Filipinos are the second-largest Asian-American group in the United States, but in cities like Portland with a smaller population of Filipino Americans, the density of Pinoy restaurants is often dwarfed by other Southeast Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese. Those unfamiliar with the cuisine and the city’s restaurants, however, are missing out: From the salty tang of adobo to the sweet-and-buttery swirl of a fresh-baked ensaymada, Pinoy cuisine balances salty, sweet, and sour, often with a hint of welcome bitterness.
While we might lack an extensive Filipino dining scene — meaning much of the food is made in home kitchens as opposed to restaurants — Portland’s Pinoy offerings have been growing exponentially in recent years. More and more pop-ups have emerged selling Filipino fare, like the chicken adobo pot pies at Allie G’s Pastries, ube butter mochi at Halo Halo, and the tasting menu at Tikim. Pop-ups like Leslie’s Lumpia now selling frozen ube and veggie lumpia in grocery store freezer aisles. And thanks to the cross-cultural nature of Filipino cuisine, Hawaiian spots like Grind Wit Tryz often have favorites like sweet Filipino spaghetti on the menu. In true Portland style, Filipino chefs don’t shy from tweaking tradition, drenching fries in kare kare or stuffing smoked brisket into golden-fried lumpia. This map isn’t ranked; rather, it’s organized geographically.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.
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