Recently hit Chinatown’s Ping for some post-work drinks and snackables.

Bellied up to the counter/bar, where I prefer eating. At Ping you might smell like a combination of smoke and fish sauce when you leave, though.

Ping features excellent skewered meat. A round was ordered. At Ping the skewered meat is priced per skewer, but you have to order a minimum of two. This has always been their policy, even since I first visited Ping a little over a year ago during its Grand Opening week. Apparently the two skewer minimum is a problem for some people. Why don’t they just say there’s two to an order and double the price? I thought about this long and hard over the last year, and then it occurred to me. With this policy, you can order three! or Five! Or Seven!!!

lamb satay skewer: malaysian satay with peanut sauce. ($2.50/ea)

bbq beef skewer: with pineapple & chili, sweet soy, pepper and fish sauce. ($2.50/ea)

baby-octopus skewer: marinated in lime, chilies, garlic, fish sauce and cilantro. ($3.50/ea)

house-made fish ball skewer: thai-style, dipped in sweet chili sauce. ($2.50/ea)

Everthing was oh so flavorful and tasty. Like food. Aggressively seasoned. Made with ingredients. So another round was ordered.

To mix up the protein, a decision was made to introduce a bit of green. Something to modulate this gut carpet-bombing campaign.

nonya-style greeen beans: in spicy coconut curry and fried shallots. ($8). NOTE: this is just an a la carte dish. No two order minimum. Though I would order two because they are tasty and toothsome.

beef satay skewer. malaysian satay with peanut sauce. ($2.50/ea)

We had the lamb already…why not the beef? I am an equal opportunity, craven consumer of ungulate flesh, especially that of the artiodactyl. I assume one day I shall explore perissodactyls with the zeal and attention they deserve.

quail egg skewer: wrapped in bacon, with spicy mayo sauce. ($2.75/ea)

It is my contention that if you ate these with every meal every day for the rest of your life you would die happy and stupid and soon.

A salted plum collins and a couple Tiger beers rounded things out.

And because I’m a masochist who actively sabotages his lower gastrointestinal tract, another couple deliciously incendiary skewers of the spicy baby octopus made their way to our countertop. Much to the displeasure of my anus the next morning. Don’t hate the playa; hate the game.

Ping

102 Northwest 4th Avenue
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 229-7464

Ping on THE WORLD WIDE WEB

pdx PLATE
Portlandfood.org
BB has been here…
and Lizzy has been here…
and so has the Fearless Critic