A happy korner for kolaches

The annual day for opening up boxes and bags fashioned with festive decor and awaiting the surprise of what's inside is just about here. But for those who are a bit impatient, and happen to have an appetite for surprise, why wait? In a little corner in SE Portland awaits palm-sized goodies that are sure to satisfy both your need to unveil the unexpected, and bring peace to your appetite.

Portland, meet the Kolache (kol-a-chee), a type of pastry that holds in its center a wide range of fillings that can be both sweet or savory. Originally hailing from the Czech Republic, kolaches made their way to the U.S. via Czech migration into Texas. Now, they've reached the Pacific Northwest to the little corner of SE 30th and Belmont inside a cheerful - but not overly so - café  called the Happy Sparrow.

Upon entering the café under the painting of a very...well...happy sparrow, customers can't help but smile as they're surrounded by purple, orange and light blue walls that give their eyes a bright and refreshing change from the usually cloudy Portland days. And behind the counter awaits smiling faces - owners Danny and Mary Quach - who are there, ready to serve and talk kolache to anyone who has a hint of an interest.

After being born in Vietnam and spending the majority of their lives to date growing up in both Houston and Austin, Texas, Danny and Mary came to explore the City of Roses post its 2009 Arctic Blast in January to visit friends. "Once we finally made it here, we knew this was where we wanted to be," said Danny Quach. Five weeks later, the couple sold the majority of their belongings in Texas and began the journey with car and U-haul in tow back up to Portland. Unsure of what they would do when they got here, the former corporate America worker bees put two and two together when they realized A) Portland had no sign of their beloved Texas-style kolaches anywhere, and B) that a perfectly situated building for lease on SE Belmont seemed like a sweet deal to take advantage of.

"In Texas, kolaches are a staple, they're everywhere," said Danny. In fact, Quach says they've finally hit corporate status with kolache chains finally entering into certain spots across the lone-star state.

"Sort of like Starbucks for kolaches?" I ask.

"Yeah, pretty close," says Quach.

So what makes these kolaches so special? Quach says the making of the dough can sometimes vary, but it's really what makes the treat what it is. "The dough has to include eggs and milk," says Quach, which is what gives each kolache a soft, almost gummy texture. He does admit that the vegetarian variety of kolache that the couple sells does not include milk, but water instead. I tried one and didn't notice too much missing without the milk, so vegetarians can go forth and enjoy.

When people first hear of kolaches, they're first reaction might be to the think of a Chinese hum bao bun (I know mine was). In truth, that's not totally off, except that kolache dough also includes butter, which hum bao buns do not, and does not include oil, which hum bao buns do. Also, hum bao bums are steamed, kolaches are baked in the oven until golden brown. Hum baos usually contain Chinese barbecued pork, while with kolaches, it seems like the sky is the limit in terms of what gets put inside.

At Happy Sparrow, those looking for variety can choose from different fillings - sweet or savory - such as vegetarian, smoked beef sausage with Tillamook cheddar cheese, Italian sausage with mozzarella and a holiday extra, turkey with cranberry sauce and stuffing. The sweeties include raspberry and cream cheese filled and, for the chocolate/hazelnut lover, a Nutella-filled kolache. Flavors can change, and the Quaches are testing some unique flavors on customers before introducing a staple kolache variety: poppy seed. "We'll ease Portlanders into the poppy seed kolache," says Mary Quach.

Each kolache ranges from $1.95 - $2.50, and are about the diameter of one's palm in size. Happy Sparrow is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. - 2 p.m., and Saturdays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

You can visit Happy Sparrow online at http://www.happysparrowcafe.com, though the site is under construction.

To hear what others are saying, visit the café's Yelp page here.

Kolaches aren't too tough to make, and can be a lot of fun when what goes inside is up to your imagination. I tried a recipe that I found on eHow and was happy with the results of the dough. If you try it, let me know what you think. Here's the link.