Category: Bridgetown

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Bridgetown is a nickname for Portland because of all the bridges that span the Willamette River – 12 in all (of those, one is dedicated to rail and one prohibits private cars and trucks).

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Happy H Mart News in Portland

The old Zupans on SE Belmont in Portland.
The Belmont Dairy building, former home to Zupans, future home to H Mart. Photo credit: Another Believer

While in the midst of a late night internet rabbit hole session, I came across the good news that H Mart will open up shop in SE Portland in 2018. This is relatively old news in internet time, but I’m still elated about it—it means a good Korean grocery will be a short bus ride away. They’re opening up in the space that formerly held Zupans, at 3301 SE Belmont Street.

My previous experience with H Mart was in NYC; you’ll find H Marts throughout the city and in eastern New Jersey. I used to visit the original store in Woodside, Queens, still called Han Ah Reum, which in Korean means “one arm full of groceries; it’s relatively small but packed with products. Actually, a lot of H Marts can feel cramped, but there are some large megastores in New Jersey. The SE Belmont space is over 20,000 square feet, which is about half the size of the average American supermarket, but for a standard H Mart it might feel spacious. I have not been to the other H Marts in the suburbs to compare.

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Portland’s Salt Fire & Time’s Broth Bar Introduces Summer Collagen Coolers

Four summer collagen coolers at Salt Fire & Time's broth bar in Portland, Oregon.
Four fruit and collagen drinks for summer. From L-R, Melon Moon, Flame Tamer, Sweet Greens, and Beauty Lemonade.

Let’s hear it for tempting, refreshing summer drinks! And it’s a bonus when they’re good for you. Now, we have exactly that: enter, the Summer Collagen Coolers. Note: Salt Fire & Time has closed.

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First Tastes: Flavors of Summer in Portland

Good Portland food: Buttermilk Marionberry ice cream from Cool Moon in Portland's Pearl District.
Buttermilk Marionberry ice cream from Cool Moon.

The Portland food scene is full of mouthwatering options, and I love to try dishes that are new or new-to-me. Here are some recent tastes—the flavors of summer—and my first impressions of them.

Buttermilk Marionberry Ice Cream and Affogato, Cool Moon Ice Cream

I had passed this place before when I had less time on my hands, but after spending a warm afternoon in a few parks in the Pearl, we decided to duck in to cool down. I tasted their Coffee Crackle flavor first but the texture wasn’t as creamy as I wanted; then I tried the Buttermilk Marionberry and was hooked. It was smooth and creamy, slightly tangy, sweet and fruity from the seasonal marionberry swirl.

We also got an affogato with their cinnamon ice cream and it was a dream! Flavors of Saigon cinnamon and rich espresso were fast friends to make this dish a winner. I’d get both again. 1105 NW Johnson Street, Portland. Cool Moon Ice Cream website

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Asian-Style On My Mind

When I see an Oriental Chop Chop or a Secret Asian Man, I feel … weary. Because the language of the Asian salad is revealing of the dangers of bland, disembodied generalization: When you fail to see countries and cultures as discrete entities, what kind of consideration could you be expected to give to individual people?

–Bonnie Tsui, author of the essay, Why Is Asian Salad Still on the Menu?

The other night in Portland I ate a downright delicious thing called the Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich. Along with the pleasantly moist chicken with a crackly crust, the condiments hit all my favorite notes—creamy, tangy, savory, spicy—and the bun held the sandwich together without getting in the way of its filling. In the sandwich’s menu description there was a list of elements and they included, among other things, “Asian-style coleslaw.” What? 

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