Kobe + Portland Yakisoba Project: Year Three

Kobe + Portland Yakisoba Project’s Umi Kobe Combo grid/map for year three. Illustration by Jillian Barthold. Image credit: Umi Organics

I want to tell you about the Kobe + Portland Yakisoba Project, now in its third year. So what is it? A two-week festival of sorts, celebrating “cross-Pacific collaborations around food” that both Kobe, Japan and Portland, Oregon share. And it means a lot of tasty times for us all.

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Get Chicken Nanban Rice at Tokyo Sando’s Pop-Up Tomorrow

Chicken Nanban Rice from Tokyo Sando. Photo credit: Tokyo Sando

Self-billed as “The best Japanese sando in Portland,” the Tokyo Sando cart has really made a splash in Portland’s food scene. And now they are hosting a pop-up starting tomorrow, Wednesday, November 3 as Tokyo Rice, offering “Vol. 1”—Chicken Nanban Rice.

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Saima Thai & Sushi Portland Opening Update

dining-room-saima-thai-portland-oregon

As I walk to and from the gym, or Trader Joes, or the Hollywood Theatre, I always check out the progress at Saima Thai & Sushi, opening up at 4118 NE Sandy Blvd. All papers are down from the windows, hours are posted, menus are up and the interior—which looks quite a bit like the old Pono Soul Farm Kitchen’s decor—is looking RTG (ready to go). If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say they are ready to open this coming week.

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Farewell, Pono Soul Farm Kitchen

A Kushi oyster at Pono Soul Farm Kitchen in Portland, Oregon.
One Kusshi oyster from Puget Sound, sitting atop a bed of rock salt studded with whole spices, accompanied by a ponzu mignonette, chives, and a microgreen. It was plump and meaty, and tasted almost sweet. My favorite oyster to date.

Pono Soul Farm Kitchen, I’ll Miss You.

On June 23 I read the news that one of my neighborhood restaurants, Pono Soul Farm Kitchen, will close on July 8, 2017.  I’ve read three reports on the impending shuttering—from Eater, The Oregonian, and Portland Food and Drink—and none of them indicate the reasons why, not even a touch of speculation. Eater quotes part of the press release from co-owner Ted Nakato, who thanks his customers for their dining and support, but that’s about it. Personally, I wish we knew more.

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