Ninja Wings

August 28, 2012 by 2 Comments
Ninja Wings

Ninja Wings

Location: SE 102nd and Stark
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7:30pm

The Story:

Over the year, some carts have taken on buffalo wings trying to create the perfect sauce and great taste. There are only a few carts in town offering such vittles until Ninja Wings opened. The difference though is that these are Thai chicken wings.

From the owners of Veli Thai and Thai Garden comes a new cart focusing on menu items not offered at the other carts. The Ninja Wings are just one piece of the expanded options which includes papaya salad, chicken larb, pot stickers, and a dish named cheesy crab. The Ninja Wings are larger than the normal wings I’ve ordered and served with your choice of sauce on the side. I opted for the ninja sauce which was a sweet spicy sauce to pour atop and then use to dip. The wings were juicy and flavorful and there were more than I could finish. Served with sticky rice, if you’re with a friend, order a different dish and share.

Ninja Wings

Ninja Wings

Ninja Wings is now open at the A la Carts pod at SE 102nd and Stark. They have covered seating with windbreaks for those chinook winds that we’ll begin seeing in a few months. Check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Cheesy Crab – $3
  • Pot Stickers – $3
  • Ninja Wings and Salad – $6
  • Ninja Wings, Papaya Salad – $6
  • Golden Chicken, Rice & Salad – $6
  • Chicken Larb – $6
  • Ninja Salad – $6

Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7:30pm
Phone: 971 344 4058

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Filed Under: Debit/Credit Carts Accepted, Lunch, Salads, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Thai, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Thai Garden Food Stand

February 13, 2012 by 5 Comments
Thai Garden

Thai Garden

Location: SE 102nd and Stark
Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm

The Story:

The lot at southeast 102nd and Stark has become the go to spot for the areas eaters. With food choices ranging from Indian to Salvadorian to Mexican to Phillapino, you can traverse the culinary world by only walking about 20 feet. Thai Garden is there to fill that gap.

Thai Garden serves up authentic Thai cuisine with a menu of curry and stir fry dishes. This is one of those carts that has explicit ordering guidelines – 1. Select Food; 2. Choose chicken or tofu; 3. How Spicy?; 4. White or brown rice? I love that. It makes it easy and simplifies the decision process. The menu here includes noodle dishes, fried rice, curry or stir fry. The day we visited, it was fried rice with tofu, egg, onion, broccoli, peas, carrots and tomatoes. Fried rice is a dish I love unconditionally as it is simple and full of crunchy vegetables. You can eat it hot or cold and it gets better in the fridge for leftovers. Thai Garden’s fried rice was well done.

Basil Fried Rice

Fried Rice

Thai Garden is open weekdays and Saturday for lunch and dinner and has attracted a large following. Check them out and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Salad Rolls – $3
  • Egg Rolls – $3
  • Pad Thai – $5
  • Pad Kee Mao – $5
  • Fried Rice – $5
  • Basil Fried Rice – $5
  • Pineapple Fried Rice – $5
  • Mussaman Curry – $5
  • Yellow Curry – $5
  • Pra Ram Stir Fry – $5
  • Spicy Basil Stir Fry – $5

Hours: Mon-Sat, 11am-7pm
Phone: 503 887 5935

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Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Thai, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

La Cocina De Chepe

January 10, 2012 by 19 Comments
La Cocina de Chepe

La Cocina de Chepe

Location: SE 102nd and Stark
Hours: Tues-Fri, 11am-8pm, Sat/Sun, 10am-8pm

The Story:

The east wind blows cold in winter and the lot at 102nd and Stark is right in its path. That doesn’t close the carts though. Inside the seating area for La Cocina de Chepe, picnic tables are surrounded by space heaters while customers enjoy some wonderful Salvadorian fare.

La Cocina de Chepe – Chepe’s Kitchen – is one of those carts everyone talks about. Chepe, the owner, opened the cart in early August and by the end of the month, customers were bringing their own chairs and tables to setup in the lot. Chepe servers up authentic Salvadorian food and ensures he is using ingredients that you would find only in El Salvador. The Salvadorian red bean is an example of an ingredient he has a difficult time sourcing in Oregon, so he gets it from LA. It may be more expensive, but their signature Pupusa wouldn’t be authentic without it. As the crowds came and continue to come, La Cocina de Chepe became a beacon for the Salvadorian community in Portland. Chepe even reconnected with a high school mate who came to the cart for lunch. Small world.

El Salvador is famous for the pupusas which is a tortilla filled with cheese, beans, chicharron, and other ingredients. When I first thought of chicharron, I imagined the type of chicharron one would find at Mexican restaurants. Chepe instructed me how Salvadorians do it by making chicharron from pork, but then mixing it with beans and blending it to make a paste before adding it to the pupusa. Watching them make the pupusa was an art form – molding it and adding the fillings and frying it on the flattop. There are many traditional fillings for pupusas and La Cocina de Chepe has them along with some new signature items Chepe has designed for Portland. They even have queso y loroco which is made with the flower bud of the loroco plant from Central America.

The pod at SE 102nd and Stark has many options for street food dining. La Cocina de Chepe is open every day except Monday till 8pm so you can either grab lunch, an afternoon snack or dinner for the family. In the summer, be sure to bring a chair. Drop on by and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

  • Pupusas: numerous options which include beans, cheese, chicharron, squash, loroco, pork – prices range from $2.25-$3
  • Pan Con Pollo: chicken sandwich with sauce, water cress, sliced cucumber and other vegetables – $6.50
  • Steak Encebollado – steak w/smothered caramelized onion with rice and beans, fresh salad and fried plantains – $8.95
  • Sandwich Cubano – ham, cheese and roasted pork, mustard and pickles – $6.50
  • Yuca con Chicharrones – broiled or fried yuca root served with chicharrones, fresh salad, tomato sauce and curtido – $6.50

Hours: Tues-Fri, 11am-8pm, Sat/Sun, 10am-8pm
Phone: 5039339483

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Filed Under: Central American, Dinner, Lunch, Salvadorian, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Weekends

Philippine Cuisine

August 1, 2011 by 3 Comments
Philippine Cuisine

Philippine Cuisine

Location: SE 102nd and Stark
Hours: Fri-Wed, 11am-8pm, closed Thursdays

The Story:

A Philippine food cart in SE Portland serving up signature dishes like lumpia, chicken adobo, curry chicken, curry shrimp and other Philippine delights.

Sample Menu:

  • Caldereta: sauteed beef, similar to beef stew – $7
  • Lecheon Paksiw: roasted pork in sweet and sour sauce – $8
  • Sweet and Sour Fish: fried fish filet in sweet and sour sauce – $6
  • Lumpia: ground beef and vegetables wrapped in a wheat wrapper – 3 for $2
  • Chicken Adobo: chicken sauteed in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic and onions – $6

Hours: Fri-Wed, 11am-8pm, closed Thursdays
Phone: 971 506 8367

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Filed Under: Dinner, Lunch, Pacific Islands, Philippine, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Vegetarian Options, Weekends

Taqueria Los Arcos

April 29, 2010 by 3 Comments

Location: NE 102nd and Stark

The Story:

We all know that Portland has more than a few Mexican food trucks and taquerias. What sets one apart from another? Is it the way they prepare Carne Asada or Carnitas? Is it that they serve lengua (tongue) or cabeza (beef cheek?) Or is it that we actually need that many since we all crave tacos at least once a day? For Taqueria Los Arcos, what sets them apart from others I have been too was the service and the fresh homemade tortillas.

When I visited this cart out off SE 102nd and Stark, I had a memory that I had eaten at it before. I think it may have been located downtown for awhile up off SW 12th and Alder or in the vicinity. I was greeted by a nice young girl who politely welcomed me to the cart and took my order with precision and care. Her mother was there watching over her shoulder with a proud smile, allowing her daughter to shine on her own. So cute.

While I waited and took notes and used the truck to shield me from the east winds that can lower your body temperature in seconds, I peeked inside the cart to see the mother rolling up a ball of dough and placing it on the big wooden tortilla press and making my tortilla. Talk about fresh! From the looks of that tortilla press, it had seen a lot of tortillas in its time. Probably travelled a few miles too. The carnitas and lengua tacos that I enjoyed were hot, fresh and super tasty. I just love when I bite into a hot tortilla and get those flavors of cilantro, pork and flour. A tasty taco.

Taqueria Los Arcos is one of the numerous carts now open at the farthest east food cart pod at SE 102nd and Stark. If you are out there, give them a try and let them know Food Carts Portland sent ya.

Sample Menu:

Choice of meats: pollo; asada; carnitas; pastor; lengua; chorizo, cabeza; tripa (tripe)

  • Tacos – corn tortilla with choice of meat, lettuce, pico de gallo, cheese – $1.50
  • Burritos – flour tortilla with choice of meat, rice, beans and pico de gallo – $4.50
  • Torta sandwiches – $5

Hours: Tuesday-Sunday, 10am-6pm
Phone: 503 995 8109

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Filed Under: Lunch, Mexican, SE 102nd and Stark, Southeast-Portland, Tacos, Weekends
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