Master Kong (SE Division St) — Restaurant in Portland

Deep in the Hinterlands of the Jade Gate we amble gracelessly into Master Kong's seeking succor and sustenance. The place has the feeling of being kind of off the cuff, like it's just opened its doors to the public for the first time. Things seem a little hectic and unplanned, like it's set up for take out and they only let a few friends in. In that slightly hectic feel arrives the young waiter who absolutely bubbles with energy and welcome. If it seems a little spartan, he makes you feel like you're in on the ground floor, like you're one of the insiders.

The place is a work in progress. They are still transitioning from an all takeout to a full service and they still expect you to serve your own tea and help yourself to plastic utensils and tiny pods of condiments, but the enthusiasm of the waiter makes all of that more of an adventure than a minus. I don't like plastic utensils or plastic bowls. I don't really like having to get up and fetch my own stuff, but the kid's excitement is infectious and I'm willing to go along with it... If the food is good. I get a spicy Beef broth, which the waiter tells me is his favorite (I hope he is the owners son, or they're paying him well, because he is a treasure).

I go a little overboard because I am curious about what the dough bar is and I can never pass up onion pancakes, so I order too much, but this is where the rating really starts. The broth is excellent! Deep, a bit of a bite, good umami, perfect noodle lift, not all glued together at the bottom of the bowl. The dough bar is oily, but good and was great for dipping in the broth. I bumped up the spice a tad with the available condiments, but it would have been fine without.

The waiter tells me that they are planning on transitioning back into full service as quickly as they can, but the combination of great food and committed service make this a culinary destination, and the rest, passes for charm. Well worth the drive down from Vancouver.

When you're hungry and tired, finding a place where the food feels passionate and the staff seems really glad to see you, is like finding treasure at a yard sale, or a fine bottle of wine at the convenience store. I will keep Master Kong as a go to place when I am kicking around in those distant lands out...

Master Kong's is hands down one of the best traditional Chinese restaurant's in PDX. A real hole in the wall, they focus on the fundamental comfort food dishes of northeastern Chinese cuisine, and nothing else. Run by what seems to be a family business, about 4 or 5 middle-aged Chinese women which traditionally growing up in Chinese culture I refer to them as 阿姨 or "Auntie" an endearing term to call elderly ladies running the night market street food stalls in Asia, which this place really reminds me of. Sure it's not the fanciest nor 'cleanest' establishment but that's when you know this place is the real deal. Other reviewers of non-Asian upbringing complain of the cleanliness and rude service but that's just how this place is, and everywhere else in Asia. You're here to eat the delicious homemade food, with no fuss whatsoever which just adds to the authenticity. Yes, there is a language barrier for non-Chinese speaking folks but you can't go wrong with anything on their short menu. We ordered the handmade pork dumplings 餃子, jianbing 煎餅 (rolled crepes), and beef brisket noodle soup 牛肉面. Everything was simply incredible. The filling of the dumplings are full of flavor and the wrappers thick and smooth. The jianbing were so thin and crispy with fresh cilantro and egg inside. The beef brisket falls apart in your mouth while the hand pulled noodles are perfectly al dente in texture. The broth was full of umami. The spice level is not spicy at all even for western palettes, so don't worry about the chili signs next to dishes. Hot tea is self-serve and unlimited. Black vinegar and chili oil dipping sauces are must haves. All-in-all a fantastic little gem. Super fast service, pricing was extremely reasonable for the portion sizes, and you can observe one of the ladies hand wrapping the steamed buns with the traditional roller and bamboo baskets. Plenty of street parking off the side streets. Will be back to try everything else...

I really wanted to love this place! I really enjoy asian cuisine, especially traditional style, rather than Panda Express. That said, Master Kong just missed the mark on all three entrees:

The Wonton Soup had water for broth. There was no flavor to it at all. The noodles were tasteless and being as thin as they were lacked texture. Maybe a little overcooked? The filling of the dumplings was decent, but was clearly a lot more filling than pork, given the intense crunch and lack of savory flavor I'd expect (though the thin noodle casing was a plus).

The Beef Noodles was a soup, despite not saying so on the menu, signage or anything else. Then half of the beef in the soup was ligament. The broth itself was super spicy, but given the blandness of the Wonton Soup this was actually welcome; I traded about 1/4th of each to add SOME flavor to the Wonton, and to cut down on the beef. Still, this was the best entree.

The Pork Congee was bland bland bland. If you had me taste it and not told me what it was, I would have guessed "mushy rice" -- no traces of pork flavor, no salty flavor of a congee, and the filling seemed to miss, too.

The service was good, the prices weren't unreasonable (though if we're judging dollar-per-taste they were) and the steamed buns were actually very good (if a bit overpriced). Unless I move to the area I doubt I'd return, but if I did I'd have to order...