Me and My Lucky Ladybug Will See You At Ping TONIGHT!

Poached from oregonlive.com.

This morning I woke up with a fluttery feeling of excitement so profound I thought it was Christmas again. I also woke up with a ladybug crawling on my neck, which was weird, but it all made sense when I checked my calendar for the day.

You see, finding a ladybug in your house--or presumably, on your neck--in winter is good luck, and Ping restaurant opens today, and you can't tell me the two aren't related. Because I've been walking by the Ping space in the old Hung Far Low Building in Chinatown for months, pressing my Pearl Bakery-sticky fingers up against the glass and chanting "Open, Open, Open!" like one of those deranged shoppers in that old Mervyn's ad campaign. Today, my dream is realized.

The brainchild of Pok Pok Executive Chef Andy Ricker, W+K superman John Jay, and a couple of other owners (sorry, I'm sure they're great people but Andy and John Jay are the only two I recognize), Ping is no Pok Pok II, but intends to branch out--way out, across the continent of Asia, offering up a melange of Asian foods, some of which I'm sure we've never seen or heard of, and probably can't pronounce either! Ping also aspires to be a magnetic neighborhood destination to meet, eat, and trade deep, thoughtful conversation. (Thus, I will keep my shallow thoughtless conversation about last night's episode of The Bachelor on the hungfardownlow when I am there.)

For more details, click HERE for an informative Oregonian article.

Ping's website, www.pingpdx.com, is up but outfitted with limited information. But really, all you need to know is that Ping opens at 4 pm TODAY, and will continue to do so henceforth, Monday through Saturday.

Now if you will excuse me, my ladybug and I are going to go make an effigy of me from old coffee grounds and cheesecloth to prop up behind my desk, so we can spring this coop at 3:55 pm and run down the street to Ping to watch them open, open, open the doors for the FIRST TIME!

-J

ping
www.pingpdx.com
m-th 4-10:30 PM
fr-sa 4-10:30 PM
102 nw 4th avenue