Aladdin's Castle Cafe

Location: SE 50th and Ivon at A la Carts Food Pavilion
Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri/Sat, 11am-10pm

The Story:

Every cart has its story. It may be the unique food they create or a family recipe or a childhood dream. For Aladdin’s Castle, the cart would never have been if it hadn’t been for two people falling in love at first sight.

Aladdin’s Castle Cafe is the creation of Ghaith and Tiffany who met and fell in love in a hostel in Amsterdam. Holland was Ghaith’s third country of refuge after leaving the perpetual violence of Baghdad where he grew up, had been injured during the war and where some of his family still live. Ghaith fell in love with street food while in Amsterdam and lo and behold, Tiffany was from the street food capitol of the world – Portland. Beyond each other, they obviously had other passions in common. Ghaith didn’t learn his trade in school, he just cooked and experimented and listened to his mother. Some of the best food comes from family tradition and plenty of love in the kitchen. Standing there, watching Ghaith, his mother and Tiffany prepare some dishes for me showed that kinship.

Mahshi from Aladdin's Castle

At Aladdin’s Castle Cafe they serve up traditional dishes from Baghdad and Iraq. You will recognize many of them like hummus and flatbread wraps and lentil soup, but there are a few that were new to me. Mahshi is like dolma, but they stuff onion with rice, vegetables and spices infused with the flavors of sun-dried tomato and pomegranate. This is one unique dish. I didn’t really understand it until I saw it with the onion as the outer skin. It was cooked just right that I was able to cut through it with a fork. The flavors were amazing. Another treat was the Marga, a slow cooked chickpea stew served warm over basmati rice with a side of cucumber salad. The rice was fluffy and light and the chickpea was just amazing. I had more food than I knew what to do with and each and every one had its own special flavor.

Ghaith put together three whole plates of food for me so I was able to sample almost every flavor on the menu including desserts like chocolate bean cake and a date roll. There was so much food there, I enjoyed it that night and most of the next day with my family. This is one of those carts you will need to visit a few times to try everything. Ghaith and Tiffany are welcoming and generous and we’re glad to have them in our city. Drop on by, enjoy an Arabic coffee while you wait and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Eggplant Marga, Hummus and Salad

Sample Menu:

• Flatbread Wrap Sandwich: Iraqi shawarma or falafel served on warm flatbread with hummus, lettuce, tomato, onion and garlic-yogurt dressing. Beef, chicken or lamb shawarma and falafel available – $6
• Rice Plate: bed of basmati rice with a dollop of marga, green salad and cucumber yogurt salad. Beef, chicken or lamb shawarma and falafel available – $7.50
• Marga: slow cooked stew served warm over basmati rice with side salad or yogurt and cucumber salad – chickpea stew or eggplant – $5
• Sambusa: a savory pastry stuffed with cheese and zaatar – $2
• Mahshi: onions stuffed with rice, vegetables and spices infused with flavors of sun-dried tomato and pomegranate – $1.50 for 1 or $5 for 3 with a side salad.
• Mezza Platter – $5 – choose 3 of the following: hummus, baba ghanoush, yogurt and cucumber salad, eggplant saute, beet salad, pickled mango with garbanzo beans, full mudammas (fava beans, olive oil and garlic)

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri/Sat, 11am-10pm
Phone: 971 400 3447
Website: Aladdin’s Castle Cafe
Facebook: Aladdin’s Castle Cafe
Other: Gift Certificates available and they take Debit/Credit Cards

Istanbul Delight

Location: N Greeley and Killingsworth, North Station
Hours: Weekdays and weekends, lunch and dinner

The Story:

The food pod at North Station has gone through some big changes over the last year with some carts leaving and being replaced by new ones. One of these new carts, Istanbul Delight, is an excellent addition that may surprise you.

I have been able to enjoy all the flavors of the Middle East as a result of the cart scene here in Portland. I have heard arguments that the food throughout the region is all the same – falafel and gyros and hummus. I disagree with that generalization and argue that each country and culture has their own distinct flavors and spices and methods for creating meals. At Istanbul Delight, Kamo, the owner, presents dishes from Turkey, inviting you to enjoy his creations.

Vegetarian Plate at Istanbul Delight

We were in the mood for a light snack so we wouldn’t arrive at a BBQ later in the day stuffed and at Istanbul Delight, we were able to get small plates with big flavor. The Gül Börek, a phyllo dough roll with spinach, feta and onion baked inside is made fresh every morning. Kamo stated that you wouldn’t normally find this item later in the day because they make them in batches in the early morning and sell out quickly. The circular roll is deceiving. It looks big and heavy, but is light and airy and when you bite in. The buttery phyllo melts in your mouth with the wonderful mixture of the spinach, feta and onion. So good, it is hard not to stuff it all in your mouth. You slow down and enjoy every bite. The gül börek is served with a crisp Mediterranean salad of chopped cucumbers and tomatoes and spiced with a bit of mint and topped with a sprinkle of sumac. Cool and tangy and perfect for a light snack.

Istanbul Delight is now open at North Station in the Arbor Lodge neighborhood of north Portland. Look for the bright blue cart. Kamo’s menu goes beyond the gül börek and offers daily specials along with Turkish Coffee. Let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Beef/Lamb Gyro Wrap: served wrapped in pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion and tzatziki sauce – $6
• Falafel Wrap: chickpea patties wrapped in pita with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion and  tzatziki or tahini sauce – $5
• Gül Börek: spinach, feta and onion rolled and baked in phyllo dough. Served with Mediterranean salad – $4
• Vegetarian Plate: 1 gül börek, 2 falafel patties and Mediterranean salad – $6.50
• Cheese Borek: deep fried pastry filled with feta cheese and parsley – 4 for $4
• Turkish Coffee: $2

Hours: Weekdays and weekends, lunch and dinner
Phone: 503 894 4605
Website: IstanbulDelightPDX.blogspot.com
Twitter: @IstanbulPDX          Facebook: Istanbul Delight

Sheish Kabob

Location: SW 10th and Alder
Hours: M-F, 10-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm

The Story:

In a month when SW 10th and Alder added a few new Thai carts and a burger cart, they also added a new Mediterranean cart – Sheish Kabob.

Sheish Kabob opened in April in an area where there are already a couple competitors serving up similar food. That scenario hasn’t seemed to halt the growth of Thai carts, so I think Sheish Kabob will find its customers. A menu of Mediterranean dishes including salads, sandwiches and the ubiquitous grilled sheish kabob in either lamb, chicken, beef or kafta offers up something for everyone.

Chicken Gyro

The shawarma sandwich, otherwise known as the Gyro is the like the fast food of the region. Everyone sells them and they become a barometer for me of how good a cart is. The chicken shawarma sandwich from Sheish Kabob is flatbread stuffed with marinated and grilled chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and drizzled with tahini sauce. The menu states “traditional seasoning” used. I sometimes ask what those are so I can learn more about how the complex flavors are created, yet the chefs rarely divulge. In this sandwich, the seasonings for the chicken had a hint of cumin, but also that ghost flavor of cayenne or another spicy pepper that just tickled the back of the mouth. A wonderful sandwich. Just remember, with the tahini sauce, it can get messy at the end.

Sheish Kabob is now open on SW 10th and Alder for lunch and dinner. They are open on Saturday till 5pm for you weekenders. Drop on by, check it out and maybe sample some kabob. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Kabob Plates: meat grilled and served with Basmati rice and grilled tomatoes: lamb, $7; beef, $6; chicken, $7; kafta, $6
• Shawarma Sandwiches: bread stuffed with meat, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and tahini sauce; chicken, lamb, beef or kafta – $6-$6.50
• Falafel Sandwich: bread stuffed with falafel, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, onions and tahini sauce: $6
• Mediterranean Salad: cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, mint, mixed with lemon juice and olive oil – $5
• Tabouli Salad: parsley, onions, tomatoes, bulgur wheat, mint – $6

Hours: Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm; Sat, 10am-5pm
Phone: 971 998 9435

Location: SW 4th and College by PSU

The Story:

Every so often I realize I go to the same set of carts and eat all the same meals. I’m a creature of habit. As a result, I sometimes miss the carts that sit on the outer edges or are alone in a lot. The other day, while perusing the choices at SW 4th and Hall, I saw a cart in the 76 station parking lot that I hadn’t tried. I bee-lined it, intent on trying something new, no matter what it was. I’m glad I did because Ahla W Sahla Lebanese food was superb.

This bright silver cart is newish, but I think it has been around for awhile. Run by an older Lebanese gentleman, it offers some of the standards you would expect from a middle eastern cart – falafel, hummus, gyros, kabob, kafta and much more. The prices are reasonable – $6 for a sandwich and $8 for a platter. I think the difference may be what you get.

I ordered the kafta sandwich which includes ground beef mixed with herbs then formed into small patties and grilled. Once cooked, it is chopped up for the sandwich and placed on a pita with pickles, lettuce, parsley, some potato slices and a red hot sauce. Everything was prepared fresh while I waited, which is perfectly fine with me. As I watched him construct the sandwich, he piled on the ingredients and started rolling it together. There were splits in the pita and stuff was falling out which concerned me, yet he then rolled it in a second pita and placed the entire wrap in a toaster oven. It was at this point that I realized I was getting something new. Kafta sandwiches elsewhere haven’t been toasted. The sandwich came out crispy on the outside with the pita formed perfectly around the goodies inside and while I ate it, nothing fell apart. A great sandwich with just the right mix of spiciness and ingredients.

While I waited, the owner had a spirited conversation with a young many who came to order. They spoke in what I can only assume was Arabic. What I gleaned was that they were discussing the food being served. Back and forth. A sample of a rice dish.  Back and forth. Hands flailing about in animated fashion. The owner even pulled out a huge bag of jasmine rice to show the young guy what he was serving. I enjoyed the conversation even though I didn’t know what was going on. I just knew they were talking food, no matter what the language was.

Ahla W Sahla serves up Lebanese food from their cart at the 76 station at SW 4h and College. If you are down by the big pod on 4th, cross the street and try something new. I’m glad I did because I was introduced to a new way of serving kafta. Let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Veggie Sandwiches:

• Falafel – $5
• Hummus – $5
• Labneh – strained yogurt – $5
• Zaatar – mix of Middle Eastern herbs spread on pita – $5

Meat Sandwiches:

• Gyros – $6
• Chicken Shawarma – $6
• Chicken Kabob – $6
• Kafta – $6

Platters:

• Kibbeh and Rice – $7
• Chicken and Rice – $8
• Falafel and Hummus – $8

Hours: Monday-Friday, lunchtime
Phone: 503 901-8951

Fat Kitty Falafel

Location: SE 21st and Division

Description:

Falafel. It sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? A popular Middle-Eastern specialty of chickpeas and/or fava beans and spices fried or baked up into balls or patties, most often served with yogurt or a tahini-based sauce.  However, its nuanced flavors and the variety of shapes, sizes and side dishes make it almost elusive. Filling, satisfying and abundantly tasty balls of fried goodness, that’s my primary motivation when seeking it out, to be honest.  I’ve happily charged myself with sampling the city’s vast array of falafel, and it’s been a fine ride. And there is definitely some great falafel in this town, make no mistake. Last week it was brisk and slightly drizzly, so, while walking in SE Portland with a friend, we decided we wanted some falafel. Quickly! And that’s when we happened along Portland mainstay and falafel slinger extraordinaire, Al Herre and his Fat Kitty Falafel cart on the south side of 21^st and SE Division, in front of Mirador Community Store.  It’s not just falafel, it’s an experience.

Falafel from Fat Kitty

Al’s menu is simple and straightforward. $5 will get you a fresh hot falafel wrapped in a pita with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and your choice of tahini (plain, cilantro and spicy) and optional hot sauce.  Beverages available for an additional $1. The end.

The best part may be Al’s crispy falafel is served up with some of the best conversation in town. Go for the falafel, stay for a little bit of Al’s philosophy of life in Portland, his escapades in New York City, or his insight on the burgeoning Portland food cart scene.  Al is here to stay, and so is his falafel (voted several years in a row by the Williamette Week as the best falafel in the city, incidentally.)

I encourage you all to judge for yourselves. Crispy, flavorful and an ample serving for $5; I’ll definitely be coming back. Al is a Portland fixture that you will not soon forget. He’s friendly, open and full of conversation; I guarantee you will not leave without an opinion of Al and his falafel.  Fat Kitty is why I love this city! All vegetarian, all the time, with vegan tahini sauce available upon request.

Normally open 5 days a week for lunch, 11am – 5pm, call ahead if you’re not sure he’s open. He’ll take your order by phone and have it ready for pick up. 503-995-2724. www.fatkitty.biz. Al is seriously considering Twitter, and I hope he does it soon, as I’d happily follow his falafel anywhere. When you visit, tell him Food Carts Portland sent ya.

[Updated 6/2010 - Fat Kitty moved from SE 21st and Division to E Burnside at 7th]

Sample Menu:

• Falafel: fresh hot falafel wrapped in a pita with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes and your choice of tahini (plain, cilantro and spicy) and optional hot sauce – $5

Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11am-5pm
Website: Fatkitty.biz
Phone: 503 995 2724

Ugarit Mediterranean Meals

Location: SW 10th and Alder (on Alder)

Description:

Up of SW 10th avenue, years before the most recent food carts arrived, Ugarit has been serving up gyro and falafel to Portland’s lunch crowd. Specializing in Mediterranean food, Mohammad, the owner, greets you with a smile and sometimes a sample of his daily soup. That is what occurred last week when I visited. I arrived and was checking out the menu when I realized I didn’t have any cash. Before I could walk away to find a bank machine, Mohammad handed me a sample of the Red Lentil soup he was offering. That little bit of soup was amazing and quicken my pace to and from the ATM.

Ugarit get the name an independent kingdom from 18th century BC in what is now Syria. The people of Ugarit were perhaps the first to recognize that human speech consists of only a finite number of atomic sounds. They devised 30 symbols from which the alphabets of all phonetic languages are derived.

Super Halal Lamb Gyro

Ugarit offers up salads, appetizers, sandwiches, main dishes and even deserts and coffee. The menu is rather large, but there are handy pictures if you are unsure of which meal you really love, but don’t remember the name. I’m a sucker for gyro and when I saw they offered up a lamb gyro, I couldn’t resist. The Super Halal Lamb Gryo comes with strips of lamb served with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, tzatziki in a rolled pita. I was offered up hot sauce and decided to partake. The gyro was great. The lamb was tender, the hummus garlicky, the tzatziki sufficiently creamy. Even though it was messy with the innards spilling out at the bottom, I ate every bite.

Ugarit is one of the old guard of food carts here in Portland. If you are looking for something different and want a tried and true meal that Portland has been eating for years, give Ugarit a chance and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Greek Salad – lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese, black olives, lemon juice, olive oil and home vinegar – $5.50
• Tabouli – Arabic parsley with bulghur, tomatoes, green onions, mint, lemon juice and olive oil – $3
• Super Falafel – deep-fried garbanzo bean patties served with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and tahini sauce in a rolled pita – $5.50
• Super Halal Lamb Gyro – strips of lamb with hummus, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and tzatziki in a rolled pita – $6
• Super Baba Ghanouj sandwich – roasted eggplant puree served with lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber in a rolled pita – $4.50
• Hummus plate – garbanzo been puree with tahini paste, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, served with tomatoes, cucumber and pita – $6.50
• Mezza plate (choose 3) – hummus, falafel, tabouli, dolmeh, baba ghanouj, tzatziki, served with pita – $6.50
• Bakhlava – sweet confection of walnuts, cinnamon, homemade orange-rosewater and buttery phyllo pastry – $2
• Turkish coffee – $2

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11am-6:30pm
Website: Ugarit Mediterranean Meals
Phone: 503 327 4664

Location: SW 3rd and Washington

Description:

El Masry has a prime location.  On the corner of SW 3rd and Washington, it is one of the first food carts one would see when arriving into downtown Portland after crossing over the Morrison Bridge.  And such a nice cart too.  It is brand new and very welcoming with two windows to server the masses.  El Masry opened just a week or so ago and already has people waiting to be served.

El Masry is an Egyptian Food Cart.  Egyptian?  Yep.  They have an extensive menu covering one whole side of the cart including colorful pictures of each meal.  They have gyros, falafal, hummus, kofta, stuffed grape leaves, lentil soup, and so many other options, I couldn’t keep up.  As a newbie, I always try something I know I’ll like, so I opted for the kofta kabob sandwich – similar to a gyros.  A kofta kabob is like a beef meatball, but better and with more diverse flavors.  The sandwich was pita with kofta, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, carrots and yummy sauce all wrapped up.  When I bit into it, I knew I would enjoy every last bite.

My lunchmate opted for a schwarma sandwich.  He stated it was one of the best lunches he’d had all year – and I quote him on that.

Welcome to the food cart scene El Masry.

Sample Menu:

• Falafel Sandwich: $5.25
• Kofta Kabob Sandwich:  $5.50
• Mahalbya – $1.99
• Mixed rice, shish thwouk, salad – $6.75
• Grilled Chicken, mixed rice, salad – $6.75
• Stuffed grape leaves, kofta, salad – $6.99

Hours: Monday through Friday, lunchtime
Phone: 503 360 1251
Website: www.Zabiha.com

Location: PSU Park Blocks next to Smith Center
(SW Park and SW Harrison)

Description: Lebanese food. An oldie but a goodie on the cart scene at PSU, food here was once petty mediocre but has improved quite a bit in the past few years.

Expect your usual falafel, sharwarma, hummus, etc. Food comes in either huge “plate” portions ($5.00 – $8.00) or in wrapped flatbread sandwiches ($5.00). The downside of Basha’s is that Gyros are nothing special, but the bread does taste fresh. The upside to Basha’s is that they have a ton of different hot sauces to add to your heart’s delight. This cart is also a little too fond of the amount of tahini they use in their hummus and baba ganouj for my tastes, but no matter. Food here is cheap, it’s filling, it’s relatively healthy and fast. What more do you want?

Sample Menu:

Sandwiches – $5.00 – Chicken shawarma, kafta, falafel, gyros, hummus, baba ganouj, feta cheese

Plates – $3.00 – $8.00 -Chicken Shawarma or garlic chicken ($6.00), Kafta ($6.00), Lamb Shank ($7.50), Gyros ($6.00)

Basha Plate Special ($8.50) comes with choice of meat, hummus, falafel, basamati rice, vegetables, bread and sauces

Spinach pie ($3.50) – spinach, red onions and spices baked in homeade dough

Meza Vegetarian ($7.00) falafel, hummus, baba ganouj, stuffed grape leaves

Soups – $3.50 – Vegetarian lentil served with pita

Baklava – (sorry didn’t catch the price)

Hours: Mon-Fri lunch-late afternoon

Phone: unknown

Website: unknown

Location: Three Locations – SW 9th and Alder; SW 5th and Oak; SE 43rd and Belmont

Description: Quality Mediterranean and Greek Food including lots of vegetarian and some vegan options. The Gyros especially, are highly recommended.

Aybla is open later than most carts (5:30 PM) making it doable for an early dinner before a movie or to grab dinner to go on your way home after work. Aybla is also open on Saturdays from 12-4 PM, yet another rarity in the Portland food cart realm.

I’ve heard lots of feedback that Aybla’s gyros are just about the best in town and I’m happy to report that they are quite tasty, fresh, and the meat is tender and well portioned. Overall I’d say the gyros here are a very good value for the money (regular gyros $4.50, giant “enough for 2 meals” super gyros are $6.00). Gyros come in either the grilled lamb variety or with seasoned chicken served in a billowy thick and soft Greek style pita and include tzatziki sauce, and chopped onion, tomato, and parsley. Feta cheese can be added for $0.50. Another delicious pita sandwich is the traditional grilled skewers of ground seasoned lamb known as kafta kebobs.

Salads include a standard Greek salad ($4.00 large, $2.00 small), or traditional Tabouli ($3.00).

The Mezzas here are also quite fresh and much better than average. In the $3.00 – 6.00 range, most of them can be ordered as sandwiches or full plates and include things such falafel, hummous, baba ghanouj, the Greek spinach phyllo triangles known as Tyropita, and vegetarian Dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice). Plates come with a delicious Syrian seasoned rice made with rice and roasted wheat berries.

Vegetarians will be quite happy with Aybla’s variety, and many dishes can be made vegan by simply requesting them without feta or tzatziki sauce.

I also adore the owner and cook Saied Samaiel. Born in Syria, Saied learned to cook professionally on the Greek Island of Crete where he lived and worked for over a decade. This experience, coupled with his professionalism in the kitchen and friendliness with his customers (not to mention his killer food) are outstanding features that keep me returning to Aybla time and time again.

[Updated Jan 2011: Aybla opened a 3rd cart at Good Food Here at SE 43rd and Belmont in Fall of 2010]

Sample Menu: See the Aybla Website

Hours: Mon-Fri 11-5:30 , Sat 12-4

Phone: 503-490-3387

Website: http://www.ayblagrill.com

E-mail: ayblagrill@hotmail.com