Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen

December 23, 2011 by 32 Comments

What was Pho PDX has blossomed into adulthood recently with Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen. It cleans up its late night pho act by leaving the food court mall equivalent of a just graduated out of college continuation of a dorm room/first apartment, and is now getting all modern and sophisticated like it now has a respectable full time white collar job and the same interior decorator who designs those apartments used in backdrops in TV shows.

They have deep red booth seats with little gold buttons and antique-recalling wooden red mismatched chairs paired with modern dark wood tables and a minimalist bar (including the I hope you have a small butt barstools) which are softened by pink parasols hanging from the ceiling and the whimsy of sketched black and white lions with fetching blue eyes jumping around playfully on one wall to counter the damask wallpaper on the other wall. It seems just too classy for a place that stays open until 4am. It’s like a sexy supermodel or actress who loves sports and videogames- who’s complaining about the upscale-ness?

After a little holiday shopping downtown, we stopped for dinner. They have a menu on a chalkboard, but grab the printed ones by the register when you first walk in and order there at that corner. They give you a table # so then you find your seat and wait for your food delivery. This definitely makes sense for the pho lunch rush to get orders in as fast as possible- and thankfully unlike say the teeny Pine State Kitchen or Bunk Sandwiches which also runs on a “order first and then get your seat”, there is plenty of real estate to establish your eating space- it’s more akin to Noodles and Company or Boke Bowl with the table numbers meaning you will at least get your food delivered to you without trying to carry your pho anywhere.

It just looks so nice it almost seems like it would be a full service restaurant- especially when you are at the more laid back dinner hour. Consider this though- then you’d be at the mercy of someone waiting and checking on your table. The biggest boon to this is for cocktails. I only had two that night, but let’s say I want to try them all (and let’s say that’s not untrue, but probably should not be done in one trip). I would easily be able to every time I want a refresh, just hustle up to the bar and get instant gratification of ordering something instead of having to flag someone down as they try to service everyone else. It is a more casual service model, but I don’t mind. There’s nothing wrong with sometimes preferring the service at In N Out over a tablecloth restaurant.

Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen

For food, we started out with the Fresh Spring Rolls (rice paper stuffed with vermicelli noodles, romain, sprouts, and mint and your choice of pork&shrimp, shrimp, or tofu- we had tofu) last time, so this time went with the Vegetarian Crispy Rolls with tofu, celery, cabbage and carrots. The end of our comparison was that crispy rolls aren’t as good- we like the peppery flavor inside, but the wrapper added an extra oiliness that isn’t as refreshing and “I feel healthy” as the super fat spring rolls (even though you are eating something 4x the size). Definitely go with the Spring Rolls (you can see photos of them at my previous blog on Pho PDX).

Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen

For the main, I tried out the expanded menu from pho with the namesake Luc Lac, cubed beef tenderloin wok seared with hennessey, beurre de france, garlic, black peppercorn, served with field mixed greens and tomato fried rice. This is some seriously steak quality meat that is flavorful and a nice cut of beef, it made the greens underneath just by being underneath super tasty. The tomato fried rice was ok but I would have preferred plain jasmine rice to not compete with the flavor of the beef.

Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen

The other main, Lemongrass Stir Fry with tofu option (instead of chicken) with veggies and lemongrass-tumeric chili sauce over rice, was the same as previously served at Pho PDX- ok, but why get that when you have so many other better options with their bigger kitchen? They now offer tempting sounding Ga Ro Ti of roasted half game hen marinated in lemongrass, spirces, and garlic with greens and tomato fried rice, Nem Nuong Pork Sausage either as vermicelli bowls or rice plates or Banh Mi (or awesomely a combination plate with grilled pork, grilled chicken, grilled chrimp, the nem nuong as crispy rolls), Chicken wings caramelized in fish sauce and garlic, Mussels in lemongrass tamarind broth with mushrooms, Sugar Cane Shrimp…

Yes I’ll be back please. I’m going to have every cocktail they offer by Spring 2012, you’ll see. Those cocktails kick a$$… and is all the reason you need to expand from the pho to try everything else on the menu.

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A Happy Hour at Teardrop Lounge

September 25, 2011 by Leave a Comment

I organized a happy hour for a group of ladies this past Thursday at Teardrop Lounge. One half of JnJ had mentioned it several times, raving about it, and I was glad to finally get to see that those reviews were so very well deserved. It was also awesome to get all these wonderful ladies who I knew worked downtownish together for some gushing over A’s recent engagement and catching up with each other- the time just seemed to fly by and I felt like I didn’t get to talk to everyone as much as I wished. I guess we’ll just have to do it again.

I started out with one of the three Happy Hour Special drinks for $5 (they also discount off of any wine or beer)- the “House Sake Sangria” of Junmai Ginjo sake, brandy, Oregon pinot gris, spice blend, citrus, and Viridian Farm berries. The fact they serve it with chopsticks for fruit picking is genius and thoughtful. As I watched them spoon it out of a punchbowl, I wonder why at all the sangria I’ve had this summer I have yet to see a punchbowl. Are punchbowls only for old fashioned people?

House Sake Sangria of Junmai Ginjo sake, brandy, Oregon pinot gris, spice blend, citrus, and Viridian Farm berries, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails House Sake Sangria of Junmai Ginjo sake, brandy, Oregon pinot gris, spice blend, citrus, and Viridian Farm berries, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails House Sake Sangria of Junmai Ginjo sake, brandy, Oregon pinot gris, spice blend, citrus, and Viridian Farm berries, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails

I also felt nurtured by the “San Francisco Swell” $10 (Brooke Arthur, Wo Hing, San Francisco), created from Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, and clearly touches of love. I believe the information in parenthesis is the name of the original mixologist, their cocktail place where they offer that recipe, and city, so I felt a bit like a fancy traveler doing sophisticated drinks around North America.

San Francisco Swell, Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails San Francisco Swell, Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails San Francisco Swell, Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails San Francisco Swell, Appleton Reserve rum, lime, mint, blackberry honey, Angostura bitters, egg white, Chandon brut sparkling, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails

Next for me was “Beer & A Smoke” for $11 (Jim Meehan, PDT, NYC), a concoction of del Maguey Vida mezcal, lime, Cholula, Dos Equis Lager, Bitter Truth Celery bitters. This tasted both dirty and healthy at the same time. You have to like smokeyness… which I do.

Beer and a Smoke cocktail, del Maguey Vida mezcal, lime, Cholula, Dos Equis Lager, Bitter Truth Celery bitters, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails

Final beverage(s) of the night: Vuelo de Agave “the way they do it in Mexico, kind of” as recommended multiple times by Alyssa. This was a flight of Siete Leguas tequilas (helpfully all labeled- so there was from left to right the Blanco, Reposado and Anejo) and 3 house interpretations of sangrita made with heirloom tomatoes (Spanish Style which the bartender rattled off a long list of ingredients that made my head spin, Tomato Water, and a Roasted Tomatillo that called for a slow roasted careful roasting process). The tequilas gave me a friendly burn, but those sangritas were really kickass- I can imagine a life where I drink all those sangritas everyday. It took a lot of self-restraint to not knock down those sangritas and instead take little sips from each of the 6 glasses back and forth, exploring combinations of tequila and sangrita.

Vuelo de Agave, flight of Siete Leguas tequilas, Blanco, Reposado and Anejo tequilas and 3 house interpretations of sangrita made with heirloom tomatoes, Teardrop Lounge, happy hour, cocktails

All the drinks here are beautiful and tasty. Because we are enjoying an Indian Summer the front wall was basically thrown open so we could enjoy the sunshine and breeze while we waited for our handsome bartenders in striped shirts and suspenders and bow ties to shake up and create the works of art that are our sexy drinks. You can’t help but feel the dedication to the liquid arts in every sip.

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Happy Hour at Trader Vic’s

September 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Trader Vic’s  just opened in Portland last month in August. Every time I have passed by it has been very busy with people enjoying the tiki atmosphere in the lounge or tables by the large windows that open up the entire wall to the street, so it seems to have quite a buzz right now. I haven’t been to a Trader Vic’s since the one that used to be in the basement of the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago- years ago, and I remember it was part of three Chicago icons- the Trader Vic’s which had been there since the 50s, Marshall Fields, and the Berghoff all falling to history around that time. I like concept of the Polynesian reference to island time and tropical warmth in the atmosphere- it resonates with my two great trips to Hawaii, and my continue hope to make it to Tahiti. It’s nostalgia and hope squared! I organized a happy hour with co-workers and counted down the days.

As soon as you walk into the Portland Trader Vic’s space, you are transported out of Portland and into the Polynesian islands, thanks to the exotic wood and masks as you sit at tables and chairs that are probably the same ones I sat in when dining in Hawaii. Their drinks are all fruity and pack a punch that you may not realize until you stand up, so the alcohol probably helped that experience of relaxation along too. It’s kitschy fun, and I like it! As the weather is turning cold and the skies are graying over again, this is a little escape in terms of the detailed atmosphere inside and the beverages.

The food on the other hand, at least for happy hour, was mixed. I didn’t order off the dinner menu, mainly as the prices off that menu are pretty dear, including $8-15 appetizers and mains priced between $20-40. Though to be fair the $40 price tag is for a  20 oz steak, which speaks to how affordable the happy  hour prices are- and perhaps is hinting at the higher quality and better execution perhaps saved for the main menu?

We shared a few Happy Hour bar food items ($3-4 each) along with our liquid libations. The best was the “Maui Waui” shrimp that are coconut crusted and tossed in sweet chili and limi aioli- they popped with flavor. The crab rangoon with blue crab and spiced cream cheese in a wonton wrapper was soggy and small. The cheese bings, with Carlton Farms ham, Emmenthal cheese, gruyere, and then panko crusted were also soggy mushy rounds of essentially flat thin cheesesticks. The presentation of the chili popcorn that has herbs and maple syrup tossed in to get some flavoring, and the fries came with curry ketchup and aioli for dipping were ok.

Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails

More importantly, I had the drink they offer called Menehune Juice made with fruit juice, light and dark rum, and hint of almond. It also comes with a little Menehune- male or female- that you can keep. Menehune are basically physically short and mischievous people sort of like Ireland’s leprechauns that are part of Hawaii’s folklore. Also enjoyed were the Mai Tais which are discounted during happy hour- although what you see pictured is the “Mai Tai Wave”- a drink flight that allows you to try a little of the 3 kinds of Mai Tais in one ride of this surfboard, the Guavi, Maui, and Mango

Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails

Front of this female Menehune, back, (in retrospect I should have also gotten the side shot- her shelf is the same protrusion as her arms…) and the pair together before they got into trouble and had to be covered with a napkin.

Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktailsTrader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails

Would you believe it, there’s actually a photo of me and of the group (mostly)? Thanks Candace for taking the photo- next time we will make you get in it too and the waitress can take it to balance out so us 3 ladies can balance out the eyesore of those dudes.

Trader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktailsTrader Vic's Portland, Polynesian cuisine and cocktails

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Tasty N Sons: Happy Hour and Dinner Visits

July 1, 2011 by 1 Comment

I haven’t been to Tasty N Sons for brunch yet. But, I have been then for happy hour and for dinner.

Happy hour is busy, so be prepared to rub elbows at the bar or communal dining table and possibly wait for a seat. After all, you can get their famous (and justifiably so) super tasty Griddled Bacon Wrapped Dates with maple syrup & almond. At happy hour these are $1 but but normally they are $2 a piece. Instead of bread they give a salted nuts at the bar, but I wish they had given me bread so I could have mopped up that plate.

Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Griddled Bacon Wrapped Dates with maple syrup and almond

You can also get 30% off at their happy hour prices on their also well reviewed Radicchio with parmesan reggiano vinaigrette. It is really good with its crunch of the radicchio with slight bitterness, tamed with the creamyness of the parmesan and the slight acid tang of the vinaigrette- and the portion is enough for two people.

Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Radicchio with parmesan reggiano vinaigrette

Also wonderful is their Tasty Mary, concocted from monopolowa vodka, tomato, worcestershire, horseradish, lemon, sriracha, celery salt rim, plus house pickles (pickled carrots, mushroom one visit, pickled carrots and green bean and beet on another visit as per photo), along with the traditional celery. I also had a delightful apricot fizz while sitting at the bar. I’ve never had a bad drink that had prosecco as one of the ingredients: bubbles makes everything better.

Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Tasty Mary, concocted from monopolowa vodka, tomato, worcestershire, horseradish, lemon, sriracha, celery salt rim, plus house pickles Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Apricot Fizz

On the other hand, I was very disappointed by the Potatoes Bravas with over easy egg. Although they also own the well loved tapas restaurant Toro Bravo, these potatoes bravas were not anything special- essentially potatoes with some thin spicy sauce stirred in and that’s it.

Also, the Tasty N Son’s happy hour dish of Pretty Damn Good Chicken Strips spent too much time in the deep fryer so the outside had absorbed the oil taste, though the insides were still soft and tender. Chicken strips are about quality meat and good execution but the latter didn’t work out in this instance- so even though this small plate was 45% off dinner price it still wasn’t a value. They definitely did not live up to its advertisement when I had them and could have been any chicken strips at any random corner bar.

Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Potatoes Bravas with over easy egg Tasty N Sons, happy hour, Pretty Damn Good Chicken Strips

I came for dinner specifically for “The Toro Burger” with bacon, manchego and romesco. Local blogger Nick Zukin (known as Extra MSG– his list of restaurants was the basis for my eating tour before moving to Portland that finally convinced me I could live in what was at the time very granola-ly hippie Portland even after a couple other visits which were just meh) and restaurateur (of Kenny and Zuke’s Delicatessen) went on a Burgerquest last year and this was ranked #3 of those 72 burgers he had in Portland.

Tasty N Sons The Toro Burger with bacon, manchego and romesco Tasty N Sons The Toro Burger with bacon, manchego and romesco

This burger definitely deserves its ranking among the top 5 in Portland. The fries were nothing special but were adequate. But the burger- it is an incredible burger- it has the right balance of a sweet soft but not too soft bun to hold it together, really juicy flavorful burger meat, and toppings that add richness and contrast to give you a good balance so it never tasted greasy.

They use their same housemade pickles from the Mary here, that gives the burger a great undercurrent of sourness without being too sour and a bit of crispness along with the slightly palate cleaner of lettuce. And then there’s the sharp buttery ness of the manchego cheese and then romesco adding more intensity then the average cheese or ketchup/mustard/aioli/whatever accompaniment (romesco is a sauce originating from Spain that mixes nuts, olive oil, and a kind of Spanish sweet roasted pepper). I even liked the fact that the bacon was placed in an “X” like marking a treasure so I can nibble at the crispy ends sticking out.

Tasty N Sons The Toro Burger with bacon, manchego and romesco

This burger is available at both Toro Bravo and at Tasty N Sons- but with all those delicious little tapas plates to choose from at Toro Bravo, it seems a shame to pass up that opportunity to order 2 more plates in order to have this burger (and also stray from the tapas theme). If you just want the burger, or the dates, I would recommend Tasty N Sons over Toro- though both offer some great food that doesn’t shy away from bold flavor that more than make up for some of the dishes that might miss.

The atmosphere of Toro Bravo is louder and busier and crowded like being at a cool bar, while Tasty N Sons is definitely more relaxed with more air and space around its tables and could even be suitable for a family and conversation where you don’t have to strain your voice through the meal to talk to your dining companions- so it depends on what kind of energy you are looking for.

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Another try at H5O, and another burger for Burger Month of May

June 5, 2011 by Leave a Comment

In the mail I've been receiving sometimes an advertising packet that includes a 50% off a meal at H5O Bistro and Bar. I have been recycling most of them, but I had a group of coworkers who I had been at H50 before (their free valet parking for two hours for diners is great for bringing people together for a meal here), and there is something nice about being able to look out the restaurant windows and gaze upon the river and the people there. Although my last visit I thought they were confused and trying too hard, I thought since it's been a year, I had one of these flyers, maybe they have sorted themselves out. Let's give them a chance.

One of the things that worked in the past for H50 were their interesting specialty drinks that I had enjoyed last year. The list has become more tame now- much to the disappointment of everyone at the table, and even when asking about the previous drinks it became clear they were dead history- not able to be remade by request. This time, it was hard to find something I wanted from their list of 7 specialty cocktails.. I ended up selecting a jalsico horchada, composed of el relingo tequila, rice milk, chai spice simply syrup, cinnamon. When everyone else at the table had their drinks arrive, the waitress explained mine was still in progress because they had to search around for the recipe to make it. Honest to tell me that's why my drink wasn't there yet but I'm not sure as a waitress I would tell your guest that you don't know how to make it… When I did receive it, it was only so so. I think even a normal horchata would have had more flavor.

As we waited for all the guests of the table to arrive, we asked for a side of fries for us to nibble on. The best part of the meal at H50 Bistro and Bar were their "fancy fries", which offer "Parmesan, chive, truffle, hint of spice". I don't know what they were talking about spicewise… I didn't detect any. Also, these are not as good as the fabulous truffle fries at Violetta in terms of flavor, although these are obviously shoestring fries instead of the thicker cut fries at Violetta. I wish they had been a bit more generous with sprinkling the parmesan, as it was more truffle oil with chives.

For my starter, I went with the Wild Mushroom Fondue sauteed mushrooms, bleu cheese and provolone mornay with crispy bread. In terms of an appetizer offering, this is a great idea and the fondue itself had great depth in flavor. But that little pot was really really hot and couldn't really be eaten until after the entrees already arrived. Although the serving pot is cute, it wasn't conducive to cooling it off to actually eat and enjoy this offering – the presentation idea is overtaking the dish concept.

This was the third burger of Burger Month (May), and the most mediocre. The previous H50 burger had been a blue cheese burger  with mushrooms, smoky bleu cheese, and caramelized onion… now tuned down to a definition of Painted Hills beef, brioche bun, tillamook cheddar, lettuce, tomato, red onion, aioli, along with more truffle parmesan chive fries. The melted cheese looks sexy, but why so skimpy on the lettuce? The meat is medium and as you can see, ok in terms of juicyness but nothing special either, and the bun could have been fresher or toasted. I didn't taste anything of the aioli. Although the meat was decent, with so many burger offerings in Portland, it's not enough to have good beef cooked well- the accompaniments all have to contribute and not just be there as window dressing. Here, it seems only the fries were as thoughtfully conceived as the burger patty.

The excellent soups of last year are still on the menu… as well as their continued weird insistence of sushi as well somehow fitting in with their "Bistro and Bar" menu. The atmosphere of the restaurant itself is still fantastic, although also mostly empty…. and in that same vein, I can't argue that each dish was plated to be very pleasing to the eye…. but tastewise not bad but also coming up a bit empty too. I expect both at the same level- even and especially with these dishes that don't go past the $20 mark, you aren't going to earn my trust to go for those more expensive entrees or the chef multicourse menu if I'm not feasting at the basic mouthfeel level of these simple staples. It seems like H50 is still figuring itself out in its teen years of putting on the makeup and wearing the designer labels, hoping to only have to use its smarts only when it has to for those in the right group, not everybody at school.

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