Aromatic pandan leaves have found a place in kitchens across Portland, from pop-up bakeries to Indonesian restaurants. Even if diners might not recognize pandan by sight, they might be familiar with the distinctive scent that’s like a cross between fragrant jasmine rice and an herbal vanilla.
For years, pandan has subtly flavored the tap water served at Pok Pok and perfumed the rice used in Nong’s khao man gai. But more often than not, pandan is the culprit in many vibrantly green sweets in the Southeast Asian canon—from Malaysia’s ais kacang to steamed Vietnamese layer cakes. Locally, the ingredient has popped-up in HeyDay’s nonya kaya doughnuts (as well as Portland’s other two mochi doughnut offerings), Canard’s “Wings of Liberty” cocktail, and many more places, both traditional and otherwise. This map focuses on desserts made with pandan. Have a favorite not on this list? Feel free to sound off in the comments.
A number of Portland restaurants have resumed dine-in service. The level of service offered is indicated on each map point. However, this should not be taken as endorsement for dining in, as there are still safety concerns: for updated information on coronavirus cases in your area, please visit the Oregon Health Authority’s COVID update page. Studies indicate that there is a lower exposure risk when outdoors, but the level of risk involved with patio dining is contingent on restaurants following strict social distancing and other safety guidelines.
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