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Phaya Thai Express

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Hey Portland friends! We just discovered a great new spot on Hawthorne Blvd that we’re excited to share with you—Phaya Thai Express. This fast-casual Thai spot has quickly become one of our go-to places for delicious, authentic Thai food, and we think you’ll love it too. Whether you need a quick lunch, or a low key dinner. Phaya is sure to meet your needs and be delicious while it is happening.

Walking into Phaya Thai Express, you’re immediately greeted by the inviting aromas of freshly prepared dishes. The setup is simple and fun—you get to build your meal from a base of either white rice or brown rice and grains, and then choose from an array of mouthwatering dishes displayed cafeteria-style.

On our visit, we decided to try a bowl with two selections. First up was the NY Steak Curry, featuring juicy NY steak, galangal, and a southern Thai curry that packed just the right amount of spice. It was hands down our favorite of the night.

2 entree meal from phaya thai

We also tried the Prik King Catfish, which included fried catfish in a house curry with rhizome root and basil. The combination of flavors was fantastic, with the basil adding a fresh twist to the lightly spicy curry. And of course, we couldn’t resist ordering some crab rangoon. These crispy treats, stuffed with real crab and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce, were the perfect starter.

We also tried a couple cocktails so that we could test out the full experience. I had a gin cocktail, which came with jasmine, giffard pampelmouse, and lemon. It was tart and well rounded. We also tried the hibiscus mezcalita which was very smoky and tart. It was made with mezcal, hibiscus syrup, aperol, lime and a chamoy rim.

Something for Everyone

One of the things we love about Phaya Thai Express is how inclusive their menu is. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or need gluten-free options, there’s something here for you. The variety ensures everyone can find their new favorite dish. If you arent into cocktails they had multiple non-alcoholic mocktails and sodas. There is also a large outdoor patio for you to enjoy during these lovely sunny months.

Whether you’re grabbing a quick lunch, having a casual dinner, or planning a get-together with friends, Phaya Thai Express is a great choice. The food is flavorful, the atmosphere is welcoming, and it’s conveniently located on Hawthorne Blvd.

So next time you’re in the neighborhood, swing by Phaya Thai Express and treat yourself to some incredible Thai cuisine. We promise you won’t be disappointed!

Have you been to Phaya Thai Express yet? Share your favorite dishes and tips in the comments—we’d love to hear from you! Looking for something else? You can see our other favorite places to eat around the city HERE

Deadshot

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Our Hot Spot of the week this week is outstanding SE cocktail spot Deadshot! We had been hearing about this one for ages, in particular from one of our favorite cocktail-loving friends, so it was time for a pop in. Long story short, it was awesome.

We headed in for happy hour and grabbed a spot on the patio. Like many Portland establishments, they have an extended outdoor dining plaza currently, and we sure do hope those stick around! We started off with the happy hour cocktail of the day, an Americano, in part because Campari is delicious and in part because it was going to take a LOT more time to make our decisions. Deadshot is dangerous, as basically every single thing on both the food and cocktail menus sounds amazing.

Once our thirst had been quenched, we moved on to the slightly higher proof Tom and Artemis. This one was a super delicious blend of Old Tom gin, Genepy (an herbal, Alpine liqueur) lime, and absinthe served over a king cube. It was very spirit forward, but also crisp, bright, and drinkable. We also decided to get some tasty snacks and started with the Cha Gio from the happy hour menu. The description of these as ‘crispy pork and shrimp spring rolls did not prepare us for how delicious they were. We honestly considered immediately ordering a second portion. They were crispy, but also tender, and positively juicy inside. The dipping sauce was a great balance of spicy and sweet and the pickled carrots and daikon on the side was a fresh and tangy complement.

Instead, we decided to try out more things from the menu. We went with the Crying Tiger, which was a nicely grilled bone-in slab of short rib, and the Dragon Dumplings. The dumplings were recommended by our server and were outstanding. Ground pork and shrimp stuffed into some nicely toothsome dumplings were tossed in a delicious sauce with grilled long beans and crunchy peanuts. The bowl was nearly clean when it returned to the kitchen. Along with this round of food, we also tested out the Heart of Cyn, a tamarind take on a Whiskey sour that had us puckering but pleased.

We are definitely excited to head back to Deadshot and try out everything else on the menus. Their cocktails are creative and the food is wonderful and we just want more! If you haven’t been yet, check them out Here. If you want to check out our other Hot Spots, you can find them Here. Where should we go next? Let us know in the comments!

Miyamoto

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Hot Spot of the Week is delicious Montavilla sushi spot Miyamoto! We visited Miyamoto recently to celebrate a birthday and sample their wares, and it was positively delicious.

Miyamoto is tucked on a little side street in Montavilla. The location is excellent as they can have a spacious covered outdoor seating area, yet you aren’t right on busy SE Stark. We started, of course, with a sake flight! I went with the Miyamoto flight as I wanted to see what their signature choices had in store. Luckily, we were sharing because those were some healthy pours! All three sakes were not only delicious, but distinct. I also found the tasting notes on the sake card to be incredibly accurate. The Tears of Dawn was bright and fruity with notes of melon. And yes, the Bride of the Fox WAS rich and nutty! My dining companions actually changed their minds about sake as a whole after this flight. They had both thought that they didn’t care for it, but tasting these was a revelation for them!

We also got some starters going right away, as we were quite hungry on arrival. The chicken karaage and the pork gyoza came out of the kitchen fast and went into our bellies even faster. The chicken was perfectly crisped with a nice spicy sauce. The gyoza were just the right combination of steamed and fried, plus tender and juicy on the inside.

After starters, we went on to rolls. We decided to try the Miyamoto roll, which had 4 types of wonderful fresh fish, pickled jalapenos, and a chili ponzu sauce that I wanted to lick off the plate. We also got the Billy Low Roll which had salmon, tuna, spicy mayo and tempura crunch and it was so yummy. To round out the table and our tummies, we added a simple tuna roll and some inari.

We really loved everything at Miyamoto and are so excited to go back to try the rest of the menu! I love that they have such a great selection of hot and cold plates, a lot of great sakes, and really beautifully prepared fish. Check out their menu Here!

Baerlic Brewing

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This past week we headed out in search of a cool patio and some yummy beer. While we have an abundance of choices here in Portland, it can be a bit harder to find the truly outstanding ones. Baerlic, however, is a brewery that you can always trust to have great beer. Their huge ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ Patio is just a fantastic bonus!

Berlin Patio

One of the things that we love most about Baerlic is that they excel in multiple different styles. There are a lot of breweries that specialize in IPA in Portland, fewer that you can get a great Helles or a Saison and Baerlic is certainly one. Personally, hoppy beers have never been my thing. This time, I tried an Oat Gose, which is a slightly sour beer usually brewed with a bit of salt, and the Helles. Both were clean, crisp, and delicious. The menu changes very frequently here, but you can check out the beers currently on tap before you drop in if you want to make sure they have one of your favorites.

Baerlic Beer

The ‘Super Secret Beer Club’ doesn’t offer any food, but you can bring your own, order from some nearby carts, or have something delivered. Teote or The Hawthorne Asylum Food Carts would be my recommendations because you can walk there and they are delicious! If you want to check out some of our other favorites places to grab beer, head over to our list of Top Breweries in the city!

5 & Dime

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Our hot spot of the week this week is my favorite patio in FoPo, the 5 & Dime! It’s been almost 2 years since this rad neighborhood spot opened. I am still as excited about it today as I was on opening day! The drinks are cold and the service is warm. What more could you ask for??

First off, I love the decor in this place. From the Anthony Bourdain portrait to the Blazers art and neon signs, everything in here feels hip and effortless. Currently, you will only be able to see it on the way to the bathroom with your mask on, but I applaud the owners for the efforts they have put in to keep everyone safe! They have expanded their outdoor seating area so that there are more tables. All of them have proper spacing and sanitizer as well.

The Seating

The cocktail menu at 5 & Dime is always rotating, and always fabulous. With different themes for each like ‘High School Reading List’ or ‘American Gods’. The seasonal list right now is music-based, and I have been loving the Mary J Blige nod to the Aperol Spritz. If I’m feeling less bubbly (as if) I tend towards their delicious draft Negroni.

While current restrictions mean that their delightful snack boards are on hold for the time being, you can still order some pizza or knots from Atlas pizza next door to soak up all of those tasty libations.

My favorite thing about the 5 & Dime is that they have something for everyone. You can get a cheap beer or a finely-tuned cocktail, a dive bar aesthetic that’s elevated just the right amount, great service with a sense of humor, and most of all, a friendly neighborhood welcome!

Check them out here!

What is your favorite neighborhood haunt? Let us know in the comments!

Hat Yai – Belmont

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For our Hot Spot of the Week, we decided to check out the newly opened SE branch of Southern Thai spot Hat Yai. With counter service and checkered plastic tablecloths, this casual eatery is a perfect spot to grab a bite while checking out the great bars along the Belmont strip with friends. If you want to check out the menu, or see more information, you can do that here

As usual, we each got a cocktail to start. While the cocktail list here isn’t extensive (3 options and a seasonal special) we were both able to easily choose something that catered to our preferences. The Turmeric Sweet Tea was a lovely Thai twist on the classic, and was perfect alongside the fried chicken. The Tamarind Whiskey Smash made me seriously wish it were a hot sunny afternoon. If cocktails aren’t your thing, there is also a no-frills wine and beer list to choose from.

For dinner, we decided to share the famous fried chicken. We opted for the half-chicken portion so we could try several different dishes. The dark meat was, of course, the winner. Even the breast was tasty when doused with the Thai chili dipping sauce. We also shared the Goong Tom Gati, a shrimp and clam curry served with sticky rice. The curry was fine, but we wished we had gone with our instincts and ordered the special Jungle Curry. With trout belly and Chanterelles, it sounded outstanding. However, the person at the counter somewhat warned us off of it saying, “It’s a 9/10 on the spicy scale.” Sometimes in Thai restaurants, that would mean inedible, but once we had tasted the other curry, we felt that we certainly could have handled it.

Our surprise winner of favorite dish of the evening was the seasonal special pea tips. Simply sauteed and served in a light curry sauce, pea tips have been an exciting discovery for me in restaurants this year. They were my favorite of this evening, as well as another spent at delicious newcomer Eem a few months ago. After this experience, I know I will be ordering them every time I see them on a menu! Have you been to Hat Yai yet? What should we order next time?

What Hot Spot should we try out next? Let us know in the comments!