Love for WokShop Kitchen's Salad Rolls

wokshop-kitchen-portland-oregon

Photo credit: WokShop Kitchen

Soon after I moved to the Sumner neighborhood I was driving along 82nd Avenue and came across WokShop Kitchen near NE Tillamook. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, to be honest, and the Plaid Pantry next door is undeniably sketch, but this place is worth your time if you are a fan of American-style Asian food.

I’ve had Chinese American food here that totally nails the classic flavors of this cuisine. Recently I had a plate of Kung Pow Chicken that tasted exactly how I think American-style Chinese food should taste, complete with those little baby corns. I also love their General Tso’s Chicken, which is generously covered in a healthy amount of tangy, slightly sweet brown sauce with a little heat. But what I love most there are the salad rolls.

There are a number of things about these rolls that set then apart from the others. They do not contain rice noodles; they do include bits of crispy fried egg roll skin; and they also contain pickled carrots and daikon. There’s also lettuce in there. The chicken salad roll involves warm grilled chicken thigh—moister than breast meat—and the whole things is crazy delicious.

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Grilled chicken salad roll

I also like the Nem roll. This grilled Vietnamese pork sausage is rich, meaty, salty and fatty. The pickled veg in particular helps balance things out.

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Nem salad roll

I will say, the peanut sauce that comes with the rolls is fine but unremarkable, but that doesn’t matter. I expect I’ll be enjoying these salad rolls as long as WokShop Kitchen is open. Note: they are closed on Sundays.

WokShop Kitchen
2120 NE 82nd Ave, Portland
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