Hands Down The Best Calamari I’ve Ever Eaten ~ Thien Hong April 23, 2012

I can go years with merely eating a vegetarian diet but there are two things that can bring me back to eating seafood.

1. Sushi. I love love love tuna that melts in your mouth but I’ve eaten the veggie sushi just fine and have been satisfied with it so it’s not quite the influence that the next dish is.
2. Calamari. My ultimate kryptonite.  Thien Hong’s salt and peppered squid is seriously a form of fried crack.  A perfect amount of batter coats the bite sized pieces which is then mixed with onions and garlic. It stays surprisingly light, crispy and not greasy at all.  It’s pretty amazing stuff and all of my out-of-town friends that have tried it always want to go back when they visit.

The only other dishes I eat there regularly are the green beans (or seasonal asparagus) in black bean or hot garlic sauce, pan-fried noodles and the fried rock fish.

Here are some helpful fyi’s and tips if you’ve never been there.

• Their parking lot is small so be prepared to walk.  No biggie.
•  They don’t have the best service but that’s not why you’re there so suck it up.  It’s quick and efficient and when you are hungry that’s all that matters.  You’ll probably get table service when you get your food and when they give you the bill.  Just call them over and they will help you out.
• If you order calamari to go, your car will smell of it for 2 days
• The owner is a hoot.  Most people find it hard to understand her but she is funny.  She’ll always try to get you buy more food and drinks and will likely pinch your kids cheeks when she is making her rounds
• I’ve heard that they will say something to you if you are a cheap or no tipper.  Never happened to me but I always tip there and I’m a regular so I don’t mess around with a good thing.
• They close the entire restaurant once a year for family vacation.  I forget which month but it’s a sad day when you are craving calamari and you drive up to an empty lot and locked doors.  It’s happened to me more than once and it totally sucks.  I also recently learned the hard way that they were closed for Chinese New Year.  Always be weary if the cars on that block are noticeable absent.

Location: 6749 Northeast Sandy Boulevard  Portland, OR 97213 (503) 281-1247

Price: It keeps going up but everyone will still buy it.  I think it’s around $11 now

Bruce Lee’s Kitchen Food Cart ~ Tofu Teriyaki October 15, 2010

Excellent Teriyaki

Bruce Lee’s Kitchen is my latest favorite food cart located in the Sellwood District of Portland Oregon.  There is a handful of carts set up on 13th and Lexington and this was the first one I wanted to try.  I remember walking by it months earlier during a lunch excursion but  for some reason I opted to eat at a sit down restaurant (mistake).   Part of the draw to this cart was the name, which I have to admit got my attention and made me take a closer look.  For some strange reason I feel like I’m not the only person that was intringued by the name alone.  

I was happy to see fried tofu as an option for some of their entrees.  Unfortunately the teriyaki choice was not one of them but sometimes if you ask, you shall receive.  The owner happily accomodated my request and I was bubbling with anticipation from the smells and sounds coming from the kitchen.  The portion was huge! I had lunch the next day too and it was just as tasty.  Fried tofu, broccoli, carrots and rice smothered in teriyaki sauce and sesame seeds.  The meal was so piping hot that I couldn’t take a picture of it right away because of the steam coming up to my camera lens.  I’m happy to say it was delish! I also found out that I could call in my orders so I took advantage of that perk the next time I was there to cut down on the waiting time. 

Great name.  Great Food.  Leftovers.  For $5.50? Hell yeah