New restaurants are opening all the time in Salem, and our access to new cuisines is always expanding. Salem’s first Ethiopian restaurant, Gursha Eats, is a highlight, as well as some great new Vietnamese places and a dumpling and dim sum eatery. If you’re looking for some new flavors and experiences, check out the eateries below.
Noodle Junction
1671 Center Street NE, Salem
A small storefront houses Noodle Junction, a new Vietnamese bistro with a limited but strong menu. The options include a vermicelli bowl, pho, and egg noodle soup, all with protein options including tofu for vegetarians. They have other rice-focused dishes and banh mi sandwiches (with protein options). If you’re in the mood for complex food with a hint of spice (sometimes more than a hint), you should stop at Noodle Junction.
Gursha Eats
2927 Broadway Street NE, Salem
Salem’s first Ethiopian restaurant, Gursha Eats, is exposing a lot of new people to this cuisine, and it’s a hit. This family-run restaurant recently moved from a short-term location and is able to host larger groups and private parties as well. The food is fabulous traditional Ethiopian cuisine, featuring the injera bread that is a base of each dish. Made of teff flour, injera is a bit like a spongy savory pancake. On top of the injera are curry-like dishes, both vegetarian and meat. Vegetarian dishes feature lentils, chickpeas, and kale, and meat dishes are typically beef.
The centerpiece of the menu is Doro Wat, the national food of Ethiopia, which is described as “slow-cooked chicken legs stew infused with the richness of onions, Berbere spice, and fragrant Niter Kibbeh (clarified butter) accompanied by a hard-boiled egg.” The menu notes that it’s spicy, so be prepared. If you want to support some great new food in our community, be sure to check out Gursha Eats.
Hello Pho Banh Mi Boba 3
2927 Broadway Street NE, Salem
Located in the same shopping center as Gursha Eats, the third outpost of a Portland Vietnamese restaurant recently opened. Hello Pho Banh Mi Boba has a truly extensive menu of vermicelli, pho, and banh mi. They specialize in Vietnamese street food and have enough options for anyone to find something that looks good. Their drink menu is vast, from milk tea and boba to smoothies and milkshakes, in all kinds of flavors. If you want to explore Vietnamese food, this is a great place to go.
Restaurants in The Forge
285 Liberty Street NE, Salem
A new building in downtown Salem at the corner of Liberty and Chemeketa, The Forge, calling itself “Salem’s lifestyle collective,” has a variety of stores, restaurants, salons, and wellness businesses.
Bonzai!
A coffee and tea bar, Bonzai! Incorporates elements from Japanese and American cultures, creating a fun mix of flavors and choices. From American-style hot and cold coffee offerings to boba, sake, and Japanese snacks, it’s worth a visit just to check out the amazing decor. A full-size tree sculpture, giant Japanese fish hangings, and lots of tiny origami cranes are only some of the beautiful elements of this coffee and tea bar.
Dreamies Creamery
A new Salem outpost of a Dallas business, Dreamies Creamery serves sheep-milk ice cream in an array of tantalizing flavors. You can try one of the 16 rotating flavors, and they also sell sheep’s milk at the store. A woman-owned business, Dreamies Creamery buys its milk from sheep farmers locally, and then they pasteurize it and either make it into ice cream or package it as milk. Current offerings include classics like chocolate and vanilla, but also dreamsicle and lavender lemonade. They also make seasonals, so summer choices include strawberry shortcake and root beer float, in honor of the State Fair. Be sure to check out this rich, creamy taste treat!
Jade Dumpling
A Chinese dim sum and dumpling restaurant, Jade Dumpling is a great new addition to Salem’s Asian food offerings. If you’ve been wanting to explore the variety of Chinese cuisine, Jade Dumpling is a great place to begin. They have bao buns, dumplings, and wontons with a variety of fillings and preparations. They have noodle and fried noodle dishes, dry pot stir-fries, as well as the kinds of Chinese entrees you are probably already familiar with, from fried rice to Kung Pao Chicken. But be sure to try some of the buns and dumplings – it’s what the restaurant is known for!
Eating out with friends and family is a great way to socialize, and it can be even more fun when trying new dishes and cuisines. Whether you are eating a family feast of Ethiopian food or a dim sum lunch, Salem is expanding its culinary possibilities all the time.
