West Coast Trip | Eugene Food Diary

With Scotty around, you never have to worry about missing out on good food—he loves everything about China, including Chinese cuisine, especially Sichuan food. No matter how spicy it is, he can handle it! His favorite spot in this small town? A Chengdu-style Sichuan restaurant. Who would’ve thought you could find decent Mapo Tofu in Oregon? It just goes to show how small the world is! The restaurant is called Ming Xiao Chi (which translates to “Famous Snacks”), but don’t let the name fool you—it serves way more than just snacks—they’ve got a full menu of tasty dishes. A little first-time surprise: It was my first time having to tip right after getting off the plane! When we went to pay, the owner had already pre-entered three tip amounts on the card machine—15%,20%, and 30%—and asked me to confirm. It took me a minute to wrap my head around it 😂 The next day’s brunch was at a spot with serious history—it’s been around since the year my mom was born, which feels like such a distant era! I forgot to ask if the old photo on the wall was of Joey. The restaurant’s name, Brails, is a combination of the last names from Joey the owner’s mom and dad’s sides. The breakfast menu is simple—no fancy frills, just good, hearty food. We ordered thick-sliced sourdough toast with hash browns 🥔 Scotty didn’t even need to order— the owner always brings him the same thing: Joey's Special, plus endless refills of black coffee ☕.The kitchen staff was super nice too—they mentioned the potatoes from the previous day might not taste as fresh, and offered to make a new batch right away if we minded. Even though Eugene is Oregon’s second-largest city, it only has around 170,000 people. To the north, there’s Mount Hood; to the west, the stunning Pacific coastline. It’s also a filming location for many movies, like The Shining and Twilight 🎬.It’s a quiet, old-town stop on the road from Seattle to California—there are plenty of locals coming and going, so you’ll never be short on good eats. If you have time, you should definitely stay a few more nights—maybe even check out the famous natural hot springs nearby♨️ #AuthenticFoodOnTheRoad #LocalFoodRecommendations #WestCoastTrip #WestCoastRoadTrip #FoodOasisInAFoodDesert #Oregon #Eugene