The Views from a New Oregonian: The Portland Food Cart Scene

Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Ilene Style, GoLocalPDX Contributor

I've been on a food cart binge this week. Portland is renowned for its legendary food carts, and they are even more popular in the summer when it's not raining here. Since food cart pods are scattered throughout the city, they are the cheapest, easiest, and most convenient way to eat lunch when you're on the run - or just taking a leisurely walk with your dog. My dog Otto LOVES going to the food carts, as they provide him with an excellent opportunity to hoover up any errant ingredients that might have fallen out of someone's sandwich/burrito/burger/salad/gyro/wrap/dumpling.

One of the food carts I had always wanted to try was Nong's Khao Man Gai. However, I had so much trouble remembering the name of it (it's kind of a mouthful, you must admit), that I never got there. I had heard that this particular food cart served only ONE dish, and that there were always long lines of people at the cart to buy it. The dish is Khao Man Gai, or Thai Chicken and Rice. I was curious as to why people would stand in line day after day to get something as mundane as chicken and rice, when there were so many more interesting dishes at other food carts. It was time to find out.

I enlisted my friend and condo neighbor Eric, who's always up for a food outing, to join me, and he, Otto and I walked downtown to Nong's Khao Man Gai food cart, which actually had TWO items on the menu: Khao Man Gai (Thai Chicken and Rice), and Khao Man Gai PISET (Chicken and Rice Big Size.) It was a painstaking choice to say the least, but we both finally decided on the regular size.

The Khao Man Gai was better than I ever imagined chicken and rice could be. The dish consists of poached organic chicken, white rice simmered in chicken stock and Thai herbs, and Nong's special sauce. It is this super-secret, simply sublime signature sauce that locals here can't get enough of. It's made from fermented soybeans, fresh hand-peeled ginger, fresh hand-peeled garlic, Thai chilies, vinegar, house made syrup, and soy sauce. The cart's owner, Nong Poonsukwattana, came to Portland from Thailand in 2003, and after perfecting her sauce in her kitchen, opened the food cart in 2009. Word spread quickly, and her cart has become one of the most popular ones in Portland, despite the rather limited menu. She now has two food cart locations, plus a small production space/take out window/restaurant where she bottles her signature sauce. The sauce is seriously to die for, and since it is sold in local specialty shops, as well as online, I am going to buy a bottle of it as soon as possible. You should too! The dish also comes with a side of homemade organic chicken broth (remember, there's nothing trendier than bone broth right now.) The only thing I found a bit odd was the presentation. You'd think a moisture-laden, sauced entree like this would come in a take-out box or a sturdy plate with a lid or a hard plastic container. But no - it comes simply wrapped in butcher paper, as if it were a sandwich. Eating a hot dish like that off a sheet of butcher paper can be a bit challenging, but it's SO worth it. And your dog can lick the butcher paper when you're done!

A few days later, I went with my other friend and condo neighbor, Nayera, who is Iranian, to Caspian Kabob, a food cart that specializes in Persian cuisine from Northern Iran. The proprietor, Victor, emigrated to the United States in 2000, and lived in New York until 2013, when he moved to Portland and decided to share his knack for creating authentic Persian street food with the perfect audience: eager and adventurous Portland foodies. Unlike Nong, Victor has a whopping FOUR items on his menu. Nayera was in her element, chatting up a storm with Victor in Farsi while he prepared our food, excited to get a taste of the food she grew up with. I let her order for me, and she chose a Kubideh Kabob for both of us, which had seasoned house ground beef and lamb, Basmati Rice, a Shirazi salad and Maste Khiar, a homemade yogurt with garlic, cucumbers and dill. The grilled Kubideh Kabob was savory, juicy, and delicious. And very authentic, according to my friend, who ate every morsel of her meal.

With over 700 food carts in Portland, it would clearly be impossible to get to all of them, or even half of them. But rest assured that if there is a type of cuisine you like, chances are there is a food cart that sells it. Ethiopian food,, Belizian food, Georgian cuisine (from the country of Georgia, not the state), even a cart specializing in Mauritian cuisine. "Where is Mauritian cuisine from?" you might ask. My friend and former employer Dave DeWitt, a food writer and food historian, would probably know the answer to that, but for the rest of us, Mauritius is a small island off the southwest coast of Madagascar. The island used to be home to the now-extinct Dodo bird, which is why the food cart is named, appropriately, "Chez Dodo." Traditional Mauritian food is a mix of African, French, Indian, Chinese, and Creole cuisines. I heard that there are long lines at this food cart, too. But I don't care - I am sold! Now I simply MUST have Mauritian food before I die, and thus, Chez Dodo will be my next food cart adventure.

Related Slideshow: Ten Places to Eat Out Late in Portland

Did your work shift end too late and you are craving some decent grub? Check out these Portland hits!

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835 SW 2nd Ave Portland, OR 97204

(Photo by: foodandwine.com)

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Original Hot Cake House

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1002 SE Powell Blvd Portland, OR 97202

(Photo by: triptutor.com)

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Bannings

Are you totally sober and it’s really late at night and you need to time travel? Are you looking for a nostalgic, Twin Peaks-worthy slice of cherry pie matched with a bottomless cup of black coffee? Head to Bannings! Just a squeeze from Portland’s city center, this place is a 24-hour hotbed with eccentric late night waiters and an impressive selection of desserts. This place is especially fetching during the holiday season, when you are likely to find glossy Christmas lights draped around frostbit windows, Patsy Cline serenading you from a distant speaker.

11477 SW Pacific Hwy Portland, OR 97223

(Photo by: banningsrestaurant.com)

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Sizzle Pie

With a location nestled in the heart of both East and West Burnside, late night pizza gobblers can rejoice on either side of the Willamette. Sizzle Pie is Portland trendy and the pizza selection is wide-ranging – there are probably as many vegan options as there are choices for omnivores. Open until 3 AM on weeknights and 4 AM on Thursday and Friday, home delivery options match. So, technically, at 3 AM you can eat Sizzle Pie while you Netflix watch or you can eat Sizzle Pie while you people watch. It's always better to have options.

624 E Burnside Portland, OR 97214

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Thai Champa

Thai food is to Portland as burritos are to San Diego and nobody really knows why. Thankfully, most of us love Thai food. How can anybody disagree with Pad Thai, especially when they are stumbling out of the Doug Fir around 1 AM and their date “went to the bathroom,” never to be seen again. Thai Champa is open until 3 AM Friday through Sunday and this means that you can hang out or get take-out from one of Portland’s most consistent food carts even when the night has grown very old. Just a stone’s throw away from all major venues and bars on East Burnside, Thai Champa gives its customers unusually large portions of some of PDX’s best Thai food. You even get a free crispy egg roll with each main dish. That means that your reluctant tag-a-long can try your food without eating any of it!

910 E Burnside St Portland, OR 97214

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Potato Champion

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1207 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214

(Photo by: potatochampion.com)

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Santería

Ok, let’s be honest, what do you really want at 1 AM? A burrito? Nachos? Something Mexican? Most likely. Santería is really satisfying if you need Mexican food late – in fact, it’s really the only viable option (unless you’re into Taco Bell). Open until 2 AM every night, Santería is a cozy, crowded hallway with pleasurable margaritas and meaty burritos that slightly taste like bacon. Nonetheless, Santería is an experience – and it’s stationed right in the center of downtown Portland and many of its namesake bars.

703 SW Ankeny St Portland, OR 97205

(Photo by: bunrab.com)

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Le Bistro Montage

Open until 2 AM Sunday through Thursday and until 4 AM Friday through Saturday, Le Bistro Montage is very important for anyone who loves macraroni and cheese. With a menu dominated by diverse forms of mac and cheese as well as a Tuesday trivia night entitled “Shanrocks Triviology,” Le Bistro is a hidden gem. The flavors speak to patrons of comfort food and the ambiance is fittingly snug. Also FYI, this place masters a list of diverse cocktails, wine selections, and local beers. Le Bistro Montage is slightly French but your insides will feel entirely from Portland.

301 SE Morrison St Portland, OR 97214

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Departure

It’s a Friday night and you want a great view with a modern feel and maybe even an award-winning menu. The issue: you just got off work at 11 PM. Check out downtown rooftop favorite Departure and meet your friends for a pan-Asian meal that is highly adaptable for the vegan crowd (e.g. see the sushi menu). Commonly listed as one of Portland’s best restaurants period, Departure is open until 1 AM Friday through Saturday and until midnight on weeknights. Not very modest, Departure is always great for a showy night out with foreign visitors or local dating prospects. Departure leaves an impression and you should do the same: make a reservation to ensure your table.

525 SW Morrison St Portland, OR 97204

(Photo by: willrunforpasta.com)

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The Roxy

Always dependable (except for on Mondays and Tuesdays until 8 AM), The Roxy is there for you if you need diner food and a diner feel in the heart of downtown Portland. Open 24 hours (for the most part), The Roxy is loaded with modest wall art and strange miniature Grecian statues. One suggestion: try one of the Italian sodas, they are filled to the brim with whipped cream and are certainly a sight for sore eyes. Keep in mind that milkshakes are oddly missing from the menu. Ice cream is not an option, but most other stereotypical American food items are in full bloom.

1121 SW Stark St Portland, OR 97205