My First (Official) Meal in Portland: Bollywood Theater

As many of you may know, I traveled to Portland quite a bit and tested out the foodie scene rather extensively prior to moving here. Each trip I planned for myself was full of food. Literally. I'd find out about a new vegan bakery or artisan ice cream shop and plan my life around making sure I tried a few goodies during my stay. When I'd return home, I'd follow Portland restaurant news feeds and blogs to make sure I was on the up-and-up with anything new in store to put on my "must go there" list. Well you can be sure that the moment I found out about this place, I about died.

The Bollywood Theater. 

I am an avid admirer in all spectrums of Indian culture. Beliefs, culture, etiquette, language, religion, cuisine, the spices, colors, decor, clothing, lifestyle... you name it. It is on the top of my places to visit list. So when I can get a little taste of just a few of those things in the meantime in a place like this without having to travel thousands of miles, I'm all over it. Upscale Indian street comfort food, colorful walls and imagery, mis-matched furniture with character and rustic design, foreign Bollywood film and shrines are what make this place like a little piece of heaven. 

So when my boyfriend said we were going to go out to dinner here my first real official night of being a "Portlander", I was ecstatic. 

We ordered a variety of different dishes to get a well-rounded sense of the place. First was this, the chicken curry.

Everything is subtly spiced, not overdone, and balanced in every sense. The paratha was my absolute favorite... I could get enough. 

This was, by far, my favorite thing of all. The Kati Wrap filled with paneer, egg, pickled onion, and green chutney rolled in a paratha. I was totally in heaven. I could have just ordered that and been happy.

I'm a true beet lover in every sense of the word, so I was mostly looking forward to trying this dish. I have no idea how they did it, but the presentation and taste was exquisite. The extra touch of sauteed mustard seeds was perfect. 

I heard much about this, the Pimm's Cup. I'd never tried Pimm's before and figured this was the perfect time to satisfy that curiosity. Ginger syrup, lemon juice, cucumber juice, and a splash of soda water is what made this a perfect accompaniment to the meal. 

What a wonderful way to start off my celebratory move to Portland. I'm so glad it began like this.