Bing Mi

By Matthew Korfhage

Southwest 9th Avenue and Alder Street, bingmiportland.com. Breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday, lunch Saturday.

Jian bing is the quintessential Chinese street food, found on every Northern roadside—but until now, nowhere in Portland. They're mung-bean-and-millet crepes folded around a riot of ferment and sweet heat: Black bean and chili pastes mingle with herbs, pickled bamboo and mushroom, and an optional sweet plum sauce that I heartily recommend. The real piece of genius, though, is that big brick of wonton cracker and its deeply rewarding crunch. Jian bing ($6.50) is the only thing on the menu, and they're flat-out fantastic, whether with or without the sweet Chinese sausage you can tack on for a buck. Indeed, the meat texture is a bit of a fifth wheel amid the already bustling party of flavors.

Check out the Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

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Matthew Korfhage

Matthew Korfhage

Matthew Korfhage has lived in St. Louis, Chicago, Munich and Bordeaux, but comes from Portland, where he makes guides to the city and writes about food, booze and books. He likes the Oxford comma but can't use it in the newspaper.

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