newly added Mojo Ice (Taiwanese Shaved Ice) on the menu with toppings sure to bring out the kid inside ( I'm talking Captain Crunch and Crushed Oreos). So before you head out on your summer adventures, don on some shades, slather the sunblock, and grab some crepes with Mojo!

India Oven

Venue: India Oven
Location visited: Their new location - 3450 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR 97214
Website: listing from urbanspoon w.menus
To Visit? Richly flavorful

Indian Oven was one of those places that I would keep driving by, quiet but always someone there, and looked welcoming with a nice wafting smell of food through the entryways. It is now a place that I would definitely return to for my occasional Indian food craving. It has to be done right, and it has to be packed with rich flavors, not too thick, and not too watered down. This place does it. And yes, it's VEGAN FRIENDLY. Their dishes range at about $12 and very worth it. Vegetarian, clay oven skewers, soups, rice dishes, and all sorts of curries. If you like lamb or chicken, then definitely give this place a try. I knew there were lots of ways to prepare chicken and lamb, but I didn't expect to find so many at one location. Also contrary to belief, as an Asian American food consumer, rice is not of that importance to me, but when I do get around to eating it, it should be done right. None of that dry sand grainy pellets that seem under cooked or overcooked. None of that overly boiled into borderline oatmeal or porridge consistency. The rice here is a slightly longer grained rice cooked just to readiness. When paired with the dishes such as the lamb curry, the whole spoonful is a burst of flavor, and the rice becomes naturally softened by sauce to perfection. I ate all my rice. ALL of it. Mostly because I didn't want the sauce to go to waste after all the meat and veggies were picked from it, but even still, the rice was good. Nothing was there that didn't belong. The portion sizes are a healthy amount too. Just enough to get you hitting the full mark on a regular night out. No bagful of to-go-boxes to lug around, and just enough room for a dessert venture ...

Ohana!

Venue: Ohana Hawaiian Cafe
Location visited: 6320 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR.
Website: http://www.ohanahawaiiancafe.com
To Visit? It's like visiting family :)

Gracefully light, delightfully refreshing, bursting of flavor, and a neon highlighter yellow. I'm talking about the Pineapple Shaved Ice at Ohana Hawaiian Cafe. The shaved ice here also comes in a viriety of flavors, some even in low-sugar. Don't let the colors intimidate you. The radioactive looking dessert packs flavor in this laid back environment. Here is where orange colored walls surround tables centered with cute pineappl- shaped salt and pepper shakers with choices of regular or low sodium soy sauce bottles.

Alternatives and choices are no problem since the menu boasts of combos featuring chicken, ribs, beef, tofu, and more with a side of rice or noodles, and salad (great light vinegrette dressing) or mac salad (light and not at all bland)! Did I mention the ribs, among other things don't just come in the commonly served teriyaki sauce?

Ohana offers an alternative seasoning to the usual beloved dishes: a mixed rubbing of sea salt, garlic, and ginger. The Short Ribs I tried were seasoned just perfectly and not dried from over grilling. And it's not home on the island without spam. The Spam Musubi is a grilled teriyaki glazed spam on a rice cube wrapped with nori (seaweed). It's not a bad dish to try if you're a noobie wanting to try it once and for all, or an old time spam lover. It's a slight shame that the rice here is a bit more on the sticky side. That and their Ohana Ice Tea, though donning great flavor, is overly sweet it tastes like it came straight out of a clover honney bear bottle. Shocked sweet taste buds aside, fish dishes and tofu steaks are also available if you happen to not be feeling so carnivorous on any given day, though the Kalua Pig and Teriyaki meats definitely deliver to your taste buds. Their special menu also provides for tropical desserts (Guava Chiffon Pie and Coconut Cake) leaving you with a feeling of blissful fullness. Aloha Ohana!