Portland, Oregon – March 17-18, 2018

Growing up, I was very close with my cousins, especially on my mother’s side. With many of us being born only one to two years apart, we often saw each other as extended siblings. These close relationships have extended to our significant others as well, like Ray. Every year, my cousins and I like to partake in a shared activity together, whether that’s mini-golf, bowling, brewery-hopping, or renting an Airbnb somewhere for a long weekend.

In March 2018, we decided to do just that and visit Portland. While we completed a multitude of the aforementioned activities (including bowling and golfing), Ray and I’s favorite activities during our Portland visit was obviously the food.

This wasn’t our first trip to Portland and thankfully we got to try out some new restaurants with family. We thoroughly enjoy each Portland visit, because like Seattle, Portland seems to have a never-ending list of new places to try.

The restaurants in this post were the ones we visited during our trip with the cousins. Other meals were prepared at the Airbnb.

Now, let’s talk about…

PUNCH BOWL SOCIAL

Space & ambiance – Have you ever wanted to visit an adult-version of the popular kids establishment, Chuck E. Cheese? Well, look no further than Punch Bowl Social (PS). Taking up the entire third floor of a Portland mall, PS is a large space overflowing with different games and ample seating. We took advantage of their bowling alley and shuffleboard games during our visit, but PS also has darts, large scrabble, and various retro arcade games.

Service – Considering we went at an odd hour on a Saturday afternoon (1-2 p.m.), the place wasn’t super busy. When we ordered our food and drinks from the servers and bartenders, they were perfectly cordial and brought and made everything fairly quickly.

Food & drink – Both Ray and I ordered the fried chicken sandwich. Presentation-wise, the dish was appealing, arriving in a hot skillet with a side of fries. The fried chicken itself was huge and appreciated, unfortunately the taste was rather bland. Both Ray and I agreed that the fried chicken could have benefited from some additional seasoning to bring some flavor to the dish.

As an appetizer for the table, we did receive a few orders of free biscuits, which we were all pretty impressed by. The biscuits were perfectly warm and flaky. The paired jam was especially tasty (unfortunately we didn’t make note of the jam flavor 🙁 ).

Our group also ordered a couple of PS’s punch bowls which were not too overpowering in sweetness and alcohol-taste, a bar that is often hard to meet with large batch drinks. Both punch bowls we had were refreshing.

Price – Punch Bowl Social wasn’t outrageously priced, nor screaming cheap. While food averages about $14-$15, drinks can ring in anywhere from $10-12 per person. Overall, pricing seemed to strike a good middle ground.

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OLYMPIA PROVISIONS NW

The food at Olympia Provisions NW was so good that Ray and I forgot to take proper pictures! Many restaurants in the Portland area (including Olympia Provisions NW) were participating in Portland Dining Month during our cousin trip. That meant there was both a preset Dining Month menu (3 courses, $35) and an a la carte menu patrons could order off of. About half of our group decided to partake in the Dining Month menu while the other half decided to do a la carte.

Space & ambiance – Olympia Provisions is housed in a cozy little space that provides an air of intimacy for each table. When you enter, you’re met with a hostess counter that also houses a cold case with grab-and-go assortments and their famous charcuterie. Hanging above the cold case, you may catch a glimpse of the next meat they’ll be carving up and packaging. With wrap-around windows and skylights a-plenty, there is a lot of natural light coming into the space. In the front dining area which holds a majority of the restaurant’s seating capacity, there is enough room for about 30-40 patrons. Due to the size of our group (12), we were seated at a longer table in their back nook area. Besides our large group, there were only two smaller tables (parties of two) in the nook space. It felt nice to be a bit separated from the rest of the restaurant for our dining experience.

Service – We were extremely impressed with the service at OPNW. Our waiter was alert and observant throughout the entire experience. Considering it was the weekend, a busy time for the restaurant (what with dining month and all), and the large size of our group, he was patient with all us. He allowed us to take our time to peruse the menu and answered every question we threw his way. Our waiter was also great in checking in with us and letting us know when our orders were on the way. Two thumbs way up.

Food – As mentioned, Ray ordered a la carte and I ordered from OPNW’s Dining Month menu. We ate:

• Pork Shank (Ray’s order): Ray was a big fan of his order. He raved about the tenderness of the meat and the portion size. The pork shank had a light sauce drizzled on top and sat on a bed of potatoes and other veggies. Ray wasn’t the only one in our group who ordered the pork shank. Out of the four who had the shank, only one in the group didn’t finish the entree. Everyone was in agreement that it was delicious.
• Nettle-Potato Soup (Alice’s appetizer): The nettle-potato soup was perfectly sized (about a cup and a half) and came with a few pieces of spiced sour cream crostini. The soup was balanced in seasoning and taste. The crostini pieces were a nice burst of flavor and complemented the more mild flavors of the soup.
• Oregon Bay Shrimp Risotto (Alice’s entree): If you were to summarize my dining preferences into four main points, they would be that:
  • I love rice.
  • I love Italian food.
  • I love shrimp.
  • I love all things savory.

There was a pretty clear choice on the Dining Month entree list for me. The portion of the risotto was huge! I was only able to eat a little under half of the dish and took the rest home. OPNW did a great job with the taste of the dish, incorporating fennel, fresh herbs, and perfectly cooked fresh shrimp. This entree was definitely a home run for me and an exceptional deal.

• Chocolate & Peanut Butter Parfait (Alice’s dessert): While good, the parfait dessert was just too dense and rich for my tastes. Ray, a peanut butter fiend, only had a spoonful or two and also agreed it was a bit too much after such a wholesome meal. Perhaps a smaller portion size would have made the parfait a better way to end the meal?

Price – Even though Ray didn’t order off of the Dining Month menu, his entree and the regular a la carte menu was still reasonably priced. The most expensive entree/dish was around $25, which considering the quality of food you get, is well worth it.

NONG’S KHAO MAN GAI

Space & ambiance – Nong’s is housed in a pretty unassuming space – no loud decorations that says “Hey, look at me! Come in!” They are very much a hole-in-the-wall place, located in what looked like an industrial district. Clearly, they didn’t need any additional extravagance and let their food do the talking. You place your order at the front before grabbing a seat at a table. This casual spot did have a lot seating that filled up quickly after they opened. Overall, Nong’s is a laid-back spot for you to enjoy some bomb Thai rice and chicken. No frills or distractions – just simple, dope food.

Service – Being a laid-back spot, there isn’t much in the way of service besides someone bringing you your order to your table. The cashier was helpful in letting me know which dish she recommended when I asked and provided one that ultimately did not disappoint.

Food – Both Ray and I decided to go OG with the chicken and rice plate. Ray dressed his order up with some of Nong’s house-made peanut sauce and a fried egg while I decided to go more simple. The dish in itself was simple, with chicken atop rice that is simmered in chicken bone broth, with a side of said broth. Do not underestimate the simplicity of this dish though. The chicken is tender and juicy and the rice is so aromatic, you begin to salivate just by the smell of the dish. Like I said before, Nong’s Khao Man Gai is simple, dope food that will satisfy your taste buds.

Price – With all dishes averaging at around $9-10, this is a steal of a meal. Definitely worth every dollar you pay, and probably more!

Simple, but delicious chicken and rice that we still dream about…

IN SUMMARY

A successful cousins trip filled with great food. All the places we went to were top-notch and definitely near the top of our list of Portland recommendations. If you’re only going to go to one spot that we highlighted in this post, make it Nong’s Khao Man Gai. You won’t regret it. 🙂