SE Ankeny location, 609 SE Ankeny St. A, Portland, OR 97214 · www.marukinramen.com
Marukin Ramen is a 22-year old Japanese ramen chain with 9 locations around Tokyo. Focusing on Hakata-style, (tonkotsu) ramen, they opened their first ever stateside restaurant in Portland, OR last year.
Portland, Oregon? How the heck did we get so lucky?
hey look! It’s not raining! time for some ramen!
Ok, I’ll admit, I’m guilty of bypassing this SE Ankeny location for the popular chicken and rice standby, Nong’s Khao Man Gai just next door, but Marukin Ramen has a new lunch menu and it’s likely to lure me in for a bite.
To compliment their already popular signature handmade ramen bowls, you can now get a variety of entrees and sides even if you’re not in the ramen mood (although, shame on you if you’re ever not in a ramen mood!).
While they have always offered gyoza (dumplings) and chicken karaage (Japanese fried chicken) here are some new items to try including their donburi (rice bowls).
Two stand outs are the pork curry and rice dish…
and their vegan mapo tofu over rice.
Their newest addition is their super limited and labor intensive tiger shrimp ramen.
limited to 30 bowls a day when available: “special” ebi (shrimp) ramen. It’s not spicy, contrary to it’s fiery orange broth
This Ebi Ramen has a chicken broth base and includes bok choy, mushroom age-tofu mix, kikurage, negi and a sprinkle of sea salt. This was the first time I tried a shrimp ramen and found it to be really, really good! It was rich and briney and everything you want a good ramen to be. Also new to the menu is their pan fried Jorinji miso pork over rice.
Take a look below for a sampling of their other items and stop in for some Japanese style comfort food.
daikon salad (shredded daikon salad with ume plum vinaigrette), chicken karaage, salmon nukazuke – photo courtesy of http://maxenestrailofcrumbs.com
“poser” @backyardbite photo courtesy of http://maxenestrailofcrumbs.com
limited to 30 bowls a day when available: “special” ebi (shrimp) ramen
curry pork
Note * The availability of the featured ramen bowls alternate at their two locations (the other one is located in the Pine Street Market) Check out their website for their current daily menu and social media for updates @marukinramen on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook
Seated to my left at the chef’s counter, is a couple who looks like they are on a date.
I asked the woman how long it took them to get their reservation. She responded with a half chuckle, “Geez, well, I believe it was about 5 months ago!”
I smiled and awkwardly shuffled in my seat.
“Oh yeah, us too.” I was lying.
I didn’t want her to feel bad discovering I had taken advantage of someone’s freak-cancellation and managed to book our table just 6 days prior. Although it’s been 3 years sinceLang Baan first opened its doors, it’s still a tricky reservation to score.
Call it birthday luck, or blame it on the recent snow storm, I was IN.
“Dtom gati hoy lai” Manila clam, romanesco, grilled leeks, king oyster mushroom, coconut broth
A James Beard Semi-Finalist for best new restaurant in 2015, this “thoughtful old school thai food,” is a real treat for Portland diners looking for bit of casual elegance. You might have eaten spicy noodles at PaaDee and perhaps never noticed their other Thai restaurant hidden behind the bar on the other side of the wall. Take a look. Go on… keep going… all the way to the back by the bathrooms, make a left… ahh, there it is.
“Yum ped yang” Peking duck breast, bok choy, cara cara oranges, black vinegar
“Langbaan,” the Thai word for ‘back of the house’, is an intimate dinning room that fits no more than 20 people, including 4 stools at the chef’s counter. The limited seating could be partially the reason that it’s difficult to get a table. The other reason is that the food is pretty dang good. In fact, it’s exquisite.
Each month, the revolving prix fixe menu features, anything but typical Thai “street food” highlighting the flavors and cuisines of Thailand. Themes of coconut creme, citrus fruits and lime, peanut and chili are certain, and if you are afraid of a little heat, be warned. While the spices aren’t painful, the warmth tends to linger on your lips and around your mouth like a gentle slap in the face. Then there’s daintier, sweeter bites from the addictive pork jowl (pictured below) and the pretty Peking duck breast with a salty-soy drizzle of black vinegar.
After eating eleven, 1-2 bite courses, you might not think that you’d be full from such petite dishes. However, by the time you’ve finished the main courses, you’re covertly loosening your belt buckle a notch to make room for dessert. You’re also mentally making a note to plan your return visit. Diners wait 5-6 months for a table. If a trip to Portland is on your horizon, make your reservation yesterday.
Their tasting menu format offers two nightly seatings at 6pm and 8:45pm on Thursday, Friday & Saturday, and two seatings at 5:30 pm & 8:15 pm on Sunday.
Cost is $75 per person. #worthit
Scroll down to see a sampling of some of dishes from our evening…
“Kanom krok” Scallop, coconut cream, lemongrass, galangal, crispy rice cup
“Somtam Thai puu-talay” Green Papaya, Dungeness crab, long beans, fresno chili, radish, peanut brittle
(Top Right) “Kor muu yang” Grilled pork jowl, jaaw dipping (Bottom Center) “Nahm prik khai khem” Salted duck egg yolk and shrimp relish, greens (Top Left) “Gang om neau” E-san style curry of brisket, winter melon, kabocha squash, cabbage, dill
Filipino food is all the rage these days. Luckily, I had a jump start on the craze when my pal Karena Higgins of the Filipino food blog Pig Parts and Beer offered to introduce me to a few classic dishes three years ago. We hit up a popular local bakery in Silverlake, CA, and met with a fresh baker who became known for sampling Ube inspired treats at local farmers markets. We even dined at a Turo Turo. What the heck is that, you ask?
One of the best things about the Feast Portland food festival was that I really got a true taste of Portland; The community… the love for all things local… the rain and the shine.
During the 4 day food festival, guests braved the heat and sun, and then the drizzle and the chill too as temps heated up to the 80s during the day and dropped to the 50s by night. It was both summer and fall all at once, and it was a perfect little slice of Portland life. There were big events, “fun size” events, lectures, drink tanks, panels and cooking classes.
How can you Feast? In every which way. There is an event type and size for just about everyone. While the Friday-Saturday Grand Tasting showcased a bunch of local purveyors and local businesses, Smoked! the most popular main event, was an opportunity for Portland chefs to show off their stuff.
Coquine’s Smoked Almond, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Chip Cookies
Starting on a Thursday, hungry foodies flew in from all over the country to sample from Oregon’s delicious bounty. Locals noshed and nibbled on familiar local favorites from Olympia Provisions, Nong’s famous Khao Man Gai chicken dish (which is on my list of must-try Portland dishes), Tillamook desserts and cheeses and of course, Andy Ricker’s Pok Pok treats.
Nong’s Khao Man Gai
During Smoked! I donned my best all-weather boots and rain jacket for a twilight dinner of BBQ bites and various wines…
30 mins into the fest and I’m already getting full. Uh oh!
Stand outs for me included many Portland based chefs…
Departure’s Gregory Gourdet who made a delicious Snake River Farms Pork belly chop, fermented chili & peach…
Pork belly chop
Stephen Gerike’s Backbone stew with Tasso cured pork with a dressed salad and an onion biscuit with molasses Lardo…
Backbone stew
Joel Stocks and William Preisch from the supper club Holdfast made a tasty smoked mussels a la crawfish boil bite.
I told them, “You had me at mussels, and then you had me again at crawfish boil!” It was a perfect bite.
Smoked mussels
The Russian restaurant Kachkahas been on my must-try list for a while. My friends and I all agreed, this little sammy was one of the most memorable bites at Smoked. Bonnie Morales presented a Snake River Farms Beef tongue “Big Mac” with pickled green almond, little gem lettuce and roasted tomato…
Beef tongue “Big Mac”
Another favorite worth the line was from chef Hugh Acheson of 5&10.
He had a cremini-Lamb burger with charred scallions, Boursin, pickles and tomato on a potato roll.
Lamb Burger
The next Feast Portland is scheduled for September 14th-17th, 2017! Make sure you get your tickets early and mark your calendars! This festival is proving to be a hot little ticket so they will most likely sell out pretty fast. After attending the events, I can definitely see why.
It happens just once a year, and over the course of 4 days, local foodies and visitors flock to the Pacific Northwest to taste and marvel at Portland’s highly desirable bounty.
That festival is Feast. And it starts today!! Yay!
Last year, I had planned to go.
As a food lover, festival junkie and someone who had recently relocated to the Portland area, it seemed like the most perfect way to sink my teeth into the trendy food city I had only heard about. It was going to be perfect.
Only it wasn’t. As fate would have it, the same week I arrived in Oregon, I got crazy sick and subsequently, during the same week of Feast, I would have to travel far, far away to MexicoCityand Oaxaca, Mexico for other work. Alas, attending Feast wasn’t in the cards for me that year.
What was in the cards, was randomly getting to meet one of the Feast co-founders, Carrie Welch about a month later,onboard an airplane (on my way to another food festival!). She was wearing a dope Feast tee. We chatted about food (of course!) and she told me just how great the Portland food scene really was. Coming from her, a former New Yorker, that was saying a lot.
The festival, like much of Portland, celebrates all things local. About 70% of the chefs and everyone involved is from the area. In addition, net proceeds for this fifth anniversary party will go toward Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon, focusing on raising awareness to expand school breakfast participation in Oregon schools. Feast has raised over $230,000 to help end childhood hunger since its inception!
I don’t know how this Portland festival compares to the many others I’ve attended over the years, but I am looking forward to finding out this weekend. What I do know is that Portland has mastered coffee, beer, wine, all things vegan, and the local/sustainable niches as well, so I’m most excited to see how this festival represents all that Portland does best and then some.
Follow Backyard Bite on Twitter and Instagram to see what I eat and what I’m loving from the fest this week. I’ll recap some of my faves back here on this blog and show you what you’ll want to eat when visiting Portland.
In the meantime, to wet your whistle, watch this video of me and the super cool Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ in Austin, Texas. He will be returning to Portland’s Feast this year for his popular event, Franklin Barbecue and Family!
Attending local festivals is one of my favorite ways to learn about a particular food, city or culture. While they can be expensive to travel to, they are a great way to get a sampling of what a particular city has to offer. It’s also fun to spend a day enjoying good food, drink and making new friends!
Here is a list, in no particular order, of the many, many festivals I have attended and eaten my way through over the last few years. Some were big, some were small, some lasted days, weekends, and weeks long.
Just had to share this real quick. Been looking for a really good ramen spot near Portland and yesterday, I happened upon this new joint, Ramen Ryoma located in/near the Uwajimaya Japanese grocery store in Beaverton.
I had to take the ramen to-go because I had my doggy waiting at home for a walk, and I wan’t too sure how it would hold up once I got home…
The verdict?
It was really good.
I ordered the miso ramen with additional chashu (two extra pieces of pork belly.) The prices are very reasonable here so I decided to go for the splurge. Once I got it home, I had to re-construct it from separate containers — the noodles and broth and the pork were all packed separate (which was good) so once I put it all in a bowl…
Dang.
All I can say is that I’m happy that this place is only minutes from where I live. For me, ramen is all about the chewiness of the noodles, good broth and the chashu. I hate broth that is too salty or too thin. I don’t like pork belly that is too chewy or tough or stringy. This place had them both nailed. There was a ton of flavor in the pork and it was very tender. In addition, the “hand massaged” rustic noodles were pretty good too. Most likely, you’ll hear more from me about this place, but for now, I just wanted to let you know that you should get off your butt and go give this place a try! They just opened in July.
Once a pop-up, known for their weekly Korean fried chicken night and ramen, Boke Bowl has a newer Nob Hill expansion which features “Cantonese style tapas” pushed table side on a cart, a.k.a, Dim Sum. It’s Portland style, and it’s tasty. I recently got the chance to sample a few of their new dishes on the Westside location with a few other local Portland bloggers.
Our brunch dishes were varied, from pork belly buns and dumplings to chicken wings and sui mai. There were stand outs, like the black bean spare ribs and the pea tips with garlic and fermented black beans. Of course, you can always get their ramen anytime, but the sides to me were the stars. A menu seasonally in flux, I’d definitely stop by again for a tasty lunch or Bloody Mary cocktail (topped off with a giant piece of fried chicken as garnish!).
Here’s what you can expect to see and eat at this Westside location.
Various Rice Wraps. Very tasty!
Some sort of bean and corn rice cake. Didn’t catch the name… but loved it!
Bloody Mary…
With a piece of fried chicken on top!
Pea Tips w/Garlic and Fermented Black Beans. Yum!
Lots to order, not just ramen. But if you feel so inclined…
Behold, the cart!
Blogging is alive and well in Portland.
Explaining what’s inside the dumpling.
Bee Local Honey tart for dessert
Sesame Balls w/Red Bean Paste
* Full disclosure, this was a hosted brunch. All opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by all the tasty cocktails. Thanks to Little Green Pickle for the invite!!
Still buying pre-ground coffee? Shame. Let’s hope the bag you’ve chosen is not over roasted or worse – stale. Why risk it? Here’s why I think you should be buying them freshly roasted and whole.
Heaven in a bag
Think of the bean as a protective shell. By keeping the bean whole as long as possible, you are locking in the moisture and natural oils and keeping the delicate flavors untainted. Oxygen in this case, is not your friend. Once it hits the surface of your bean it starts to oxidize and lose its delicious coffee smell. After 15 minutes, ground coffee loses about 60% of it’s aroma. Dang. Who wants coffee that doesn’t smell like coffee? Not me. Unless you’re planning on brewing it relatively soon, don’t buy coffee already ground. Just don’t do it.
There a bunch of decent grinders out there you can chose from, so you have no excuse to not get something good. Just, whatever you do, don’t get a cheapo one that doesn’t let you control the coarseness. You’ll want to change the grind depending on the style of coffee you’re making. For instance, if you are making your coffee in a french press, you’ll want to grind coarser, if you are making it in an aeropress or doing a pour over, you’ll want it more fine grind and if you like Turkish coffee you’ll want it almost smooth to an ultra fine powder.
Also, if you can afford it, get a Burr grinder and not one that has a blade. Burr grinders use a series of disks, cones, or balls called burrs to evenly flake or shave the beans. Think of it like this: Would you rather have your coffee beans gently slapped around and massaged into submission, or horrifically torn to shreds limb by limb? Your choice.
A good Burr grinder will run you about $100-130 bucks. Yep that much. Why is it worth it? The blades don’t do as good a job as grinding the beans and you wind up with pulverized, uneven, ragged chunks. You won’t get a good even extraction and your coffee might taste differently every time you make it. If you don’t care that much about the way your coffee tastes, then you might as well not get a grinder at all! But, if you are still reading this post, then you probably care about making a quality cup of joe, so do yourself a favor and get the right one, the first time. Getting a blade coffee grinder is like buying a one-size-fits all poncho and thinking you’ll look good it in. Maybe someone will look good in it, but certainly not you. Not you, my friend.
To get you started, here are a few decent grinders I checked out when I went shopping for one.
** I did not receive anything from these product makers, these are my own opinions and recommendations based off my own research and undying love of coffee.
I don’t know why it took me to long to discover that the suburban Portland community of Beaverton has a pretty poppin’ farmers market on Saturday mornings. We always drive 25 minutes or so to Portland for their food scene, but little did we know, Beaverton has one of the best farmers markets around. Located across from the Beaverton Library, it’s the single largest, all-agricultural market in the state of Oregon. You’ll find breads, cheeses, jams, sauces, oats, juices, coffees, chocolate, pastas and of course beautiful, in-season produce.
Click here to watch my kooky escapades at the Beaverton Farmer’s Market last weekend.
And read on for just a few tasty discoveries.
Berries, plums, cherries, pears and figs are in season right now, so enjoy while you can and stuff your face with nature’s candy.
Snack on some sweet or savory crepes as you browse the various booths. Accompanied with a cappuccino, it was the perfect breakfast.
These tasty legume based grain-free granola products are a great way to snack without the pesky grains. This is why it’s good for you.
Loved this awesome scratch made BBQ sauce. It’s a Kansas City recipe, so you know it’s legit. You can only find them at the markets, so keep an eye out when in P-town!
These beautiful Starkrimson pears are juicy, relatively mild, sweet pears with a subtle floral aroma. Like most pears, the Starkrimson ripens fully after its been harvested. Look for the stocky stem and striking crimson color.
This firey brew is meant to give your heart a kick in the teeth. It’s a raw organic apple cider vinegar-based tonic infused with a large assortment of nutrient-dense ingredients meant to nourish your insides and keep your immune system firing on all cylinders!
Raw apple cider vinegar, horseradish, ginger, onions, celery, apples, oranges, lemons, garlic, habanero chili peppers, turmeric… just a few of the great immune boosting, healing ingredients in this spicy shot.
If you’re into super clean eating, you’d love these vegan snacks and meals from the Portland based Eatin’ Alive. The food is uncooked and unprocessed but very tasty. I discovered them at my local New Seasons Market when I went on a 2-week grain and gluten detox.
There is a lot of clean and yummy healthy foods at this market. I’d say the city of Beaverton knows what’s up.
Go, eat, repeat.
PS – You can’t bring your dog in here, but they do offer a dog sitting service for a few bucks so Fluffy can sit and chill while you shop!
THE SCHEDULE…
WINTER MARKET
1st and 3rd Saturdays of Feb, March, April, 10AM-1:30PM
Prev