Cowboys Met Geishas Last Night As Yelp Elites Partied At Tasting East!

"Cowboys and geishas... a match made in heaven!" Thanks Lisa S, we couldn't have put it better, as evidenced by Yelp's East Meets West Event on Tuesday, july 10, 2012 at Tasting East. This elites-only event saw 60 PDXYelpers cowboy up or get decked in their Asian best while sipping on tasty cocktails, cold brews and tasty Asian street food.  

Like a Jackie Chan western, this elite event was all about western cowboy style mixed with a little Asian Persuasion. Tasting East opened up their bar with a spread of delicious street eats including Street Cauliflower, Arabiki Curry Dogs, 9-Flavor Chicken, Bacon Basil Fried Rice, Pork Belly Baga and a variety of Sushi Rolls. The food kept coming and coming as Yelpers mixed and mingled in their daring get-ups to the tunes of decidedly western 80's music. 

To wash down all that tasty grub, the bartenders from TE:Bar mixed up tasty cocktials with Vinn Distilling Rice Vodka and Baijiu. As Kristin M describes: "The 'Passion' was served in a tall glass with mint and blueberry, this drink reminded me of a mojito. The 'Fire of the Heart' was a unique cocktail involving Thai chili peppers infused in your drink (as well as garnish)." So it seems Yelpers weren't the only hot things at this party! Vinn was also on-hand to do tastings of their spirits for the Yelpers. For those more inclined towards tasty brews, Widmer Brothers supplied a fine selection of local ales including the Marionberry Gose, Rotator Series Shaddock IPA, Drifter Pale Ale and long-time fave Hefeweizen! There was even a little bit of Sake from Momokawa making the rounds. 

With food in their bellies and drinks in hand, the Elite mixed and mingled in this perfectly-sized space. Merilou T recounts: "I loved the East Meets West theme. It' always fun to get dressed up with at the Yelpers. Good times that's for sure." Definitely good times. Thanks in huge part to Andrew, Ashlee, Chef Kenny, Marcello, Taylor and all the fine folks at Tasting East; Quyen, Vicki, Michelle and the folks at Vinn Distillery; Kevin at Widmer Brothers Brewing; Manterns Kevin K and Chris S; and of course the Portland Yelp Elite Squad, without whom this would not be possible. 

You can take my word for it, or you can take a gander at the photos and reviews from the event. Haven't left your review yet? What are you waiting for?! Oh yeah. And in case you didn't already know, you can find us on FB (the photos will be posted there as well) and Twitter too. 

Until next time, SYOY... cowboys!

-- Don B