Diners perched at the U-shaped bar of white marble and turquoise tiles nibble on chile oil wontons, char siu bao, and bunny-shaped bawan dumplings that are almost indistinguishable from their meaty counterparts thanks to fermented soy protein.

Typically, dim sum is a tough style of dining for vegans — countless dishes involve pork, shrimp, or some combination of the two. However, chef Cyrus Ichiza replicates countless dim sum standards with remarkable success at a sleek Southeast Portland cocktail bar and distillery.

If we learned anything from eight seasons of Portlandia, Portland, Oregon is one of the country’s meccas for progressives, hipsters, artisans, and foodies.

Cyrus Ichiza is the embodiment of seeming contradictions: a punk rock drag queen and body piercer-turned-chef who now embraces a Zen cooking style and environmental sustainability.