With Mom visiting we set out to dinner – she wanted to treat us. We started out for the mysteriously never too busy Bar Carlo (Google Listings) which has great food and somehow no crowds of diners enjoying the tastes. Being Sunday night it was dark. We turned around on Foster and headed toward Hawthorne with an idea of hitting an Indian restaurant downtown or maybe Kenny and Zukes. After a couple of blocks Jennifer asked “How about that Filipino place?” “What?” I wondered. But turn around I did. We soon walked through the door of Tambayan.
Would you like atmosphere with that? The owner’s daughter and two friends were at one table doing homework and having dinner. At another eight people, most in “Tambayan” shirts, were passing around a karaoke microphone and singing, sometimes in English, sometimes in Tagalog. It felt like we weren’t in Portland anymore, we were on vacation someplace far, far away. It was the off season and the locals were no longer weary of tourists.
The menu featured unfamiliar dishes so I was filled with happy anticipation of new tastes. Although the menu was very meat oriented Jennifer had no problem finding dishes for her vegetarian tastes, especially when she spied garlic rice. She got a tofu and vegetable stir fry. I settled on a beef tamarind soup. My mom had a tomato/chili based beef stew. A side of Filipino sausages and spring rolls were ordered for appetizers. (I apologize for not taking notes and getting the names of the dishes.)
Was it more fun to eat or watch and listen to the karaoke? Eat. The food was wonderful. Spices nicely balanced, the garlic rice full of fried garlic flavor, the vegetables fresh. Before we left another couple of tables arrived and I saw many dishes delivered to the tables that I wish to return and sample.
Of course, I grabbed the check. You can’t let a retired widow pay for the dinner of her working son and his employed wife.
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