Hitting the Spot: Jake’s Famous Crawfish

Maya and I went to The Yoga Space in Downtown Portland Saturday morning to take what we thought was a beginner yoga class. We should have known better by looking at eight or so very limber yogis stretching when we walked into the studio, that this was not for newbies like us, and was intended for someone with gumby-like flexibility and Ninja Warrior agility. But ignorance is bliss – we ended up surviving the class safely in one piece (but barely).

Needless to say, we were famished by the time we finished the torture, I meant, the practice, and we rushed over to a seafood restaurant that Maya’s brother-in-law Jeremy recommended we should check out. Unfortunately, the restaurant was closed, probably due to the holiday weekend, which left two hungry girls stranded and antsy.

We drove for a few miles and found Jake’s Famous Crawfish, which, at 2:00 p.m. was still crowded with patrons, so we rushed in.

We ordered our “usual” – fresh oysters and steamed mussels. You’re not seeing double here. These are two separate orders of different oysters. We couldn’t decide between two kinds our server recommended so we decided to get both.

We were so hungry that we almost forgot to take photographs but what you see here (whatever is left of it) is salmon with horseradish sauce that I ordered, which was absolutely to die for (the fish was so moist, juicy, fresh and flavorful),

… and Maya’s Parmasean crusted, pan fried rock fish which was as delightful.

When we were done with these dishes (with a couple of glasses of wine and cocktail each kicking in), we were both ready to hurry home to take a nap … and nap we took. We passed out around 4:30 p.m. and I didn’t wake up until the next morning!

Jake’s Famous Crawfish
401 SW 12th Ave
Portland, OR 97205-2397
★★★★☆

The Magic Is in the Hole: Voodoo Doughnut

If you think these are just ordinary doughnuts you can get at a local bakery, you’d be wrong. You’d be very, very wrong. Why don’t you take a look closely and tell me what you see. It’s okay, take a look. Do you see something very familiar? Perhaps, something strange? Or even, something very, very wrong?

Yes, you’re seeing right. What you see here is called a Cock-and-Balls, a triple cream filled doughnut which is a bachelorette party favorite. You can even put personal message on it, like, “tasty,” or “stick it.” But that’s not all. At Voodoo Doughnut in Downtown Portland, you can find many uniquely named favorites, like Dirt, Dirty Snowball, and the Memphis Mafia (along with some vegan selections). It’s true that good things come in pink boxes.

Voodoo Doughnut

Tex-Ass (for the pure size. We just couldn’t wait to take a bite)

Triple Chocolate Penetration

As for the taste, don’t expect to get anything remotely close to Krispy Kreme or Spudnut Donuts (my personal favorite) but it’s the genius in the marketing that makes this little hole in the wall a local and tourist favorite.

Voodoo Doughnut
22 SW 3rd Avenue, Portland, OR
★★★★☆

Bitter Salty Experience: Cafe Castagna, Portland

While I love the sunny Southern California weather, I sometime crave the cool, crisp air of the Pacific Northwest. And the food. Don’t get me started on food.

For me, the fresh, seasonal organic dishes of the Northwest — that allow you to enjoy the food at its purest and finest form — is what cooking and eating is all about.  My body even yearns for it if I don’t get a dose of it regularly, as if I’m drowning and my life depended on the gasp of fresh oysters on half shell.  It was like someone tossed me a buoy when I was given a chance to visit Portland for business.  So I quickly extended the trip a few days to spend the Memorial Day weekend with my best friend, Maya, and her lovely family, to catch up and explore all the cullinary treasures this place has to offer.

With that said, my expectation for Café Castagna was high, given that this local favorite has earned numerous recognitions, including Best Burger.  Perhaps that was the problem that I don’t eat burgers (or that Carl’s Jr. ranked as #2 on this poll) because the food I experienced here was mediocre at best.

We began the night with the oysters (to calm my cravings), aranchinis, little fried risotto balls with cheese in the center that resemble little oranges, steamed mussels and a plateful of fries. The oysters tasted like ocean and the grated fresh horseradish added a great kick to the flavor, but they weren’t extraordinary. I wished they made the rice balls with more well-seasoned risotto for the aranchinis, instead of the bland, flavorless rice. Fries were probably the best dish here, which, unfortunately, says a lot about the entire dining experience.

Aranchinis, oysters and fries

Steamed Mussels

Asparagus Soup

What was most disappointing was the plate of orecchiette, a petite ear-like pasta, tossed with bitter broccoli rabe and breadcrumbs, with a sprinkle with cheese, that I ordered for dinner. It was even recommended by our server as her “favorite.”  The dish was so salty that I couldn’t get past the first bite. I hate to take the food back but it was absolutely not edible so I asked the server to remake it with less salt, and all I got back was the same, salty pasta, with a little side of attitude.  It was so bad that I didn’t even bother taking pictures.

Bangers and Mash

Cod

I was bummed about my dinner (or lack thereof) and left the restaurant still hungry and unsatisfied, but it seems like everyone else’s weren’t bad.  But it was a general consensus that the entire dining experience at Café Castagna was just okay, and not the perfect representation of the culinary-rich Downtown Portland restaurant scene. But that’s okay because I still had fun with great friends, and still have a few days in Portland to cut the losses and get back into the gluttony game.

Café Castagna
1758 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97214
★★★☆☆

Sweet Nostalgia: Cream Puffs

Cream puffs (or we call them “Choux Cream”) have a very special place in my heart, and probably in many Japanese kid’s as well. They were one of those special snacks that you only get on special days in Japan – birthdays, graduations, or when your mother’s rich friend visits (the guest either brings them as a gift, or your mother goes out to buy them to show off). Even now, I get pretty nostalgic when I make cream puffs, remembering the colorful rows of French-inspired puff pastries in a glass showcase in an upscale department store and wishing that I can have a piece.

Despite the sophisticated exterior and image, cream puffs are one of the easiest desserts to make. I’ve tried several recipes and liked them all, but decided to go with Martha Steward’s recipe from Baking Handbook this time for the first time because her version used a total of eight eggs between the pate a choux and the pastry cream, which was exactly the amount I had in a refrigerator (I was too lazy to run out to the store).

I didn’t follow the recipe exactly and altered it slightly. Instead of using the recipe for Cream Puffs, I used the recipe for Pate a Choux and the Pastry Cream and combined them together to make my version of Cream Puffs. I added fresh strawberries to add a touch of spring to the dessert.

And look at the beautiful bouquet of flowers my boyfriend brought for my mother for Mother’s Day. They were beautiful and the wonderful floral scent, coupled with freshly baked cream puffs, filled the entire room with sweet nostalgia.

Mother’s Day Celebration: Kushiyu

Every year, a venue for the Mother’s Day celebration is a toss up between Kushiyu and a few other Japanese restaurants but the yakitori house in Tarzana won out this year.  And I’m glad it did.

I like the playfulness of yakitori, the Japanese skewers. It’s like eating fondue, expect contents of vegetable and protein are a little more nutritionally dense than a melted cheese and a piece of bread. These yakitoris are more of a casual eat in Japan – perhaps something you munch on while enjoying ice cold Sapporo at izakaya (Here’s the 411 on yakitori) – but Kushiyu, a popular Ventura Blvd. joint, somehow turned the Japanese pub food it into a chic, trendy staple of an upscale Valley community. It’s not uncommon to run into some celebrities here dining at a sushi counter.

But unlike those celebrities, I like to go straight to yakitoris and a few appetizers when I’m at Kushiyu (we don’t mess with sushi here), and I’m glad my family was up for it as well.

Oyster in curry sauce (front) and fried crab and shiitake mushroom (back)

Crispy tuna (crispy rice topped with spicy tuna)

Vegetable and Seafood Yakitori Combination

Renkon (our favorite!)

Happy Mother’s Day, mom!  Thanks for everything and we love you!

Kushiyu
18713 Ventura Blvd., Tarzana, CA 91356
★★★★★

Simply Sophisticated: Seafood Risotto

Risotto is like a great little black dress. It’s very simple to make yet it gives that feeling of sophistication and class, and is appropriate for any occasions – for a dinner party with friends, or on a lazy night like tonight.

I realized that I hadn’t cooked anything in a long time so I thought tonight would a great time to put on an apron (okay, I don’t do that), roll up my sleeves and slave over the stove for a fantastic supper. But the problem is, I didn’t really want to get down and dirty and also wasn’t craving anything particularly extravagant (I think the recent heat wave in the Valley has gotten to me a bit. It’s been pretty hot lately, especially in the armpit of hell where I live) so I needed something simple and quick but still satisfies like a real, meaningful dinner.

Remembering that I still had Arborio rice left from my last risotto attempt and some chicken broth in a pantry (yes, I don’t eat the flesh of the meat but I still freely consume animal products when it comes in a liquid form … haha), I decided to give this Italian comfort food another try.  Only this time, instead of mushrooms and pancetta, I made it with shrimps and scallops I had in a refrigerator.

If Risotto is a little black dress, La Cruset pot is like a wonderful pair of Jimmy Choo heels that completes the outfit. This lime green cast iron pot is magical, and there’s no other way to describe it. The way it makes chopped onion and carrots caramelize is nothing short of perfection, and it has a way of making the cooking process incredibly enjoyable.
With a glass of iced Riesling in her arm, my Risotto was definitely the talk of the party tonight.