Kargi Gogo

May 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Kargi Gogo

Kargi Gogo

Location: SW Washington and 10th
Hours: Weekdays and Saturdays, lunch- late afternoon.

The Story: Grab your passports and your geography books, Kargi Gogo serves a cuisine we rarely see in Portland and they do an outstanding job of it too: The foods of the Georgian Republic. No, this is not fried chicken, grits, okra and peach pie found in the Southern United State of Georgia. This is food from the COUNTRY of Georgia. Located on the Black Sea, nestled under Russia, and surrounded by Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, Georgia is a culturally and geographically diverse country with a diverse cuisine to match it.  In Kargi Gogo’s own words:

Georgians make food that combines elements of Eastern European and Middle Eastern cuisines, resulting in fresh, flavorful dishes.

You’ll find Khachapuri – melted blend of cheeses in a flaky light crust. Then there’s Badrijani – cooked eggplant strips stuffed with ground walnuts, garlic and Georgian spices. Light but satisfying, and vegan and gluten free to boot. Yet, it’s the Georgian dumplings named Khinkali that really win us over. Think of generous fistfull sized tender and boiled wontons stuffed with a mixture of meats, garlic, herbs and broth. They are a Georgian obsession and highly addictive, and pro-tip provided by the owners of Kargi Gogo and the way the Georgians eat them – grab the dumpling by the top, turn them upside down, then bite in. This keeps the hot broth inside the dumplings from exploding all over your nice clean shirt.

Kargi Gogo,  literally translates  to Good Girl in the Georgian language and their cute little white cart with the quirky cartoon girl logo (the good girl) is a nice introduction to Georgian food.  Kargi Gogo has put a lot of thought into their design and menu, including descriptions and photos of their food as well as making sure there are offerings for meat eaters, vegetarians and vegans. They even have some gluten free foods. This commitment to education about their food is really helpful in choosing what mouth-watering treats to try.

Kargi 2

Kargi Gogo’s Supra Feast sampler plate

A great introduction to sampling  Kargi Gogo’s menu is their “Supra Feast”, describe as:

A Georgian supra is an epic feast with an abundance of delicious food. Indulge with a slice of Khachapuri, a slice of Lobiani, two Khinkali, two Badrijani and Peasant’s Salad.

Sean and McKinzie are the two affable young Americans who own Kargi Gogo. They were both stationed in Georgia for two years in the Peace Corps, met there, and decided to introduce Portlanders to this fantastic cuisine. Food Carts Portland salutes Kargi Gogo for their efforts and excellence. Or, as the robust and friendly Georgian people might say, Gemrielad Miirthvith! (Enjoy your meal!)

 

Sample Menu:

 

  • Khachapuri – Georgian Cheese Stuffed Bread – $6
  • Lobani – stuffed Bean and Onion Bread – $6
  • Khinkali – meat stuffed boiled dumplings – $6
  • Badrijani – eggplant, garlic and walnut rolls – $6
  • Peasant Salad – tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, onions in a walnut-garlic dressing – $6
  • Supra Feast – a large sampler of all menu items – $8

 

Phone: 503- 489-8432

Website: kargigogo.com

Facebook: Kargi Gogo PDX

Twitter: @kargigogopdx

 

 

 

Filed Under: Eastern European, Georgian Republic, Gluten Free Options, Lunch, Mediterranean, Snacks, SW 10th and Washington, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

The Italian Market

April 12, 2013 by 1 Comment
The Italian Market

The Italian Market

Location: SE 45th and Stark at Belmont Station
Hours: Mon-Sun, 12-9pm

The Story: Yo, cheesesteaks are for tourists! Those are the first words I remember hearing from the owners of The Italian Market almost a year ago. Hailing from the city of brotherly love, the owners Erin and Andrew bring south Philly street food to Portland.

I first met Erin and Andrew over a year ago and learned of their plans to relocate to Portland and jump into our ever evolving street food scene. Coming from Philadelphia, a food city in its own right, they wanted to bring those flavors without the schtick we all associate with the cheesesteak. I’ve been to Philly and yeah, you can find a cheesesteak on every corner, but there is so much more to eat and The Italian Market will show you. It has been a long year for the two from the move and building a food cart and securing a location. But now, in April, they are open and slingin’ sandwiches at Belmont Station, a venerable bottle shop known by many who took out their old kitchen in order to welcome a mobile vendor. A new welcoming patio was also constructed so you can enjoy your sandwich inside out of the rain with a beer.

Italian Beef Brisket Sandwich

Italian Beef Brisket Sandwich

Erin and Andrew have done their time in kitchens and know enough about their craft to know the bread for a sandwich is key. Last summer, they flew out here with a suitcase of different types of bread from Philadelphia and visited all the best bakers in town to see who they could partner with to re-create some of those signature loafs. Dean from Allesio bakery took the samples and made magic in the Rose City, creating the different types of buns The Italian Market required. Speaking of sandwiches, they offer four different ones including an Italian pork, an Italian beef, a meatball sub and a baked eggplant sammy for the vegetarians in the crowd. After tasting samples of both the pork and beef, I choose the Italian beef brisket with roasted tomatoes, sharp provolone and horseradish on a seeded roll. Andrew threw some pepperoncinis in there for good measure. The roll held the ingredients together well and even soaked up a bit of the juices without becoming too soggy and falling apart. The horseradish and brisket mixed perfectly with the acidity of the tomato. Top it all off with sharp provolone and you have one excellent sandwich.

The Italian Market also offers salad and pretzels and can do Gluten Free buns, just ask. They source all their ingredients locally including their “east coast kale” – broccoli rabe. I tried a sample of the greens which melted in my mouth. I’m loving this new model of pairing mobile vendors with bottle shops and bars. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been in a bar and all they have to eat are warmed over hot dogs. An Italian pork sandwich sounds so much better with a local IPA. Find The Italian Market at Belmont Station daily from noon-9pm. Welcome them to our fine town and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Federal Sandwich: Italian Pork w/ sharp provolone and broccoli rabe – $8
  • Ellsworth: Italian beef – $8.50
  • Uncle Mike’s Meatball Sub – ground beef and pork simmered in red gravy w/ sharp provolone – $8
  • Passyunk: baked eggplant w/ roasted peppers and fennel, homemade mozzarella and pesto – $8
  • Tasker Salad: panzanella salad w/ crusty bread, cucumber, tomato, homemade mozzarella, onion and fresh basil with olive oil and balsamic – $5.50

Phone: (908) 294-1854
Website: TheItalianMarketPDX.com
Facebook: The Italian Market
Twitter: @YoItalianMarket

Filed Under: Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Italian, Lunch, Sandwiches, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Chez Dodo

March 27, 2013 by 2 Comments

Chez Dodo

Location: N Vancouver and Fremont
Hours: M-F, 11am-11pm; Sat, 11-9pm

The Story: A taste of Mauritian Paradise. That is all I needed to know before visiting Chez Dodo, a new vendor in the ever changing lot at the corner of N Fremont and Vancouver.

Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about 1,200 miles off the south east coast of Africa. When the Portuguese arrived in the 1500′s, the island was uninhabited except for the famed Dodo bird. After a few centuries of different colonial rule, the culture of the island in the 21st century is a mix of several ethnicities – mostly of Indian, African, Chinese and European descent. At Chez Dodo, the cuisine reflects the inspiration of French, African, Indian, Creole and Chinese cuisine.

Upon arrival, Chef Shayamal leaned out the window to greet me and immediately listed off the day’s specials and instructed me to the vast menu and how to order. You start with a base of either flat bread, noodles or rice, add a curry sauce and then top with accompaniments like bean curry and potatoes, chicken or lamb. I chose pan fried curry noodles with the Island Fever spicy curry sauce and lamb. During the prep of the meal, Shayamal leaned out with a huge skillet of noodles and a fork to ask if the spice was sufficient. What brilliant service. A huge plate of noodles with vegetables and lamb was handed over. More than I could eat in a sitting, but so flavorful, spicy and complex, I couldn’t put the fork down. If you’re going, go with a friend as Shayamal is a giver of food and will load you up.

Curry Noodles from Chez Dodo

You may recognize the name Chez Dodo as his vegan pre-made products have been in local stores now for over a year. Chef Shayamal offers numerous options for vegan, gluten free, and vegetarian diets. He stated, “If it weren’t for the vegans buying my product, I wouldn’t be open.” Thanks vegans! Chez Dodo is open from lunch through late night and on Saturday, so there is no reason you can’t visit. The lot now has five different mobile vendors and the are continues to change for the better with a New Seasons store opening this year. Drop on by for a taste of Mauritius and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Bases:

  • Dholl Puri Flat Bread; Pan Fried Curried Noodles; Brown Rice Pulao or Rice Noodles

Curry Sauces:

  • Healthy Vegan: mild curry sauce cooked with a blend of exotic spices and herbs
  • Tropical Happiness: creamy tomato based curry sauce cooked with spices, coconut and cashews
  • Island Fever: spicy curry sauce with 3 different peppers, onions, ginger, garlic, tamarind, lemon and vinegar

Accompaniments:

  • Assorted bean curry and potatoes – $4.99
  • Wild combo of mushrooms with lentil fritter – $5.99
  • Chicken cooked in red wine sauce – $5.99
  • Lamb Curry pressure cooked and sauteed – $7.99

Phone: (503) 284-4575
Facebook: Chez Dodo
Twitter: @ChezDodoPDX

Filed Under: African, Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Dinner, Gluten Free Options, Indian, Late Night, Lunch, N Vancouver and Fremont, Noodles, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Chen’s Express

March 19, 2013 by 1 Comment

Location: NE Sandy Blvd and 52nd. Rose City Food Park 
Hours: Mon-Sun 11am-8pm

The Story: A Chinese food cart. Ah, I could wax poetic about my love of “New York Take Out” Chinese Food. Aka “Old School” or “Chinatown” Chinese.  It’s pure comfort food and as American as well, Kung Pao Chicken. Which is to say Chinese-American food is pretty darn American. You know the kind of food I’m talking about, it’s available all over our great country, but especially featured on many an episode of Seinfield, Friends, Sex & the City, and pretty much any show that take place in the Big Apple. When in NYC (and other big East Coast cities), you’ll see menu flyers piled up in apartment lobbies, and hoards of bicycle delivery folk speeding through traffic to get bags of Potstickers, Hot & Sour Soup, and other well known “Chinese American Classics” to their customers. Who hasn’t had a craving at one time or another for this type of saucy, salty, stir-fried, deep fried, steamed cuisine? I know I have.

Chen’s Express reminds me so much of those little storefronts found in New York – in cart form. It’s simple, it’s straight to the point, it’s freshly prepared fast, and it offers all your favorite Chinatown Chinese Food classics at affordable prices: Don’t expect anything CRAZY here, just decent generous portions of fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, chow mein, and a few Szechuan dishes, such as spicy tofu. They even have crab puffs and spring rolls alongside egg drop and hot and sour soup. At entrees that also include a side of your choosing for $6, you really can’t go wrong. No MSG, and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options available.

Chen's Express

Chen’s Express

Sample Menu:

  • Entrees plus one side – $6.00 or Two Entrees and a side – $8.00. Choices include, but are not limited to Sauteed string beans, lemon tofu, lemon chicken, Kung Pao tofu, Kung Pao chicken, Mongolian Beef, Tofu and vegetables, General Tsao’s tofu, General Tsao’s chicken,
  • Sides – $1.00 – $6.00 depending on dish and size: Crispy spring rolls, crab puffs, steamed buns, fried rice, chow mein
  • Soups – Small $1.00, Large $3.00 – Hot and Sour Soup, Eggdrop Soup

Phone: (503) 334-7040
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChensExpress

Filed Under: Chinese, Dinner, Lunch, NE 52nd and Sandy, Snacks, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Okinoshima

March 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Okinoshima

Okinoshima

Location: SW 3rd and Stark
Hours: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, 6pm-10pm. Sat 12pm-2am. Sun 4pm-8pm

The Story: A quaint little Japanese food cart in downtown Portland. Some carts shout, other carts whisper. Some carts have big glossy signs and fancy decor to stand out from the pack. Others have elaborate websites and Facebook pages and are all in your face with their logos and menus, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Yet, some carts are so demur, so humble, so focused on making the best food possible and nothing else that they appear to be hiding in plain sight. These carts are often very worth the hunt.

Okinoshima is one such cart plunked in the middle of the bustling cart row on SW 3rd near Stark. There’s no sign to let you know where you are. Look closely though and you’ll see this is no typical Thai, Burrito or “rice bowl” cart. Okinoshima serves traditional Japanese street food fare. No, not sushi. No, not Americanized, “teriyaki chicken Bentos”.  Sure, this cart serves the typical menu item, Yakisoba, but just better – fresher, more balanced flavors, and ingredients that may include Octopus (in the seafood mix Yakisoba) as well as bonito (dried shaved bonito fish) toppings.  Other dishes include homemade Japanese style curry, udon soups, and that cult craved dish known as the “Japanese Pizza-Pancake” – Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, o-konomi-yaki). You’ve never had Okonomiyaki? Well, get over there and try some, pronto. Imagine a thick, moist, savory pancake stuffed with cabbage and other veggies, your choice of meats or seafood, egg or tofu if you wish, and topped with a lip-smacking sauce of mayonnaise, seasoned thin nori strips, a sweet thick soy sauce, and bonito flakes. This dish alone is worth hunting to find this little cart for.

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, o-konomi-yaki) – Japanese savory “pizza pancake”

Okonomiyaki (お好み焼き, o-konomi-yaki) – Japanese savory “pizza pancake”

Be warned, it’s a one man shop at Okinoshima though. Expect a bit of a wait during lunch rush hours which can lead to grumbling bellies and anxious feet. But, food this good is worth waiting for. After all, aren’t all the best things in life?

Sample Menu:

  • Okonomiyaki - Japanese Pizza Pancake – Hashimaki (snack size): $3.00, Regular size $5-$7. Choices of fried egg, tofu, chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, seafood, or all (mix).
  • Yakisoba – stir fried noodles: $5-$7. Choice of tofu, egg, chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, seafood, or all (mix).
  • Japanese Curry – served with rice and pickles: $6-$7: tofu, chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, seafood, or all (mix).
  • Udon- thick wheat noodles in a soy-fish broth: served with kamaboko (fish loaf), inari (fried tofu skin), shrimp tempura, scallion, & wakame seaweed – $7.00

Phone: 617-504-7081
Email: okinoshima@hotmail.com

 

Filed Under: Dinner, Japanese, Late Night, Lunch, Snacks, SW 3rd and Stark, Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, Weekends
«Older Posts