Location:

The Story:

Over the past month or so we have been able to follow the opening story of The Dump Truck on Twitter, learning about building the cart, sourcing equipment and getting inspections. The challenge was, with the name dumptruckpdx on Twitter, we just couldn’t figure out what they were planning to serve. I thought it would be some crazy eclectic mashup cart serving something like a bacon-wrapped deep fried avocado …. Well, after visiting yesterday, I learned what the dump meant in Dump Truck – dumplings.

The Dump Truck is the partnership of Julia, Reid and John. While living and working in Beijing a few years ago, Julia and Reid met and became huge fans of dumplings, a staple there. As with every food craving, one is drawn to the location where you find comfort and consistency. For Julia, that was a dumpling restaurant close to her home run by Mr. Ma and his wife. After eating every meal daily at Mr. Ma’s restaurant, Julia became close with them, enough so that a menu item is named after Mr.Ma. I guess that’s where she learned the love and craft of dumplings. Since then, Julia and Reid moved back to Portland. Julia began making dumplings for Voicebox Karaoke in NW, saw how well they were selling and decided to open the cart with Reid and John.

One of the first items I heard The Dump Truck was selling was a bacon cheeseburger dumpling. Really? Wow. On the menu the day I visited was that bacon cheeseburger, along with Mr. Ma’s special and Down 2 Earth. With all those flavors available, I opted for a sampler which gave me two of each, with sauces for only $5. The bacon cheeseburger dumpling was interesting. You look at what we know as a potsticker, but it is filled with hamburger, some bacon and cheese. Strange as it may sound, it was quite good and tasted like a little burger in a wrap. My favorite of the sample was Mr Ma’s special – pork with ginger and scallions. I bit in and the ginger and scallions exploded with flavor in my mouth. Pair with the spicy tahini/chili dipping sauce they provide and I noshed them down in a heartbeat.

The Dump Truck is now serving their signature dumplings to the lunch crowd down on SW Alder, between 10th and 11th. They are the bright yellow cart at the end of the row. The cart sits high due to its placement on the lot, but Reid ensured me that they will be building a step so you can order your food without reaching to much. I’m excited about this cart. Dumplings are something new for the Portland food cart scene and if they mix it up as they have already proven with the bacon cheeseburger offering, I see a bright future. Head down there and try some dumplings and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Mr. Ma’s Special: pork, ginger, scallions – 8 for $6
• Down 2 Earth: portabello, rice noodle and ginger – 8 for $6
• Bacon Cheeseburger: yes, bacon cheeseburger – 8 for $6
• Sampler: 2 of each for $5

Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-4pm
Phone: 503 877 3867
Twitter: @DumpTruckPDX

Location:

The Story:

Many Portland cart fans mourned the closing of Asian Station in 2009. The cute little cart with the cedar mansard roof sat empty and for sale for more than a few months. Then, in February, a new roof and bright blue paint showed up along with the cutest penguin motif and Cool Harry’s Frozen Yogurt was born.

Cool Harry’s is the work of Michael, who wanted to bring Portland his version of organic frozen yogurt in unique homegrown flavors. Over the past couple of months, I have seen some of the most drool inspiring flavors flow across their Twitter stream – blood orange, lavender, peach rose, cherry almond, celery zest, peach dream, and most recently, rhubarb. Do I have your attention? Cool Harry’s switches out the flavors every week or so, announcing them on Twitter and sometimes providing a codeword for a free topping.

I had to try the rhubarb. Rhubarb is one of those flavors of spring and early summer that brings back wonderful memories for me. Everyone remembers the first rhubarb pie brought out at the first cookout of the season. We just made rhubarb jam at home. When I saw it as frozen yogurt, I couldn’t pass it up. Initially, I wanted it virgin, without any toppings, so I could take in the full flavor. I then spotted that Michael had marionberries available. Mmmm…marionberries on rhubarb frozen yogurt. A match made in heaven. The yogurt was sufficiently tart as you would expect from rhubarb, yet with a creamy texture. The berries were divine, creating a taste bud revolt in my mouth. Watch out, it is so good that you may eat it fast – brain-freeze warning issued.

Cool Harry’s has been open since February even though Portland’s weather hasn’t been conducive for cool treats on a hot day. Trust me when I tell you any day is a good day for a frozen treat. If you are looking for a dessert to finish off your lunch or just need an excuse for something sweet, visit Cool Harry’s and enjoy something special. Let him know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Flavors of the yogurt change often, check cart for that day’s specials.

Sizes:

• Way small – $2.50
• Small – $3.25
• Medium – $4.25
• Large – $5.25

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11am-5pm
Website: www.coolharrys.com
Twitter: CoolHarryPDX

Location:

The Story:

A new taqueria is open up off SW 10th and Alder in the cluster that includes Nong’s, SomTum Gai Yang and Savor Soup House. Some tough competition! Yet, Don Pedro’s meets the expectations and serves up a tasty and affordable meal.

Don Pedro’s is a traditional taco cart cooking up tacos, burritos, tostadas, torta sandwiches and breakfast burritos. For meat options, they have carne asada, carnitas, pollo, chorizo, and pastor. Tacos are $1.25 and burritos are $4.50 – great prices for a solid meal downtown.

I picked up a couple of tacos the days I visited and tried one each of the meat options. The carnitas was perfect and these tacos are served up on a double layer of corn tortillas with chopped onions, some cilantro and whichever salsa you choose. I had seen they offer chorizo for breakfast, so asked if I could get a chorizo taco. Yes, indeed, and it was wonderful.

Don Pedro’s by my account is the least expensive taco in downtown at $1.25. For a good taco, that is a great price. Check them out if you are up in that pod and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Tacos – choice of carne asada, pollo, pastor or carnitas – $1.25
• Burritos – choice of meat with beans and rice – $4.50
• Torta – mexican sandwich with choice of meat – $3.50
• Tostada – $4
• Breakfast burrito – bacon, ham, chorizo, sausage – $4

Hours: Monday-Friday, lunchtime
Phone: 360 721 1515

SomTum Gai Yang

Location: SW Alder, between 10th and 11th

The Story:

Just when you thought another cart couldn’t fit on the expanding corner of SW 10th and Alder, you get an email about a new cart. The owners of SomTum Gai Yang contacted us a couple of weeks ago, announcing their opening. I mentioned it to a couple of fellow cart fans and within a couple of days was getting rave reviews about the food, so I decided to visit.

The name SomTum Gai Yang actually describes exactly what they serve. Som tum or som tam is a green papaya salad that is shredded in a way to make it look like noodles. It tastes a bit like jicima with a little sweetness. Almost like cabbage. Pair that with some carrots, cherry tomatoes, green beans and spice and you have a tasty meal. Gai Yang is Thai barbecued chicken. Put it all together and you have a great meal.

I decided to try the whole meal – SomTum Gai Yang – in order to taste all that they have to offer. I chose to get barbecued pork instead of chicken though. I’m always the troublesome one. The dish comes with a spicy sauce for the rice which is a sticky rice served in a bag and sealed to keep it sticky and moist. The salad was something I had never had. I actually thought the green papaya was noodles until my buddy told me otherwise. I ordered mine medium hotness and it was perfect. It wasn’t hot for hot’s sake, but more of a flavorful spicy hot. I may even ask them to go a bit hotter to see if the flavor intensifies. The pork was cooked perfectly and was a great compliment to the spicy salad. In the end, a great meal.

SomTum Gai Yang is located up SW Alder between 10th and 11th avenue.  If you are a fan of Thai food, you should visit. They serve up only a few dishes, so they make those dishes special. I enjoyed that salad so much, I’m going to seek it out elsewhere to see how others prepare it. When you visit, let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Somtum – green papaya salad w/lime juice served w/ sticky rice – $6
• Gai yang – Thai style BBQ Chicken served w/ sticky rice – $6
• Moo yong – Thai roast pork w/ sticky rice – $6
• Tum Polamai – fruit salad combines chopped red and green apples, pears, oranges, and strawberries w/ lime juice – $6
• Somtum Gai Yang – combination of salad and bbq chicken or pork – $7

Contact: 503 522 9543 (call for pickup)

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

Ali Baba's

Location: SW 10th and Alder St.

Description:

The pod at SW 10th and Alder st. keeps growing, eventhough a long time cart like Asian Station has closed and is now for sale. Two spots up 10th sees the arrival of Ali Baba’s Turkish kitchen. I decided to stop by this week and see what they had to offer.

The my first impression was one of kindness. The owner welcomed me warmly, called me friend and engaged with me as if we had known each other for awhile. When I have an experience like that I know the person is passionate about what they are about to serve me and feel I’m in for a treat. Ali Baba’s offers up kofte and grilled chicken both in the form of sandwiches or salads or over rice.

Kofte Sandwich

I chose the kofte sandwich with sliced tomatoes, onion, shephard’s salad and cacik. Kofte is a traditional lamb and herb meatball usually made on a kebab. Ali Baba’s has them as meatballs and lays them on the vegetables in the sandwich. They are the perfect size. The sandwich may appear small. The day I arrived, they were still working out a sourcing issue, so had received smaller buns. The sandwich was perfect for me, but is normally larger. I got it for $5 instead of the listed price of $6.50.

Turkish Coffee from Ali Baba's

While my meal was being prepared, I noticed a small green post-it stating that Turkish coffee is offered after 1pm. It was only noon, so I had to wait or return. I indeed returned the next day and enjoyed an excellent Turkish coffee with the perfect amount of sugar. I was sufficiently awake the remainder of the day. I love the thickness and sweetness of the coffee. Ali Baba’s may become my new afternoon go to coffee spot.

Ali Baba’s is open from lunch through dinner throughout the week in case you have an odd schedule and can’t get to the carts during their normal lunch hours. They serve the Turkish coffee made fresh after 1pm and also offer up baklava and kadifi for you sweettooths. If you go, tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Kofte on rice with shephard’s salad and cacik – $6.50
• Kofte sandwich with sliced tomatoes, onion, shephard’s salad and cacik – $6.50
• Kofte on romaine with shephard’s salad and cacik – $6.50
• Grilled chicken on rice with shephard’s salad and cacik – $6.50
• Baklava – 2pc for $3
• Kadaifi with kaymak – $3
• Turkish coffee – $2.50

Hours: Monday through Friday, 11am-8pm (or earlier if not busy)
Contact: unknown
Other: Visa/MasterCard accepted

BBQ Fusion

Location: SW 10th and Alder (west of 10th)

Description:

Even with fall in the air and winter on the way, there isn’t a reason to leave the taste of BBQ to summer’s past. There are plenty of places in Portland to get your BBQ fix during the colder months.  BBQ Fusion has joined them.

BBQ Fusion offers up a few BBQ options including a pulled pork sandwich and BBQ ribs. I’m not sure any of the carts downtown offer up ribs, so this is new. I chose to try the pulled pork sandwich with beans and coleslaw. Before I could take some notes on the menu and such, my meal was ready. Speedy!

Pulled Pork sandwich from BBQ Fusion

Before I cruised off to eat this, the owner suggested I try the white sauce. I can’t remember if he called it Alabama or Arkansas white sauce, but I took the suggestion and squirted a bit in my container. That was the best decision. I’m not sure what is in the sauce. Obviously mayonnaise based, it had spices and pepper that made it zing. I dipped my sandwich in it throughout the meal wanting more with every bite. It made the meal.

BBQ Fusion is located in one of the ever growing pods just west of SW 10th avenue on Alder. Next time you are up there and craving some BBQ, check them out and tell them Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

• Pulled pork sandwich with beans and coleslaw – $6
• Grilled shrimp served over rice with coleslaw (regular or Cajun) – $6
• Chicken skewers – Mediterranean, Thai or Cajun – $6
• Sausage plates  – brat, beef or veggies – $4
• Pork ribs – half rack – $10; full rack $20

Hours: Monday through Friday – lunchtime
Phone: 503-805-4155
Website: unknown

Addy's Sandwich Bar

Location: SW 10th and Alder (facing 10th)

Description:

Sandwiches. Is there anything more satisfying than a good sandwich for lunch. I have fond memories of making basic cheese and ham sandwiches when I was a kid. My parents always opted to add butter which I thought was gross. I used mustard to mix it up. These days, one can find gourmet sandwiches almost anywhere and the influx of sandwich culture from other parts of the world keeps us on our toes. Yet, I still crave a simple, tasty, filling sandwich. Enter Addy’s Sandwich Bar.

Addy’s is brand new, having only been open for about 2 weeks now. I had seen the shiny black cart arrive back in July, but didn’t know it would be Addy’s until towards the end of the month when Addy invited some to a “tasting party.” Addy was a sous chef at Sydney’s Cafe in NW Portland and had a little get together to show off what her cart would be offering. Sadly, I was unable to attend that event, so yesterday was my first foray into Addy’s Sandwich world.

Addy offers up a range of sandwiches, both for meat lovers and vegetarians. She servers her sandwiches on mini baguettes from Little T Bakery. They are called mini, but they are not hat small, a little larger than a stadium bun or french roll if you can imagine that. I chose as my first sandwich the Tuna with hardboiled egg. Hadn’t ever been presented with that selection option, so thought I would give it a try.

Tuna is one of my favorite lunch sandwiches. This isn’t a chuck of tuna steak, more like the tuna fish spread mom use to make, with a little extra love. After taking my first bite, I remembered why I love fresh baguettes. There is a chewiness that isn’t too hard, nor too soft. It forces you to truly taste the bread and the work put in to make it. The tuna was just right. I could taste the tuna, capers, and a hint of red onions. The spread was the right mix of tuna and the other ingredients without too much mayo or binder. Mix that with the chewy bread and the sliced hardboiled egg and you have a great sandwich. I finished it. It wasn’t too much sandwich.

Upon arriving yesterday, I had to wait in line, which is a good sign for a new cart. While standing there, a gentleman walked by and peaked in the window to tell Addy the sandwich was the best he’d had. What an endorsement! Addy’s Sandwich Bar offers up both meat and not meat sandwiches. She also has drinks, including my favorite – Fizzy Lizzy. Next time you’re out looking for a good lunch, check out Addy’s Sandwich Bar and tell them FoodCartsPortland sent ya. Welcome Addy.

Sample Menu:

Sandwiches all served on Little T Bakery mini baguette: $5.50

• House cured ham with gruyere and butter
• Tukey with brie and cucumber
• Country Pate with mustard and cornichon
• Duck Confit with apricot sauce
• Tomato basil and mozzarella
• Brie and cucumber
• Chocolate with sea salt and olive oil
• Organic Salad – $2.50
• assorted drinks and chips – $1.5

Hours: Monday – Friday 11am – 3pm
Contact: 503 267 0994 or addyssandwichbar@hotmail.com

Location: SW 10th and Alder

Description:

EuroDish calls their food “Traditional Polish Home Style Cuisine.” When I see the words traditional and home style together, I get a little excited. To me, it means someone is trying to harken back to days of yore and replicate what they know to be the food of their homeland. At EuroDish, the owner is succeeding.

EuroDish has been around now for a couple of years, so obviously has worked out any kinks and has a strong following. I have visited a few times in the past and have always enjoyed my meal. EuroDish’s traditional Polish fare is made up of many different options. You can go simple and get a kielbasa sausage on a french roll or get crazy and have one of the combo plates which could include pierogies, salad, schnitzel, blintzes, and bigos. A pierogi is a polish home style dumpling filled with seasoned potato and cheese or cabbage and mushroom or meat. Bigos is traditional hunter’s stew – beef, pork, sausage and tomato sauce stewed in sauerkraut…  All that together would truly fill one up. And these are just a couple of the items on the large menu of lunch and dinner options.

Recently, I opted for one of the combos shown in pictures outside the cart. A huge plate of food including a salad, some rice, pierogis, and two pork schnitzels, smothered in grilled onions. I dove in and was in food heaven. I lived in Austria for a time, so am familiar with schnitzel, but haven’t had it in a few years. The schnitzel I had that day brought back some great memories. It was perfectly breaded and seasoned and cooked perfectly. The crust had a sweetness to it at times that surprised me  and forced me to eat more. The dressing on the salad was surprisingly good as not many side salads at carts impress me. The pierogis were what I expected, little dumplings of yum. The entire meal was fabulous. I actually wasn’t able to finish.

Schnitzel plate

If you are out and about and need a hearty meal, check out EuroDish. [post originally written by Cuisine Bonne Femme, Sept. 2007, updated July, 2009.]

Sample Menu:

• Beef Vegetable Goulash Soup – beef, onion, tomato, carrot, garlic, and spices – served with egg pasta – $5
• Kielbasa Sandwich – grilled polish sausage with fried onions on french roll – $4
• Pork Schnitzel Sandwich – lightly breaded pan fried pork loin served with coleslaw, lettuce, tomato, cucumber onion and mustered on roll – $6
• Pierogi – dumplings; potato and cheese or cabbage and mushroom or meat and spinach – 6 for $4.50 or 9 for $6.50
• Bigos – Hunter’s Stew – beef, pork, sausage, tomato sauce – seasoned and stewed in sauerkraut – $4.50
• Combo plates – choices of the above items together – ranging between $5 and $8
• Cheese Blintzes – crepes filled with farmer’s cheese served with fresh fruits and sweetened sour cream – 1 for $2.25 or 2 for $4.25

Hours: 11am – 6pm Monday through Friday

Phone: 971 344 3704

Nong's Khao Man Gai

Location: SW Alder in between SW 10th and 11th

Description:

Khao means rice in Thai.

Gai means chicken.

Khao Man Gai is one of my favorite Thai street food classics. See, Thailand is a country obsessed with food. They are also a country obsessed with street food. It’s not unusual to see Armani clad businessmen sitting next to their limo drivers slurping noodles or chowing down on dumplings from the morning through the night. School kids grab breakfast at a cart, an afternoon snack, then pick up dinner for their hurried and harried parents. Street food is a way of life in Thailand and eating at street carts seems to be the number past time. Anyone who has visted “the land of the smiles” also knows that the best meals are often found at the thousands and thousands of street carts.,

Thai Chicken and Rice is Very Nice

And unlike most Thai carts in Portland with their 70+ menu items, Thai carts in Thailand often specialize in one dish, and one dish only. Everyone debates who makes the best Khao Man Gai -  is it the single burner vendor near Wat Po or the guy with the small truck on Sukumvit Road 38 near the Skytrain stop? You get the idea.

Nong’s is doing something a bit different for Portland, but something right in line with Thai street food- she offers only one menu item (with a couple of variations), and has perfected it. Khao Man Gai is deceptively complex, which is one of the reasons it is so good. At first glance it doesn’t seem like much; some rice, some steamed chicken, a bit of seasoning, a cup of broth, some sauce and a few cucumber slices as garnish. Oh, how deceptive! Khao Man Gai is one of those foods, when made by deft hands, is food of the gods. It’s highly addictive. Tender chicken, soft rice, seasonings meant to be mixed to taste, and a clean broth served alongside. This IS the essence of good comfort food. Nong doesn’t skimp – and her Khao Man Gai would stand up to any of the best street vendors in Thailand. It’s garlicky, it’s got a whallop of ginger, the depth of bean sauce and the kick of chilis. Khao Man Gai is perfect.

Humble Looking Package of Khao Man Gai

Nong offers  a few variations on the theme such as the add on option of chicken liver (wonderful), extra chicken for a dollar, extra rice or the “Piset” which is really just a giant portion.  Currently, a vegetarian version is available on Fridays. If more people ask for it, vegan/veggie offerings might become a permanent menu fixture.

Khao Man Gai: open and ready to mix in the sauce

Drinks include some interesting palm, aloe, Asian pear and lychee. Iced or hot Vietnamese (not Thai?) coffee also available.

It’s wonderful to see such high quality, and such authentic foreign food make it to our little Portland shores. Welcome to the Portland food cart scene, Nong. We are pleased to have you!

You can read more about the passionate following for Khao Man Gai and Thai Street food (Bangkok specifically) here, here and here.

Menu:

Khao Man Gai – $6.00

Extra Chicken – $1.00

Chicken Liver – $1.00

Extra Rice – $1.00

Khao Man Gai Piset – $10.00

Drinks – $1.50-2.50 Vietnamese coffee (hot or iced), ramune soft drink, Aloe juice, palm juice, Asian pear juice, Lychee juice,

Hours: Mon-Fri lunch to later afternoon

Phone: 971-255-3480

Email: nongskhaomangai@gmail.com

Website: www.khaomangai.com

(note: this post has been merged with a previous post on “Nong’s Coming Soon!”)