Today is Chinese New Year and I drove down to Portland to spend the day with one of my good friends Vanessa in the best Chinatown in the Pacific Northwest.
We started our day with lunch at Stretch the Noodle at the food cart pod in downtown Portland. This food truck is known for its traditional hand-stretched noodles and spicy sauce that packs a flavorful punch. Despite the cold from the weather this meal infused me with warmth from the inside out.
We followed this by visiting the Lan Su Chinese Garden which was decorated for the occasion with lanterns, floating dragons, and a wishing tree. They had music and theatre performances from children and professional traditional artists. We took a couple of hours to observe a traditional tea ceremony in the tea house, enjoy the music, and have a respite from the brittle cold outside. This is the best tea house I have ever been to and everything I have ever tried has been beyond reproach and incredibly delicious. The tea is fresh, made from real leaves, and stands head and shoulders over the flavors you might be able to accomplish with a bagged tea in your grocery aisle.
We finished off our day by exploring Powell’s Books and finding a hidden corner to read a few chapters of our newfound pleasures.
After our day of delicious food and good books we headed home to Tacoma before school the next day.