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It's true, I won't deny it. I am a fan of White Spot, in particular their burgers. Yes, I understand that they are not necessarily the fanciest nor sexiest burgers around, but I grew up on them via the Pirate Pak. Every time I have one, it reminds me of my youth and elicits feelings of familiarity and comfort. So when White Spot came calling and asked me try their Burger Guest Stars, there was not much hesitation on my part. To get them all done in one shot, I enlisted some help of Hot Mama, Bubbleberry and Peppermint.
First up was the Sriracha Goat Cheese Turkey Burger with char-grilled BC turkey patty topped with Happy Days goat cheese mixed with sriracha sauce, bacon, apple relish, arugula, tomato and mayo. Sporting a significant char, the patty was really smoky (if not a touch burnt). Inside, the meat was sufficiently moist, but naturally drier due to the lean turkey meat. I thought the chunky apple relish added a natural sweetness to the burger. Next, the Truffled Mushroom Bigger Burger was a take on the classic Monty Mushroom with the addition of with truffled exotic mushrooms, Provolone cheese as well as the standard lettuce, tomato & Triple "O" sauce. This was a messy and saucy concoction that was more woodsy than the Monty Mushroom. It was a good thing that they were conservative with the truffle oil as it could've overwhelmed everything.
Impressively piled high, the Steakhouse Supreme Bigger Burger featured a 6 oz. 100% fresh Canadian beef burger with red wine BBQ sauce, horseradish Cheddar, haystack onions, arugula, tomato & arugula aioli. This was probably the most flavourful of the bunch from the tart BBQ sauce, pepperiness of the arugula and crunchy sweetness of the fried onions. Moving onto more poultry, the Crispy Almond Chicken Burger glazed in sweet & sour sauce, with toasted almonds, iceberg lettuce, red onion and lemon cilantro mayo was something different. It featured a moist chicken breast that sported a thin crispy tempura shell. There was a good balance of flavours including a noticeable sweetness accented by a touch of tartness from the mayo (which also emanated the essence of cilantro).
Lastly, we tried the wild Johnstone Strait Salmon Burger with pickled onions, tartar sauce, BC arugula, vine-ripened tomatoes & mayo. Although cooked all-the-way-through, the salmon filet wasn't too dry as it was slathered in a good amount of dill-spiked tartar sauce. The zing from the pickled onions helped liven things up as well. Overall, we were quite happy with the Burger Guest Stars menu since the choices were unique compared to the regular menu (maybe except for the salmon burger). Furthermore, no one was complaining about being hungry afterwards.
*Note - Meal was comped*
The Good:
- Unique compared to the regular menu
- Well-portioned
- An array of different flavours
The Bad:
- Proteins were a bit more done that we would've liked
If you pay attention to my eating patterns while I'm in the States, I try to do at least one buffet. I'm acutely aware of the questionable quality of buffets where quantity definitely reigns supreme (ol' Iron Chef reference!) But with 4 kiddies, an Asian buffet is just what the doctor (well, no doctor would really recommend a buffet...) ordered. We decided on Mika Buffet in Federal Way as the kids were pretty hungry. Let's just say the car ride home would be exponentially more enjoyable without complaining youth.
And on that note, we started with the Sushi Bar. Yah, maybe my daughter might bite, but there is a better chance of being photobombed by the Kayne and Kim Kardashian than my son touching the stuff. As expected, the sushi rolls were all variations of a California or dynamite roll with different toppings and applications. Pretty typical buffet sushi, but not offensive where the rice was actually chewy instead of being dry. The limited nigiri sported thin slices of fish which were a bit spongy, but not in the least fishy tasting.
Moving onto the Chinese Hybrid Asian Food section, some of the stuff wasn't all that impressive. But there were a few gems especially the plump buttery clams. The mussels were not a good as they were overcooked and no longer moist. I found the veggies in this section surprisingly vibrant despite sitting in a chaffing tray for who knows how long. I tended to avoid the fried items as they were rather dry and merely doused with some form of sauce. Off in another section, there was a selection of fried items as well as some Dim Sum including steamed buns. Right next to it was a choice of 3 soups.
Included in the buffet was an udon bar and a Mongolian Grill. We ended up getting a chicken udon for my son, which he dusted off. The soup was pretty laughable as a dashi, but it wasn't offensive. For myself, I decided to try all the meats including some noodles and various veggies. There wasn't really a choice of sauce other than whether I wanted more garlic or not. This was "okay", but the noodles became quite soggy while the beef was really chewy. Other than a small salad bar, there was some various desserts including hard ice cream. For dinner, there would be a chocolate fountain as well. Overall, Mika did the job for us with very little fanfare. Considering lunch only cost us $11.95 per adult and the kids were based on age, we were okay with the mediocrity.
The Good:
- Large selection
- Food is okay for a buffet
- Pretty comfortable seating
The Bad:
- Food is okay, but naturally not great either
- Our plates were beginning to stack up without anyone removing them
As much as a visit to Voodoo Doughnuts is a default thing to do when one is in Portland, there is actually better found elsewhere. Imagine donuts that are less about novelty and more about quality. Then consider that they are made with brioche and have elevated flavors. Yes, they do cost more and while Voodoo represents the everyday donut, Blue Star goes for more of the high end trendy crowd. That was never more evident in the pricing as I could only get a dozen where I got a dozen and a half at Voodoo.
With flavors such as Mexican Chocolate, Chocolate Almond Ganache, Dulce de Leche with hazelnuts, Real Maple Bacon and Original Glazed (clockwise from the left), it was pretty apparent that these donuts meant business. Texturally, the donuts were moist and soft while not appearing to be overly greasy. In terms of sweetness, it really depended which one we ate. For instance, the Mexican chocolate was a bit spicy and bitter but hardly sweet. As much as the dulce de leche was bound to be sugary, they didn't go overboard. However, the maple bacon did register quite high on the sugar meter. Overall, the donut itself (ignoring the glaze and toppings) was not sweet at all, which meant there wasn't an overload of sugar.
On that note, we found the Matcha Green Tea to be mildly sweet where the bitter notes of the green tea really came through. Being a cake donut, the texture was more dense, but still moist and of course not very sweet. Personally, I love anything that has lemon in it and naturally, I really enjoyed the Meyer Lemon & Key Lime Curd donut. Soft, fluffy and light, this was well-balanced with a dusting of confectioners sugar and filled with a semi sweet tart curd. I thought the ratio of donut-to-filling was spot on while the consistency of the curd was just right where it was not runny nor clumpy.
We can't forget their signature item being the Cointreau Crème Brûlée featuring a house-made vanilla custard hidden within the soft brioche donut. With a torched sugary top, the sweet crunch was accented by a pipette of Cointreau syrup. Yes, this was sweet, but definitely different and a nice collection of textures. Ending off with the Blueberry Bourbon Basil, we found a donut that was aggressively glazed, but not sickeningly sweet. Nice mild blueberry notes complimented by only a touch of bourbon and the herbaceous basil notes. As you can clearly see, the donuts at Blue Star are gourmet in terms of ingredients and execution. Sure, they're expensive, but for me, they are worthy every penny.
The Good:
- Light and soft texture
- Sweet, but not too much so
- High-end flavors
The Bad:
- Pricey
It goes without saying that some things are popular for the sake of being popular. I remember back to my first visit to the original location of Voodoo Doughnut over 6 years ago. Viv and I were impressed with the novelty of it all, but not so much with some of their wackier creations. With that being said, there were some gems to be found, but one could only take so much of random cereal and cookies atop sweet glaze. At the time, they popularized the maple bacon donut where it is pretty much commonplace these days.
As we were on our way out of Portland, we stopped by Voodoo Too for ol' times sake. Going a bit overboard, we got a pretty decent selection of donuts to go. My son was all over the Marshall Mathers with its tongue & cheek use of mini-M&M's atop an obscene amount of vanilla frosting. Well, I couldn't stand it, but my son loved every bite of the sickingly sweet combination. At the very least, the cake donut itself was actually decently moist. Of course we couldn't get out of their without getting their famous Voodoo Doll. Essentially a raspberry jelly-filled yeast donut with chocolate glaze (shaped into a voodoo doll with a pretzel stick), this was also rather sweet.
For myself, I actually enjoyed the Mango Tango even though it was filled completely with mango jelly and sweet vanilla frosting on top. What saved this donut was the relatively mild-tasting mango filling while the donut itself was soft and airy. The Buttermilk Bar was slightly different due to the buttermilk dough. It was actually not overly sweet due to the absence of toppings (only a light glaze). It was pretty moist though. Similar to the Marshall Mathers (being a cake donut with lots of vanilla frosting), the Spinkle Donut was sweet with crunchy sprinkles on top.
Let's not forget the donut that shocked everyone when it was first introduced - The Bacon Maple Bar. I actually liked it the first time I tried it, but this time around, the bacon was not really that crispy and in fact, was too fatty and chewy. Being super sweet didn't help either. Another classic is the Old Dirty Bastard with chocolate frosting, Oreos and Peanut Butter. Yes, this was pretty darn sweet and heavy. As much as the name sounds cool, not one of my favorites. The weird triangle-looking thing on the plate was the Maple Blazer Blunt. Yes, it is what you think it is... This yeast donut was made to look like a blunt. In terms of actual flavor, it was simply a cinnamon sugar donut.
Remember what I said about super sweet donuts with cereal on top? Well, we had some in the Loop Donut and Captain, My Captain Donut. Both with vanilla frosting and a good amount of cereal. Novelty in my books and not very tasty in comparison to some of the aforementioned donuts. The plain-looking one on the top of the plate was the Blueberry cake donut. Simple, yet actually good where the cake was not too dense, not too sweet. That pretty much sums up what you need to do if you decide to visit Voodoo. Resist the funky-looking donuts and go with the ones that are simpler. They will not be over-the-top in terms of sweetness and you might actually like it.
The Good:
- Wide variety
- Novelty at its best
The Bad:
- If you go with the novelty donuts, they are too sweet and aren't actually very good
- Waits during peak times
With some Khao Man Gai warming our happy tummies, we set off in search for more eats. But with such a wide array of food carts around, it was a bit difficult to make a decision. We must've walked around the block 3 times before something caught our fancy. 808 Grinds seemed pretty busy serving up quasi-mixed plates and of course Spam musubis. Well, with an impending trip to Hawaii in the Summer, this was a good reason to get acclimatized to the local food ahead of time.
There was no doubt that we would start off with a few Spam Musubis wrapped in nori. Having sampled quite a few of these on our last visit to Hawaii, this one hit the spot. The rice was nicely textured riding the line between soft and chewy while benefiting from the seeping marinade. Weighing like it was over 2 lbs (it probably was), the 808 Combo (only $9.50!) featured an enormous helping of Kalua Pig, 808 Fried Chicken, rice and of course the mainstay - Macaroni Salad. This plate of food was just plain solid. The pig was succulent and moist while sporting enough seasoning. Juicy and crispy on the outside, the fried chicken was addictive and well-seasoned. Even the macaroni salad was good with firm noodles and just enough mayo to hold it together.
To complete our food adventure at the food cart pod, we visited an ol' friend in the Grilled Cheese Grill. Unlike their school bus location on NE Alberta, this humble lil' food stand still served all the favourites. We went simple and had the Gabby with Bacon accompanied by a cup of Tomato Soup. Made with Tillamook cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella and Colby Jack, this was a crunchy and cheesy concoction aided by crispy bacon. The side of tomato soup was tart and only slightly sweet. A good compliment to a solid grilled cheese sandwich. Since we have had GCG before, it was a safe no-brainer. But the real surprise was 808 Grinds - excellent combination of good food, large portions and reasonable prices.
The Good:
- Large portions (808 Grinds)
- Quality ingredients (GCG)
- Good value
The Bad:
- You have to wait, but who wants an pre-made grilled cheese anyways??? (GCG)
Having only 2 days in Portland makes it challenging to cram all of our activities and eating into a short period of time. Since the weather was cooperating, we decided to hit the zoo on our last day. Unfortunately, that meant we would miss out on checking out some food carts. Ah, when there is a will, there is a way... Seeing how some open at 10:00am, I suggested we head Downtown for some "breakfast". Breaking from my usual MO, I decided to re-visit one of my favorite food stalls instead of going for something new.
Yup, that stall happened to be Nong's Khao Man Gai and their famous poached chicken on rice which included a Wintermelon Soup. As a throw-in, I wasn't expecting much and really, it was just that. The broth was rather salty with gingery notes and a couple pieces of soft melon. I also picked up a side of Fried Chicken Skin, not for myself, rather for my son as he loves all types of crunchy cracklings. This one was no exception being crunchy and almost airy. It was served with a side of their awesome ginger sauce. I only used it sparingly because I saved it for the rice.
Now for the main event, the Khao Man Gai or a Thai version of Hainanese Chicken. I got a side of livers to make it more interesting. As much as the rice is fragrant from the chicken broth and oil while the dark meat (my choice) was moist, the one thing that brings it all together is the addictive sweet and tangy ginger sauce. I added the side of hot chili peppers as well which meant the whole thing was a veritable flavor explosion. Unlike many ginger-based condiments where the sharpness of the ginger can overwhelm, the sauce here is balanced with the right amount of sugar and equal parts of soy. When you cannot stop eating something, you know that it is darn good. That is why I returned even though I have blogged about it previously.
The Good:
- Relatively inexpensive since the stuff is tasty
- Do one thing right...
- That sauce...
The Bad:
- Portion size is modest, it's tasty over quantity
- Long wait at peak hours (there is a restaurant too)
Boy, this post has been a long overdue! After 5 previous visits to Portland where we did not visit Pok Pok, it would involve a group of 4 adults and 4 kids (ironically) for us to finally try their famous chicken wings. Yah, not exactly the type of food that is necessarily kid-friendly, but we made it work. In fact, I had to get a reservation that enabled us to walk right in without waiting. Imagine waiting with so many kids in tow? Even the biggest appetites would be lost with 4 kids a complaining!
So without further ado, we need to talk wings, specifically Ike's Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings. These suckers are as infamous as Charlie Sheen's love life. Recommended by many, the wings are marinated in fish sauce and sugar, then deep fried and tossed in caramelized Phu Quoc fish sauce and garlic. Well, did they live up to the hype? I would say generally yes because they were moist and juicy on the inside where the brine penetrated throughout. The glaze on the exterior was intoxicatingly pungent for all the senses. The sweet and salty caramelized flavors were only further amped by the garlic. Up next we tried the Kai Yaang or whole charcoal roasted game hen stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, pepper and cilantro. Considering the pungency of the ingredients used to season the hen, the resulting flavors were quite mild and muted. With that being said, the chicken itself was still flavorful and moist. Served on the side was 2 dipping sauces including a spicy sweet & sour and tamarind. I thought the tamarind was the better fit.
Onto a salad of sorts, we had the Laap Pet Issan consisting of chopped duck, duck liver, skin, lemongrass, herbs, toasted rice powder, dried chilis, lime juice and fish sauce. This was yet another impactful dish in terms of spiciness. There was a considerable amount of lingering bite to the dish from the red chilis. However, the other ingredients were not overwhelmed as the lemongrass and shallots made their presence felt. With a balance of sweetness, saltiness and acidity, this was a complete flavor explosion. The side of Phak Sot helped bring things down a notch though. Interestingly plated, the Sai Ua Samun Phrai was comprised of Chang Mai sausage with herbs, Burmese curry powder and aromatics. This was charcoal-grilled and served with spicy green chili dip, Thai pork rinds and steamed crudités. Meaty and understatedly spicy, the sausage was nicely accented by the cooling of the green beans, cabbage and golden squash.
Served in a hot pot, the Kaeng Hang Leh (or pork belly and shoulder curry with ginger, palm sugar, turmeric, tamarind, Burmese curry powder and pickled garlic) was a table favorite. Notably sweet with hints of ginger, the tang of tamarind while mild in spiciness, this went well with both the jasmine and sticky rice. Naturally, the pork belly was fatty and melted-in-our-mouths while the shoulder was fork tender. Too bad there wasn't much of it. Mostly for the kiddies, we ordered the Muu Sateh or pork loin skewers marinated in coconut milk and turmeric. These were grilled over charcoal and served with peanut sauce, toasted bread and cucumber relish. We universally agreed that this was the weakest dish of the meal as the pork was rather dry and chewy. Although it was aromatic from the coconut milk, there was little impact. However, the peanut sauce did help with a certain sweet aromatics.
Lastly, we had the Sii Khrong Muu Yaang or baby back ribs marinated in lao jiin, soy, honey, ginger and Thai spices. These were slow roasted and served with 2 spicy dipping sauces. The ribs themselves were firm with a smoky charred exterior. These reminded us of Chinese BBQ ribs. On the other hand, the dipping sauces kicked it up a notch with one being quite savory while the other being rather sweet and tangy. Now the question of the moment: did Pok Pok live up to expectations considering the hype and accolades? Well, if we look at the wings alone, I would say yes. On the other hand, the meal as a whole was not bad with a few weak dishes. So I guess one's experience would be dependent on what you order.
The Good:
- Addictive wings
- Interesting vibe and energy
- The service we got was pretty good
The Bad:
- Expensive for what you get
- Crazy wait if you don't have resos
- Good meal, not outstanding
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