Our Favorite Restaurant of 2012: Smallwares

Thank you everyone for your kind words and comments. We are feeling much better. Mike said the other day that this time after the holidays can be tough because "this is our life for awhile" no holidays, no big celebrations and no big travel plans in the near future, but we are making the most out of this time and it's amazing how a little bit of sunshine can help elevate our mood. 

We're back to doing what we enjoy the most, eating! And here is our declaration for our favorite restaurant of 2012 - Smallwares! It shouldn't be much of a surprise as Joanna Wares once worked for famous inauthentic Asian Food Pioneer David Chang. Her unique take on Asian food floored us the first time we visited her restaurant in the summer and won our unyielding love upon our return later in the fall. But there is something going on, during our first visit in the summer we were seated next to a red room divider wall and as the sun set it cast a red shadow on all the photos. The second time we visited I forgot to replace the SD card in my camera and this most recent return I had accidentally switched the vibration control off on my lens which meant capturing all the low lit dishes was tough, but try I did!

Smallwares is a bit on the spendy side, but totally worth it. We'd suggest you try this place quick, within the last 9 months we had seen Smallwares go from a few tables here and there to full on packed by 8pm. They recently opened up a bar in the back called Barwares which is a darker and cozier option. Oh, and the cocktails are fantastic - garam masala syrup & rye whiskey anyone?

{Barwares - situated right behind Smallwares}

{Red, white and black decor of Smallwares}

{Scallop Sashimi with aji amarillo, lychee, pink peppercorn - the delicate texture of the scallops, the sweetness of the lychee fruit, the aji & pink peppercorn sauce was delectable, terrific combo}

{Octopus, pumpkin, miso, radish, pine nuts, sesame, chili - after only 2 bites Mike declared this the best salad he has ever had. The Octopus was incredibly tender and added a ingenious texture to the mildly bitter greens and nutty flavors of the pine nuts, sesame and pumpkins. I dream of this salad daily}

{Cobb Salad - this salad came with a tempura boiled egg! Seriously, a deep fried boiled egg! The sambal dressing was pungent and totally different from any other dressing we've had on this traditional cobb salad. Again, totally dream- and drool-worthy}

{Tempura Kale, candied bacon, fish sauce and mint - we have probably told everyone we know about this dish. We had it the first time we visited and every time since. So insanely good}

{Smallwares version of Mapo Tofu - the silky smooth tofu, the black bean gravy, the fragrant chili oil - oh my! The only time we've had a better version of this dish was in Kyoto, Japan}

{Oxtail Curry, Scotch bonnet, plantain chips, coconut - the insane scotch bonnet sauce brought the kick to this curry. Earthy and comforting, a delectable curry dish we only dare try in Jamaica, but Smallwares came close to the oxtail soup we had in Kingston}

{Somen noodles, chili paste, sesame, fried egg, hijiki - flavorful, is the best description. The thoroughly dressed noodles packed a huge amount of chili (not heat) punch}

We also (re)tried the dashi poached egg, trout roe and mustard greens, but didn't capture a good image. And as with everything else we ate that night - it was terrific!

The portions are Asia-fied (read: small) but packs a ton of flavor and is worthy of the size. Smallwares is simply a restaurant that speaks to the kind of food we like, not necessarily a re-invention of traditional Asian food, but a whole new take that we hope is the direction Asian food is headed because it is that good! One small quibble is Joanna seems to be a typical American chef who likes pungent = salty food and so the use of sambal and chilis is a great way to obtain that flavor without it tasting just salty, but a calculated use of sugar or a sweetener is our only recommendation. We know it goes against American convention, but something a little sweet is simply used in all Asian dishes.

Creating Positivity Within the Bounds of Reality

The last couple of days has seen us deep in the thick of the winter blues. That's really nothing new around these parts. The Pacific Northwest can be pretty miserable this time of year - wet, dark and cold. So, it really shouldn't be something new to us, but for some reason it has grabbed hold of us this year like a damp gray blanket. Maybe it's just post-holiday blahs, because this last holiday was so great we're feeling the valley after the peak of much loved time together with friends and family. January is a month of renewal and rejuvenation, a time we like to take a fresh look at things and maybe that's what causing us some sadness this year. Some of you may already know how much we weren't looking forward to this time of year from this blog post here and here. We're trying to be patient with ourselves and reflect on the future and what we want to accomplish, but finding the motivation has been a bit of a struggle.

Every year we decide on a word to "live by" in the coming year, but it seems that the last few years the same idea or "word" has been very similar and maybe we're tired of focusing on self-improvement. But here we are again at the beginning of the year and thinking of that word we want to live by. For Mike this year's word is "Elevate",  and lately he struggles with taking the necessary daily steps to do just that - elevate himself, his mind, spirit, emotions, health and accomplishments. Maybe he should stick to nachos or something less thought provoking. As for myself, I really struggled with my "word" this year, but settled on "Gratefulness". Not that I'm not grateful for my life, but find myself comparing and feeling envious of others more than I really should. "Comparison is the thief of joy" which is probably why I always thought facebook was a place for "suffering" a place to be envious of those on vacation or their accomplishments, so I absolved myself not to join, but after fighting and finally setting up my own facebook page, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I rallied around my friends and was nothing but full of joy for their accomplishments.

I have also struggled with the direction of this blog the last couple of years and have been overwhelmed by the thoughtful and incredible pleasure I receive from maintaining this little blog of ours. For those of you who visit I truly am grateful! Even if it's just my Dad. Thanks BA, I honestly love how much you comment and enjoy being a part of our lives. I can't thank you enough. So in the coming months I hope to find my stride here, it's changed so much from the original intention, but this blog has provided me with an incredible outlet and a place to dump my way too many photos ;). 

I'm also thinking maybe we've got it so good right now in our lives that we're not sure what to do with ourselves. For the first time ever we're not so concerned with what's next, what's on the horizon, plotting and scheming to prepare ourselves. And in a strange way that has left us a bit aimless and unsure of what we should be doing next. I know we should be grateful for this time, but it's been hard to think of it in positive terms. We've always been the type of people who want to grow and move forward in life. At this point we are trying to create positivity within the bounds of our reality, which isn't bad by any means, just what it is. 

With all that said, I can't be more grateful for my life, family, friends and in particular for Mike. He truly is what I'm most grateful for right now.

*The picture is a Polaroid of us we have on our fridge the night of our going away party before our 4-month adventure to Asia back in 2008.  

Restaurant Review: Fish Sauce (Nuoc Mam)

There is something happening to the Asian restaurant scene in Portland. It is a total hit and miss. Asian food used to be a great inexpensive option, but recently we noticed all our favorites old school restaurants are being outpaced by new modern takes on traditional Asian foods. With new and modern means expensive and no longer are we able to enjoy a meal for under $20, which used to be the case. We also notice that all the really good authentic Asian food has been pushed out further in the city as retail spaces have become more expensive. Young chefs are highlighting traditional foods on their menu, utilizing local fresh ingredients and charging high prices for what would typically be considered street food. We're happy to indulge in these new establishments, but find it difficult to declare we'll be back in the near future when a casual dinner for two is skyrocketing. Maybe it's the sign of the times that we simply haven't caught on to, that the norm now is to find common street food as a $7 appetizer. And when did banh mi sandwiches become so fancy and a part of so many of the new sandwich shops?

Even with these downfalls in mind we were anxious to try Fish Sauce, or Nuoc Mam, a new Vietnamese restaurant in NW Portland (in the space formerly occupied by St. Cupcake). What prompted us to put on our coats and shoes on was the presence of familiar items we haven't seen on other Vietnamese menus. While everything was executed beautifully and the ingredients of the highest quality, the high tab at the end of the meal and not feeling fully satiated made us think maybe we should just make these items ourselves. Either way Nuoc Mam was really good and we'll keep it in mind if we're ever craving the street rolls as good as my mom's and too lazy to make them ourselves.

Banh Beo. Typically we buy these at the grocery store and it was really nice to eat these straight from the steamer. Topped with yellow bean and deep fried pork belly, we could slurp these up all day.




Bo Bia - a street rice paper roll done exactly as my mom's. Found on the streets of Saigon and typically half the size. We nostalgically chomped on these and enjoyed every bite.



Deep fried free ranged game hen was deliciously brined and seasoned. The meat on this little guy was terrific and had us dreaming of recreating this at home.



Banh Canh or Udon noodle soup was exactly what we expected and hoped for - a flavorful oniony broth, plump juicy shrimp, thin slices of pork belly and crispy bits of fried shallots. We thoroughly enjoyed this bowl of soup, but again so expensive for something we could easily recreate at home.




All and all we enjoyed our meal at Fish Sauce, but with so many restaurants in this part of town we'd be hard pressed to return in the near future unless we are craving the exact dishes we tried this time around. But we do commend them for thinking outside the box a bit, executing the food really well and the great little restaurant space.

Family Birthday: Shigezo Izakaya

We waited until the holidays to celebrated mom's birthday when everyone would be home, which provided a terrific reason to book the tatami room at Shigezo Izakaya and gorge ourselves on Japanese pub grub. This restaurant is quickly turning into one of our favorite places in the Portland and is the perfect place for a birthday celebration! 

The tatami room all dressed up and ready for the party.

Sashimi Mackerel was almost too gorgeous to eat.

Seared Mackerel Sushi was a huge hit, so good.

Asian fried chicken is quickly becoming my favorite style of fried chicken, flavorful and only dark meat! YES!

A twist on the concept of Miso Cod with a Bechamel Sauce.

Happy Birthday ME!

2012, Year In Review

Time seems to accelerate as I get older. I can't believe 2012 is over and 2013 is upon us already. I am so thankful for this blog because occasionally Mike & I will go through and revisit our past and 2012 was a particularly good year for us. Sure, it had its ups and downs, but for the most part all the change, good and bad times were initiated by us, which feels good.

As I prepared this Year In Review post I realized how lucky I am to have married such an amazing man, how terrifically curious my family is (and how fortunate I am to have inherited that curiosity) and what an incredible life I have. And of course, how truly blessed I am to have been raised and continue to live in Portland. So here we go our 2012, Year In Review!

January we traveled to Seattle for a little sight seeing (ok, mostly eating), visiting my talented and beautiful sister, her zany husband and their two fur babies (French Bulldogs, who couldn't love them?) Seattle truly has superior Asian food and we gorged ourselves at the best dumpling house in the country and at the craziest Thai Restaurant that we would gladly hand over every hard earned dollar to have Thai Tom open up shop in Portland.

February we celebrated my brother's birthday with a terrific seafood dinner, attended an amazing motorcycle showcase, discovered a riverside restaurant that has a self-serve Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar, ate more bowls of ramen than we have ever and discovered there is really good sushi out in the woods.

March we discovered our love of cocktails, found that yes, Portland does have awesome Mexican food (even if it's a bit of a trek), discovered a great fish monger who has terrific fish & chips for a steal and was aching for the spring to start.

April we celebrated my birthday in sunny San Diego, had the best sushi and fish tacos of our lives and decided to always celebrate birthdays traveling, a true gift to ourselves.

May we saw Portland explode in color and got out and about more than usual because the next 6 months the city really showcases why we love living here.

June we both switched jobs and found ourselves on our bikes EVERY DAY and we loved every minute of it. There was lots of late evening and night bike exploring, garden parties and enjoying our lush backyard we worked so hard to get established just for this time of year. It was glorious.

July we discovered the joys of Instagram and started documenting over lives on the fly, went on a crazy Sparkle Boat Party along Lake Washington in Seattle, ate a ton of delicious burgers, was introduced to the best swimming hole, began buying furniture like no other and celebrated our first wedding anniversary.

August was all about my BA's birthday. We tried to surprise him with a week long beach getaway, which was just glorious. Portland experienced a heatwave and we shivered on the coast.

September was a busy month, we found ourselves tripled booked every week and we loved it, starting with a very low-key-art-filled Labor Day Weekend, frolicked in the Mt. Hood National Forest, had dinner with friends every weekend of the month, re-discovered the unique neighborhoods and architecture of our beloved city Portland and if that wasn't enough, enrolled in some personal enrichment classes. September was a sunny glorious blur.

October the incredible, and dry, weather continued as we got out and tried more restaurants, hitting up old favorites, as well as knocking off many must try spots. Mike experienced Oregon's fantastic wine country for the first time and had some family issues that took him home to Arizona for a few days. We celebrated Mike's Halloween birthday with a stroll through the beautiful Lone Fir Cemetery, some yummy Korean Fried Chicken and an unforgettable Japanese dinner, just before he got sick for nearly 2 weeks!

November the gorgeous fall colors showed up just as we were dreading the winter, reminding us how lucky we are to live here. It was an awful beginning to the month as Mike got sick for nearly two weeks, but we got to spend lots of time relaxing and eating comfort food, and like a champ Mike bounced back just in time to smoke his best Turkey yet for Thanksgiving and help celebrate a friend's birthday.

December found us hunkering down for the winter with twinkling Christmas and candle lights, the best pizza in the city, lots and lots of sandwiches, Peruvian food and soaking up our enjoyment of strolling our neighborhood. This year we really settled into the holidays once they got into full swing, the enjoyment of our jobs really made a difference this year and the holidays weren't just something we tried to survive, but really got into.

There's our 2012, Year In Review. Thank you all for coming along for the ride, 2013 looks to be a terrific year and we hope it will be filled with nothing but the best for you all!

The First Day of 2013

I enjoy New Year's Day even more than New Year's Eve. Much like the rest of the Christmas Holidays, we like to spend New Year's Day eating a nice meal and not feeling obligated to go anywhere. We were fortunate to be greeted with a glorious sun the first day of 2013, so of course we went for a long walk, which I will admit was my favorite thing we did this holiday. We wandered through our neighborhood and discovered many new alleyways and secret stairways. We talked about the upcoming year and strolled arm-in-arm contemplating what 2013 will bring.

Post Holiday Post

Happy Holidays! Hope everyone had a great Christmas and Happy New Year! Our holiday was terrific. We didn't cook or host at all, which was pretty fantastic. Christmas Eve is when our family celebrates with a leisurely day of snacking, a yummy Vietnamese dinner and exchanging gifts. We decided to pull names this year so even gift shopping was mellow and easy. Christmas Day the Le-Byrnes clan made an excellent brunch of eggs goldenrod and in between Christmas and New Year's we had a festive cocktail party. This year we also had a much appreciated extended holiday break which made Christmas super relaxing and festive for us.