Jade Bistro, located in the Sellwood neighborhood of SE Portland, is exactly the type of restaurant you hope to find at the end of your block: fantastic food, extensive tea list, and a bustling scene that remains warm and inviting. Co-owner and executive chef Lucy Eklund’s cooking reflects her heritage and travels in a blend of Southeast Asian cuisines, including Thai, Laotian, and French influenced Vietnamese. Lucy’s daughter (and co-owner) April Eklund runs the front of the house, a fresh modern space that still feels like home.

When I first started eating at Jade, I assumed my choices would be limited (like they are at many other Asian restaurants) because of my gluten intolerance. Boy was I wrong! Jade spends the extra time (and money) specifically sourcing gluten-free Asian condiments and sauces, such as wheat-free tamari, hoisin sauce, and oyster sauce, so that the majority of the menu remains gluten free. (There are a handful of items containing gluten, but more are gluten free.) The kitchen makes other thoughtful choices as well: lightly battering salmon with tapioca flour before sautéing it; thickening sauces with cornstarch; using rice or cellophane noodles rather than wheat noodles. One of my favorite dishes, Coconut Rice Noodle Soup, comes to the table in a giant bowl, easily suited for two meals. Rice noodles, shredded chicken and shrimp float in a steaming broth vibrant with lemongrass and the perfect amount of heat. Fresh herbs and crunchy vegetables–bean sprouts and shredded cabbage–top the soup, offering a welcome textural contrast to the soft noodles.

In addition to many of my favorite menu items–Yellow Chicken Curry, Minced Chicken with Sticky Rice, Chili Noodles–I have special appreciation for two of the dishes. It took me about 20 visits to Jade before I realized I could actually order the Udon Soup. Lucy makes her udon–normally a wheat-based noodle–with rice flour. The resulting noodles look identical to their wheat-y counterparts and have the same bouncy chew. It’s a simple soup made from rich homemade broth, the noodles, and chicken & shrimp (or tilapia), but one that triggered a flood of fond food memories in my udon-less brain. I appreciate every bite of this soup, knowing the near impossibility of finding gluten-free udon.

Gluten-free dumplings are also hard to find in restaurants. If it’s your lucky day, ban bot loc may appear on the specials menu. These unique dumplings consist of a ground pork and shallot-filled dough made from just tapioca flour and water. They’re chewy, a bit slippery, and completely delicious. I’m so obsessed with these dumplings they actually appear in The Gluten-Free Asian Kitchen (page 62). I think after lurking around the kitchen for months, Chef Lucy figured it would be easier just to give me the recipe.

If you don’t feel like a full-on meal, Jade offers an extraordinary collection of teas, including many varieties of black, green (mayucha sencha is my favorite), white, herbal, oolong, and pu-erh teas. You can enjoy a cup or a pot alongside one of the delicious pastries. Not all of them are gluten free, but you can choose among the French-style macarons, sesame balls with caramel sauce (crazy good!), and usually one or two other types of cookies.

Jade epitomizes the perfect neighborhood restaurant–reasonably priced, family-friendly, and with consistently delicious food. And if you stop by for lunch, you may just find me, chopsticks in hand, polishing off an order of those tapioca dumplings!

Find Jade Bistro, Teahouse, and Patisserie at 7912 SE 13th Avenue in Portland. Check the website for hours and menus: jadeportland.com.