Portland Travel Food Diaries 🥯

I spent a whole day wandering downtown Portland, and nearly every bite was a hit—except for Voodoo Donut (one bite had me chugging half a bottle of water!). Turns out their signature donut even has jam inside… Now I totally get why American kids have such a high sugar tolerance! ❌ Voodoo Donut | So Sweet It Needed a Water Chaser—American Sugar Tolerance Is Next-Level I’d seen this viral donut spot everywhere before coming to Portland, and I thought, “How sweet could it really be?” Well, the first bite left my tongue numb: first a rush of thick frosting, then a sudden burst of jam (super sweet berry flavor, no less). I grabbed the mineral water next to me and chugged half the bottle in a panic 🤯. I stared at the donut in my hand: the frosting was so thick I could scrape it off, and jam was still dripping down the sides. No wonder my American friend said, “It’s a once-in-a-while treat.” Even though I usually love sweet things, I could only take one small bite. I ended up giving the rest to a passerby—I hated wasting it, but I really couldn’t swallow another bite! ✅ Daily Feast | A Brunch Game-Changer—That Cream Cheese Bread Haunted My Dreams I just popped in for a quick bite, but this spot instantly jumped into my “top 3 brunches I’ve ever had” list! Everything I ordered hit, and I couldn’t stop staring at the dish on the next table: Salmon & Scrambled Eggs: The salmon was pan-seared with a crispy edge, juicy inside; the scrambled eggs were fluffy like clouds, with a hint of herbs—no eggy smell at all. Paired with crispy toast, every bite was perfectly savory. Cream Cheese Bread: The bread arrived warm, with cream cheese still melting slowly over the top—poke it with a fork, and it oozes! Take a bite, and you get wheat bread aroma mixed with silky cream cheese, plus a touch of sea salt to cut the sweetness. The flavor lingered in my mouth long after I finished, and I even licked the crumbs off my fingers. Vegan Avocado Toast: I didn’t expect much, but it blew me away! The avocado was mashed smooth, spread over whole-grain bread, sprinkled with black pepper and sesame—fresh and not greasy. The roasted mushrooms inside were the star 🍄—umami-packed with a nice chew, total mushroom lover’s joy 🥳! The Veggie Burrito on the next table looked amazing too—stuffed so full the filling was almost spilling out. Next time I’m here, I’m definitely ordering that—no more “staring at other people’s food”! 🥢 Ramen Ryoma | Warm Soup on a Chilly Day—Chashu Was a Tiny Letdown Portland suddenly got cold that afternoon, and stepping into this ramen shop felt like the right call—hot ramen arrived steaming, and the aroma wrapped around me instantly. I ordered the Deluxe Ramen + Miso Soup, and it was solid overall: The broth was rich with bonito umami, the noodles chewy (not mushy), and the miso soup had tender tofu and savory seaweed—perfect for balancing the ramen. The only small letdown? The chashu pork: it was cut a bit thick, over-roasted and dry, lacking that fatty, melt-in-your-mouth juiciness. If you’re in the area and craving warm soup, it’s worth a try—but no need to go out of your way. ☕ Tiramisu Coffee | First Three Sips = Bliss, Last Half = Trash I was drawn in by the “tiramisu foam,” and the first three sips had me going “wow!” The foam was as creamy as ice cream, mixed with cocoa aroma—sweet but not cloying. I even said, “I’ve never had such good foam!” But when I got to the coffee part below? Total shock. The coffee itself was already sweet, and mixing it with the remaining foam made it more and more greasy. By the end, my mouth felt coated in sugar, and I couldn’t swallow another sip—I had to sadly toss the last half in the trash 🗑️. Pro tip: If you order this, ask for “less sugar in the coffee”—otherwise, the greasiness will hit hard! 🌶️ Sichuan City (Takeout) | Eggplant in Garlic Sauce Won My Heart, Spicy Saliva Chicken Made Me Homesick I was too tired to go out, so I ordered Sichuan takeout—and it was half amazing, half disappointing: Eggplant in Garlic Sauce: This totally stole my sweet-loving heart! The eggplant was fried tender, coated in thick, savory-sweet sauce. Even the carrot and green pepper bits soaked up the flavor—pair it with rice, and I could eat two bowls easily. It totally soothed my “homesick stomach.” Spicy Saliva Chicken: Major letdown! The chicken was tough as cardboard—even tearing it was a struggle. The sauce only had heat, no numbing Sichuan pepper or garlic aroma. I took two bites and gave up. I instantly missed Shanghai’s three-yellow chicken 😔—crispy skin, tender meat, and just a dip in scallion oil makes it perfect. This chicken didn’t stand a chance! #PortlandEats #TravelFoodDiaries #BrunchRecommendations #FoodieLife