PaaDee | SE Portland

One of our dear, fellow food-obsessed friends here in Portland has been giving us the same "demand" since we moved here: "Go to PaaDee."

After almost a year of being here, we finally gave into his orders a few weeks ago.

PaaDee (which means "to bring good things") serves up modern Thai dishes in an intimate, bustling setting in SE Portland. The decor's a little funky, the employees are friendly, and everything from the food to the cocktails is inventive yet familiar.

Our meal on this particular night kicked off with cocktails (naturally). Since we dined here so long ago - and I'm the worst blogger ever - I don't remember what cocktail I ordered, but it was delightfully strong and delicious. (As was Z's).

For an appetizer, we went with a Brussels sprouts dish (a special that night) that was fantastic. The Brussels sprouts were cooked perfectly, and the flavor was wonderfully savory and interesting. I could eat this every night.

PaaDee's dinner menu is organized by Snacks, Soup & Salad, Noodles & More, Entrees, and Vegetables (vegetarian-friendly entrees). I went with the Pad Ma Khua ($10), and added wild prawns for an extra $3. The original dish consists of Japanese eggplant, red bell pepper, scallions, onions, basil, and sweet chile paste. (It was also served with rice on the side).

This dish was seasoned perfectly, and I loved how vibrant all of the colors were! If you're a seafood fan, definitely add the wild prawns - they helped add additional flavor, texture, and some protein to the dish.

Overall, we loved our first visit to PaaDee. Our only regret is not taking our friend's advice sooner!

Where have you had a great meal lately?

Marukin Ramen | SE Portland

Vegan ramen exists, my friends. And at Marukin Ramen in SE Portland, it's freakin' delicious.

Still technically in its soft opening, Marukin just opened its second Portland location at the end of February. (Their original PDX outpost is at Pine Street Market). With nine locations throughout Tokyo as well, Marukin clearly knows their ramen.

The SE Portland location is small, casual, and full of natural light thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows that surround the family-style tables. You simply order at the small counter and are very quickly served savory, aromatic bowls of the good stuff.

There are three different bowls of ramen everyday - two meat, one vegan - and on Saturdays, the menu looks a little something like this:

Marukin Paitan Shio (まるきんラーメン塩)

Paitan - Creamy chicken based broth

Marukin Red (まるきんレッド)

Spicy Marukin ramen in Paitan broth

Marukin Vegan Tonyu (まるきんビーガンラーメン)

OTA Tofu soymilk broth with onions, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, and kombu

While friends raved about the meat versions, Z and I slurped up every last bite of our vegan creation ($10/bowl). The broth was incredibly flavorful, the vegetables abundant and fresh, and the portion size almost too big to finish (but we still managed). Alongside our bowls of ramen, we also enjoyed the Ebi Tiger (5 pieces, $8), plump, deep-fried tiger shrimp Karaage-style (meaning, similar to tempura), as well as the Takikomi Onigiri (1 piece, $2.50) - onigiri made with traditional Japanese rice and seasoned with dashi, shoyu, and mushrooms. 

My first experience at Marukin was delightfully successful (and delicious), not to mention affordable! I'll definitely be back for more slurp-worthy bowls of ramen soon.

Are you a ramen fan? If so, which restaurant serves your favorite ramen in Portland?