Portland OR Food Diary 🍽️

Spent a few days in Portland and cracked the city’s "food code"—Asian cuisine here is hiding some serious gems! Thai pork leg rice was so good I detoured for a second helping before leaving, Vietnamese pho had toppings piled high enough to shock, but sushi was a bit "out of place." Here’s my tested roundup—Asian food lovers, take notes～ 🐷 Thai Pork Leg Rice at Nong's Khao Man Gai (SE): So Good, Two Visits Are Just the Start! First, a shoutout to xhs users—without your recs, I’d have missed this divine pork leg rice! Hit it up the first day in Portland, then swung by again before leaving—total "addiction"🥹 The pork leg rice is life-changing: the leg is stewed into a "collagen bomb," meat and skin separating with a gentle nudge, skin sticky enough to cling to chopsticks, every crevice soaked in sauce with hints of star anise and lemongrass. The star is the spicy-sour sauce—brightly tart (thanks to lime + fish sauce), zingy with heat (bird’s eye chili kick). Tossed into rice, every grain gets coated; you’ll scrape the bowl clean with a spoon! The Hainanese chicken rice holds its own: choose breast or thigh (thigh all the way!). Skin silky as satin, meat tender with juices, slightly pink when torn (perfect doneness). The ginger-scallion sauce is fragrant, mixed with chicken oil rice—so good you’ll lick your fingers. A surprise standout: chicken liver—thinly sliced, creamy as mousse with a hint of wine, no gaminess. Eat alone or mixed into rice—liver lovers, don’t skip! 🇹🇭 Northeastern Thai at Somtum Thai Kitchen: Tart, Spicy, Bold—A Heavyweight for Flavor Lovers! This spot’s Thai flavors are so intense, it’s like transplanting a "Chiang Mai night market" to Portland— The Pad Thai is textbook: rice noodles glossy, not clumpy, coated in peanut sauce sweetness, fish sauce salt, lime tang—perfect balance. Topped with peanut crumbs crispy enough to "crunch," plus plump shrimp. Bite into shrimp roe mixed with noodles—layers so good you’ll want to dance🍤 Grilled pork neck demands sticky rice: charred pork neck with smoky crust, tender inside, thick slices satisfying to bite. Dip in spicy sauce, wrap in a sticky rice ball—rice aroma + meaty richness, like eating at a Thai street stall, wild and wonderful! Spices here are "bold"—tartness hits hard, spiciness warms to the core. Bold flavor lovers, this is "what Thai food should taste like"! 🍜 Vietnamese Pho at Luc Lac Vietnamese Kitchen: Nightclub Vibes, Toppings Piled Like a Fortune! Who knew eating pho could feel like "clubbing"? Neon lights flash like a nightclub, fluorescent tubes make the broth glow, even staff wear streetwear—eating beef pho here feels like "nodding to the beat"😂 But the flavor’s no joke: beef pho broth simmers 6 hours with beef bones + lemongrass, amber-hued. One sip brings beef richness, finish with lemongrass freshness—so fresh it’s mind-blowing. The star? Meat—piled high: thin tender slices, thick chewy cuts, sinewy bits. Pair with fresh bean sprouts (crunchy!), mint (cool!), and on a cold day, it warms you from head to toe. You’ll slurp every drop! 🍣 Sushi at Akizawa Japanese Bistro: The Only "Letdown"—Only Fried Octopus Shines Maybe my expectations were too high—this sushi was "just okay"— The nigiri platter had fresh ingredients (tuna, salmon glistening pink), but seasoning was "safe"—wasabi and soy ratio unremarkable. Tasted like "competent but forgettable sushi." The only highlight: fried octopus—batter thin as paper, crispy to crumbs, inside tentacles springy enough to bounce. Tartar sauce cuts the richness—redeems it a little. A tiny spot with 2-3 staff, stumbled upon it night walking. A sign reads "" (likely Akizawa’s transliteration)—not bad, but no need to go out of your way～ ☕ Portland Coffee: Walk Into Any Spot, It’s "Vibe Heaven" Visited case study and a few cafes—Portlanders know coffee! case study’s wooden bar + floor-to-ceiling windows, sunlight streaming in, coffee aroma mixed with roast—order a pour-over, sit for hours watching people pass by. Others have vintage cameras, green plants—all "slow, relaxed vibes." Walk into any, you won’t regret it～ Bottom line: Portland’s Asian food is a "Thai-Vietnamese showdown"—pork leg rice and pho are musts, northeastern Thai for bold palates, sushi? Hit or miss. Next up: Cannon Beach seafood—stay tuned! #PortlandFood #OregonEats #AsianCuisine #TravelGrub