Tag Archives: Restaurant

Tempo Dulu: Exploring The Splendors of The Far East

Entering the newly renovated Danforth Inn to dine at Tempo Dulu is a magical experience. The noise from nearby State Street fades away, and then suddenly you’re someplace else. It’s like being swept away to a private club filled with  expats gathered together  in some distant eastern land. This is particularly true of the lounge area, which owner Oscar Verest says was inspired by the Weyang club in the Shanghai Hermes.

Décor aside, we had heard and read many good things about bartender Trevin Hutchins and made sure to leave time for a stop at the bar. I am so glad we did! The Jakarta made with: bourbon, amaro, sweet vermouth, and absinthe could have been merely enjoyable. Instead, due to a beautiful bit of theatre and food science, it was amazing! Trevin takes the extra step of applying fire to a substantial pile of Five Spice, which he then covers with a glass, putting out the fire and collecting the delicious smoke. The cocktail is poured into the smoke which somehow remains in place, creating a smoky, sweet, bourbon masterpiece. My cocktail was so good it inspired me to take my first video ever!

Having established that Tempo Dulu is a sanctuary designed to soothe and nourish the senses, we moved on to one of several small elegant dining rooms to begin our feasting.  For our dining pleasure we chose to go with Chef Lawrence Klang’s  tasting menu, a seemingly endless array of intense full-flavored dishes( menus). Overseen by Maître d’ Elizabeth Tozek, the service throughout our 3 hour experience was truly exceptional.  Having consumed two bottles of water and one exceptional Maine wine (Cellar Door), my wife noted that service was so discreet that our glasses stayed full seemingly without any intervention.

Then there is the food! The wonderful  food: foie gras, lamb, lobster, halibut, squid, and more in one meal!  I could go on at length about the richness of the flavors (So rich!), the incredible textures and scents(OMG!), but I  would need to write a book to do any  justice to the 13 plus dishes we sampled. Instead I will say that I absolutely loved, loved my meal and left very happy, happy! Furthermore, despite its relatively high prices, I believe Temp Dulu to be a fantastic value!

A few photos from our evening out:

Quail Egg as an amuse.

Quail Egg as an amuse.

Green papa soup, lemongrass, tomato confit

Green papa soup, lemongrass, tomato confit

Rijsttafel: multiple dishes served family style as a third course(not counting amuses).

Rijsttafel: multiple dishes served family style as a third course(not counting amuses).

 

 

Trio of Indonesian desserts

Trio of Indonesian desserts

The Honey Paw is Honeylicious!

The Honey Paw, is a brand new sister restaurant to the renowned Eventide Oyster Co. and Hugo’s. The space is uniquely refreshing, with a large communal table at the heart of the room and counter seating ringing the outside of the restaurant. The set up makes the space feel very welcoming and more open than many of Portland’s other new restaurants. Even more delightfully unique is the menu. Billed as a non-denominational noodle house, the dishes range across Asia and incorporate such varied ingrediants as duck, veal, and goat to yield fantastic fare. The resulting dishes are bursting with one of a kind flavors and textures. I love it so much,that I have now been back three times. Twice for dinner and once for lunch.

The menu is divided into four numbered sections from small to large. While I love small plates, I really enjoy the option of having larger dishes. Particularly because they are all so good. One of my favorite dishes so far, is the charred Pork shoulder served with fermented turnips. This dish made me so happy! Reminiscent of the candied pork I used to get at Chinese restaurants as a child, but elevated to a grown-up decedent taste sensation. The fermented turnips add a nice tart counterpart to the sweet charred pork. The wok fried collards were one of the tastiest things I’ve had this year. Smokey pork hock, tender collard greens and topped with amazing onion rings, the ingredients combine in a way that I would have never imagined was possible. So yummy/savory/spicy/good! Other dishes that I have enjoyed, include the Wok Fried Wide Noodles with its uniquely prepared pasta and the Crab and Pork Wonton that just burst with unique flavor and textures. In the case of the Wok Fried Noodles the texture of the fried noodles made this seafood dish so much more interesting than noodle dishes found elswhere. While the crab broth was deliciously rich and infused the tender pork wontons with a marvelous taste. Of special note, your meal cannot be complete without trying their rich soft serve. Congratulations to Chef Pisha-Duffly, he is creating oh so satisfying meals here that you won’t find anywhere else.

Charred Pork Shoulder

Charred Pork Shoulder


Wok Fried Wide Rice Noodles

Wok Fried Wide Rice Noodles


Wok Fried Collards

Wok Fried Collards


Crab and Pork Wanton

Crab and Pork Wanton


Goat chili with home made "Fritos"

Goat chili with home made “Fritos”


Fanstastic Softserve with Magic Shell

Bao Boa, Bam!

Bao Bao, is award winning chef Cara Stadler’s entry into Portland’s restaurant scene. A lot has been written about Chef Stadler’s first restaurant Tao Yuan, and I am sure the accolades will continue to follow for this latest venture. The restaurant is nicely decorated and very well laid out, offering substantially more personal space than most of Portland’s newer dining options. While the prices are so reasonably, it’s hard not to stop in daily.

We have dined here several times and loved it. The purpose our latest visit was to try their highly anticipated brunch menu. We began with the excellent scorpion bowl, a very tasty drink. I can’t imagine a more festive/fun cocktail to enjoy with a meal. This happiness factor was compounded when we saw the wonderful brunch additions to the menu. Limiting our selection proved difficult and we ended up ordering quite a feast: shrimp soup dumplings, pork belly fun roll(insanely good), steamed pork bun,Asian slaw, and pan fried pork dumplings. As you will see from the photos that follow each dish was beautifully presented. I am happy to confirm that every plate tasted even better than it looked. The soup dumplings were so rich, with the wrapper having an unparalleled creamy texture. The burst of broth added a bright burst of flavor to the happy bites. The pork belly fun roll may be the most accurately named dish in Portland. It consisted of a rice/tapioca wrapping filled with the most tender flavorful slice of pork belly that I have had in recent memory. It was a welcome change to the ever present crispy fried offering that has become so commonplace. Similar for the steamed pork bun, it’s beautiful presentation made it so much more satisfying than other versions. The salad as I have mentioned was not only satisfying but served as a nice break between rounds of beautiful dumplings and buns.

Scorpion Bowl

Scorpion Bowl

Pork Belly Fun Roll

Pork Belly Fun Roll

Asian Slaw

Asian Slaw

Shrimp Soup Dumplings

Shrimp Soup Dumplings

Fried Pork Dumplings

Fried Pork Dumplings

steamed Pork Bun

steamed Pork Bun

14 Portland Area Happy Places

These are some of the restaurants that make the food I love. They span the range from inexpensive to quite pricey, but every one of them is worth trying.

1) Central Provisions, arguably one of the best restaurant in the country. Chef Chris Gould specializes in making visually stunning and immensely satisfying small plates.
Smoked carrots

2) Hugo’s is a delicious ballet filled with edible art accompanied by unparalleled service. A full sensory experience.
Rabbit Terrine

3) Miyake Fore St just from the sea perfection. There is a reason that Chef Masao Miyake receives James Beard nominations year after year.
omakase sashimi

4) David’s Opus 10 Chef Bo Byrne serves up intricate seven course meals in an intimate setting.
Butter Poached Lobster, Caramelized Onion and Vanilla Bean Risotto Cake, Citrus Truffle Micro Greens

5) Eventide Oyster Co. sibling to Hugo’s next door,this restaurant serves some of the most beautiful seafood you may ever see. Amazing oyster selection and a lobster roll made that sill make any visit worth remembering.
Char

6) Boda Thai street food served in a casual environment with some of the friendliest wait staff in town. My can’t miss, their quail eggs and many tasty skewers.
mai tai

8) Slab Siciian Street Food carb heaven. Each slab is a giant pillow of happiness. At six bucks for a one pound hand slab, it is one of the best deals anywhere. As you can see from the photo below, they makes some pretty good sandwiches too.
Pork Sandwich

9) Nosh Kitchen Bar sister restaurant to Slab, if you are looking for the most over the pork fat related experience go here. Amazing fries (my favorite are bacon dusted), filthy good sandwiches and the option of adding pork belly and foie gras to any dish.
Nosh

10) Bao Bao delightful dumplings,asian salads and cocktails. Delicious, satisfying and inexpensive. What more can you ask? Overseen by celebrity chef Cara Sadler.
pork bun

11) Palace Diner simple food prepared with the finest local ingredients. Don’t let the menu fool you these simple dishes will blow you away. Bon Appetit called their tuna sandwich one of the best things they ate in 2014.
Palace Royal

12) Hot Suppa this beloved neighborhood spot serves delicious breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a touch of southern flair.
Grits w chili and poached eggs

13) Sur Lie, new kid on the block, serving inspired small plates with influences from the chef’s Puerto Rican heritage.
Maine Oatmeal Pudding

14) Little Bigs savory hand pies and delicious donuts that are guaranteed to blow you away with flavor and creativity.
Donuts and Hand Pies