Where to Eat This Week: July 27–Aug 3
Left: Bamboo Bowl, with Oregon albacore, avocado, fried shallots, scallion, nori, and Green Machine sauce. Right: The Island Bowl, with Hawaiian Bigeye Tuna, avocado, Jacobsen sea salt, and sesame brittle.
Image: Benjamin Tepler
1. Chopstick into poke at the Bamboo Sushi Annex
Downtown’s Bamboo Sushi is doubling down on Portland’s poke trend with their next door Annex (formerly Hop Dog). And they’re doing it well. Current obsessions include the Bamboo Bowl with Oregon albacore, fried shallots, and “Green Machine” sauce, and “Poke Nachos,” a mix of spicy tuna, krab salad, yuzu guacamole, habanero-masago sauce, and a big bag of local Juanita’s tortilla chips for dipping.
Image: Marty Patail
2. Try the city’s first Myanmar-focused cart, BurmaSphere
NE Killingsworth’s Piedmont Station pod is now home to the city’s first dedicated Burmese cart. Owner and chef Tommy Schopp got to know the country’s cuisine in the Bay Area, where Burmese restaurants abound. BurmaSphere’s menu is simple, ranging from chickpea fritters to three mild curries, but the standout is the lahpet thok, a pickled tea leaf, cabbage, and tomato salad topped with nuts and fried, crunchy garlic and shallots. The description proclaims it be the country’s national dish, though that distinction usually belongs to mohinga, a rich fish stew available at a selection few Thai joints in town. (Schopp does not serve mohinga.) Here’s hoping BurmaSphere ushers in a torrent of new Burmese options.
Honky Tonk tacos.
Image: Maya Seaman
3. Fold a taco (or two or three) at Honky Tonk Taco
Don't be fooled by the palm-sized street tacos at just-opened Honky Tonk Taco—these masa-wrapped gems pack big flavor. Choose from seven combinations, from spit-roasted pork belly al pastor to fried Oregon bay shrimp with avocado and tomatillo salsa. Not hungry? Order up a seasonal, tequila-laden slushy, best enjoyed outside on their huge, sun-dappled patio.
