Good Bye

Followers & Friends,

I want to personally say thank you for your support this year with the Blog. It's meant a lot to me to have y'll follow me, read, comment, and enjoy. Some exciting news: Starting in just a month or two, I'll be changing focuses.

Food is a great way to express yourself. I've had a great time doing this blog. But the truth of the matter is that in the coming years, the field of Equal Rights, Gay Marriage, and LGBT Equality is a huge opportunity our country has. I plan on helping change this in a few ways. One of those ways is with new YouTube Channel: @NykWiens

This is a focus on what it's like to be "Gay in America!"

~~~Check it out and thank you for your support~~

www.youtube.com/NykWiens

The first "challenging" call

Web Administrator's Note: Our readers have been asking for some examples of reviews that didn't have the outcome we've seen thus far. Here's a great example of a recent visit from our contributor, Charity. Take a look:

 

Restaurant Review

Date Visited: 5/14/11 @ 4:15pm; no reservations

 

Type: Italian

 

Gamberetti's Italian Restaurant

2360 Fairgrounds Rd NE

Salem, OR 97301

(503) 339-7446

No website, but you can find them on Facebook

 

Monday - Thurs

11:00am - 9:00pm

Friday

11:00am - 10:00pm

Saturday

4:00pm - 10:00pm

Sunday

3:00pm - 8:30pm

 

Affordability: $10 - 30 p/person for dinner

Dress Code: Casual

 

Overall Rating: 1 Lemon Twist

 

Willamette Valley residents named Gamberetti's the best overall Italian food restaurant.  HB and I love Italian food, and it's always hard to find really good, truly authentic, Italian food.  We originally planned on heading to the restaurant last weekend, but we couldn't find any parking nearby.  This was a great sign!  We jotted a note down to head back the following weekend.  So, we visited them with pure excitement this last weekend, and we headed in just after opening so that we could get a spot to park.

 

Initial Impression:

Located on the the busy Fairgrounds Rd, it's easy to find.  Parking, on the other hand, is attrocious at minimum.  At some point, the auto parts store nextdoor claimed all of the parking spots on the left and right.  This is evidenced by the large "Parking for XXX Only" signs located at every parking spot.  All of them were empty, but not wanting to have our vehicle towed, we finally found one located in the very back, behind the trash cans, labeled "Restaurant Parking."  It smelled so bad.  Suggestion #1: fix the parking or fix the trash.  Anyways, we headed around to the front to find some nice outdoor furniture.  I can see people lounging outside sipping wine on a warm spring evening.  They had Nora Jones being piped through the outdoor speakers...the mood was nice! 

 

Once HB and I headed inside, we were greeted by two staffmembers.  They asked how we were and lead us to a booth around the corner.  The restaurant looks like it could be a repainted Mexican food restaurant with the bright tiles and harsh stuccoed walls.  But, they've painted the walls a dark chocolate brown and added touches if Italy in the form of artwork on the walls.  The booths were extremely uncomfortable; lacking softness.  My rear end dropped to the bottom of the cushion immediately (and I hadn't even eatten yet!).  HB and I began to feel disappointed we came.

 

Food:

Our server left menus at our table and asked us for our drink preferences at the same time.  HB and I both ordered iced tea.  We scanned over the menu and found somewhat limited offerings, but he decided on the seafood alfredo and I decided on the butternut squash ravioli (my personal favorite--and was excited because not too many restaurants offer it).  We also started with an anti-pasta platter.

 

Our bread arrived quickly--three small slices of foccacia bread.  While the bread was pretty good, I was very disappointed to only receive three small pieces.  They didn't even fill up the bottom of the bread bowl.  The bread was good though--crunchy on the outside and very, very soft and moist on the inside.  Dipped in the local Oregon grown and pressed olive oil, it was fantastic.  Our server offered up more bread a few times, and we gladly took him up on his offer!

 

Our anti-pasta platter arrived soon afterwards.  This is what cemented our experience.  Everything on that platter could have been bought at the local grocery store and served for a low-budget baby shower.  The meat--salami and procutto appeared straight out of a package; the round slices of provolone were cut into quarters; the medium cheddar cheese cut into small cubes; the pickles, artichokes, and olives are probably the same as the ones in my refrigerator.  I could continue, but this platter was very disappointing.  I feel like if I pay nearly $10 for a plate of food, I want the chef's passion for food to be on exhibit--just like every plate they put out. 

 

Our plates of food arrived soon afterwards.  The plates looked delicious!  HB immediately dug into his seafood alfredo.  He said the shrimp was nice; just a tiny tad overcooked.  The scallops were chopped up, but cooked nicely and had a nice flavor.  The white fish; however, was overcooked and tough.  He noted the alfredo was missing some flavor--just seemed bland.  I started to dig into my ravioli.  There were about 10 - 12 raviolis in the bowl, a very nice size meal compared to other restaurants.  The ravioli was delicious!  HB was right though, the alfredo isn't what I'm used to.  It has a yellow tint and is very bland.  It's creamy, but I wished I could have had a true alfredo on the pasta.  The sweetness of the ravioli became too sweet about halfway through the meal, and unfortunately, because the alfredo lacked depth and flavor, it because an unpleasent meal in the end. 

 

Neither of us ordered dessert.

 

Food Twist: 0 twists.  The food was below standards; bland; overcooked; lacked depth and passion.

 

Service:

The service here was just like basic service you would expect in a restaurant.  Pleases and thank yous; take your times; is there anything else you needs; how's the foods; it's all here.  A few things to note:

 

It was 4:30 when we ordered, but a special of the day hadn't been created.  People who were seated next to us at 5:00pm were told the same thing.  If you're going to have special, make it available for folks for dinner.  At 5pm, that special should be on the board!

 

When our server arrived with our iced tea he asked, "Did either of you want sweetener with your tea?"  I smiled and said yes.  He replied, "Ok, I'll be right back."  He left to go get our sweetener.  Our iced tea sat for almost three minutes while we waited for sugar.  Be proactive.  Assume I'll want sweetener.  If I don't, take the sugar back.

 

When we left, the server said, "have a good night."  The hostess by the door said, "have a good evening."  No on thanked us for our business.

 

Service Twist: 1 twist.  They weren't rude; just need to step it up.

 

Summary:

1 Lemon Twist.  Overall, if you're looking for a great Italian food place, ask me for a recommendation.  I have a few top restaurants I hit up!  One of them won't be Gamberetti's.  I was very disappointed.

“Mingo”

Lemon Squeeze (Summary)

Name: Mingo Dining

Location: 12600 SW Cresent, Beaverton, Oregon 97005

Phone Number: (503) 646-6464

Type: Italian

Reservations required? No

Site: Mingowest.com

Overall Rating: Three Lemon Twists (See rating scale at the end of the blog)

Summary: A hip, fun, convenient location to grab some amazing Italian cuisine

Starting Off

When I do a review I am intentionally or unintentionally throwing a wrench in the gears. I think this is a good thing. A client base may be generally one or two “types” of people, however they all have different needs. In our experience at Mingo Dining, we had a special need as well. My guest, whom I will call Trixie, had crutches because of an immobilized leg. This was a good test. The good news though? Mingo got us in quickly and actually catered to her needs perfectly. We’ll explain more…

Food

Before we look at the customer service, let’s glance at the food. Mingo has an extensive menu and its seemingly light recipes. When you have a diverse set of items on the menu and the majority of them aren’t the typical “with alfredo sauce” comment, you know you’re going to get healthier food. Mingo has this variety and serves bread which pairs with the olive oil already on the table. It’s great bread, but it was served cold. Serving cold bread does occur with some Italian locales, but we feel that this should be an option given to diners rather than just brought out cold.

We both ordered a simple beverage. I ordered a lemon drop, my favorite spring treat. Trixie ordered a Sicilian red wine. Not that many of us need more than bread and wine (that’s a great snack/light meal in itself), we did eat a fabulous dinner too.

Trixie ordered Penne al Sugo di Carne (commonly known at Mingo as “Sugo”). She ate most of it and saved the rest for the next day. This generous portion smelled divine. I tried a bite and have already decided to order it next time. This is perfectly cooked beef, braised with a few seasonings atop penne pasta. Simply to die for, even though I’m sure the cow would disagree. (My mouth is watering just writing this.)

I ordered the ravioli of the day which was sausage. It was stuffed with several types of cheeses, totally up my alley. If you have not figured out by now, I love my cheese and meat! This was gone very fast and it’s certainly a strong contender if they make it for you the evening you come. (Mingo makes their ravioli fresh with different ingredients daily.)

Overall, the food was quite enjoyable. This restaurant is not on the low end as far as cost goes though. With the two drinks, meals, and desserts, the total was a few dollars over seventy. That said, it’s certainly worth the money if you have it to spare. If not, try lunch to save some money there. You’ll still get outstanding food, no questions.

What about the rating though? What should Mingo get for their food quality? If I am drooling just reminding myself about how good this is, you guessed it: we have Mingo the one possible Lemon Twist for the food section.

Service

We were both commenting throughout the meal about the client service we received. Our server Alexander, along with the hosting team, partnered to give us the best possible experience here. Trixie needed her special attention getting in and the restaurant did specifically cater to this. They made quick work about getting her seated and paid special attention to how she needed to be seated to have an easy time getting in and out of her chair.

Our server was perfect. There was not one opportunity for improvement. Normally I can find at least one thing the server could improve on. Our server did everything right--- he did not interrupt the conversation, waited until we paused and addressed him, then asked for our order or how we were doing. Alex had suggested Trixie’s wine and he was dead on. He continued being professional and courteous the entire evening.

One thing that is such a hard balance is efficiency and not being “too pushy.” Nothing will turn a customer away faster than a rude server. He was great and even gave us additional time when we needed it. I personally am focused on people’s smiles because they say so much about themselves. Alexander had a smile that was friendly and warn. It always helps to have some personality when working with your clients. The timing of everything, from the drinks to the ordering of desserts, it was all exceptional.

We both feel that the overall meal, as well as the customer service we received was “simple yet not overdone” as Trixie put it. Besides providing exceptional customer service, Alexander and the rest of Team Mingo gave us a fun, pleasant, hip experience. This is something one won’t forget---especially when enjoyed with such great company. I am very blessed as a blogger to have the opportunity to share these positive experiences not only with you as my reader but with my guest as well.

If it’s described as a perfect experience you would assume correctly that Mingo Dining is given a two lemon twist rating for the service section. It’s easy for them to earn such high marks with the caliber of work they put out. Very impressive. You HAVE to go there when you find time folks!

Heading out

We gave ourselves a little extra time leaving to accommodate for my friend’s injury but we were close to the door and made it outside to enjoy a great spring afternoon while waiting for our driver. One thing that strikes you as you enter, dine, and leave is the atmosphere. I can only describe it as hip, “airy,” and bright.

We are proud to offer a strong rating at Three Lemon Twists for Mingo!

Customer Service Expert & Web Administrator,

Nick

Do you have questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at the address in the profile section of the site.

Scale/Rating for Overall Evaluation:

0 Lemon Twists: Avoid the location
1 Lemon Twists: Go whilst drunk as you won’t want to remember your visit there
2 Lemon Twists: The location would be great to visit overall.
3 Lemon Twists: AMAZING location; highly recommended.

Pictures via http://www.mingowest.com/

Gustav’s Surprises

Lemon Squeeze (Summary)

Name: Gustav’s

Location: 12605 Southeast 97^th Ave, Clackamas, Oregon 97015 

Phone Number: (503) 653-1391

Type: German

Reservations required? Recommended for large groups

Site: gustavs.net

Overall Rating: Three Lemon Twists (See rating scale at the end of the blog)

Summary: A fun, relaxing, and filling way to spend an evening

Starting Off

We did this review a little different. So far, with other reviews, we’ve evaluated a restaurants with a small couple, a child, a lunch venue, and this evening we chose to do a “group” evaluation. SB and I made it down to Gustav’s where we met JL and DL. There are several locations throughout the Portland area for Gustav’s but we chose the Clackamas one due to its proximity to work and home. I was surprised even though it was the weekend, to have such a large crowd. We drove up and the parking lot was all but full. There happened to be one spot just vacated and we snatched it. Keep this in mind when heading to any well-known eatery.

Thankfully, even though there were a lot of people, the staff moved quickly in the lobby to ensure we felt comfortable and get customers seated as soon as possible; even offering free cider. In fact without a reservation our group of four was seated in less than fifteen minutes. This was a pleasant surprise to SB and myself.

Food

What worked out well for this review is that everyone at the table got something different. This allowed me to sample some of several dishes. They have something for EVERYONE here. They have meats, pastas, salads, child menu, a bar—you name it! When I think of any “non-American” food I think: “okay something different.” This is true to a certain degree, as always. That said though German food, as I am part German, fits very well with my pallet.

I ordered the Pork cordon bleu. Oh my gosh. If this wasn’t the most heavenly plate o’ pork I don’t know what is. It was a very large portion of pork stuffed with ham and cheese. Yeah, two of my most favorite things---ham and cheese on my plate made for a tasty treat. It was flanked by mashed potatoes and sautéed veggies. Not too bad for the first time ever having cordon bleu.

SB, DL, and JL had Lentil soup, Prime Rib, and Mushroom schnitzel. The food was all served at a good temperature and the server, who really knew his stuff, made great recommendations to us.  I was very pleased with the portions. We got dessert too and devoured it. All in all it was a great meal for all with personal ratings from my guests with an average of “9.0” on a 10 point scale.

Since we were pleased and full Gustav’s has earned the one allotted lemon twist for this section.

Service

Am I the only one who goes into an eatery with a certain expectation? I’m hoping not. I was expecting a nice or normal experience with outstanding food. We got the food part down but when it came to service I was actually surprised once again. I was everything but blown away. Our server, Berkley, was outstanding. He was the most polite server I’ve ever had. He was sincere and not just giving face. Comments like “my pleasure,” and “would you like to try a sample of that first?” even “absolutely” made him come across as confident and professional. This isn’t as common these days and one of the main reasons why I created this blog.

When it came to one of my largest “Nickisms” --- drink refills he took the cake too. These should ALWAYS be offered or completed without a client asking. This was also the case with Gustav’s. Berkley completed that and in some cases already replaced my drink before I was done; which is perfectly fine as most customers will finish a soda pretty quickly.

Additionally, Berkley was proactive, wasn’t pushy, was concretely engaged in our experience, and got the food to our table within a timely fashion. I was pleased with how he treated us and frankly wish I had my own restaurant so I could hire him myself. The only delay or hiccup in the evening was an oversight on silver-wear in which steak knives were not brought out with the meal, taking a while to get to the table.

Since we had really one of the best experiences one could have we gladly give Gustav’s (and Berkley in particular) our shining two lemon twists for the service section.

Heading out

With our stomachs full and a smile about our face we waddled our way to the parking lot past the warm glow of the rotisserie and outside the cherry-decorated interior to the parking lot. We enjoyed our time at Gustav’s and look forward to a return in the future since they did earn the full three lemon twists. What fun!

Your Customer Service Expert,

Nick

Do you have questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at the address in the profile section of the site.

Evaluation Scale/Rating:

0 Lemon Twists: Avoid the location
1 Lemon Twists: Go whilst drunk as you won’t want to remember your visit there
2 Lemon Twists: The location would be great to visit overall.
3 Lemon Twists: AMAZING location; highly recommended.

Picture via Gustav's.net

April 1st

On April first, we'll be posting our newest review:

Gustav's

We went just last weekend and we're excited to get this updated. 

Charity's Pick: Alexis Restaurant

Restaurant Review

Date Visited: 3/5/2011 @ 6pm; no reservation

Type: Greek

Alexis Restaurant

215 West Burnside

Portland, OR 97209

(503) 224-8577

www.alexisfoods.com

Lunch:

Monday - Saturday

11:30am - 2:00pm

Dinner:

Monday - Thursday

5:00pm - 10:00pm

Friday & Saturday

5:00pm - 11:00pm

Affordability: $15 - 20 p/person for dinner

Dress Code: Casual

Overall Rating: 3 Lemon Twists

For nearly a decade, Alexis Restaurant, a cornerstone in Portland's Old town, has brought pleasure to palates and spirits alike.  Authentic Greek Specialties, serviced amidst a backdrop of Greek music, laughter, warm hospitality, and an occasional "OOOPPAAAAAA" from the festive crowd, make Alexis one of Portland's most revisited eateries.  Named Best Greek Restaurant by Portland Monthly, HB and I headed up there for dinner on, what we knew, would be a very busy Saturday night to test their finest culinary treats and attentive service.

Initial Impression:

Located on the corner of Burnside and 2nd Ave, Alexis was easy to find.  We found some street-side parking about a 1/2 block away.  From the outside, Alexis looks like a white warehouse with large Greek "A" sign on the outside.  Perhaps some misplaced fraternity housing?  The front doors are painted white and red, and neither have any windows.  The only clue that I had that I was in the right place were the sounds of footsteps and the musical ting-ing of plates and silverware from inside.

Once HB and I opened the doors, we're greeted by a small set of stairs leading to a landing with a small flight of stairs on either side and another longer flight of stairs leading to a second floor just behind us.  There, a gentle older man greeted us with a Grecian smile and pointed us towards the left side to a small table for two against the back wall.  There are about twenty tables around us; all but one other are empty.  Because of the emptiness of the room at this point, it gave me plenty of time to look around.  I walked in from a warehouse fraternity-type building into a Grecian family home.  The very-worn dark walnut hardwood floors were solid, but creaked like my grandma's screened porch door.  The textured walls were freckled with awards, reviews, and accolades in a mish-mash of frames.  The tables (no booths here) were all dark wood with dark wood and nicely padded chairs.  The warm lighting from the ceiling was dim and cast a comforting effect to the dining area.  HB and I found our table, and I grabbed my pen and paper.

Food:

Every table is served a half-loaf of wonderfully warm, homemade, Greek white bread with pads of butter.  DON'T EAT IT YET.  Just wait.  I promise.  It will be worth it.  It's tough, I know.  On their appetizer menu, you'll find things such as spanakopita, gyros, feta 'n olives, and much more.  HB and I ordered humous (in America, we call it Hummus).  Ok, NOW it's ok to eat the bread.  Just be sure to dredge your bread slice into the garlic, creamy, wonderfully amazing humous.  It was definitely worth the wait.

HB couldn't decide on a single entree, so he chose the Pikilia Piato w/ rice and vegetables.  This dish is a combination dish with Moussaka (eggplant casserole layered with ground lamb, topped with Béchamel sauce), Dolmathes (grape leaves stuffed with ground lamb, rice, and topped with an egg lemon sauce), Spanakopita (layers of fillo dough, spinach, rices, and feta cheese), and Souvlaki Lamb (tender cubes of marinated and char-broiled lamb served on a skewer).  I chose my favorite Greek dish, Pastitso (macaroni with ground lamb topped with Béchamel sauce).  According to the menu, every specialty is served with soup or salad. We both selected the lentil soup (lentils, tomato sauce, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, carrots, celery, peas, and onion).

The lentil soup was very light for a tomato-based soup.  The lentils had the perfect texture (if you've ever had under- or over-cooked lentils, you know what I mean here!), and the vegetables added a great balance of flavor to the soup.  The serving size was average, so don't worry about your soup being big enough for a meal here.

According to HB, his dinner was great!  According to him: the Moussaka can easily get mushy, but the eggplant stood up well and maintained it's firmness.  The Béchamel sauce was the best he'd every had--creamy, gentle flavor, and lightly browned on top.  He also commented that the Spanakopita, because of the large amount of spinach in this dish, can sometimes get "slimy."  Not here.  It was perfectly cooked.  He initially had concerns about the Domathes and the amount of Anise-flavor, but after a few bites, said they were the best grape leaves he'd ever had.  The lamb skewers were cooked a bit longer than HB prefers (he's a medium rare kinda guy), but said the flavor was good--smoky, grilled, moist, and delicious, but it wasn't the favorite part of his meal.  His favorite: Dolmathes. 

My dinner was exceptional.  If you're looking for big bold flavor, don't order Pastitso. While I like lamb, I don't LOVE lamb, so the Pastitso is perfect for me.  The pasta in the Pastitso can easily become mushy, and sometimes the lamb flavor can be too overpowering for this subtle dish.  But at Alexis, they know how to do it right.  The sauce in the pasta was creamy, yet firm enough to stand up to the Béchamel sauce on top.  Just like HBs, the Béchamel sauce was lightly browned on top.  The ground lamb added a nice flavor to the dish, but again, didn't overpower it.

Our rice and vegetables with dinner definitely weren't the showcase on our plate.  It's similar to going out for Mexican food and getting rice and beans--they're usually not the highlight.  The side dishes were good, as indicated by our now empty plates.

For dessert, we had two choices: Baklava or Bougatsa.  HB and I have had really good Baklava before, so we opted to share a piece of Bougatsa (a warm custard in fillo dough topped with cinnamon and powdered sugar).  The presentation of the Bougatsa was average.  It was obvious that it was a slice from a large pan, and it had been warmed.  Don't let that fool you!  The texture of the custard was incredible.  The fillo dough was light and flaky (although a little difficult to cut with your fork).  Our plate was empty in a matter of seconds. 

Food Twist: 1 twist.

Service:

The economy has hit all of us; and in the food industry you see that reflected in labor reductions.  Restaurants can cut the quality of their food, but only so much.  So, as foodies, we've been subject to long waits for food, refills, and general service.  One of my favorite highlights of Alexis was this: they ratio of tables-to-servers was 4:1.  That's right, one server for every four tables.  I'll also add that there were two people seating newcomers and another person standing in the corner watching every table, every server, and stepping in to help the minute they notice a small bottleneck. 

We were immediately seated; had water, menus, and bread within seconds of seating.  HB and I delayed a bit on picking our entrees, but the minute I closed my menu, someone was there taking our order.  At this point, we had been at Alexis for about 10 minutes.  Those 18 empty tables around us were almost full now.  There were two empty tables by 6:30pm.

Our humous arrived within two minutes of ordering it--and we proceeded to eat like raptors in the movie "Jurassic Park."  Our waiter noticed our pending shortage of bread and said to us, "Uh oh, gettin' low on bread.  That's no good when you have humous at the table!" and quickly brought us another loaf of bread.  

I could give several more examples of great service; empty plates/dishes bussed quickly off our table, water refilled almost automatically, regular check-ins from anyone walking by; but I will sum it up with the use of the word attentiveness.  I never once felt like a single table in the middle of a now-packed Greek restaurant.  I felt like family, and I felt like they cared about my meal.  It appeared they genuinely cared about me and my meal with a subtle voice tone; a lingering smile; and a friendly attitude.

With that said, let me share what took this service from great to WOW!.  Seated at the table next to use were two young couples and a small toddler.  Based on their conversation, they were not very familiar with non-common Greek food.  The waiter came over a few times to check in on them; but on the third time he said this, "It sounds like you might be having some trouble deciding between a few items, so I might be able to help.  I heard you say you're looking for XXX.  If so, I'd recommend..."  At this point, he proceeded to make several recommendations; including what the toddler might even be safe to eat and enjoy. 

Service Twist: 2 twists

Summary:

3 Lemon Twists.  This is an amazing location and environment.  You won't be disappointed!  Be sure to join in when a table orders Saganaki--the waiter yells out to get everyone's attention and yells OOOPPPAAAAAAAA!! as he prepares the flaming dish tableside.

Total bill: $48.00 before tip.

Experienced Customer Service Expert and Contributor,

Charity

“Thai Noon Restaurant”

Lemon Squeeze (Summary)

Name: Thai  Noon

Location: 2635 NE Alberta ST, Portland (97211)

Phone Number: (503) 282-2021

Type: Thai/Asian

Reservations required? No

Site: thainoon.com

Overall Rating: Two Lemon Twists (See rating scale at the end of the blog)

Summary: Delicious deli-food for a sit-down experience or meal on the go.

Starting Off

I had the pleasure of doing two things that make me  happy. (1) Hang out in the Portland area and  (2) spend time with my guest “Dr. J.” Dr. J and I went to an incredibly authentic Thai restaurant in the Alberta Neighborhood in Portland, just East of downtown. We went right in and were seated immediately. As we’ve seen in another review, that’s the start of a great experience. We were handed the menus within seconds of arriving and even received some waters right away too.

Our server, who had a subtle smile on his face greeted us and offered to take our drink order in an Asian inspired bright deli-like atmosphere. It is tempting to order a hard drink considering just feet away there’s an attached bar to the eatery. The trim, chairs, and bar are all outlined in cherry wood which is one of my personal favorite products when it comes to decorating and furnishing.

In addition to a large dining room, guests also notice a smartly placed to-go station to the right of the foyer, a generously sized banquet/meeting  room for groups of up to 25 people, and a kitchen you can look into from many angles (always nice when you’re curious, right?). This setting and start to the meal was just what I would want for a quick bite out during a day in the big city.

Food

Thai food is tasty,  let’s face it. There are a variety of different types of foods in this genre but  rice and noodles are some of the most common. Dr J ordered the tofu Pad Thai and I ordered chicken fried rice. At almost any Asian restaurant, my default choice is some type of fried rice. While this isn’t too adventurous, it’s enjoyable and each locale has their own variation of this.

The tofu Pad Thai was good. I actually had a bite and enjoyed it enough that I might order this next time myself. With these entrées being less than ten dollars, this is a great value as it has fresh pasta, great veggies, and a taste that’s not overpowering or too sweet--- as this can happen with some varieties of this dish. I’ve had Pad Thai at several locations in the Northwest and even a fairly up-scale location in New York and it’s not as enjoyable as Dr J’s plate. Yummers!!!

My chicken fried rice was better than I anticipated. Since this my default dish, it is a great meal for comparison. Chicken fried rice is going to be a little leaner than other meats, which is a great choice. Additionally if needed, Thai Noon also has Gluten Free and Vegan Choices if requested. My spread added broccoli, tomato, and onions into the mix too. The one aspect of this dish that was noticeable was that you couldn’t see or taste the oil used. At many other establishments, you are left with a visible or edible remembrance of the skillet. Not with this plate. That takes the cake.

Dr. J noticed that the smaller noodles made it easy for her to get the pasta onto the chopsticks. When I started listening, I quickly noticed that you can hear fresh products being chopped. When you can see, hear, and taste a fresh wholesome product, you know you’re eating healthy. Couple that with a great value and you have a successful edible feast that earns its respectful one lemon twist for the Food Section.

Service

When it gets down to the heart and soul of my blog, it all comes down to service. How they take care of me. How they handle special requests. How I feel when I’m working with my server. I’m pleased to write that I am satisfied with my experience. Really, when it comes down to it, all my little “isms” were met. Our server took care of us and got our drinks right away including refills.

Our server took care of us by getting our food in less than ten minutes from order to table. Pretty fast by anyone’s standards. We asked for recommendations of what would be the best and he quickly made his recommendation: Pad Thai. Good thing he was honest, Dr J truly enjoyed what I’m sure is one of their best dishes. This proves he’s a true menu expert, something that is key to any strong server.

Our server further met my expectations by ensuring my soda was refilled without asking, constantly having a smile on his face, giving Dr J chopsticks immediately when asked, and being efficient without giving a rushed feeling. Dr J described the experience as “friendly without hovering” which fits so perfectly with the experience holistically

Since I was pleased and my strict expectations were met, Thai Noon and their team earns one lemon twist for the Service Section.

Heading out

With a quick street side escape awaiting us, it was time to leave. We left a little after noon and things were starting to get busier in this bustling Portland district. We got out for less than $20 with tip and with dinner price not that much higher this is a great place to go for a quick bite for lunch, a healthy meal to go, or even a convenient dinner destination, this is a top choice.

If you add up the Lemon Twists, we’re at two of the three possible ones and I’d love to hear from any of you who decide to visit Thai Noon Restaurant because of this review. Enjoy!

Your Customer Service Expert,

Nick

Do you have questions or comments? Feel free to leave a comment below or email me at the address in the profile section of the site.

Evaluation Scale/Rating:

0 Lemon Twists: Avoid the location
1 Lemon Twists: Go whilst drunk as you won’t want to remember your visit there
2 Lemon Twists: The location would be great to visit overall.
3 Lemon Twists: AMAZING location; highly recommended.