| Stretch the Noodle | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The food cart in 2023 | |
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | May 2016 |
| Owner(s) |
|
| Food type | Chinese [1] |
| City | Portland |
| State | Oregon |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 97204 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 45°30′58″N122°40′27″W / 45.5160°N 122.6743°W |
| Website | stretch-the-noodle |
Stretch the Noodle is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Stretch the Noodle, most known for serving Chinese-style hand-stretched noodles, operates from a food cart in downtown Portland's Midtown Beer Garden, [2] and previously elsewhere near the Morrison Bridge. [3] In 2018, Andrea Damewood of the Portland Mercury described Stretch the Noodle as an "unassuming cart with a chalkboard menu and a small speaker playing tinny Chinese music on Southwest Washington". [4] The pale yellow food cart has hand-pulled noodle illustrations on the side. [5]
The chao mian has fried Ota tofu, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, and onions. [6] Various noodle options also include chili oil, herbs, and minced pork as ingredients. Beef soup, Chinese crepes ( jianbing), [4] dumplings (including pork and shrimp), and stir fries have also been on the menu. [7] [8] The la mian noodles in Sichuan beef soup has braised beef, bok choy, and a broth of five-spice powder and simmered bones. [4]
Xuemei Simard, who studied the technique of noodle pulling, [9] is a co-owner with her husband Duane. [6] The business was established in May 2016. In May 2023, the couple announced plans to retire. The food cart, equipment, recipes, and 30 days of training were listed for sale for $80,000. [10] The cart operates at the Midtown Beer Garden, as of August 2023. [11]
In 2018, Michael Russell of The Oregonian included Stretch the Noodle in a list of "Portland's best new food carts", [12] and ranked the restaurant number four in the newspaper's list of "Portland's best hand-pulled noodles". [5] In 2019, the Portland Mercury included Stretch the Noodle in a list of the city's 50 best multicultural restaurants and food carts, [13] and Time Out's Jen Woo included the business in an overview of "the best food trucks in Portland to get your grub on". [14]
Jenni Moore of Eater Portland included the chao mian in a 2020 list of 13 "standout" vegetarian meals in Portland. [6] The website's staff included Stretch the Noodle in a 2021 overview "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland", [7] and Nick Woo and Brooke Jackson-Glidden included the business in a 2022 "Guide to Portland's Most Outstanding Food Carts". [8] The business was also included in Eater Portland's 2022 overview of "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland". [15]
The Vancouver Sun's Dave Pottinger recommended Stretch the Noodle as a Portland eatery in his 2021 overview of reasons to visit Oregon. He said the restaurant's noodles "are so popular they attract a steady line". [16] Katherine Chew Hamilton of Portland Monthly included Stretch the Noodle for lunch in northwest Portland. [17] Zuri Anderson ranked the business number four in iHeart's 2022 list of the highest-rated Portland restaurants for cheap eats. [18]
Swank and Swine is the collective name of the former restaurant Swank and the bar Swine, located in Portland, Oregon's Paramount Hotel, in the United States. Swank was rebranded as Taylor Street Tavern in 2022.
Portland Mercado is a collection of food carts in Portland, Oregon, United States. The carts are located in Southeast Portland's Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood, at the border of Foster-Powell.
Rose VL Deli is a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Maurice is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Master Kong is a Chinese restaurant with two locations in Portland, Oregon.
Jojo is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Established by Justin Hintze in 2018, the business operates in southeast Portland's Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood and northwest Portland's Pearl District.
Bistro Agnes was a French restaurant in Portland, Oregon, United States. It was owned by chefs Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, opened in January 2018 and garnered a positive reception. The Oregonian and Portland Mercury included Bistro Agnes in lists of the city's best news restaurants, and Condé Nast Traveler included it in a list of Portland's 21 best. After temporarily closing during the COVID-19 pandemic, in January 2022, the owners confirmed the closure would be permanent.
Erica's Soul Food is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Yonder was a Southern restaurant in Portland, Oregon. Chef Maya Lovelace opened Yonder in northeast Portland's Cully neighborhood in 2019. The business was named one of the city's ten best new restaurants of 2019 by The Oregonian and was featured on an episode of the Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2020. Yonder closed on June 26, 2022, when Lovelace converted the space into Hissyfit.
Bing Mi is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The original food cart specializes in the Chinese street food jianbing. The brick and mortar Bing Mi Dumpling and Noodle Bar opened in 2022 and focuses on Northern Chinese noodles and dumplings.
Toki is a Korean restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Birrieria La Plaza is a Mexican restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Initially operating from a food cart in southeast Portland, the business has announced plans to add a brick and mortar and a stall at Block 216.
Top Burmese is a small chain of restaurants serving Burmese cuisine in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, in the United States. Owners Kalvin and Poe Myint started the business in 2019. There are three locations in addition to the original restaurant on 21st Avenue in northwest Portland's Northwest District: Top Burmese Bistro Royale has operated in Beaverton since 2020, Top Burmese Burma Joy opened on 23rd Avenue in the Northwest District in 2021, and Top Burmese Ambassador opened in Hillsboro in 2022. Top Burmese branch off beyond Burmese Cuisine with Old Asia Bistro & Tea House slated to open in Beaverton in 2023.
Shanghai's Best is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon. The business operates from the Pine Street Market, as of 2022, and has previously operated from Portland's Alder Street food cart pod and in Salem.
Hanoi Kitchen is a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Matta is a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Kenny's Noodle House is a Chinese restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Phở Kim is a Vietnamese restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
Hapa PDX is a restaurant in Portland, Oregon.
The Southwest 5th Avenue food cart pod is a group of food carts in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Following an update and renovation in 2023, the pod became known as Midtown Beer Garden.
