Restaurant Review: Janken

 Last month we celebrated my birthday at Janken, a Japanese/Korean fusion restaurant in Portland. They serve small plates that are meant to be shared. I love this type of menu because it allows you to taste several things without feeling like a glutton. 

We started with the Caviar Cone and Hamachi Crispy Rice. The Caviar Cones are small, waffle-like cones filled with shrimp tartare and topped with crown Osetra caviar and a little gold leaf to make them extra fancy. These were a delightful two-bite tasting, and I could have easily eaten several of these, but at $25 each, I had to settle for only one cone. The Hamachi Crispy Rice was a Hamachi tartare mixed with a yuzu kosho, which is a Japanese paste made with chili paste, yuzu peel, and salt. I want to say there was some mayonnaise mixed in there as well, but I am not too certain what the creamy base is; maybe Kewpie? It is also topped with a slice of avocado. The crispy rice is perfectly fried, and the Hamachi topping is perfectly seasoned. This was yummy. 

Next, we tried the Truffle Tuna Maki. This was a tempura crab and cucumber roll topped with tuna and white truffle, and a lemon creme fraiche. This roll was tasty, with a subtle truffle taste and the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the tuna. 

The Tuna Tartare was bluefin chutoro seasoned with furikake, wasabi, and soy, and topped with a quail egg yolk to add a rich, silky texture. This was served with crispy rice chips and was delicious and refreshing. 

Here is the Corn Kakiage, crispy fried sweet corn cakes drizzled with hot honey and served with a ginger aioli. This was deep-fried to perfection while still leaving it airy and light. 

Bone marrow is my downfall. If it is on the menu, I have to try it. Janken's Bone Marrow is topped with caramelized onion and a slightly tart pickled green apple. I was slightly disappointed in this, as there was not much of the marrow to slather onto the provided toast, and the flavor was lacking. 

The Seared Scallops of the Hokkaido variety were topped with black garlic and shiso. These were caramelized on the outside, leaving a delicate, sweet, and buttery inside. Three scallops at a $45 price point are pretty steep, even with the cubes of potatoes served along with it. 

Finally, the Japanese Filet, A5 Wagyu served with Korean pickled onion and cucumbers and what I can only describe as a Japanese slaw, was impeccable. A chimichurri made with shiso and Japanese herbs added some bright citrus to the melt-in-your-mouth texture of the beef. This was a small 6oz. filet priced at $159. 

While your meal at Janken will come at a higher price tag, especially if you indulge in a couple of their house cocktails as we did.  However, it is the perfect place to celebrate and share some unique and tasty small plates. It was hard to choose what to try, as the menu offers a variety of tantalizing dishes that I would definitely come back for. 

Janken

250 NW 13th Ave. 

Portland, OR 

503-841-6406

Restaurant Review: (Road Trio Edition) Di Fiora

 

My mom and sister visited recently, and we decided to take a short road trip to Seattle. We did the Pike Place Market thing and, after doing some online research, decided to have dinner at Di Fiora. On their website, they describe the restaurant as Elevated Asian Fusion and Botanical Wonders in the heart of Seattle. The restaurant itself is very pretty; there are plants and flowers everywhere, and to me it looks as though it could be a tea house. The menu has dishes that blend Italian and Asian foods in a creative and refined way. 

We started off ordering two appetizers. The Salmon Tartare was made with salmon, avocado, a house-made sauce, and spices, and served with taro chips. It was fresh and delicious. We also ordered the Vietnamese Crunchy Spring Rolls, filled with vegetables and topped with cashews and coconut flakes. These were crispy and tasted great. We each ordered a different entree so we could taste a variety from the menu. 

The Italian Basil Roasted Duck was cooked perfectly with a nice crispy skin in contrast to the tender meat. It was topped with flash-fried crispy basil leaves, which is something I only recently discovered at a local Thai restaurant. Sooo good! It is served with an Italian basil sauce and a side of sweet corn. 

The Di Fiora Carbonara with bacon, mushrooms, and prawns, topped with an egg yolk for some creamy unctuousness. It was savory and sweet but unfortunately was missing the masago caviar it was supposed to be topped with. I think this would have given it some saltiness that the dish needed. 

The Kow Moo Yang consisted of a grilled marinated pork served over rice and topped with a fried egg. The house-made chili sauce gave this dish the perfect combo of sweet and spicy. 

The Crab Fried Rice is one of their signature dishes, and when I was doing research online was told we had to try it. It is topped with a blanket of soft-cooked egg that complements the rice. The crab in the rice is plentiful and sweet. The lime sauce gives the dish a nice acidity to it. I would definitely recommend this when visiting Di Fiora. 

We really enjoyed our visit for the beautiful aesthetic and flavorful food. 

Di Fiora

1320 University St. Suite 1

Seattle, WA 98101

206-325-5508

Restaurant Review: Nom Nom

 Since we have been living in Vancouver, Washington, I have eaten at Nom Nom twice. The first time is the time I am going to share with you in this post. I have also ordered DoorDash from them; it's dangerous living somewhere where DoorDash is readily accessible. I definitely need to go back, as both times have been really good. I guess since we are still somewhat new to the area, I have been trying to explore different places, but Nom Nom has got to be one of my favorites thus far. 

I love the way they serve their iced teas. Simple syrup on the side so you can add as much sweetness as you want. 

The Vietnamese Lettuce Wraps are sooo good. Delicious crispy pork egg rolls that you wrap in lettuce with cilantro, mint, and vermicelli noodles and than dip in some fish sauce. These taste amazing and fresh even though the egg rolls are fried. They are my absolute favorite. 

The barbecue pork Banh Mi on crispy French bread is flavorful and filled with pickled veggies, cilantro and jalapenos in the side for an extra kick. 

The Spicy Sausage served with sticky rice, fresh vegetables, and jeow dipping sauce that is out of this world. I can't believe I haven't gone back there to order this again; it is really so good. The dipping sauce is spicy, sweet, and a little chunky. I looked it up, and it is actually a popular dipping sauce from Laos that is usually served alongside sticky rice or a protein for dipping. The sausage was not fatty or greasy; it had a drier inside texture. It is stuffed with lemongrass, shallots, and garlic, and has the best flavor. I am not sure what kind of sausage it is. Does it really matter? The sticky rice is the best and I love the rice crunchies on the bottom. Just talking about this is making me want to order it again. In fact, my mom is currently visiting from down south so I may just have to take her out to lunch this weekend at Nom Nom. 

Nom Nom Restaurant and Grill

801 C St. 

Vancouver, WA 98660

360-718-7360

Papas Con Huevos

 This has to be the simplest yet tastiest breakfast. If you grew up in a Mexican family, you more than likely grew up eating papas con huevos, which translates to potatoes and eggs, and that's exactly what it is. A warm plate or bowl of fried potatoes scrambled with eggs made by mom or grandma, because you have to eat breakfast, it is the most important meal of the day! Papas con huevos is right up there with scrambled eggs and hot dogs...if you know, you know. 

Papas Con Huevos

4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and diced into bite-sized pieces. 

3 to 4 eggs

Oil for frying, mom and grandma always used lard. I've been cooking with beef tallow lately. You can use whatever you've got at home. 

Salt

Pepper

In a large skillet, heat up some oil at medium-high heat just enough to cover the bottom of your pan. Add in your potatoes and fry until they start to brown and get crispy. Lower the heat to medium and add eggs. Scramble. mixing everything together until the eggs are cooked through. Season with salt and pepper. That's it! Don't forget to serve with ketchup and a warm flour tortilla, of course. 

Tamalitoz Review

 Growing up in southern California I grew up eating Mexican candy. That delicious combination of spicy, sweet and salty. It is a flavor I crave and always gives me a nostalgic feeling. I remember as a little girl walking to my grandmother's neighbor's house after school because she had a little table set up inside her home where she sold a variety of sweet and salty candy's. Saladitos, Tamarindo, Diablitos, Chamoy and my favorite Vero mango lollipops. It wasn't until years later that I learned that many of those candy's may have contained some questionable not so healthy ingredients. So, I was pretty excited to learn about Tamalitoz by Sugarox. 

The owners of Sugarox, that started out as a small candy store in Mexico making small batch hard candy, decided to create a line of candy's inspired by my favorite Mexican sweets. But, with a twist! While most Mexican candies are covered with chili on the outside. Tamalitoz contain chili on the inside. So, you get a sweet exterior with an explosion of chili flavor on the inside. 

Their Divine Watermelon hard candies are sweet watermelon on the outside, but as you continue to savor these you start to get a hint of chili lime and once you get to the middle of these little pillows that delicious chili taste fills your mouth. They are really good! So good in fact that I left an open bag on the counter while I was at work and when I got home, they were all gone. My husband devoured these. 

Their Chili Pops Chamoy are naturally flavored cucumber, coconut and tamarind flavored lollipops with swirls of chamoy. They are so tasty and remind me of my favorite Vero lollipops. I hear they also have a mango flavored one that I must try. 

In addition to these candy's, I also tried their Palomitaz Lip Smackign Mango Popcorn. I love adding Tajin to my popcorn, so I knew I was going to love this. Salty, sweet with a hint of chili this popcorn snack is addictive. I would have finished the whole bag myself it wasn't for my husband again who also enjoyed these. 

Tamalitoz has definitely found a new fan and consumer in me. I am excited to try some of the other varieties of candies and popcorn that they sell. Check them out here!

The featured product{s} in this post were provided to me free of charge by the manufacturer or PR company representing them. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and not influenced in any way by anyone.

Avaline Wine Review

 

Recently I was shopping at my local Target when I came across Avaline wine. What caught my eye was the bottle. It was very simple but elegant. I also liked the little tagline on the front that read "Pairs well with: The warmth of the sun and the company of your best friend."

I decided to do some quick research on it and discovered a couple of things. First off, its organic. Made from organic grapes. It also contains no added sugars or artificial colors. Second, the faces behind this wine are actress Cameron Diaz and founder of beauty brands Versed and Merit, Katherine Power. I decided to purchase a bottle of their Rose' to see what it was all about. 

I really enjoyed it! It is dry with just a slight sweetness without the bitterness. Clean and crisp is how I would describe it. It is perfect for sipping, while nibbling on cheese and fruit. You can join their online wine club or purchase single bottles online. You can also find Avaline at places like Target, Whole Foods and Total Wine & More. I will definitely be checking out some of their other wine varieties in the near future. 

Restaurant Review: Oak Tree Station

This past fall my family moved to Vancouver, Washington. Vancouver is located just north of the Columbia River and the border of Portland Oregon. Literally 7 miles from downtown Portland. So I am excited about all of the new dining destinations I will get to explore as Portland is known for having some great restaurants and I have already found a few gems in Vancouver. For those of you who don't know food trucks are also very popular in the Pacific Northwest. These food trucks offer a variety of delicious and diverse food options, that are affordable. If you have not ventured your way into all that food trucks have to offer don't turn your nose down on them. You can find some gourmet options made from some of the best chefs who have opted to use food trucks to serve up their food because of the convenience and affordability compared to running a restaurant. In Portland specifically there are over 300 food trucks to feast from. While Vancouver hasn't reached its Portland potential, there are quite a few mobile options in the area. I recently visited Oak Tree Station, a food cart park located in Camas, Washington just east of Vancouver. 

With over 20 food carts nestled in a 7000 sq ft park and situated under a 100 year old oak tree, it is the perfect place to enjoy some grub. 

They even have an indoor seating area with communal tables, perfect for escaping the PNW rain that is so common. I snapped just a few of the options available at this food truck destination. 

Everything from sushi , barbecue, sandwiches, Thai, Middle Eastern, vegetarian, Vietnamese, Mexican, seafood, GF and more is available at this park. If you have a hard time deciding, I would opt on going on a Thursday. They call it Tasting Thursdays and the different food trucks offer $5.00 small plates so you can feast from multiple carts. It was not a Thursday when we ventured our way out there so we decided on Vietnamese and seafood for our lunch. 

I enjoyed a Bahn Mi. The bread was perfectly crunchy and the fillings were plentiful and tasty. 

While my mom opted on trying a lobster roll from another cart. It was buttery and they did not skimp on the lobster. 

I am really excited to head back on a Thursday and try some of the other food options.  They are open from 11am daily until close. With different trucks setting their own closing hours. They also have a tap room that closes at 9pm or later. 

Oak Tree Station

5900 NW Friberg Strunk St, Camas, WA 98607