Filed under: Northeast Portland, Thai | Tags: northeast, paleo, Portland, Thai
2703 Northeast Alberta Street, Portland, OR
(503) 922-3675
Groupon! Woohoo! We bought one and gifted ourselves one as well. Trying to work the system. Hopefully others took advantage of this deal too! I did a post about Siam Society but it was only for their Happy Hour. So this time we focused on the regular menu, which is long overdue.
What we ordered: Thai Barbecue Chicken, Leg of Lamb in Curry (I think it was a special because I couldn’t find it on their online menu and it was something the waitress recommended to us. How did she know we love large portions of meat? must have been the glasses…)
How we ordered it: As is!
What we got:
Thai Barbecue Chicken
Leg of Lamb
Well, we cannot get over how good the chicken is…
Cost: Thai Barbecue Chicken – $13.95, Leg of Lamb – $19.95
Quantity: I should insert a reference measurement strip on the picture to show you just how big it is. I thought they were both big, but the Meat-O-Meter thought a bit differently. Add In from the Meat-O-Meter, “Basically the lamb curry taste bumped up the lamb dish to $20, not a steal, but on par for the course. Both portion sizes were on par, but the chicken is delicious.”
Quality: So good! Siam Society’s meats are mostly from local farms as noted on their menu. (we didn’t get the names of the lamb or chicken unfortunately, but we hear they were raised humanely 
MEAT-O-METER says!
In the words of Debbie Reynolds and Ann Miller, LEG UP! Literally, it was so good 
The chicken was baked/bbq’ed or something and then was flash fried, to get the skin nice and crispy, perfect! No breading on it which was pleasant and totally NOT dry!! The chicken did come with a side of Jasmine sticky rice, but that could easily be not eaten or cheated on easily. Apparently the Thai Barbecue Chicken is a popular dish and so when we actually called ahead of time to make our reservation, we made sure to ask if they still had chicken left. If you go and they’re out, well that just sucks.
The dinner was thoroughly tasty and savory. Next time the fam comes into town we’re definitely taking them here!
Filed under: Northeast Portland, Soul, Southern Food | Tags: Northeast Portland, paleo, southern food
Solid restaurant, solid food, solid drinks, solid service, solid environment, solid location…Go check this place out!
What we ordered: Pecan encrusted trout with creamed spinach, Side of sweet potato fries, Brisket with choice of two sides, Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and greens.
How we ordered it: They were very accommodating with substitutions. We could substitute any of their many choices of sides with the sides that were listed on the menu. The trout was ordered as is, sorry about the cream!, Brisket with 2 sides of collard greens. The fried chicken with the mashed potato, well that one was kind of a bust as far as Paleo goes, but we wanted to show the picture anyway.
What we got:
Fish with creamed spinach
Side of sweet potato fries
Brisket
Fried chicken
Cost: Fish – $15.75, Brisket – $15.75, Chicken – $14.75, Side of sweet potato fries – $3.50,
Quality: For the prices, you get what you pay for, the meat was tasty, moist and super flavorful!
Quantity: These were some pretty hearty portions as comfort foods should be.
MEAT-O-METER says!
OK you got us, these weren’t the most Paleo options that we could have chosen. We were celebrating a special occasion and decided this would be our 1 semi cheat meal we would have in a long time. However given the many choices of sides and the many Paleo options, and the ability to make substitutions, this place deserved a thumbs up! With our large party and the many substitutions we made, they were very accomodating. How nice! A slightly higher end restaurant that catered to our needs, solid thumbs up.
5237 Northeast M L King Boulevard, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 331-9844
BUFFET!! Yay! When I was younger I would get so excited about buffets! Eating as much crappy food as I wanted! Now, it’s not so appealing of course, due to all the processed, crappy food that is served. BUT, then we found out about Horn Of Africa! They serve traditional cuisines of Ethopia, Somalia, Djbouti and the Middle East. They have a lunch buffet that is pretty Paleo perfect. There was a restaurant.com coupon for Horn of Africa for dinner so we decided to check it out!
What we ordered: Lukku (#9) – Garlick lemon chicken, Foon Sangaa Akawii (#10) – marinated prime-cut beef in African spices, Foon Huulaa Diimaa (#12) – boneless leg of lamb in Beri Beri Sauce, Bamia – Stewed okra and tomatoes with onions
How we ordered it: No rice, no bread
What we got:
Lukku - Chicken
Foon Saanga Akawii - Beef
Bamia - Stewed okra
Foon Huulaa Diimaa- Boneless Lamb
Cost: Lukku – chicken – $9.95, Foon Sangaa Akawii – Beef – $9.95, Bamia – okra – $5.95, Foon Huulaa Diimaa – Lamb – $12.95
Quality: The food was all very tasty. Different spices made all the dishes really flavorful and unique. The beef dish, I was a little disappointed in. It tasted like there was a TON of butter in it. I couldn’t figure out what it was, but it had that buttery after-taste. The MEAT-O-METER couldn’t taste it, but I swear there was something butery in it….
The lamb was tasty. I loved the okra! The chicken was for sure my favorite. It reminded me of tandoori chicken. Moist and tasty!
Quantity: We got jacked. I can see if you were eating rice or bread with these plates, they would be very filling! But these plates alone should be enough to feed a couple of people, at least that’s what I think. The lamb plate had bits of shredded lamb and some bigger chunks, but overall really not that much meat. Loading up on bread and rice is not a trick we fall for here!
MEAT-O-METER says!
We had read all the yelp reviews about this place and were hesitant. Though the reviews didn’t mention much about the food, just that the service was bad. So we went and ended up waiting a bit for our food. They brought us free hummus and bread because of the wait. That was so nice! Too bad it’s not Paleo. They were really nice, it looks like they upped their quality of customer service!
Unfortunately, for dinner, we were disappointed at the quantity of meat that was served. On their website they say that everything is made onsite and authentic. I don’t mind waiting for quality, I just wish they would have given a bit more in quantity. $12.95 for the lamb was VERY disappointing.
However, for their lunch buffet, that’s a whole other story! The lunch buffet is $8.95 and it is TOTALLY worth it! Meat dishes galore, with greens and salad. It’s awesome! AND there’s an online coupon on their website! Get one buffet for $8.95 and get a second buffet for $5.95. Or buy one dinner entree and get the second one 50% off. That doesn’t make it too bad. With the restaurant.com coupon it’s even better. Either way you slice it, dinner was not great, lunch is Paleo-tastic! Pics of the buffet coming soon!
Filed under: Hawaiian, Northeast Portland | Tags: Hawaiian, Milwaukee Oregon, Northeast Portland, paleo
(503) 335-5800
Since moving away from NoHo’s – the Southeast Hawaiian Restaurant, we haven’t had that much Hawaiian food lately. Also continuing on our quest to find good Poki outside of Hawaii has been very hard to find. Ah well, we’ll have to settle for what we can get locally.
What we ordered: Large Kalua Pig Main Plate, Garlic Mahi Mahi Main Plate
How we ordered it: No rice, No Macaroni Salad, Extra Salad please!
What we got:
Kalua Pig
Garlic Mahi Mahi
Let’s take a closer look at the fish.
Wow, very rare, moist and perfect!
Cost: Large Kalua Pig Plate – $10, Garlic Mahi Mahi – $12. Add $.50 for substituting green salad.
Quality: The Kalua Pig was a bit salty, but overall very moist and well done. The Mahi Mahi was Perfect! That’s how fish should be made. Melts in your mouth, on the very rare side, not fish smelling and definitely NOT DRY!
Quantity: OK. We were starving and after we ate this meal, we were still a bit hungry.
MEAT-O-METER says!
Even though it wasn’t an incredibly large quantity, the quality way exceeded our expectations. Meat is fer sure their specialty and they do it very well. The fact that eating Paleo here was so easy was awesome! They are great and a sure bet. They’ve also expanded to Milwaukee too!
707 Northeast 82nd Avenue, Portland, OR
(503) 261-1689
With the disappointment of Golden Coin closing, we haven’t found another LEGIT Chinese Restaurant. With the help of Yelp, Shenzhen seemed worth trying out. We did circle around the parking lot a couple times, partly because there were no spaces left, but exclaiming our hesitancy the whole time.
It was a gamble, but when we walked in and all the specials that were posted on the wall were written in Chinese, we were a little bit more optimistic.
What we ordered: Appetizers – Pig ears, 5 Spiced beef. Entree – Beef in a Bucket (With a name like that, how could you not!)
How we ordered it: As-is. No Rice.
What we got:
The menu: Another sign of a good Chinese restaurant...
Sliced Pig ears
5 Spiced Beef - Spicy w/ so much awesome flavor
Beef in a Bucket (really.)
Eating the Beef in a Bucket
Cost: Beef in a Bucket – $9.95, Pig Ears – $2.50, 5 Spiced Beef – $4.50
Quality: As the Meat-O-Meter would say, “It’s pretty legit”.
Quantity: The “Beef in a Bucket” lasted us another day. It was craziness!
MEAT-O-METER says!
Look there’s still leftover. We were stuffed! This restaurant is the real deal. AND they’re open until MIDNIGHT EVERYDAY! Woohoo! So next time you pick up friends or family from the airport and it’s after 9 pm and you need to go eat somewhere….GO HERE!
More photos of the 2nd and 3rd time we went back:
Lamb for the Hot Pot!
Hot Pot Setup
We got the seafood Hot Pot. It was the best meal to end the year! I think it’s a chinese tradition to eat it on New Year’s Eve, but not sure….If you haven’t gone here yet, for the love of the Paleo gods, GO!
2000 NE Alberta St., Portland, Oregon 97211
The best places are usually the most unexpected. When they are a local business sometimes the servers are a little bit more lenient about making substitutions.
What we ordered: Beef stew, Chicken plate and Steak Plate
How we ordered it: We asked for no rice or beans. So they actually deducted the price of a side of rice and beans from the price of the plate. If only we could get that kind of service everywhere else…
What we got:
Beef stew
Chicken plate
Steak Plate
Cost: Given that they deducted the price for us because we asked for no rice and beans, the price was a lot lower than listed. If I were more organized I would have written the prices down, but I didn’t. But I do know that this place would be considered cheap in my book ~ $4/plate.
Quality: We’re not sure about the origins of the meat. It definitely tasted good, but we’re not really sure where it’s coming from. The steak on the steak plate was a bit chewy and dry, but very flavorful. The stew was for sure the best plate. It had whole chunks of carrot and chayote, chunks of meat…tasty.
Quantity: The stew is humungous. If you move the bowl the soup will spill over everywhere! Entrees were OK for the price, but the beef stew is the way to go.
MEAT-O-METER says!
Oh man, this place is great! Pretty bare to the bones hole in the wall place, but well worth it.
Cha Cha Cha!
2635 NE Broadway St
Portland, OR 97232-1891
(503) 288-1045
We were notified by our fellow Meateats followers, Katie and Anton that Cha Cha Cha is serving a Summer Salad Bowl. Unfortunately summer is almost over, so who knows how much longer they will serve this special dish!
What is it? It is called the Summer Salad Bowl. Mixed salad greens, pico de gallo, guacamole, choice of meat, beans and tortilla strips on top.
How we ordered it: No beans and no tortilla strips and no cheese. Please add peppers and onions (veggies).
What we got:
Summer Salad Bowl
Cost: $6.95
Quality: Meat is moist, not dry. The meat comes from Carleton Farms!
Quantity: Could have been a bit more meat, however the salad was huge!
MEAT-O-METER says to write to Cha Cha Cha by copy and pasting the following text and sending it to Cha Cha Cha HQ!!!!!
Dear Cha Cha Cha,
I am writing to you about the Summer Salad Bowl at your Broadway store. It is delicious, nutritious, and deserves a spot on your year round menu. You see, I go to this gym called CrossFit Portland and they tell me I should eat meat, veggies, and fat. It is difficult to go out to eat and follow this diet, until I found your Summer Salad Bowl!!! Well, your Salad Bowl has all three food categories in perfect balance (a little more meat would be nice!) and it is the talk at the gym. Please keep it on your menu year round!
Sincerely,
Do your part and help promote great Paleo meals at your favorite local restaurants!
Oh no! Our rib restaurant alternate has shut down, unfortunately. I’m glad we got a taste while it lasted!
3024 NE Alberta, Portland, OR, 97211
(503) 287-0766
Elnetta’s was a new restaurant posting on restaurant.com! This restaurant is located in the old Vita Cafe building. (Vita Cafe moved across the street). We had to try this place, especially since their menu included ribs. Having already found a favorite rib place, Podnah’s, we didn’t have very high expectations. Having a coupon and the fact that this place was a family owned business, we figure it was worth a try. Good thing we were pleasantly surprised…
What we ordered: Slab of St. Louis Ribs!
How we ordered it: Ribs with a side of Cabbage greens.
What we got:
Complementary homemade bean salsa w/ chips (non-paleo).
RIBS!
Side o' greens
Don't forget the sauce!
Cost: Slab of St. Louis Ribs – $16, Side of Cabbage Greens – $3.00
Quantity: Elnetta’s rib amount comes very very close to Podnah’s. Friends joined us for dinner later and ordered the same thing and their pate of ribs had a second tier! Ah welll, not sure what happened there, but regardless, both serving sizes were plentiful!
Quality: Fantastic! I’m not sure what the difference between St. Louis Ribs and Texas Ribs and the millions of other types of ribs out there, but these were some tasty pieces of meat!
MEAT-O-METER says!
We figure considering the amount of ribs you get at Podnah’s for $20, Elnetta’s comes very close. This place is great, it’s unique, in a great location and great food. We definitely highly recommend this place if Podnah’s runs out of ribs. With the $25 coupon from restaurant.com, it’s even better.
Filed under: Northeast Portland, Thai | Tags: Northeast Portland, paleo, Thai
They moved to:
3024 NE Alberta St., Portland, OR 97211
(971) 255-1082
This place had been recommended to me so many times that I am kicking myself for not coming here sooner! I was thinking, “but how can one top Dang’s Thai Kitchen, or Thailand Restaurant?” Well, the only way a Thai restaurant could top these two is if it were closer into the city. Could this be the restaurant with all the traits we have ever wanted?
What we ordered: With any new Thai restaurant we had to order our staples: Barbecue chicken, Larb, Tom Kha Soup. Since we were eating with friends we went All Out. We also ordered a “dry” curry – Hor Mok Talay and an entree named Chu Chee Shrimp.
How we orderd it: Everything was pretty much ordered as is. We made sure they did not waste their food by bringing us any rice. The waiter, of course, gave us a weird look and did a double take. We’re pretty used to it by now.
What we got:
Tom Kha Soup
Larb
Hor Mok Talay - we dug in already before we could get a pic!
Chu Chee Shrimp
Cha' Ba Thai Barbecue Chicken
Cost: Tom Kha Soup – $8.50, Larb – $8.50, Hor Mok Talay – $13.50, Chu Chee Shrimp – $13.40, Cha’Ba Thai Barbecue Chicken – $9.00. Pretty average for a Thai restaurant.
Quality: Everything was soooo tasty! Hor Mak Talay had squid and shrimp and was a little bit spicy. The “dry” curry implied that it was not super liquidy, like other curries you’re probably familiar with. It was more of a paste like substance. No matter! It was delicious! Barbecue chicken wasn’t the best I’ve ever tasted, but still good nonetheless.
Quantity: All this fed 4 people and then some. We all probably could have afforded to eat a couple of spoonfuls less, but it was just too good to let go to waste.
MEAT-O-METER Says!
The Thai restaurants keep getting better and better!
Cha’ba Thai has got one up on Dang’s Thai Kitchen because it’s closer into town! Some of the dishes were unique to the restaurant and we had never seen them at other Thai restaurants, so that was welcome surprise. If you think you can top this one, please let us know!
Filed under: American, Barbecue, Happy Hour, Northeast Portland | Tags: paleo, ribs
1625 NE Killingsworth | Portland, OR
503-281-3700
Texas Style Barbecue! It doesn’t get much better than this! Rodney, a member of Crossfit Portland, is the owner. Say hello when you see him!
Another night of ourselves asking each other, “Where should we eat for dinner?”. First we usually check out Happy Hours in the area on www.urbandrinks.com. (Great website!) They tell you what happy hours are going on right now! Podnah’s appeared! On Tuesday’s, it’s ALL DAY RIBS special and Beer Happy hour!
This place is now our Tuesday ritual! Come join us!
What we ordered: FULL RACK of RIBS
How we ordered: Ribs and water.
What we got: Have ever seen such a thing? Wow….
Cost: $20
Quality: Very tasty and moist. The ribs are made with no sugar! If choose to use the condiments, the tasty vinegar mix has some sugar as well as the special bbq sauce that contains some ketchup. The meat was cooked perfectly, it was falling off the bone!
Quantity: Wow…refer to above pic.
MEAT-O-METER says!
Yes, what appears to be a rib has taken the place of the second thumb. To further accentuate this positive rating, the rib was used instead. Tuesdays is the greatest day of the week now. We’ll probably be there every week! 20 bones for 12 ribs! If you are alone and you don’t want to order all 12, they sell them for $1.75 each. Though the entire rack is a way better deal and well worth it! Regular price is $32 for the whole rack. Yay! This is a great Paleo friendly option. When we were there, they did run out of ribs. We got there just in time and didn’t have to wait for a table. If you go, go soon cuz word will catch on about this ridiculously fantastical rib deal and your wait for a table could become much longer!
