Quick Hits: Jade Teahouse and Ned Ludd

Ever since my brother moved his wine shop, Vino, from its decade-long home in Sellwood to a new (and awesome) location on 28th Avenue, I've been neglecting my haunts in the old neighborhood. One in particular, Jade Bistro, would spring to mind whenever I was craving a warming soup, a great banh mi or one of Lucy Eklund's stunning pastries. I returned a couple of weeks ago to find April, Lucy's daughter, smiling at me behind the counter despite my absence (which made me feel even guiltier) and Josh Chang working his magic with the mysterious, shining tower of tea tins behind the counter. Friends and I shared a big bowl of Lucy's rich, flavorful soup, billowing clouds of fragrant steam, the toothy handmade noodles giving testimony to what makes this place so special. We also split a spice-infused steamed chicken and a pork and eggplant concoction that reminded me how much I love purple ovoids, especially in Asian preparations. And of course we had to have a piece or two of Lucy's irresistible green Vietnamese wedding cake to take with us. As God is my witness, I swear that even without a case of wine to pick up, I'll be going back again soon.

Details: Jade Bistro, 7912 SE 13th Ave. 503-477-8985.

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For me, there's no better sign when walking into a restaurant than to see the chef butchering a pig just as service is starting. I mean, it really doesn't get fresher or more hands-on than that, does it? And sure enough, that's what Ned Ludd chef and owner Jason French was doing the other evening as I walked in with friends. Fortunately he did put down his very sharp knife long enough for a hug, but picked it right up again as we took our seats. Though I consider Ned Ludd to be one of my favorite places in town for a great meal, it had been awhile (yes, there's a theme here) since I'd been in. I'm happy to report that the service continues to be solid and the food is still stellar, all of it (well, except for the cold plates) coming from the glowing wood-fired oven that's front and center in the dining room. From the puffy warm flatbreads to the everything-made-in-house meat board to the pork, trout and amazing seasonal vegetable offerings, this place rocks my world every time. And with great cocktails and a very reasonably priced (and well-curated) wine list, it's easy to order a beverage that will complement the food perfectly. This place literally glows from the inside, and not just because of the fire in the oven…it's a genuinely friendly, completely Portland kind of place that draws you in with open arms.

Details: Ned Ludd, 3925 NE Martin Luther King Blvd. 503-288-6900.

A Jewel in Sellwood

Excuses. We've all got 'em. "Don't have time" is one of my regulars. "Slipped my mind" is becoming alarmingly frequent and, alas, all too true. "Had to answer an e-mail" slips in with startling regularity, too.

Such was the case when Dave and I had errands to run on the west side of the river and found ourselves peckish. Without a decent place to eat in sight, we opted to drive across the notoriously wibbly wobbly Sellwood Bridge and stop in at Jade Teahouse. That's when the cascade of excuses poured forth.

You see, Jade has been near or at the top of the list of my very favorite places since April Eklund (on right in photo at left) and her immensely talented mother, Cuong "Lucy" Eklund, opened it in October of 2008. Pretty soon April's exquisite design sense coupled with her mother's training as a chef and patissier in France, not to mention the handmade noodles, breads and pastries pouring out of Lucy's kitchen, made it an instant hit. And when PDXploration blogger Joshua Chang joined the team with his extensive knowledge and love for blended teas, as well as a killer smile and can-do attitude, things heated up even more.

But, and here's where the excuses come in, I hadn't been there in awhile and nothing gets past Lucy's eagle eye. So after her usual warm greeting, she very tactfully mentioned my absence from the lunch counter. Gulp. "Well…um…uh…" and brought up my brother's wine shop moving out of the neighborhood, the holidays, work, dragons, fires, floods.

Needless to say, Lucy just smiled and brought out her homemade roasted chile oil to go with my khao soi (top photo), a bowl of deeply flavorful broth filled with ground pork, tomatoes, chopped greens and some of Lucy's crazily light and luscious wide noodles. Dave opted for the beef and squash in red curry broth, another perfect combination and an ideal antidote to the wet, cold day outside.

Sufficiently fortified, we said our goodbyes and headed home, swearing to return soon despite work, holidays or dragons. Really.

Details: Jade Teahouse and Patisserie, 7912 S.E. 13th Ave. 503-477-8985.

A Gem Sparkles in Sellwood

It happened right in the middle of slurping a steaming bowl of noodle soup. Not that I couldn't have been anyplace doing just about anything, since the feeling comes over me all the time. It could be my friend Kathryn who simply must go to a particular gift shop tucked away in a downtown highrise. Or a bar that my brother (ha!) hadn't yet managed to find and blog about. But in this case I instantly knew I had to take my son to have a bowl of the steaming deliciousness.

In this case the must-share discovery was a little noodle shop in Sellwood where April Eklund (on right in photo at left) and her immensely talented mother, Cuong "Lucy" Eklund, have opened Jade Teahouse. Lucy bakes the bread for the banh mi sandwiches and makes the noodles for the udon and rice noodle soup fresh every morning. She also bakes all the picture-perfect desserts in the display case that look as though they've come straight out of a shop on the Ile Saint-Louis.

The Jade version of banh mi (right) is reason enough to go, with chewy, golden baguettes stuffed with thick slices of barbecued pork and the requisite pickled daikon and carrot with sprigs of cilantro. Need I mention that Lucy makes the sweetly tart pickles, too? And if pork doesn't ring your bell, they also have drunken chicken, tofu, turkey and Vietnamese meatball versions of these tasty sandwiches.

But the soups are what really shine here. We had the udon rice noodle soup with chicken and shrimp (left), the noodles thick and toothsome with plenty of chicken and large pink curled shrimp playing hide-and-seek in the broth, the crispy fried onions sprinkled on top that give an extra depth to the whole dish.

My wonton soup with spinach, pork and shrimp (top photo) blew me away with the tender, almost ethereal noodles enclosing a succulent bit of ground meat. The dumplings floated in the broth almost like some kind of sea creatures waiting to be brought to the surface. I've always wanted to try the Chinese specialty called xiaolongbao or soup dumpling which, when you bite into one, squirts out an incandescently flavorful broth surrounding its meaty center. Jade's wontons seem almost as luscious, and the baby spinach and those crispy onions make this an entirely satisfying meal.

So gather up your posse and head over to this little jewel. After all, what are friends for but to share with?

Details: Jade Teahouse & Patisserie, 7912 S.E. 13th Ave. 503-477-8985.