Japan

Best of Portland – 2017 Edition Part I

April 27, 2017Filed in: Reviews

Summer is quickly approaching (it is, right? Please tell me yes, I can’t handle much more of this winter!), and with that comes the perfect opportunity to frolic through Portland, whether you are a local enjoying the Portland bounty or a tourist checking out all this hipster city has to offer. But how to cram it all in with incredible nearby hiking, glorious farmer’s markets, and so many good coffee shops, breweries, bakeries and restaurants?!

In order to help ease this task, last year I wrote up a two part Best of Portland Tour post (re-read Part I and Part II now!) with my favorites by neighborhood. Given the never ending change ups in the Portland restaurant scene, it seemed about right to do a 2017 version of my Best of Portland restaurants. So here we go! Continue Reading...

Japanese Baked Treats at Beaverton’s Oyatsupan

April 17, 2017Filed in: Reviews

16025 SW Regatta Lane, Beaverton • Oyatsupan.com • 503.941.5251

Hours: Mon-Sat 7am-6pm; Sun 9am-3pm

Happy Monday! How was your weekend? I enjoyed a little getaway up to Seattle where we ate some delicious food (particularly at Sitka + Spruce), saw a few good friends, checked out the cool Terracotta Warriors exhibit and enjoyed some much needed SUNSHINE! Seriously how great was that sun?!

Japan circa Nov 2014 – ready to eat all the treats

Back in 2014 (eeks, how has it been that long already?!), Brice and I ventured around Asia, exploring the culture and eating a ton. One of my favorite food explorations was the Japanese bakeries – complete with racks upon racks of doughy treats, all in self-serve. You’d pick up a tray and tongs and just go to town. Sweet doughnuts, savory pastries, white breads, little desserts with funny googly eyes or seasonal themes like Halloween creatures. While they weren’t always the most delectable of bakeries, often times overly sweet or bready, it was definitely fun. Continue Reading...

Matcha Tea, Onigiri, and More: Behind the Museum Cafe

February 13, 2017Filed in: Reviews

1229 SW 10th Ave & Jefferson • BehindtheMuseumCafe.com • 503.477.6625

Hours: Mon-Sat 8am-8pm; Sun 9am-7pm

Tucked next to the Portland Art Museum is one of my favorite little cafes. When you step into Behind the Museum Cafe, it transports me back to Japan, where we spent a few weeks back in 2014 (geez – how has it been that long already?!) to visit my brother and sister-in-law who live there.

The space is filled with gorgeous Japanese art and clothing; and their menu with delicious Japanese treats that bring back so many happy memories of our trip. Like their onigiri rice balls with various fillings wrapped in seaweed – Brice ate thousands of in our 3-weeks in Japan. Or their creamy matcha tea lattes which I enjoyed nearly every day. Continue Reading...