By Sylke
Ok, I am not a foodie, nor do I try to pass myself as a foodie, but I have to say that I love food! I cannot cook - and I don't have the patience for it - so I eat out... a lot. So, I thought I would share my non-foodie views on some of my favorite dining spots in Washington County.
First and foremost, I must make a public declaration: I love sushi. There are so many fantastic sushi places in Washington County, and whittling them down to only a couple of spots is extremely difficult, but here it goes.
Syun, located in downtown Hillsboro (just a couple of blocks from the MAX light rail), is fantastic. The authentic Japanese restaurant makes many "best-of" lists, and after one taste, it's easy to see why it continually ranks among the best sushi places in the Portland Metro area. Good selection, fresh fish.
Hakatamon, located next to Uwajimaya in Beaverton, is also a fantastic place to get great sushi. It is always busy, the food is amazing. This is one place where you definitely will not leave hungry. The best bang for the buck is definitely at Hakatamon, where many entrees, including sushi, include miso soup and salad. Yum.
I can't talk about sushi without mentioning Mio Sushi, in Beaverton, which has a baked sushi-like dish called, sushi pizza. No, it's not fish and wasabi on a pizza crust, it's a very filling - and very satisfying - mixture of fish topped onto seaweed and baked. Delicious!
After sushi, my second favorite type of food is Greek. When Greek Cuisina opened a new cafe in Tualatin, I couldn't contain my excitement. Unlike the original restaurant in downtown Portland, Tualatin's Greek Cuisina has a more casual atmosphere. However, the menu is very similar, and includes my personal favorite dishes: gyros and spanokopita. It's very festive, especially if someone is celebrating a birthday. Ouzo, anyone? Opa!
One restaurant that I want to get back to, and soon, is Cafe Allegro, one of Tigard's best-kept secrets. I recently went there with a colleague, who is a regular of the cafe and recommended it for lunch. The menu has a wide variety of Italian specialties, from traditional Italian pasta dishes and risotto to Panini and spinach sautes. Luckily for me, they have take out, which can be a girl's best friend.
There are so many places to check out, and I've only hit the surface. I'm thinking barbecue for dinner tonight...