Sherman's Food Adventures

Churn Cafe

On our last day in Portland, we headed up to the Boise neighborhood in the Northern portion of the city.  Along N Mississippi Ave, we visited 2 places starting with the Asian-infused brunch and beverages.  The place is rather cute and has lots of character.  We did our ordering on the big screens in the front and all the food arrived promptly at our table afterwards.  The places was bustlin', especially for a weekday.  After we dug into our food and drinks, it was quite apparent why.

If there was any confusion about the fusion, it was easily understood with the Coffee Flight featuring a bit of influence from many different Asian cultures.  The Vietnamese Coffee was not as strong as other versions I've had, yet, that was a good thing as it was went down smooth with balanced sweetness.  As for the Ube Latte, it was sweet and aromatic.  While the Pandan Latte was nutty and aromatic, it could've been stronger.  Also sweet, but with bitter notes, the Strawberry Matcha Latte had some milky fruity vibes.

Probably my favorite dish of our meal was incidentally the first one to hit the table.  It was the Okonomiyaki Crepe.  This fully-loaded creation had bacon, sautéed cabbage, eggs and Swiss cheese topped with okonomi sauce, kewpie mayo, bonito flakes and nori.  We added smoked salmon for good measure.  This definitely captured the essence of an Okonomiyaki with all of the components.  There was a smoky element to it from the bacon and salmon.  Loved the texture of the crepe as it was light and slightly eggy but had some chew to it as well.

Moving on, we had something quite Southern with Chinese twist.  We found 2 pieces of Fried Chicken with a house-made biscuit and Chinese sausage gravy.  The chicken itself was pretty textbook with a crunchy batter and rendered skin.  Inside, the meat was super juicy and tender.  The chicken itself as well as the batter was properly-seasoned.  As for the biscuit, it was buttery and featured a soft interior.  The gravy itself was classic white sauce, but with the sausage, it had a cured saltiness.

We also tried a pasta dish in the Yuzu Cream Pasta with shrimp, masago and mushrooms.  This would look completely at home in a Japanese pasta joint, so kudos to them for its on point preparation.  Featuring al dente spaghetti, the dish started off on the right foot.  It was enveloped by just enough yuzu cream sauce, which was bright and well-seasoned.  The plethora of masago provided pops of the sea in every bite.  On top, the shrimp were buttery with a sweet snap.

Back to the fried chicken, we had the Fried Chicken and Pandan Waffle.  This was another take on the classic dish with the addition of pandan to the waffle.  Although you can't really tell from the outside of the crispy waffle, the inside was beautifully green.  It was lightly sweet with aromatics and a bit of nuttiness.  I liked eating it plain, but there was syrup on the side.  As for the fried chicken, it was the same as the previous dish being juicy on the inside while crunch on the outside.

That previous dish was heading somewhere towards sweet, so it was nice transition to the stunning Ube French Toast.  Exhibiting its beautiful shade of purple, the ube came through mildly with sweetness and aroma.  The toast was well-soaked being a bit custardy with a lightly crisp exterior.  Since it was rather light-tasting, the addition of custard cream and ube condensed milk provided all of the necessary sweetness.  Furthermore, it gave the dish some creaminess.  

Ending off things on a lighter note, we had the Very Berry Crepe.  The crepe was somehow a bit more moist than the one in the okonomiyaki for some reason.  That was a good thing though as it had a nice tender chew to it with elasticity.  It was topped with fresh whipped cream and sliced strawberries.  The plate was finished off with a mixed berry compote.  Overall, the brunch at Churn Cafe was impressive with its diverse options where many had an Asian twist.  Portions were generous and the people are nice.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- On point Asian twist on brunch
- Large portions
- Cute spot

The Bad:
- Parking in the area can be tough to find
- On the pricier side

Afuri Kara Kurenai Downtown Portland

There are certain restaurants that have so many locations in the world, you won't have a problem finding an outpost in a major city.  We all know that Greater Vancouver (the one in BC) has 2 locations of Afuri Ramen, one in Richmond and one in Vancouver proper.  I've had differing experiences with the Vancouver one being better in my opinion.  Now, I got the chance to compare with the one of the locations in Portland (the spicy Afuri Kara Kurenai), right next to the original Voodoo Donuts (yes, we did get some of those too, although Bluestar is better!).

Just like the last time I was in the Vancouver location, we tried the Buta Gyoza.  These dumplings were prepared textbook-style with a crispy and browned bottom.  As you can see in the picture, there was a uniformly crispy skirt which was nutty and aromatic.  The dumpling skin itself was thin and had bouncy elasticity.  Inside, the pork and leek filling was tender and juicy.  It was also nicely seasoned being sweet and savoury.


Before we got to the ramen, we had 2 rice bowls including the Purutoro Chashu Meshi and the Spicy Karaage Don.  For the chashu don, it was a collection of components that created a flavor explosion.  Beyond the buttery tender pork belly, we found the crunch and tang from the pickled veg and the brightness of the green onions.  This was further enhanced by the addition of tangy yuzu and umaminess from the nori.  As for the chicken karaage, it was plentiful with a crunchy exterior and juicy meat.  The spicy mayo and chili sauce was medium in heat and added plenty of flavoring for the rice.  Add in the pickled ginger, nori and green onions and we had some of tang, brightness and umami to complete dish.

Onto the ramen, a visit to Afuri wouldn't be complete without ordering their signature Yuzu Shiro Shoyu Ramen.  If you've read my previous posts about this bowl of ramen, you know it isn't my personal favorite.  But after all these times, it has started to grow on me.  This time around, the chicken broth was super light and fragrant with the brightness of yuzu.  Was it any different than before?  Probably not, but for those who don't want a heavy tonkotsu broth, this is the way to go.  The thin noodles had a good chewiness and elasticity even while sitting in the hot broth.  There was some super moist sous-vide chicken breast chashu as well as a perfect custardy egg.

Moving from light and mild, we went to the Yuzu Kara Kurenai Ramen in also a chicken broth, but with the addition of yuzu spiced miso, chili powder and spicy menma.  We weren't in the mood to have our tastebuds being scorched, so we went for medium hot for this.  That was actually perfect as the spice level was noticeable, but at the same time, we could taste the richness of the miso and even some background brightness from the yuzu.

Now my favorite bowl here at Afuri is hands-down, the vegan Hazelnut Tantanmen.  Yes, that is not a misprint.  Despite being vegan, this bowl of noodles has all the texture and flavors to make up for the lack of meat products.  Beyond the chewy thicker noodles, the spicy miso tare added salty and sweet depth.  Tying it altogether was the hazelnut broth that gave each strand of noodle a delicious nutty and aromatic hug.  But wait, there was more!  The miso cashews only amped the nuttiness and umaminess of the dish and let's not forget the spice too as it also had some kick.  This was not lacking in impact.

We had one last bowl of noodles and this was the Kara Kurenai Tsukemen.  Also known as "dipping noodles" this dry ramen came with a spicy shoyu tsuyu.  As you can see in the picture, this sauce meant business.  We chose medium hot again, but this time, due to the concentrated nature of the dip and the amount coating each noodle, there was some real tongue-numbing instances.  This had most of the same components as the soup version except with thick noodles for dipping.

At Afuri, they also have a selection of Cocktails and we tried Yuzu Limeade, Ube Colada, Housemade Ginger Ale and Mai Thai on Fire.  Naturally, I gravitated to the non-alcoholic and refreshing drinks more.  They did a good job in cooling down my mouth from the spiciness.  I did enjoy the Ube Colada.  It was light and sweet from the pineapple juice. The Mai Thai on Fire was exactly that with serrano pepper infused rum.  It also had some orange liqueur and lime juice for balance.  Overall, this experience at Afuri was quite good.  In addition to some of their classics, they spiced it up figuratively and literally.  If you want so heat in your ramen and drinks, this is the place to be.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- If you want it spicy, it can be really spicy
- Spacious room
- Solid eats

The Bad:
- Seating is quite communal, so if that isn't your thing...

Fabo's Tacos

It is easy to forget that there is authentic Mexican eats around despite the prevalence of Americanized fast food joints and also Tex-Mex (although I do like Tex-Mex).  That is especially true with options in the States (I'm from Vancouver, B.C.).  However, I don't remember having anything particularly outstanding in PDX, where I've had my fair share of great Thai food.  This was going to change as we were visiting Fabo's Tacos out near Chinatown.  They started selling out on a street corner and gradually made their way to an actual B&M location.

We arrived during a weekday lunch rush and the place was happenin'.  Despite this, they were still able to pump our order starting with the Sopes.  These crispy masa discs were aromatic and nutty.  Beyond the refried beans on the base, we selected pollo and chorizo as the meat option.  Unlike many other Mexican spots, the meat was tender and fairly moist.  Loved the spice from the chorizo as it added depth.  To cool things down, we found shredded lettuce, crema and fresh cotija on top.


From the Sopes, we moved onto the Tacos with a variety of meats.  We had them plated 2 ways and for me, I liked the 2nd one more for aesthetics.  We had almost all the choices including Asada, Al Pastor, Pollo, Chorizo and Suadero.  Once again, the biggest takeaway from these was the uniformly moist meat.  By no means did they suffer from a lack of caramelization.  They were aromatic and full of umaminess.  Meat was not dry, yet not wet either.  Made for some delicious tacos.

Of course we couldn't get out of there without having an order of the Birria Tacos.  Yes, these have become such a thing in the last 5 years or so, but it isn't because of baseless hype.  These things are so delicious with their fat soaked shells (then seared) served with a side of braising broth.  The ones here were really good with tender shredded beef and an aromatic nutty shell that was slightly crispy.  The broth had depth and was full of umami.

We all know about the popularity of Birria Tacos, but another associated viral dish is the Birria Ramen.  You might've seen this many times before, but this was the best version I've had.  Most places overcook the instant ramen, but the one here was al dente.  Even sitting in the flavorful broth while we took our photos, it didn't get soft.  Hence, they undercooked it for the purposes of sitting in hot broth (it allowed for soaking it up too).  Small detail, but made all the difference.


We also got a pair of dishes including the Enchiladas and the Taquitos, both complete with rice and beans.  For the enchiladas, we chose al pastor which was nicely charred and of course, not dry.  As for the taquitos, they were crispy on the outside and filled with pollo in this case.  Since the chicken was lean, it didn't have too much residual moisture which meant the taquitos stayed crunchy throughout.

The last dish we tried was something that I was not really looking forward to - Nachos.  Many spots, even authentic ones, do not make a great version of this dish.  Unbeknownst to many, Nachos is a real Mexican dish.  However, the one we are familiar with is the Tex-Mex concoction.  This one here was actually very good and I couldn't stop eating them.  The freshly fried tortilla chips were topped with smoky carne asada, beans, crema, cojita and legit guacamole.  With components like these, this was delicious, well-balanced and not some cheesed-out monstrosity.   Overall, the food at Fabo's is well-prepared where the dishes exhibited soul.  Things are fresh and flavorful.  Normally, I'm not craving Mexcian cuisine, but with this, I can't wait to eat it again.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Well-prepared and flavorful meats
- Had a home-cooked feel to it
- Mom is back there cooking, only good things happen because of that

The Bad:

- It gets busy at lunch, so be prepared to wait
- Area is a bit sketch, but you know the food is good then!

Noodle Dynasty

So I'm sure that authentic Chinese hand-pulled noodles aren't the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about Portland's culinary scene.  But over the past 15 years, Asian cuisine has come a long way in the Portland Metropolitan Area.  I remember a time when I had Dim Sum on SE Division Street and had probably the worst I've had in my life.  Fast forward to the present, we find all types of good Asian cuisine (in particular, Thai).  So I went in with relatively high expectations when we visited Noodle Dynasty in Beaverton.

We ordered a variety of dishes and began with the Hot & Sour Soup.  This was a somewhat pale-looking version, but in terms of taste, it was decent.  I definitely got sour and savory elements with only a bit of heat.  There was enough components for effect such as crunchy wood ear, fluffy egg, delicate tofu, bamboo shoots and carrots.  I would've liked to see some sort of protein as the soup was a bit lacking depth.  It also could've used a bit more starch too for thickeness.

The Beef Pancake Roll was possibly one of the best I've had in quite some time.  The pancake was flaky and had an appealing crunch on the outside.  It was fairly light, yet still had a good chewiness.  It was aromatic and had a beautiful nuttiness.  Wrapped inside, the beef was tender and had the aroma of 5-spice.  There was enough hoisin sauce to add the usual sweetness while the amount of green onion was balanced.

Onto the noodles, we had the classic Lanzhou Hand Pulled Beef Noodle Soup.  The noodles you see in the picture were literally hand-pulled to order and cooked immediately.  They were prepared al dente and had nice elasticity and bite.  This type of beef noodle featured a clear broth which I found was clean and light tasting with sweetness.  The sliced beef was tender and also mildly seasoned.  For some, this is purest form of the beef noodle since it is so simple, but I much prefer the next one we had.

The Spicy Beef Noodle Soup was more up my alley with tender nuggets of braised beef.  The soup itself wasn't super spicy, but did have a slight kick.  I could still taste the base flavor of the broth, but it did lack natural meatiness and body.  We had the wide hand-pulled noodles for this bowl and they were predictably chewier than the thin ones (also prepared al dente).  This was a decent bowl of noodles, wished there was more spice though.

Now that wasn't an issue for the Spicy Pork Ribs Flat Noodles though.  Sometimes referred to as "Biang Biang" noodles, these wide sheets were extra chewy.  Now the chewiness wasn't a bad thing though as it is generally a hallmark texture.  I found these noodles just a tad thicker than I would've liked, but still appealing nonetheless.  Yes, these had quite the heat to them, but it was a good thing as the wide noodles needed all the seasoning it could take.  The pork ribs were super tender and had a good balance of sweet and savory notes.

Although the Pork Wontons with Chili Sauce looked super spicy, they were quite mild (at least according to me).  I have a high spice tolerance, so for some, this might be scorching.  I found the dumplings to be delicate with tender and juicy pork inside.  It had a nice bounciness to it and was well-seasoned.  The chili sauce was smoky, sweet and a bit nutty.  It did have heat, but again, it wasn't tongue-burning.

To temper the spiciness of the meal so far, we had the Hot & Sour Fish Filet.  Yes, this had spice in it too but rest assured, it was very mild where the pickled mustard greens were the dominant flavor.  The broth itself was quite appetizing mostly due to the tanginess and also some sweetness from the fish.  There was an abundance of what I though was basa filets.  Say what you will about the fish, it was pretty buttery tender in texture.

Beyond the spicy wontons, we also got the Pork Xiao Long Bao for good measure.  Although these featured medium-thick dumpling skin, the texture wasn't dense.  In fact, it was a bit wet.  Despite this, there was a good amount of sweet soup inside that had a hint of shaoxing wine.  The meat itself was bouncy and tender.  If they could improve the dumpling skin (in terms of thickness and texture), these would be quite good.

For dessert, we had the cute piggy Egg Yolk Bao.  The bun itself was fairly fluffy with a sweet salted egg yolk filling.  It wasn't the runny type (Lau Sa Bao), but I prefer this kind more anyways.  It is much easier to eat and less messy.  Overall, the food at Noodle Dynasty is pretty legit.  Sure, some items can use improvement, but in general, the food is enjoyable and authentic.  Portland has really come a long way where Asian food is more plentiful and delicious.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Legit hand-pulled noodles
- Large portions
- Reasonably-priced

The Bad:
- Soup bases could be more impactful


The Screen Door

It has been a long time since I've been back to The Screen Door.  In fact, count it 10 years ago that I dine on their Southern cuisine at their Burnside location.  It isn't as if I didn't want to go back, but since I'm only in Portland infrequently, there are just too many great places to dine at while I'm there.  Well, here I am back at the Burnside location to sample their wares once again.  Unlike last time, I wasn't sitting outside (which was nice btw) since it was rather cold (in Winter).

We started with a classic in the Crispy Fried Oysters dredged in cornmeal and served with housemade tartar sauce.  These were excellent with a uniformly crunchy exterior that was not heavy nor greasy.  It was properly seasoned as is, but the light tartar helped add creaminess, tanginess and brightness from the dill.  As for the oysters themselves, they were buttery and briny while just barely cooked through.  The juiciness was a nice contrast from the little nuggets of crunch from the cornmeal.

Of course we couldn't forget about their Chicken & Waffles right?  We opted for the 2 piece (breasts) that sat atop a sweet potato waffle.  Sporting little crunchy bits strewn throughout the exterior of the tender and juicy chicken breasts, the fried chicken was delicious.  It was texturally on point inside and out while properly seasoned as well.  As for the waffle, it was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It was naturally sweet and also aromatic.

Another Screen Door classic is their Lowcountry Shrimp & Grits.  This featured plump and buttery shrimp that were completely seasoned by the rich meaty garlicky tomato sauce. The smokiness and richness oft he bacon really came through. This sat atop creamy cheddar grits that were smooth and the proper consistency (not too runny or thick).  To make it extra silky, we had 2 over-medium eggs as well.  On the side, we found a large buttermilk biscuit served with some jam.  This was buttery and crispy on the outside with a fluffy and slightly salty inside.

One of the more surprising items we had was the Fried Catfish Sandwich.  Thinking that we would be treated to some muddy flavors, we were delighted with the flaky sweetness of the moist catfish.  It was coated in cornmeal, which was crispy and not heavy.  It was served on a griddled bun that was crispy and held up to the wet ingredients well.  The sandwich was finished with a crunchy and bright lemon slaw, dill pickles and house hot sauce mayo.  Good combination of spice, tang, sweetness and saltiness.  Fries on the side were solid too being crispy with soft potato goodness inside.

One of the more basic (if you can actually call this basic) compared to the rest of the dishes was the Cajun Scramble.  This was a combination of andouille sausage, Cajun spices, onion & bell peppers and pepper jack cheese.  Yep, there was some heat from the spices and the sausage while the sweetness from the veggies provided some balance.  I would've liked the eggs to be a bit more fluffy though.  This also came with cheddar grits and a buttermilk biscuit.

The last dish I dug into was our de facto dessert in the Bananas Foster French Toast.  The griddled brioche was soaked in vanilla custard and hence, it was soft like bread pudding.  Nice caramelization on the outside, but further enhanced by the rum-flamed caramelized bananas as it added another layer of sweetness and aromatics.  The dish was finished off with cinnamon & whipped cream.


We also had a couple of cocktails in the Kentucky Bird and the Morning Mule.  Both were refreshing and a good relief from the heaviness of the food.  I thought the Kentucky bird had some great tang and sweetness.  We were also provided with a selection of sauces including the Tartar, Creole Honey Mustard, Parmesan Aioli and Buttermilk Herb Dressing.  I thought the aioli went well with the fries while I strangely liked dipping the fried chicken into the herb dressing.  Honey mustard was also great with the chicken.  Overall, the food at the Screen Door was great as usual.  If you are looking for some Southern eats served in big portions, this is the place to find it.  Maybe next time it won't take me that long to do a repeat visit!

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

The Good:
- Well-prepared Southern eats
- Large portions
- Lively atmosphere

The Bad:
- Well, of course this type of food is heavy, order a cocktail or beverage to wash it down

Toya Ramen & Bar

Finally breaking out of the streak of Thai restaurants in Portland, we moved onto a different Asian cuisine with Toya Ramen & Bar.  This modern noodle bar is Japanese-inspired, which is key to the overall understanding of the menu.  They take food in all sorts of creative directions and although they have some of the classics available, there are re-imagined plates as well.  We were excited to try some of their creations as well as taking in the energetic vibe and cocktails.


We began with some small plates including the fantastic Miso Eggplant.  This was full of umaminess with smoky and sweet notes.  There was a slight tang to it that made things appetizing.  Although the eggplant was tender, it was not mushy.  The crunch from the bubu arare added the necessary texture.  We also had the 5pc Hawaiian Kanpachi that was dressing in ponzu jelly, jalapeno and sansho oil.  The buttery pieces of fish were fresh and bright. There was some balanced saltiness with herbal notes and sweetness.  Burdock and seaweed on top came through with crispiness.


We then had the Crispy Gau Gee (or deep fried dumplings).  Although one would think this shape of dumpling and its preparation was only beneficial in saving time and effort, the results were actually quite good.  The outer wrapper was crispy and fairly light without being greasy.  The star of the show was the pork & cabbage filling.  It was moist and tender with some juiciness.  The seasoning was on point with equal parts sweetness and saltiness.

Before we got to the noodles, we tried their Lan-Roc Farms Tonkatsu featuring a panko fried duroc pork cutlet, cabbage, toya "57" sauce and takuan.  Fully-cooked through, but still juicy and tender, the pork cutlet was coated in a crispy layer of panko.  It was quite good on its own but the sauce on the side some tangy spice.  Loved the pickles (takuan) on the side as well as the sesame seed slaw.  It was rather aromatic and provided some relief from the fried panko.

Starting with something more traditional, we had the Shoyu Black.  This looked the part and also tasted the part with a silky chicken broth that wasn't too heavy, but not short on umaminess either.  Naturally, the black garlic oil did some of the heavy lifting with sweetness and almost smokiness.  The ajitama egg yolk was custardy while the egg white was delicate.  Torched and buttery, the pork chashu melted in my mouth.  Noodles were al dente as well.

From here, we moved onto something fusion with the Spicy Tom Yum Men.  Yep, we really didn't get away from Thai food with this meal.  Not complaining as I love Tom Yum!  For this bowl of noodles, the soup base was a clear chicken broth infused with tom yum.  I found it medium-flavored and spiced.  I definitely could've done spicier, but they provided some extra spice on the side.  The lemongrass component really came through being aromatic and gingery.  Noodles were firmly al dente and held up to the soup.  The sous vide chicken breast was supremely tender and juicy while the pork was equally tender.

We had an off-menu item in the Duck Ramen.  We are always game for some duck broth and this one delivered with a mild silkiness giving way to natural duck aroma. Unlike some versions, the duck broth was not salty.  Rather, it featured inherent umaminess and background fall flavors.  The sous-vide duck was perfectly tender as well as the sous-vide chicken.  For this bowl, we found thin ramen that worked beautifully with the duck and the broth.

They also have a selection of soupless ramen and we had a couple including the OG Abura Soba.  If you've ever had Kokoro Mazesoba before (lots of international locations), you would know exactly what this bowl is about.  With chewy noodles topped with shoyu tare, allium oil, onsen egg, pork chashu, green onion, nori and menma, there was more than enough components to ensure umaminess with a peppery and savory flavor profile.

The other soupless ramen we tried was the Caronaramen with onsen egg, chicken butter, speck, black pepper, parm and pecorino.  Yes, this did eat like an actual carbonara except with ramen noodles.  The noodles were firmly chewy and when mixed with the egg, resulted in a creamy and silky coating spiked with the saltiness of the speck and cheesiness of the parm pecorino.  Add in the black pepper, and we had a slight bite as well.

We had 3 desserts including the Hojicha Gelato, Black Sesame Cheesecake and Panna Cotta.  Of the 3, my favourite was the was the cheesecake as it was rich and creamy with a sweet nuttiness.  As for the panna cotta, it was thick and had real umami with the combination of salty miso, peanut butter and chocolate.  Lots of sweet and salty here with the rich taste of chocolate.  I really enjoyed the taste of the gelato as it was nutty and sweet.  I wished it was creamier though.  Overall, the food at Toya was delicious and the fusion aspect worked well in my opinion.  Great place to grab drinks, meet with friends and have some eats.

*All food and beverages were complimentary for this blog post*

 The Good:
- Solid eats
- Good cocktails
- Nice vibe

The Bad:
- I would've liked the Tom Yum to be spicier, but you can get extra on the side (also understand that that you can add flavor but can't take it away)  

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