Vegan Chinese. Or, how I learned to love the atomic bomb.

Once upon a time, when my sister and I were little, we would get to go to these large family get-togethers at the only Chinese place near our rural home, Silver Dragon in good ole Battle Ground. The group would get the family dinners and my sister and I would dare each other to dip our food in the spicy mustard. I may have dreamed of working there. I also have fond memories of eating Chinese after my first move out of my mother's house, sitting in the middle of the floor, surrounded by boxes and good friends.

Beings as this is Portland, vegan Chinese isn't hard to get. We have Vegetarian House in Chinatown, the place that I first learned that Orange Chicken, one of my most favorite foods in the world, was possible in a vegetarian state. However, if I'm not in the middle of my once a week paper route, I'm not going downtown. When I moved to SW, I swore that I would visit Green Wok, a mere mile from my house.

And visit we did. Jeff and I hit up the lunch buffet, a smorgasboard of all-you-can-eat starchy goodness for $6.50 on weekdays. If I were still working a full time day job, I wouldn't be able to try it out. LUCKY ME, I'm underemployed and my school is so very close AND I have ample to time to stop in and have lunch.....

Behold, visual stylings of a buffet Chinese lunch:

"Egg" roll, chow mein (my 2nd most favorite Chinese dish) and fried rice hiding in the back

Cute l'il bok choy, some kind of tofu-mushroom dish

Beef deliciousness, tempura broccoli

As Gwen Stefani regrettably sang "this sh*t is bananas" and so, so worth the very low price tag. I couldn't help dipping my "egg" roll in spicy mustard. Y'know, it's not so spicy when you're an adult.