As the year comes to an end you might be getting tired of your normal lunch spots— everybody is. Besides, new restaurants deserve a chance anyways. That’s why this issue we checked out Kati Portland, a new vegetarian Thai restaurant on Division.

Kati Portland serves Thai cuisine that caters to both vegetarian and vegan diets, offering a wide range of dishes: soups, curries, rice, noodles and the house specials. This restaurant may be the key to helping people trying vegetarian meals, since their food is, often times, healthier yet just as delicious.

It’s around a 12-minute walk from Cleveland to the location on Division and 30th. If you can drive, the span shortens to a quick three minutes, though parking may be hard to find. If you get there during lunch, check out one of the lunch specials, each only $8.95. There is more than enough for a lunch in there. With all of the leftovers, your next afternoon snack may very well be Thai too.

During our trip to Kati Portland, we tried the Pad See Ew (lunch special) for $8.95 and the pineapple fried rice for $13. The pineapple fried rice included a variety of vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, mushrooms, and green onions, as well as tofu, cashews, raisins, and of course, pineapple. With all of these toppings, the dish was expectedly heavy. Together, this created a meal well worth the expense.

The Pad See Ew had the perfect amount for a filling lunch. The noodle to veggie ratio was perfect; there was never a bite with too many vegetables or too many noodles. The dish also provided an optional egg topping, so this meal could be entirely vegan as well. There is no way that when you are eating the dish that you will be missing meat, since the flavor of the Pad See Ew is so incredible without any meat flavor. It is one of the best vegetarian dishes I have had. This dish is recommended for those who want to enjoy the taste of a familiar Thai food, but also wants to get in your daily serving of vegetables.

Our visit to Kati Portland was short, yet wonderful. Between calling our order in and driving from school, it took around five minutes, leaving plenty of time to eat. With the short distance in mind, eating in at the restaurant is definitely possible and suggested. The atmosphere inside of Kati Portland comes off as refreshing with their modern decor. Additionally, the staff acted efficiently and friendly.

The trio of the varied, yet healthy, menu, the hip interior and the hospitable employees create a stellar experience. Kati Portland offers the ideal lunch dining, especially for those of us looking for new places to spice up the end of the school year. Regardless of if you fit that description or not, consider ordering from Kati Portland for some delicious vegetarian food— it won’t disappoint.