Portland → Highway 101 Food Diary 🚗

Driving from Portland to Highway 101, my biggest hope was “stumbling into a random spot and falling in love with the food”—and it totally delivered! From a viral creative eatery that needs reservations, to a roadside pho joint, to ocean-fresh seafood by the coast, every meal added so much joy to the trip. Here’s the list—save it for your next Highway 101 drive! 🍴 Lechon｜Viral Creative Eats, Perfect for Small Appetites As a highly recommended viral spot, it was packed even on a wekday night. Good thing we reserved a window seat in advance—otherwise we’d have waited half an hour by the door 🚶‍♀️. The server said, “The tasting menu lets you try almost everything, but the whole table has to order it.” We weren’t super hungry, so we ordered a few dishes a la carte—and wow, portions are small (perfect for people who want to try multiple flavors without wasting food). Foraged mushroom with fried toast (🍄 Must-order!): (Little Red Book) didn’t lie! Soft, sweet fried toast slathered in caramelized onion sauce, topped with wildly fresh mushrooms. One bite—sweet toast, umami mushrooms, and creamy sauce all blend together. Even I, who usually hate mushrooms, couldn’t help but take extra bites, and I almost licked the sauce off my lips! Smoked duck breast (🦆 Best dish of the night!): This one’s a winner! The duck skin is slightly charred, with a hint of sweetness when you bite into it. The meat inside is thick but tender enough to pull apart, and the smoke flavor soaks into every bite without overpowering it. Paired with the sweet-tart berry sauce on the plate, it cuts through richness perfectly—I ate most of it by myself! Grilled octopus (🐙 Worth trying!): Octopus legs, potato chunks, and pork sausage piled on the plate, drizzled with Mexican salsa verde and lemon sauce—so refreshing! The octopus isn’t “melt-in-your-mouth” soft; it’s chewy (in a good way), and the more you chew, the more flavorful it gets. The potatoes soak up the sausage’s oil, and dipping them in salsa verde makes every bite addictive～ Scallop ceviche: The server highly recommended it, but I don’t eat raw food. My husband tried it and said, “So fresh it tastes like it just came out of the ocean—no fishiness at all, and the lime marinade is perfect.” Raw food lovers, go for it! 🍛 Khao Moo Dang｜Roadside Thai Pork Rice, Sauce Is a “Sweet Burden” After driving for half an hour, we were starving when we saw this Thai spot—we pulled over right away. The place was full of locals, and the owner spoke English with a Thai accent, so friendly～ Thai-style crispy pork belly rice (🐷 Must-order!): The crispy pork skin crunches when you bite into it, oozing with savory oil, but the meat inside is tender. The small sausages are chewy with a faint garlic flavor—so tasty! The only tiny flaw: the sauce—it’s heavy on spices (tastes like Chinese herbs) and a bit too sweet. After half a bowl mixed with rice, it gets greasy. Luckily, the side soup saved it: it tastes like wonton soup, fresh and light—one sip with one bite of rice, and the greasiness is gone! Tom Yum Noodle Soup (🌶️ Proceed with caution!): It’s super spicy-sour—I thought it was too spicy (if you can only handle mild heat, ask the owner to tone it down). The noodles soak up the soup, but it’s not as good as the rice dishes—stick to the rice! ☕ Less and more｜Coffee to Refuel! Iced Is Better Than Hot I fell in love with their coffee in Portland, so I was so excited to spot a branch along Highway 101. We parked right away to get two cups. We ordered the classic Tiramisu and Black Sesame flavors—this time we tried iced, and it was a game-changer! Iced coffee is lighter and more refreshing: the black sesame flavor isn’t as heavy as the hot version, and you can taste tiny sesame bits with every sip, perfectly sweet. The Tiramisu one has rich cocoa flavor, and even the ice cubes taste like cocoa. Sipping it on a summer day instantly chased away the tiredness from driving—I even wanted to take the cup home as a souvenir～ 🍜 Pho Lincoln｜Roadside Pho Surprise, White Owner Serves “Home-Style Flavor” We were tired and looking for a spot to rest, so we randomly searched for pho and found this place. When we walked in and saw the owner was white, I thought, “Will it be authentic?”—turns out it was amazing! The broth is so fresh you can drink it all—milky white beef bone broth, topped with fresh cilantro and lime. The first sip tastes like “slow-cooked goodness,” no MSG overload. The beef slices are so thin they turn translucent when dipped in the hot broth, tender enough to melt. The side pancakes are super crispy, crunching when you bite into them—dip them in sweet chili sauce, and I ate two without stopping. The owner even came over and asked, “Is the broth rich enough? Do you want more?” So warm—proving good food doesn’t care about skin color～ #PortlandRoadTripEats #Highway101FoodGuide #CoastalSeafood #RoadsideEats