Chilango

Location: SW 4th and Hall
Hours: Mon-Fri, 8:30am-7pm

The Story:

When one cart departs, someone is always there, ready to repaint and relaunch as something new. Chilango is one of the newest faces on SW 4th at the PSU pod.

When I visited the other day, it took me a few minutes of reviewing the menu to realize this cart served Mexican food. Normally, the first items on the menus are tacos and burritos. At Chilango, it is bowls. After ordering my lunch from Veronica, I asked what Chilango meant and she told me it was a boy from Mexico City and then pointed at Caesar who was making my lunch and said – him!

Chilango Bowl Taco

At Chilango, you can get soft tacos and burritos, vegetarian fare and other traditional Mexican food, but what caught my eye was the Chilango Bowl. Your choice of meat served with beans, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, cotija cheese and handmade masa tortillas. What I pictured in my mind paled in comparison to what they served. A large portion of beans and rice covered with chicken tinga (my meat choice), a few large spoonfuls of fresh guacamole and pico. Chicken tinga is shredded chicken breast stewed with tomatoes and onions. The tortillas were amazingly fresh and putting it all together into a small little taco was a treat. The guacamole, made fresh that morning, had a hint of lemon that when paired with a bit of chicken and black bean was amazing. A very large portion, more than enough for a hearty lunch.

The bright red cart that looks like a small cabin is welcoming – especially with Veronica and Caesar there with their big smiles and wonderful food. They have an extensive vegetarian and vegan menu using tempe. Head on down if you haven’t visited the pod in awhile and give it a try. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Chilango Bowl – choice of grilled chicken, asada, ground beef, carnitas or chicken tinga with black or pinto beans, rice, pico de gallo, guacamole, cotija cheese and corn tortillas – $6
• Burrito – choice of meat with black or pinto beans, rice, lettuce, cheese, onions and cilantro – flour tortilla – $6
• Soft Taco – corn tortilla with choice of meat with onion and cilantro – $2
• Vegetarian Chilango Bowl – black or pinto beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, cotija cheese and 3 corn tortillas – $5.50
• Tempe Chilango Bowl – black or pinto beans, rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, cotija cheese, corn tortillas and tempe – $6
• Breakfast Burrito – eggs, potatoes, black or pinto beans, cheese, pico de gallo – $4.50

Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Phone: 503 218 3352 (text to go orders)
Resources: Debit/Credit Carts accepted

Island Grill Hawaiian Barbeque

Location: SW 9th and Alder
Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime

The Story:

When one cart closes, someone is always there to re-open with something new. Shortly after Tofu House closed, Island Grill was open with a menu of Hawaiian treats.

We have a few Hawaiian carts in town now with 808 Grinds and Ninja Plate Lunch. With the addition of Island Grill, Portland cart lovers have yet another choice for Kalua Pork or a side of macaroni salad. Hawaii is also famous for loco moco and Island Grill has it if that is your desire – a plate of rice with a hamburger patty, brown gravy and fried egg atop.

Teriyaki Chicken Plate

The plate lunches are pretty a la carte – rice and macaroni salad with your choice of meat – and two different sizes if you’re looking to eat less. The meat options aren’t surprising – kalua pork, beef shortribs, chicken katsu, hamburger steak – just to name a few. I decided to try the Teriyaki chicken and got a full plate with two scoops or rice and the salad. The grilled chicken had a char to it that when paired with the sweetness you get from teriyaki sauce, created a great mix of flavors. The macaroni salad was a treat, one of my favorite types of salad. I even added a spam musubi – rice, spam and sauce wrapped in seaweed. I love spam musubi.

Island Grill is open right there on cart row on SW Alder between 9th and 10th. Check them out if you’re looking for a change – they usually have daily specials that are different from the menu. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Plate lunches are either mini for $5 or regular for $6.50
Mini: 1 scoop of rice and 1 scoop of macaroni salad with choice of meat
Regular: add a scoop or rice

Meat choices:  BBQ beef; Teriyaki beef; Hamburger steak; Beef short ribs; Kalua pork; BBQ spicy pork; Pork katsu; Fried shrimp; Fried mahi mahi; BBQ chicken; Teriyaki chicken; Shoyu chicken; Chicken katsu

• Add Musubi for $2
• Burgers – $5 with choice of meat
• Yakisoba noodles – $6
• Loco moco – $7
• Island Bibimbap – $6

Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Contact: unknown

***New Cart***

Native Bowl

Location: N Mississippi at Skidmore in Mississippi Marketplace

Description:

When we were over at Mississippi Marketplace showing an out of town guest the carts, we decided to grab one of the dishes from Native Bowl, another vegan cart in the pod. The dish had what they called “crack gravy” a gravy so good, you’ll get addicted to it like crack. I only got a couple of bites, but it was enough for me to return the following day and meet the owners and try one of their bowls.

Native Bowl is another brand new cart in the pod. The owners Jay and Julie have been open for about 4 weeks and are fully vegan. Jay relayed a story that one day their 8yr old son came home and asked if they could try vegan and it went from there. The Native Bowl specializes in what we would traditionally call rice bowls. A layer of rice (in this case, jasmine rice), then some sauce, some protein like marinated tofu topped with veggies. Pretty simple concept, but if you prepare each item very well, you come out with an amazing dish.

Couch Bowl from Native Bowl

I chose the Couch Bowl (pronounced cooch) per the owner’s recommendation. I’ll be the first to take someone’s advice, keeps me from hand wringing over all the choices. While they prepared it, I walked over to PROST!, the German pub in the lot, grabbed a table and ordered a beer. Before I knew it, Julie was actually bringing me my bowl. I don’t think this is standard, but what a great gesture. Upon opening the bowl, I was overwhelmed with the bright colors and savory aromas. The top of the bowl was a mixture of freshly chopped green onions topped with a savory sauce and sesame seeds. Just below the onions were bean sprouts, some mixed greens, chopped carrots and then marinated tofu and the rice. I’m the eater who prefers to mix everything together so you don’t end up with one single item at the end of the meal, yet this bowl was a mix of amazing flavors from top to bottom. The sauce had some spice to it also, something I didn’t expect but was glad was there.

The Native Bowl is another great addition to the Mississippi Marketplace pod. Jay and Julie are kind and welcoming to everyone who walks by. If you’re up in North Portland and need a great dish, check out Native Bowl and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Bowls are all vegan, $6 for regular, $7 for large
• Mississippi Bowl – peppercorn ranch sauce, BBQ soy curls, house coleslaw, scallions, and jasmine rice
• Couch Bowl – seasoned tofu, sesame bean sprouts, Kochujang sweet and sour sauce, jasmine rice, lettuce, carrots, scallions and sesame seeds
• Alberta Bowl – seasoned tofu, house-made fire-breathing dragon sauce, jasmine rice, shredded cabbage, carrots and scallions
• Cascade Grilled Cheese – Daiya cheese plus signature cashew based cheese sauce, pickled jalapenos, spices and panko on sourdough bread – $4

Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, open around 11am (they are still working out their hours.)
Twitter: NativeBowl

dosirak lunch cart

Location: SW 4th and College

Description:

A coworker and I needed something hearty for lunch and wanted to try something new. We saw the shiny yellow cart named dosirak and decided to give it a try. Talk about simple ordering. This cart offers up one dish and one dish only – marinated chicken over rice with a salad and some dumplings called mandoos. That’s it. The cart is aptly named – dosirak translates to lunchbox.

dosirak lunchbox

The “lunchbox” comes with a generous portion of sticky white rice covered with amazing marinated charbroiled chicken and a couple of mandoo (little dumplings.) The salad has a unique miso flavored dressing that is perfectly matched with the chicken. The lunch was great. A perfect portion with great tastes and wonderfully simple. I especially like the mandoo as they had a texture and flavor that melted in your mouth.

If you’re out looking for a new take on marinated chicken and rice, visit dosirak and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Menu:

• The Lunchbox: marinated chicken charbroiled to perfection; fresh green salad with miso dressing and mandoo (little dumplings – $6
• Mandoo (dumplings) – small order 6 pieces – $3; large order 10 pieces – $4

Contact: unknown
Website: unknown

The Local Grind

Location: Ira Keller Fountain Park – SW 4th and Clay

Description:

Whenever I think of the first food carts I ate at, I harken back to the early 90′s and the carts that were available in Pioneer Courthouse Square. I forget about the love that we discovered when working down by PSU of the Hawaiian cart at the Ira Keller Fountain. Over the years, I can’t tell you how many rice bowls I ate there because early on, we were there every day – even in the rain. There is nothing like grabbing an excellent mix of marinated grilled chicken over rice and sitting at the edge of the fountain and enjoying the quiet while you eat. Over the years, the cart has come and gone and changed names and ownership. I’m happy to tell you that The Local Grind offers up what I remember and it is pretty darn tasty.

Some call it bento, others call it rice bowls, I call it chicken over rice. The Local Grind offers up three different types of marinated grilled chicken over rice – as simple as that. I’m glad it is simple as it doesn’t force me to choose from a large menu and it allows them to focus their energy on what they do well. The three types are garlic/honey, teriyaki and “da shred.” All are chicken marinated over night and then grilled and fresh for lunch every day. I usually choose two different types of chicken – garlic and honey and da shred. “Da Shred” is shredded chicken simmered in fresh ginger and garlic sauce and I’ll tell you, it is some of the best chicken I have tasted.

Da Shred and Garlic Honey over brown rice

Sitting there with the slightly overcast sky, listening to the fountain was a great day to enjoy this lunch. I got a large, which is more than I really should be eating, but I finished it. The rice was a generous portion (I chose brown rice) and the chicken was moist and fully flavored throughout. No dry chicken here.

The Local Grind can be found at the top of the fountain across from Keller Auditorium. I would suggest them for before the opera, but I don’t think they do anything but lunch. While the weather is still nice, head on down to enjoy some local flavor and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• All meals are a bed of rice covered with a small or large portion of chicken. Brown or white rice available. Small -$5; large – $6
• Teriyaki – marinated overnight in homemade teriyaki sauce
• Da shred – tasty morsels of chicken simmered in fresh ginger and garlic
• Garlic honey – a blend of honey, sesame and fresh ginger and garlic
• Sides – Island style mac salad; fresh sauteed veggies – $1

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11am-2pm
Website: The Local Grind on MySpace
Email: thelocalgrind@gmail.com

Sonny Bowl

Location: SW 3rd and Washington

Description:

I was in a discussion with some cartivores the other day and we arrived on the topic of uniqueness for carts. There are some carts that offer a menu that while focused maybe on a type of cuisine, the offerings are so broad, it is difficult to choose one item. Like when you go to the local restaurant which as a 4 page menu. We all agreed that if you do one thing very very well, just do that and you will succeed. We see this type of focus with food carts daily. Sonny Bowl is such a cart. They focus their energy and skill on creating a bowl that is vegan, yet fills you up with everything a growing boy needs.

Sonny Bowl specializes in what these days are called rice bowls. Anywhere you see bento advertised, it is usually a chicken skewer over a bowl of rice with a few veggies. Not here. Sonny Bowl takes it beyond veggies and rice by adding in black beans or chickpeas, salsa, soy curls, green beans, and robust sauces. I don’t know why I haven’t discovered this gem all these years. I chose the One, and for $5, I got a pretty large bowl with brown rice covered with black beans, mixed veggies, cilantro-lemon sauce, green chile and salsa. I added in Soy Curls for the extra $1 since they are my newest soy favorite.

Sonny Bowl

I almost couldn’t get the top on. Further, I didn’t want to put the top on and crush that beautiful presentation. When I see green chile listed as part of the dish, I think more of a sauce, but the green chili here was a chunky thick salsa that didn’t disappoint. The beans and rice were cooked just right, not mushy, but not al dente. As far as mixed veggies go, I wonder if they shift with the season. My dish had thinly sliced steamed yellow and green zucchini. The soy curls were great. If you haven’t tried soy curls, either BBQ’ed or in a dish like this, you have to. They have the best flavor and texture; a great addition to the meal.

Sonny Bowl offers three different vegan bowls with simple names like one, two and three. All are $5. Like I stated, I love it when someone specializes in one food type and does it right. Sonny Bowl does it right. If you are down off SW 3rd looking for a filling and healthy lunch, give Sonny Bowl a try and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• One – black beans, mixed veggies, brown rice, cilantro-lemon sauce, green chili and salsa – $5
• Two – chickpeas, mixed veggies, brown rice, sweet-pineapple curry sauce – $5
• Three – BBQ soy curls, brown rice, green beans in ginger-citrus sauce – $5
• add soy curls to any bowl for $1
• drinks, $2; water $1

Phone/Contact:
Hours: Monday through Friday 11:30am-3:30pm
Website/Twitter: unknown