56 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine Hungry Eye damom, coriander, black pepper…” I bite into a bright, spicy side dish of cab- bage slaw studded with peanuts and dust- ed with crispy fried shallots. Suddenly, my lungs are on fire–my senses have been stripped, my hands can’t feel to grip, my toes too numb to…Just kidding. But this slaw packs heat. “Bird’s-eye chilis,” Vien says, point- ing to the red slivers. I should have heed- ed the menu, but a one-chili designation seemed safe. “We didn’t want our parents’ gener- Izakaya Minato glows from the corner of WashingtonAvenue and Oxford Street. TheJapanese “gastropub” offers up treats such as UdonVongole (left). here.” The concise menu comprises four noodle or rice bowls, a selection of add-ins such as poached chicken, pork patties, or a sunny-side fried egg, and side dishes of fried rice and vegetables. “W e keep the menu really short so each thing is ex- cellent,” says Vien. “Some regulars walk in and already know what they’re having. And we price it so we can have regulars who can come in once a week.” Menu prices top out at just $14; sides and add-ons are $2 to $8. The kitchen is al- so geared for take-out. On this visit, it ap- peared Cong Tu Bot meals would be on tables all over the East End, so numerous were the hipsters dashing in and out with sacks of pho-to-go. A bowl of the house chicken broth is $3. Without noodles or so much as a sprin- kling of familiar herbs, chilis, or even a wedge of lime, this broth truly is “excel- lent” and sings with exotic flavor notes. Dobui’s verve is there in each spoonful. So are “star anise, clove, cinnamon, black car- ation of Vietnamese-American restau- rant,” he says. His parents were refu- gees from Vietnam who settled in South- ern California, where he was born. “We wanted it to be like Vietnam.” Washington Ave. Continued… Don’t miss Izakaya Minato. There are plen- ty of bar and high-counter stools as well as table seating in an adjacent room at this ca- sual, Japanese café that shares a block with Red Sea, Terlingua, and Silly’s. Décor is at-