Stumptown Vegans

Big-Ass Sandwiches

Posted on March 27, 2010 by fueledbypopcorn| Leave a comment

Big-Ass Sandwiches, Brief Review
Overall	Service	Food Quality	Atmosphere	Vegan Options
6.5	9	5	7	5
Location: SW 3rd and Ash, Portland, OR
Hours: Monday-Friday 11am-3pm Friday and Saturday Late			Times Visited: 3

Big-Ass Sandwiches caused a lot of racket at the foodcart quad pod on SW 3^rd and Ash last December. The food received rave reviews from local media and websites on the size and flavor of their sandwiches before they even opened and their name caused controversy among the City of Portland. Now that they’ve been open through the winter, the reviews remain the same – praise on all fronts – the bread, the meat, the fries, the cheese sauce, the specials, the lunch, late night hours, and the friendliness of the two owners, who happen to run the cart.

The menu is simple, 4 sandwiches, sides, and sodas made with real cane sugar. Weekly specials are posted on their Twitter, but none have been vegan yet. (Maybe they will make a Stumptown Vegans themed sandwich one day!) So with a small menu, you can guess there aren’t many vegan options: The Big-Ass Vegetarian, French Fries, Grilled Mushrooms, Onions, or Peppers are our only options.

The Big-Ass Vegetarian ($6) is vegan by default and starts with a wonderfully fresh ciabatta roll from Fleur De Lis Bakery, a few slices of thick Field Roast deli slices, and homemade French Fries. My first thought was that this was going to be too dry, but softness of the bread and the sogginess and grease of the French Fries showed me otherwise. The soggy French Fries outnumbered the Field Roast, in volume and taste 1 to 5, so it was much more like potato sandwich than anything else. I did enjoy the generous cut of the Field Roast, but I still couldn’t taste it much with the fries. On one visit I happened to get lucky and got to try it with the addition of Follow Your Heart Cheddar cheese slices on it. However, even with the generous amount of vegan cheese slices and the Field Roast, this sandwich didn’t hold up to the hype of the omni options.

The gut rot I experienced after eating my first Big-Ass Sandwich made me consider subbing the fries for some peppers, onions, and mushrooms for 50 cents each. So, for my third visit I opted to include grilled mushrooms and onions. This helped give the sandwich better flavor and texture to include more than two ingredients between the bread. However, for the 50 cent additional add-on for each, it made the sandwich more than I wanted to pay. And, I still got gut rot from the amount of oil.

So while I enjoy the idea and the passion behind the cart, I do not recommend vegans to visit Big-Ass Sandwiches for much more than their bread and soda pop made with cane sugar, unless you’re use to rich foods. For a better sandwich in the area, made specifically for vegans, check out The Peoples’ Sandwich of Portland.

Big-Ass Sandwich Vegetarian:

Big-Ass Vegetarian with grilled mushrooms and onions:

→ Leave a comment

Posted in SW, Sandwich, cart, late night, lunch, to go, webly

Hungry Tiger Too

Posted on March 25, 2010 by jess scone| 45 Comments

Updated 3/25/2010 Breaking News: Vegan Corn Dogs are now $1.25/each on Wednesday nights.

Hungry Tiger Too Brief Review (updated)
Overall	Service	Food Quality	Atmosphere	Vegan Options
9	9	8	9	10
Location: 207 SE 12th Ave Portland, OR 97214
Hours: M-F 11am-2am, weekends 9am-12am			Times Visited: So many!

Updated 12/11/2009 – New Daily Specials Menu –

I have experienced Tofufuffalo and thrown down my 40 cents a tofu wing.

And it is great. They have Spicy (Frank’s Red Hot style) and BBQ. At first I was digging the Spicy, but then BBQ won out. It seemed to be the overall favorite among my friends, but mingling the two was also quite popular. They’re basically strips of chewy, defrosted tofu, fried and smothered in sauce. Can’t go wrong there. Vegan ranch available for dipping! The new sensation has arrived.

UPDATED 8/24/09 – Menu Additions!

Years ago it was Paradox, but in the past year, Hungry Tiger Too has become my default “vegan diner” spot. I’m still sore over Paradox’s booth removal and expansion anyway, sorry!

Obviously, there’s a large separate vegan menu – the blue one. They’ve recently added home fries, a BBQ tempeh sandwich, a Portabello mushroom scramble, Rosemary tofu skewers and a couple other items.

I never consider the multiple boca burger options, but it’s cool to choose from sizable scrambles, greasy sides, sandwiches, salads and appetizers like nachos and the dear squash filled wontons, a full bar, $4 Mimosas, vegan friendly bloody Marys, and huge vegan pancakes for $3. It took me until this past weekend, appropriately after the Vegan Prom, to try one, and I’ve seen the light. They come as a side option to scrambles or $3 individually.

I know you can find corn cakes to drown in maple syrup in this town, and I like the wheat free Chai Blueberry pancake at Jam well enough, but I’m usually wary to order vegan pancakes. When I want pancakes, I want the eggy, fluffy pancakes from diners in New York that I grew up eating, not grainy corn cakes.

But here I am, recommending HT2′s fantastically giant vegan pancake, taking up an entire plate just like they do at real diners, with a lop of vegan margarine and a mini pitcher of maple syrup. I don’t know if it’s the real stuff, or even 50% real stuff, but it does its job. Can I please have a late night and then eat a pancake? Sure!

I’m not forgetting the whole fried corndog thing with $1 (all vegan!) corndog and Pabst night; I just don’t want to eat them. I do go for the fun of it every few weeks, squeezing into the bar or showing up early to grab a table on the restaurant side. One day a friend of mine will go for the glory to entertain me…

UPDATED 1/20/2009 – Quick Notes

The Hungry Tiger Too now has a regular menu, and a 2 page vegan menu. Wednesdays are $1 vegan corn dog nights! Fridays are $1 off vegan entree (excluding breakfasts). Happy hour offers cheap vegan and side dish selections, like $4 vegan nachos smothered in cheezy sauce.

Sandwiches now come with housemade chips or slaw, and fries or tots are extra. Sad, but true – and we hear good things about the chips.

The mac and cheeze is now $9.50 or so – and it hasn’t looked as cheezy as it used to. On the other hand, the nacho cheeze went from being an oily, not so flavorful sauce to being a more than decent cheezy sauce I’m willing to pay for.

Times Visited: Too Many to Count!

The Hungry Tiger Too is more evidence to the fact that SE Portland and Veganism are BFFs. It’s gaining notice for keys reasons – local ads mention “VEGAN OPTIONS”, it’s within a couple blocks of everyone’s favorite vegan mini mall, and it’s the new existence of the now defunct but popular Hungry Tiger dive bar on East Burnside.

One half of the establishment is a closed-off bar with smoking, while the other half is a restaurant. The restaurant is smoke free and minors are welcome until 7pm. The building itself is a large house, and there is additional seating on the back porch and out front. The restaurant has tables of varying size and booths. The walls of the restaurant are colorful murals of wildlife that prominently feature many appropriate tigers. Vibe wise, I get the feeling that if you dimmed the lights come evening at Cup & Saucer and added more liquor and vegan food, you’d get something similar.

The vegan friendliness is evident on the menu in appetizers, sandwiches, salads, and entrees. Many items are available vegan, sandwiches like the Ruben, (see Portland Vegan Reubens for more love!) and others are vegan by default, like the butternut squash wontons. Vegan friendly options are marked with a character on the menu, and it’s all over it. There is no fun cocktail list in the restaurant, but there are decently priced microbrews and hard cider. You can order from the full bar as well. Standard vegan-friendly appetizers of greasy tator tots, french fries, and crinkle cut fries are available anytime. During happy hour, they are all a dollar-off. Selected drinks are also discounted on designated days.

As for the food itself, let’s talk about the Mac & Cheeze.

Extra points: Bread crumbs, and the serving dish.

I realized with taking my first bite that it wasn’t cheezy, but I kept trying it and kept liking the meal. Non-nooch crazy vegans should check this out! At $8 (now $9.75) it was enough for two meals, and several bites for others to sample. Raves were heard all around. The only downside is the helping of bland, pre-mixed grilled veggies on the side, but like you have room for them anyway. Take them to go and feel a bit healthier with your leftovers.

Breakfast is served all day, and for us it breaks down to biscuits, gravy and tofu scramble. The tofu scramble comes with toast and potatoes. Word is out that it tastes like more than plain tofu, but that can’t be said for the tofu on the salads. The butternut squash wontons ($5) are a pleasing diversion from standard appetizers and potatoes. The filling is mild and sweet, the fried shell is crispy enough and the creamy coconut sauce is complemented nicely by the sporadic sprinkles of sweet chili sauce and spice on the wonton itself.

Sandwiches are offered with vegan mayo, tempeh, and fake bacon. On my most recent visit, the server recommended the vegan Club sandwich ($9). This packed sandwich of three slices of bread, peppered Tofurkey deli meat, store-bought tempeh bacon, tomato, green leaf lettuce, and vegan mayo was not on the menu yet, but should be soon. Served with a pile of deliciously hot tator tots and a pickle, a split sandwich and appetizer is enough to feed two decent appetites. If I had known the price before ordering I would have held off, but I’m glad I tried it. I’d order it again and take half home.

There’s such a comfortable atmosphere and friendly menu at the Hungry Tiger Too, that I was shocked to be one of two people in the restaurant recently. Meet your friends for dinner ASAP, because word will spread….

Mac and Cheeze with grilled veggies

Butternut Squash Wontons

Club Sandwich with Tots

Portland Scramble with hash browns and toast

Vegan BLT with Tots

Nachos

Rating: 3.75 out of 5
Address: 207 SE 12th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
Mon-Fri 11am-2am, Sat & Sun 7am-2am

http://tryveganpdx.com/restaurants/hungry-tiger-too/

→ 45 Comments

Posted in SE, bar food, breakfast, dinner, jess, lunch, updated

Tagged bar food, breakfast, dinner, fried food, lunch, sandwiches, SE

Green Wok

Posted on March 10, 2010 by jess scone| 13 Comments

Green Wok, Brief Review
Overall	Service	Food Quality	Atmosphere	Vegan Options
8.5	9	8.5	8	10
Location: 11137 SW Capitol Hwy Portland, OR 97219 503-246-1683
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am-9m, Fri-Sat 11am-10pm, Buffet lunch M-F			Times Visited: 5

Step inside of Green Wok, and it’s easy to believe you’re in countless other, identical Chinese restaurants around the US. The fond memory of predictable take out boxes and broccoli in brown sauce returns as you’re seated. The small restaurant is decorated with framed, traditional Chinese art prints, and I noticed the addition of cute kids’ drawings on my latest visit.

At Green Wok, there are no worries of chicken broth and worrisome questioning, as it’s all vegetarian. It’s entirely vegan outside of the crab rangoons. They added the option of Tofutti Cream cheese several months ago, but still have a dairy option available, to my understanding. Regardless of that exception, for those around SW Portland with a penchant for vegan Chinese food, congrats!

Odds are, you’ve been to the Vegetarian House downtown, and are wondering, what’s the difference? Why should I go to Green Wok on SW Capital Highway? After multiple visits, the bottom line is clear: the ingredients are fresher, the setting is that familiar Chinese restaurant (sorry, no gigantic Supreme Master TV), and the food packs so much more flavor. The weekday lunch buffet, which is announced full of suspense on their twitter, is simply put, supreme.

If you can make it on a weekday, you must try this vegan lunch buffet ($6.50/person). I’ve gone twice, and both times I’ve left satisfied and pissed off that it’s not available downtown. There are multiple hot items, including small and chewy soy chunks in a spicy Kung Pao sauce with dried chilis, standard Lo Mein noodles with vegetables, very tasty fried tofu squares and various vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce, ever more lightly sautéed vegetables, fried rice with tiny vegetables, and more, featuring rotations and new items. There is a daily soup, crispy wontons, hot spring rolls, tempura vegetables, and a few dipping sauces, available on the side table in reused Sriracha bottles. Buffets dishes are regularly refilled across the board, as opposed to slowly withering down. I tend to pass on the noodles, and opt for the humble fried rice with bits of carrot and peas. The tempura batter is light and noticeably non-traditional, but who’s going to complain about a tray of tempura asparagus? My other pass belongs to a daily hot and sour soup. It was underwhelmingly sour, but the rest of the lunch was awesome enough to make it a thing of the past. The daily soup changes anyway. Following their twitter, it usually appears to be broth-based with tofu. Overall, the variety and actual full-flavored sauces on their buffet are so enticing! Further enticement includes $2 off entrees during their lunch hours of 11am-2:30pm.

Outside of lunchtime, the entrée prices are pretty standard. They run from $6.95 to $13.95 for stir fried vegetables, noodles, fried chunks of bean curd, faux chicken, beef, pork, fish, and shrimp analogue selections. Their menu has the battered and sautéed meals you’re looking for, or have yet to consider. There’s deep fried Vegetarian Fish in Hot Bean Sauce, Sweet and Sour Vegetarian Pork, Twice Cooked Vegetarian Beef, Bean Curd Pockets with Napa Cabbage, and the popular Orange Chicken with real orange peels, to name a few intriguing choices. Pass on dishes in the chef’s white sauce, it’s sadly bland and does nothing for vegetables. Go with the tangy tomato instead, like in the very-well-cooked Broccoli in House Tangy Sauce ($8.95). You want to get your vegetables alongside a soy and gluten party! The entrees aren’t huge, and many do not come with an ample vegetable side.

I’ve sampled many dishes, and anything with crispy or sautéed, textured bean curd strips remains my go to order. Sesame Chicken ($10.95), in its battered, sweet sauced, sesame sprinkled glory, is hard to pass up, but the discovery of trying and sharing new dishes at Green Wok is harder to pass up. I’ve learned that Kung Pao Tofu($8.95) with peanuts, is literally soft tofu cubes, peanuts, in a generous, mildly spicy brown sauce. I was semi into it, but others were not. I have a big soft spot for well, soft tofu, but I can see the lack of textures putting people off. I don’t plan on ordering it again, but the restaurant remains an entertaining place to discover favorites – like the fairly spicy General Tso’s Chicken ($10.95), or the impressive, crispy Bean Curd Pockets with Greens ($13.95). The price tag is on the higher side, so go during lunch time for a chance of something similar on the buffet, or get more for your money, and taste buds, by sharing with friends. As for service, Green Wok’s staff is welcoming, prompt, and check mark – knowledgeable.

You know that one friend with a car? Gather a few friends, venture SW and dine family style at Green Wok. If you’re with a big group, I’d advise calling ahead to give them some time to put together a big table. As for bus-sing, it’s easy. Green Wok is right on the #44 (ring the bell as soon as you see the pho restaurant!) and a reasonable walk from the #12.

Test if you’re really a faux chicken fanatic, as opposed to a faux beef, or a sincere bean curd lover. If you like vegan Chinese food, there’s surely something that will win you over!

Lunch Buffet

Sesame Chicken

Bean Curd and Cabbage

Bean Curd and Vegetables

MooShu Vegetables

Pan-fried Dumplings

Tofu Hot Pot

Bird’s Nest

General Tso’s Chicken

Kung Pao Tofu

Orange Chicken

Broccoli in Tangy Sauce

Mixed Vegetables and Tofu

Exterior

→ 13 Comments

Posted in SW, all vegan, all vegetarian, buffet, chinese, dinner, favorites, jess, lunch, to go

Tagged buffet

Sweet Lemon Vegetarian Bistro

Posted on March 4, 2010 by fueledbypopcorn| 3 Comments

Sweet Lemon Vegetarian Bistro, Brief Review
Overall	Service	Food Quality	Atmosphere	Vegan Options
9	10	8	8	10
Location: 4888 NW Bethany Blvd., K6 Portland, OR 97229 503-617-1419
Hours: M-F 11am-8pm Sat. 12-8pm Sun. Closed			Times Visited: 2

You may be familiar with Sweet Lemon by their wraps at Food Fight, or their appearance at VegFest. If you were not aware of their west-side restaurant, go there now! And if you knew about their restaurant but never went, shame on you, and go there now!

There’s a common saying on the wall of the café, “Enter as guests, leave as friends,” This is not just a cute saying, the owners are friendly, want to know about you, and want to share themselves. They understand most Portland area vegans live in Portland proper and travel a good distance to visit their Bistro, so their food must be that much better to make the drive or bus trip to Bethany Village.

Sweet Lemon Vegetarian Bistro is located in a strip mall, which is an unassuming place for a vegan restaurant. The small café is brightly painted and several small tables are scattered through-out. The small two-person tables makes gathering in large groups or ordering a large amount of food difficult.

The all vegan, pan-Asian menu will suit any party – faux meat, tofu, appetizers, soups, wraps, salads, noodle or rice bowls, and sweets. While I have not tried the wraps or cakes, everything else has been not only delicious, but reasonably priced. A dinner for two ran $21 for tea, appetizers, and two entrees.

Most faux meat products are served with a heavy lemongrass dressing. In fact, the flavor is so strong that there’s not much difference between the Heavenly Kabob or the Dancing Drum Stick faux meat appetizers. The pan-fried kabob soy protein chunks are served on a skewer and basted with a strong ginger and lemongrass sauce on top lettuce and accompanying ginger shredded carrots. The soy shaped drum sticks have a lemongrass stick inside them and a crispy exterior with the same sauce. If you’re not a fan of lemongrass I suggest avoiding these plates.

As a big fan of Mo Shoo, I ordered Mama’s Mo Shoo as a main dish, instead of an appetizer. This dish is definitely different from the traditional dish. It is wrapped in rice paper, like a summer roll and served with peanut sauce. The vegetables were all finely cooked, without the runny sauce, which often accompanies this dish. While I enjoyed the wrap it wasn’t the typical Mo Shoo I had expected since I was looking forward to the tangy plum sauce. However, the pancake held together while dipping into the sweet and spicy peanut sauce.

The Pad Thai tastes like the more common sweet and tangy rice noodle version with various vegetables and sliced and fried tofu. The sweet and spicy curry was more than enough for one person and served with cute brown rice logs. The rice logs were nothing special, just a different way to present and garnish the dish. These little details to the dishes really make Sweet Lemon stand out.

The Noble Noodles was one of my favorite entrees sampled. The meal is much more like a traditional Vietnamese bun served with lemonglass glazed soy chicken, lettuce, carrots, bean sprouts, and peanuts, all over rice noodles with a light ginger dressing on the side. While the meal appeared simple in terms of ingredients, the combination of the lemon ginger soy chicken and the ginger dressing, the flavors carried through. Thankfully, these are only a few of the many dishes available at Sweet Lemon, because it gives me a good reason to go back and try more dishes, like the house baked cakes!

The vegans of Bethany must be very excited to have this all vegan restaurant in their backyard. Sweet Lemon is one of many vegetarian restaurants in Portland that spread the message of the Supreme Master. Whatever your reason for visiting, location, the message, or the all vegan kitchen, you will be happy to enjoy fresh food made with delicious sauces, and served with love.

Exterior: