The second day of our trip began with a continental breakfast at the hotel’s lounge. Fresh pastries, bagels, fresh orange and grape juice, good coffee… buffet style. I’m not a big fan of the “all you can eat” deal because it makes me eat more then I need, especially when fresh and made-just-right (not too sweet, not too greasy, not soggy, not stale) pastries are involved. Oh boy, in that case, I can be unstoppable.
After breakfast we headed to the Japanese Gardens.
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It’s gorgeous but it was pretty cold that day, and mostly rainy, so we finished touring it in 1-1/2 hours while the rain took a break. After that we went to the big kiddies playground that’s near by the Gardens (there’s a beautiful rose garden as well only a few steps away), but the rain started 15 minutes after we got there, so we ran back to the car.
It was time for lunch anyway.
The bakery we went to for lunch was only OK. The sandwiches half empty (mostly bread, very skimpy on the fillings; we ordered egg salad, deli meat and cheese), the coffee sour, the service… meh, so-so. But the chocolate macaron was good
and someone was happy about it
Since it was cold and rainy and windy, we went back for a little rest time before dinner.
Happy hour at Oba was indeed happy although, sadly, the legendary fried rice was taken off the menu which has changed only very recently. Hmmf.
But a ginger mint martini made me re-happy. Suburban cowboy drank a grapefruit rickey cocktail (vodka with elderflower liqueur, lime and grapefruit juice); I had that the night before. Yes, we ate there twice!
The Beef tostones were a party in the mouth. The corn tortillas were awesome with a real corn flavor and delicate texture, unlike the plasticy ones you get when you buy them at the grocery store, with lots of condiments on top like cheese, avocado (I think it was guacamole), peppers and red onion.
The mesquite-grilled corn, although not in season, was good, moist and soft. We love corn.
The chicken tortilla soup, a classic Mexican soup, was excellent with crunchy tortilla strips
The crispy coconut prawns were disappointing (skinny and not very flavorful shrimp) and so was the black bean hummus (but this might be a matter of taste. We thought it was too cumin-y).
Also disappointing were the kids food choices. The only thing they were willing to eat was… cheese quesadillas with some sour cream and chicken. See the ones with the greens specs? Junior did not want to touch them and we had to return them to the kitchen and get new green-less ones. I do hope/believe they will grow out of it eventually.
But everyone was happy. iOba has a fun atmosphere and a party-like ambiance. The Latin music they play can be heard from the street and it lures you in, whether you planned to go there or not,
It just made me want to dance. And, 2 little people were spotted dancing outside after dinner
and then, we went back to our hotel. It was time for a bed-time story and “Gay Schluffen” (means Go to Sleep)
To summarize this day, besides visiting the Japanese Gardens, Day #2 felt as if it was mainly about eating.
Tags : Family, kids, Oba, Oregon, Portland, travel, trip
Categories : Family, Seattle/Pacific NW
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6 Comments
Midgetkeeper
April 9th, 2010 at 05:23
You have such a beautiful family! Now I want to make tostones for dinner.
.-= Midgetkeeper´s last blog ..Familly Meals: My go to quick meals =-.
Katrina
April 9th, 2010 at 06:11
Looks like you all had a blast! Thanks for sharing your vacation with the rest of us!
.-= Katrina´s last blog ..You Want Pies with That? =-.
sosoclever
April 9th, 2010 at 08:00
If you ever come to Rockford, Illinois, you must visit the Anderson Japanese Gardens (http://andersongardens.org/). It’s absolutely beautiful (your pictures remind me of it a lot!), and one of our favorite places to go for an afternoon.
Why is it that little kids look cute with chocolate smeared all over their faces, but if we tried that, we’d just look messy?
.-= sosoclever´s last blog ..In the works =-.
Meera
April 9th, 2010 at 19:54
The gardens looked beautiful. Sounds like a good trip.
Simone
April 10th, 2010 at 15:34
I love Portland.. I have been there many times when still working for Nike and i always loved it there. Great shots of your lunch and of the family!!
.-= Simone´s last blog ..Daring Bakers; Orange Tian =-.
Nurit - 1 family. friendly. food.
April 13th, 2010 at 22:30
Not just messy, totally ridiculous.