Wayang House

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

The Story:

The other day I was asked why I write about the food carts the answer is easy – I get to try something new every single day. Wayang House Indonesian exemplifies this.

I’ve walked by the cart numerous times, pointing out to visitors and friends that Indonesian is the newest cuisine to join the food cart scene. I finally decided to visit and was immediately welcomed by Anton and Feny, the owners. Feny spends her time outside the cart working at Shigezo down the street and even spent a few days working the Minizo cart to get a better understanding of cart life before opening Wayang House. I chuckled at how small a world it was and love that the owners are there to advise and guide each other when needed.

Nasi Campur from Wayang House

The menu at Wayang House has only five dishes with protein options which include beef, chicken, tofu and tempeh. The Nasi Campur is a meat and rice dish with spicy beef rendang, spicy eggplant served over a boiled egg and chopped string beans. When I was pondering the menu, Anton asked if I liked spice, which I do, so he recommended this signature dish. I’m a fan of spice for flavor with the heat index being secondary and with this dish, the spice was spot on. The eggplant dish was where the real spice was. With quartered eggplant marinated in hot chili sauce it is then served over a hard boiled egg. This was the best part of the meal. The eggplant was so flavorful and the heat from the spice hit my toungue, burned a bit, but then disapated, leaving a lasting memory of the flavors and not the spice. The beef was perfectly cooked to fall apart with the use of a plastic fork. I will definitely return for that dish by itself. I may even try to find the recipe for the eggplant.

Wayang House is a great new addition to the pod at SW 9th and Alder. Beyond the beef and chicken, they also have fried tofu and tempeh in a couple of their dishes. I definitely recommend this cart and encourage you to check it out on your next trip out for lunch. Let Anton and Feny know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Nasi Campur: spicy beef randang, spicy boiled egg w/eggplant, string beans and steamed rice – $7
• Nasi Uduk: steamed coconut rice with fried chicken, tofu or tempeh, shredded egg and homemade sambal sauce – $6.50
• Kari Ayam: Indonesian chicken curry with potato and steamed rice – $6
• Gado Gado: mixed steamed veggies with tofu or tempeh, egg and peanut sauce and melinjo chips – $6
• Tahugoreng Nanas: fried tofu with green leaf, sprouts, potato and pineapple peanut sauce – $6

Hours: Weekdays, lunchtime
Contact: unknown

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