Vy Chao chalks it up to 'user error,' pointing out how they would hunt after finishing work, during traditional American dinner hours. At the time, locals mainly ate paella for lunch; the versions served at dinner were usually made for tourists. But on a return trip last year they found better luck, and paella, noting that the city had adapted to tourists' dining habits.
If Portland's Thai food scene wasn't exemplary enough, January saw an impressive expansion with the opening of two restaurants: one returning and one brand-new. The first, in early January, was the welcome reopening of Yui, a beloved mom-and-daughter spot with a tight, focused menu of Thai staples and rarely seen dishes. After a few itinerant years as a pop-up, Yui has settled into a spacious dining hall on SE Belmont Street, formerly home to sushi and ramen restaurant Musashi's.
A new Mexican restaurant has taken root downtown, right near PSU and the South Park Blocks. Madrina, which opened in late August, offers lunchtime staples like tacos, burritos, and quesadillas in its informal mercadito-themed space during the day. At night, Madrina's neighboring dining room opens for dinner, with hearty plates like cochinita pibil and pollo rostizado, plus a wine list composed entirely of Latina winemakers from the Willamette Valley.
